0:04

All Huddle is a production of the NFL

0:06

in partnership with iHeartRadio.

0:32

Well off season, can I say

0:35

that I don't know her? We're still

0:37

here, guys.

0:37

This season never really stops for those

0:39

who work in the NFL, just the way we

0:42

like it. Welcome into the Huddle

0:45

Podcast. I'm JF Costa, Luis will

0:48

Sell VI. Always it feels

0:51

like Super Bowl was a year ago,

0:53

and yet it really wasn't.

0:55

Well, you know, part part of the reason

0:57

why is because of the extra

0:59

game, and so because as a result,

1:02

there's that short amount of time between the

1:04

super Bowl and the

1:07

scouting combine where it doesn't feel

1:09

like we're getting much of a breather and

1:11

we're getting right into it.

1:13

To it.

1:15

This.

1:16

I don't know if you had a chance to watch it,

1:19

follow me if you can, But I watch

1:21

showgunun Yes,

1:23

that is this new series that's on FX

1:26

and WHO and watch the first two

1:28

episodes. It's very

1:30

much like Game of Thrones esque,

1:33

whereas a very picturesque,

1:37

amazing tension, the actings,

1:39

unbelievable, cinematography top

1:42

notch, and I feel like we are

1:45

in this Showgun phase

1:47

of the NFL where you have all

1:50

these teams that are trying to

1:52

gain their alliances

1:54

with these various players and trying to

1:56

break your out their

1:58

strategy. Now here's the thing that I will

2:00

tell you, like about ten percent

2:03

of it is an English, so you'll be doing

2:05

a lot of reading, and so

2:08

you got to pay attention, but I

2:10

tell you it is worth it.

2:11

What's the other.

2:14

Well, it's Japanese.

2:16

So

2:18

the origin story. Yeah, yeah,

2:21

So it was very, very

2:23

impressive.

2:23

And so it feels like we're kind

2:25

of in this mode

2:27

right now where these NFL teams are trying to gain

2:29

these alliances with these players

2:32

and some of these players are trying to figure out

2:34

what's best for them. And as

2:36

we know, some of these players aren't going to be showcasing

2:39

their skills. Like A'm Marvin Harrison Junior.

2:42

We know he's the best wide receiver in

2:44

this draft. He's going without

2:47

an agent, that's how he's doing it. But

2:49

Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams

2:51

are deciding to show up, but they're going to showcase

2:54

their skills during the Pro Day. And

2:57

it just is so fascinating to

2:59

see the information that is purposely

3:03

leaked and the stuff that's accidentally

3:06

leaked out there.

3:07

I don't think anything exaccidental, right, a

3:09

conspiracy theorist in that sense.

3:12

All of this intentional, All of it's intentional. All

3:14

of it is intentional interests.

3:17

It's gaming gun, no question, or

3:19

show gun in this in this instance.

3:21

But you're right.

3:22

I was able to pop into the combine

3:24

very briefly twenty four hours by

3:27

design, and it's just cool.

3:29

Like the energy, the energy is

3:31

on another level, right, because it

3:33

does feel like the start of a brand new

3:35

season, which our producer Randy cringed about.

3:37

I get it, Randy, I do. I get

3:40

it, Like, what do you mean.

3:41

We're just we're still

3:44

But like for for these prospects,

3:48

it very much is I

3:50

don't want to say the beginning, because they've been training for this their

3:52

entire lives and certainly in the collegiate

3:54

portion of their of their careers too.

3:56

But this is the first.

3:58

Big like touch

4:00

point for them that they're like, oh crap, all right,

4:02

now the gms are here, now, the coaches are here, ownership

4:05

is here, the commissioner is here. Fords sakes

4:07

like, this is the real real moment,

4:09

I think as I speak to some of them,

4:12

where it's like there, oh crap.

4:13

Moment all right, it's happening, Yeah,

4:16

for sure.

4:17

So it's it's just really cool to feel

4:19

the energy and to see folks excited

4:21

about like the future of the league and like the you guys

4:24

that are coming in.

4:25

So it's cool.

4:26

Yeah.

4:26

I always like though, delving

4:28

into the big white binder that

4:30

we get.

4:31

Oh my god, the research binder and

4:33

some of.

4:34

The names like Storm Ducks

4:37

that's my favorite one so far.

4:39

Yes.

4:39

And then also there's like the pronunciation guide,

4:42

right, yes, which is very very important and we

4:44

always butcher it so apologies and advance

4:46

the prospects with wonderful names that we

4:49

cannot get right.

4:50

Yeah, but you know, don't tell you now We're sorry.

4:53

Yeah, I know in advance we'll eventually get.

4:54

Well get it. Remember Tua, Oh my god.

4:57

Yeah, a lot of people got it now. Yeah, down

5:01

now it just.

5:01

Rolls off the tongue. But at first we were

5:03

just calling him Tua.

5:04

Yeah, are like great. Two

5:06

is good, so much easier to do.

5:09

But you know, you you bring up Tua and

5:11

two has now been in the league for a little bit.

5:13

Kirk Cousin's name has popped up. What's

5:15

he going to do?

5:16

There's a video that surfaced of him working

5:18

out after yeah, on a

5:20

tennis court, they're working out his

5:22

achilles. This is just amazing how modern

5:25

medicine works, where these guys

5:27

now have an achilles injury

5:30

or torn acl and the recovery

5:32

time is so much shorter than what it used

5:34

to be. And so you hear about his

5:36

future. Then you're hearing about Russell

5:38

Wilson and what the Broncos are going to

5:40

do, and it sounds like Sean

5:42

Payton is done with

5:45

Russell Wilson based.

5:46

On what he had said.

5:48

The drama never stops, it doesn't.

5:50

I know is Russell was at the SAG Awards

5:53

with Sierra, who was looking amazing.

5:55

Yes, post baby, I know that's

5:58

right. He looked great.

5:59

He was in a tux, where's

6:02

it well, fixing her dress on the red carpet

6:04

as he should.

6:05

He looks very unbothered. He my point,

6:07

was very bothered.

6:08

He didn't seem like he was unbothered.

6:10

But he does speak kind of like

6:13

through both sides of it, where it's like he

6:15

wants to be or he says that he

6:17

wants to be with the Broncos and win

6:19

Super Bowls, but also on

6:22

the other end, it's like, hey,

6:24

you know I'll do it for the veteran

6:26

minimum if I have to. And so it

6:29

just feels like Sean Payne inherited him,

6:32

and it sounds like.

6:33

That's always a dicey.

6:35

That's always dicey, right because you're married

6:37

Tod this guy the better for worse or

6:40

it's absolutely an arranged marriage. So

6:43

so hearing some of those names like Russell Wilson

6:46

and Kirk Cousins, those

6:49

are names that are servicing. But then you

6:51

know the quarterbacks that are coming

6:53

out in this class.

6:54

This is a loaded, loaded class

6:57

and.

6:58

We haven't had a loaded loaded QB

7:00

class.

7:01

No, no, So this feels this feels

7:03

fun of me. Like Drake May, I want to see

7:05

him work out. We

7:07

had Brian Hoyer on Good Morning

7:09

Football filling in and he thought

7:12

that Drake

7:14

May reminded him of Josh

7:16

Allen, the way that he throws the ball and

7:19

how impressive he looks on

7:21

film.

7:22

Josh Allen now Josh Allen,

7:24

Now Josh Allen.

7:25

Because we were coming out of Wyoming, you

7:28

know, there was still some concern about the

7:30

upside and what he could bring, but

7:33

you know, worth the risk, and he ended

7:35

up working out developing into the Josh Allen

7:38

that we know, But then how about a guy like Michael

7:40

Pennix junior. There's a lot of concern over his

7:43

health, you know, and always.

7:45

The main priority, right like how healthy

7:47

are these guys? How beat up did they

7:49

get in college?

7:51

Are they going to be fresh?

7:52

But like that also happened, just to

7:54

use the reference point of Tua who was coming into

7:56

the league with that tremendous coming

7:59

off of that hip, and that took a

8:01

beat right to really get

8:03

there. So I think the development part of it, the patient's

8:05

part of it. Not everyone's going to be a

8:07

c. J. Stroud who came in and did unbelievable

8:10

things in his rookie season,

8:12

not just for himself but for

8:14

the team with a

8:16

new head coach in that as well. So I think it's

8:18

it's always like the tempering the expectations.

8:21

Jalen hurts, same things, right, And so

8:25

it's always interesting because I think we see

8:27

so much more of these guys now

8:30

with social media, with the nil deals

8:32

that they're having. They're so visible

8:34

that we automatically assume or expect

8:37

that there that's just going to translate apples

8:39

to apples into the NFL, and that's just not

8:42

how it works percent of

8:44

the time.

8:44

Right right.

8:45

And for a lot of these guys too, they

8:47

have to adjust to certain

8:50

systems, certain schemes.

8:52

Rbiage all that.

8:55

Yeah, a lot, a lot thicker, a lot

8:57

like those research binders

9:00

we get right, It's like you can

9:02

bench press one of those puppies.

9:03

Truly.

9:04

I mean those things are are master.

9:05

But a guy like say bon Knicks,

9:08

really talented player at Oregon,

9:11

you know, put up crazy ungodly

9:14

numbers like what team's

9:16

going to take him? How high is he going to go?

9:18

And there's so many quarterback needy teams

9:20

that's well, that's what makes it so intriguing.

9:23

Like Atlanta, they've said all options

9:25

are on the table, you know, of who

9:27

they're looking at. We mentioned the Broncos

9:30

obviously, the Patriots, the Commanders

9:33

who sit there. And number two they

9:35

have Adam Peters who worked with the forty

9:37

nine ers for several years, and they

9:40

have Cliff Kingsbury who worked

9:42

with Caleb Williams at USC.

9:45

Is he going to convince them to then trade

9:48

up?

9:48

Because I think that number

9:50

one spot situation is going to be I

9:52

love it though.

9:53

I love it though.

9:54

That's what makes it so so great

9:57

that's what.

9:57

Makes this will have some thousand theories

10:00

before it actually happens. Oh for sure, they

10:02

just keep it, oh for sure.

10:04

But we're excited because

10:06

there's also in the midst of all of this free

10:09

agency, right, we

10:12

don't sleep. We're not joking, guys. But it

10:14

doesn't stop it, Yeah, doesn't.

10:16

But we have one man entering

10:18

breage.

10:19

He's not unfamiliar with it, but

10:21

an absolute legend of the game, a Super

10:23

Bowl champion.

10:24

We have Levante David joining us on the other

10:26

side of the break here the.

10:28

Pcast with us.

10:41

Oh MJ.

10:42

We've got a great guess

10:44

we're talking about if you are an offensive

10:47

player, whether you're a running back, wide receiver,

10:49

tight end, and you want to stay away

10:51

from this man. He is the epitome,

10:54

the definition of a perro macho

10:56

we talk about here on the l

10:58

huddle time. That's right, we're talking about

11:01

a legend, someone who is synonymous

11:04

with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's

11:06

up there, in my opinion with Derek Brooks

11:09

Warren sap at.

11:11

All question, a super Bowl champion.

11:13

Super Bowl champion. That

11:15

further ado, let's bring in linebacker

11:18

Levant David. What's up Leavante.

11:21

Thank you, thank you. That's a great introduction.

11:24

Man.

11:24

I like that we had a buddy yup,

11:26

we had a buddy up, Leavonte. You know,

11:30

listen, you are right now in the midst

11:32

of your off season. So how

11:34

does a typical off season.

11:36

Look for you.

11:39

Right now?

11:39

You know, earlier in my career,

11:42

you know, I get right to it. Just

11:44

go ahead and just start back training just

11:46

because you know, just as a young guy, you just missing

11:48

football. You just want to do something football related.

11:51

Maybe take a vacation here and there. But me

11:54

right now, you know, I'll just finish

11:56

your twelve. I'm a chill about

11:58

a month or two. Let

12:01

let me let my body heal. But you know, as

12:04

you do, my friends be actually, you know, starting back working

12:06

out. So right now I'm just kind of like at

12:09

home in Miami, just getting

12:11

back in the field of things, you know, just trying to figure out what

12:13

my planets would all season and stuff like

12:15

that.

12:15

But just enjoy talent, family and

12:18

uh, you know, and join the great weather and

12:20

just you know, join my

12:22

labor.

12:22

Honestly, Oh that pride

12:25

never stopped that part.

12:26

But you know, year twelve, like that's

12:28

we hear it all the time.

12:29

The average, and of course Levante could

12:31

never be categorized as average

12:34

in any scope. But most

12:36

players don't see a career

12:39

with that kind of tenure and longevity,

12:41

let alone the success that you've had and reaching

12:43

the highest point in reaching a super

12:45

Bowl. So this is a new

12:48

new meaning to veteran days. Right, you take

12:50

that month, You take that month or two because

12:52

you know exactly what to do to get yourself back

12:54

in there. But free agency

12:57

approaching now, and you made it very

12:59

clear that you want to retire a buck.

13:02

So how have you just been navigating in your

13:04

mind mind sort of what could come and

13:06

what you see for the year ahead.

13:08

Yeah, you know, this is my third

13:11

time actually going to free agency, you

13:13

know, and you know the previous two times obviously

13:15

I went back to the books, right, but you

13:17

know every every off season, you know, those

13:19

past couple of years, everything was different.

13:21

You know. The first time, you know, I

13:24

was on a team to where you.

13:25

Know, we wanted to you know, kind of have we have a chance

13:27

to repeat stuff like that. You know, we

13:29

had Thomas our quarterbacks, so there was always

13:31

you know, chances and things like that, and

13:33

uh, you know, this year just more and more about

13:35

my legacy, you know, obviously

13:38

playing tap for twelve years. You know, not

13:40

many people have done that. LI likes of guys

13:42

like Run They barbered, Derrick Brooks, you know, guys

13:45

like that. So I definitely, you know,

13:47

would love to, you know, be in that same situation.

13:49

But at the end of the day, you never know what happens.

13:53

Oh I said, at this

13:55

punished career, at this

13:57

point in my career, I want to you know, kind of do its best

13:59

for me, you know, and what's more convenient

14:01

for me. So whatever

14:03

happens happened, I'm just taking the boy storm Man

14:06

and.

14:07

Go from there.

14:08

Well, Todd Bowles had mentioned that two

14:10

of his priorities are re signing Baker

14:13

Mayfield and Mike Evans,

14:15

like yourself an institution there

14:17

in Tampa. How do their

14:19

situations affect you, if

14:22

at all for free agency?

14:25

Uh?

14:25

Me, personally, I don't. I don't think it does

14:27

because you know, and they want me back there

14:30

finally way to get me back.

14:31

But you know, Mike

14:34

Evans is my number one priority. Two watching

14:38

uh just me watching Mike grow you

14:40

know over his career.

14:41

He just finished your team. I just remember him coming

14:43

in as this tall, fat,

14:46

chubby rookie at rye receiver. Just

14:48

watch him, you know, development till you know, one

14:50

of the greatest re see to play the game, and just

14:52

just watching his growth off the field, it's

14:55

amazing to see. And uh, you know, Mike is

14:57

definitely deserving whatever he asks for. That's

14:59

in my opinion. And after the season that Baker

15:02

had, you know, he definitely deserve

15:05

to, you know, get a long term contract and be able to

15:08

put himself ahead for his family and his future.

15:10

So you know, I'm sure those guys are really

15:12

great priorities, but you know.

15:14

It's just me.

15:15

I'm just sitting back, you know, watching the hire everything

15:17

on fold and then I'll.

15:18

Go from there.

15:19

Levante, you mentioned the word legacy earlier,

15:22

and I think, with someone who has accomplished

15:25

so much in their career and reached the highest

15:27

point, what do you

15:29

you have left to accomplish

15:31

in your mind that you have still you know, there's obviously

15:34

still so much gas in the tank for you, and

15:36

what do you want your legacy to be?

15:38

Yeah, I think right now, it's just at the point

15:40

where like coming off the season, when I came off, you

15:42

know, I kind of had a you know, great year, like I

15:44

was back in my younger days. So that, right,

15:46

that kind of gave me, you know, more motivation, you

15:49

know, you know, people telling me maybe I could go

15:51

one or two more years and stuff like that.

15:53

So then I think the.

15:55

Motivation really is just out there compete with

15:57

the young guys, you know, right, people who you

16:00

know, getting hyped up and stuff like that. So just

16:02

seeing if I can still you know, play with those

16:04

guys, to move around with those So I think that brings

16:07

a lot of motivate motivation to it. But like

16:09

you said, you know, I just want to be you

16:12

know, remembered, you know, as a like

16:14

when you talk about the position lineback. I want

16:16

my name to be brought up, you know with some of the

16:18

greats, And that's just what I'm going for right now.

16:21

You know, I always have a chip on my shoulder, but

16:23

you know, I think my drive and my love for

16:25

the game keeps me going and keeps me you

16:28

know, ready to you know, at

16:30

my highest level. So never that time

16:32

is to where like I don't think I can play my lot

16:34

my highest level, then maybe.

16:35

I'll call it.

16:37

Well, it's it's apparent what

16:39

you have given to the city and to the franchise,

16:42

right, and with this past

16:44

season, it was largely

16:47

seen a scene as one that

16:49

was a rebuilding year for

16:51

the Box, and it was anything

16:54

but because you guys ended up surprising

16:56

everybody in a way to get to

16:58

the playoffs where no one thought

17:01

you would be.

17:02

Describe what the ride.

17:04

Was like going from I

17:06

don't know if this is going to happen, to hey,

17:08

this is now happening. We have hit our stride

17:10

and now we're going to the postseason.

17:13

Yeah, I think, you know, starting the offseason, obviously,

17:15

when we lost Tom, that's when all the

17:18

rumblers came about. You know, we know how much Tom

17:20

meant to, you know, the game of football, not just our

17:22

organization.

17:23

So just trying trying to find a quarterback

17:25

and we end up getting Baker.

17:27

And you know, nobody, the mortg

17:30

majority of our team from the super Bowl team was you

17:32

know, still here. You know, the core pieces

17:34

of those guys were still on the roster, guys

17:37

who contributed big, and you

17:39

know, I.

17:39

Think that played a huge part their leadership.

17:41

And then you know, we did have a lot of young

17:43

guys who kind of like bort In, you

17:45

know, just trying to get they feel you know, guys having

17:47

to play right away.

17:49

They kind of got they feel and that that that came

17:51

kind of came up.

17:52

Like guys like me, Mike, you

17:54

know some of the other veterans will go some things

17:56

like that to you know, kind of like be

17:59

that leader that these guys need to get them on the same

18:01

page and let them understand that, you know, we

18:03

still got a chat to you know.

18:05

Be great because at one point we was four and seven.

18:08

And it's crazy, sure nobody

18:11

had you know faith in us, you know, shoot,

18:14

but I think Coach Bowls did a great

18:16

job of just keeping everybody calm and understand

18:18

that it's still a long, long season and

18:21

our goals are still was attainable and we

18:23

was able to do that, want to uh leave

18:25

one six oven the next uh

18:27

seven, so we was able to win

18:30

the division again and uh you

18:32

know going to in the wildcar

18:34

hot Yeah, it was.

18:36

A cool, cool ride. You mentioned, you

18:38

know, still running.

18:39

Around with with the young ones, right, which

18:41

is nuts at thirty thirty four now Levante,

18:43

like in the NFL years, everyone's like

18:46

it's.

18:46

A medical miracle.

18:47

Thirty four like child was just gonna

18:49

start. What are you talking about? But it's true

18:52

combine is of course this week

18:55

and I feel and I'm sure you've assessed

18:57

this, and you watch the guys coming out of.

18:58

College, they're they're built a little

19:01

different nowadays.

19:02

Yes, what

19:04

is what is your assessment of just even

19:06

let's just focus on like the defensive players coming

19:08

into the league now, how they train, the

19:11

things that they can do, but also your advice

19:13

to them, because those those things still

19:15

hold true. Like the NFL is just

19:18

different. The uptick

19:21

can't be quantified.

19:22

Yeah.

19:23

Yeah, when you say different, I'm

19:25

assuming you're talking about mentally.

19:27

Or basically,

19:29

like some of the guys that come in I'm like, wait, at

19:31

your size, you should not be running that fast

19:33

or moving into the manner like it's wild.

19:36

But mentally toothing

19:39

said about that right for sure.

19:41

Mentally too, mentally too, especially you know

19:44

the ni L stuff coming about.

19:45

We were just talking about this.

19:46

Ye, A

19:48

lot of guys are kind of like used to having stuff

19:51

handed to them, like when you want the lead,

19:53

you know, get the opportunity, and

19:56

then you mess it up. I don't think people

19:58

are not gonna hold hand. They're gonna figure out like you can't get

20:00

it done. And then Nest got up so it's

20:03

just dealing with that bout coming in as a young

20:05

guy, and uh, you know

20:07

me and myself, you know, just having some some.

20:09

Rookies you know, to name say

20:15

Collijah Cancy.

20:16

You know, Uh I knew Elijah who went

20:18

to the same high school as me, so you know, him

20:20

coming in, you know, just you know with the

20:23

offense of being the first overall pick, and then

20:25

you know, for him to you know, he started out you know, the season

20:27

injured, so he was having a hard.

20:29

Time with that.

20:30

So for me to just you know, he's somebody

20:32

who's he's familiar with and comfortable, just kind

20:34

of like get him a little advice, like,

20:36

you know, it's a long season, man, you don't get your opportunity.

20:38

And then you know he did, come on, he

20:41

falled out. You know, he want deep it's the rookie of the month

20:43

on time. So I told him, you know, just you know, just

20:45

be patient. You know, uh, you still got a little

20:48

time. You know, you don't got to rush.

20:49

Up to nothing.

20:50

And then they had another

20:52

year with your young rookie playing coming

20:54

in and playing a nickel easy

20:57

so he was undrafted free agent. So, uh,

20:59

he was one of those guys who I had to talk to a lot

21:02

because you know, you know,

21:04

playing in the bows defense is not easy.

21:07

Yeah, a lot of communication

21:10

got to take place, and he was one of those young guys had

21:12

to communicate, so we had to force that on him,

21:15

and.

21:15

Uh, not really forcible, just like kind of like

21:17

making.

21:17

Comfortable, making comfortable, you know, just letting them

21:19

know, like hey, I'm counting on you right here, so that

21:22

kind of like giving them a little comfortence and those guys

21:24

came on well.

21:25

Yeah, yea Diab also another great

21:28

player who Blossoes on

21:30

the defensive unit. We

21:33

touched upon the combine. It's

21:36

happening for you. What

21:38

do you remember from that

21:41

time where you had to be

21:43

in your short shorts, your

21:46

tank and you're out there and you're running

21:48

and you're answering questions.

21:50

What do you remember about that time?

21:52

Wait, were they still short? Twelve years ago?

21:55

I don't know where they again?

21:58

The fashion at all.

22:01

This is when I came. It was the big pants era.

22:05

Yeah you

22:08

know what I mean.

22:11

But I remember my combine two

22:14

days like it was like it was yesterday, you

22:16

know, getting in and going

22:18

immediately to meetings. You know,

22:21

then you gotta you know, do all the testing, the

22:23

drug testing, the weight

22:25

testing, the bench testing, and my

22:27

whole thing was just my weight going into the

22:29

combine. So I was kind of like, you know, stressed about

22:32

that.

22:32

So I was just like trying to drinking a lot of water

22:34

and then you know, sometimes you.

22:35

Barely eat and wake you up at four

22:37

in the morning and you're getting right to it. So and

22:40

then I remember, uh, it was at one

22:42

point and to come about, we was doing drills

22:45

and uh, I ended up having to throw

22:47

up.

22:47

So I ran to the bathroom.

22:49

And now I'm go in the bathroom, I see somebody

22:51

else and I'm like, dangn you too.

22:53

So I kind of kind

22:57

of I kind of felt good about it.

22:59

But then after I got that out of my system, maybe

23:01

it was nerves, I don't know, but maybe once I got out

23:04

myself and I was comfortable with.

23:06

Yeah, was there a coach that was in

23:09

there with you at all, Avante who

23:11

was testing you to seeing how you guys

23:13

were responding.

23:16

I don't understand. I don't remember who the coaches was.

23:18

I just remember the players, man, just

23:20

just that I feel like I

23:23

remember more of the players because you just working

23:25

with guys who are all trying to you know, you

23:27

know, reached the pinnacle, you know, and

23:29

that's been in the film.

23:31

Like you're just looking around, like, man, all us chasing

23:33

our dreams and.

23:34

Great, yeh, team bonding

23:36

at a different level. I mean it could have been a

23:38

lot of things. Sleep, deprivation, nerves.

23:41

Yeah, let's go drag

23:43

heave into the bathroom, isn't

23:47

it.

23:48

Josh Allen, who throws up before every.

23:49

Game does just let me let

23:51

me, don't quote me, but probably

23:53

knows some guys who do that before a game,

23:56

right were they?

23:57

You know? I do

23:59

it sometimes, honestly.

24:01

Wow.

24:02

Look, try to eat, Yeah,

24:05

I try to eat like a light mail before the game. But

24:07

if I eat a heavy meal and you

24:09

know, going out before the game, and I feel, I feel

24:11

it, So I just try to force myself.

24:13

See, like that's what I like.

24:14

How do you because obviously you need fuel

24:18

for what you have to do, but then like you have to balance

24:20

it's too much.

24:21

See all of y'all you're not regular

24:23

humans.

24:24

Okay, we we definitely want to hear more about

24:26

the Levante Legends Foundation and

24:29

what you guys are doing.

24:30

Yeah, the Levonte Legends Foundation Foundation

24:33

I came about, you know, I've basically,

24:35

I basically worked with a Big Brothers Big Sisters

24:37

for the majority part of it. You know, I'm

24:40

a national ambassador for Big Brothers Big

24:42

Sisters, so a lot of my falling to the

24:44

foundation kind of like goes back to them, and

24:47

you know, it's.

24:47

Been going really well. It's been going really.

24:49

Well, and you know, I'm

24:51

very very proud of that, just because of the mentorship

24:53

and stuff like that. You know, I always go back

24:56

to, you know, when I was growing up, I

24:58

didn't really have you know, a mentor

25:00

to me like in my community where I could like, you

25:03

know and see

25:05

people who were in my shoes now and do that back

25:07

then. So I just kind of like trying

25:09

to do that now just because you know, I know how

25:11

impactful it would have been for me, and

25:14

like, over the years since I've been doing it, I see

25:16

the impact that it has on the kids.

25:18

So that's why I really appreciate it. You Know, a lot of people

25:20

still, you know, send me messages and then

25:22

when I.

25:22

Do whole events, they telling me about how

25:25

this kid I met four or five

25:27

years ago, you inspired him when he was in a bad

25:29

place, and now he's just on to college

25:31

doing this and that, so when I hear stuff like

25:33

that, all of us are driving me and motivating

25:36

me to continue doing and doing. So you

25:38

know, I'm definitely grateful for a big brothers,

25:40

blog, sisters, and you know, my team for

25:42

helping me start the foundation. So it's

25:44

definitely something that I wanted to do, you

25:46

know, throughout you know, after football, I

25:49

mean, you've.

25:50

Done so much good work in the community,

25:52

and even on ig you

25:54

acknowledged it when you.

25:55

Got your degree from Nebraska.

25:57

You said something to the effect that you

25:59

want to make your mom proud, but

26:01

also that you're younger.

26:04

Elf would be proud of your older

26:06

self.

26:07

Yeah, and that seems to be something

26:09

that drives you in everything that

26:11

you do.

26:13

Yeah, I think so, you know, onto

26:15

my mom part.

26:16

You know, it was something I always promised her to

26:18

be the first of my family to actually graduate,

26:21

you know, for I think first and generation

26:23

to actually graduate from college or something

26:26

that I that I wanted to do really

26:28

bad. You know, I left school early,

26:30

but I did promise her that I was going to go back and get it,

26:32

and it just so happened I was able to.

26:34

Do it on Mother's Day.

26:35

So that was an

26:37

amazing feeling. And then you

26:39

know when I say, you know my younger self

26:41

being proud of my older self was just like I never

26:43

thought I would.

26:44

Be in this position. You know, I grew up in Miami,

26:47

and you know, I just had a whole bunch of stuff going

26:49

on around me. So I could have easily feered off and

26:51

went to the wrong path.

26:53

But you know, just having my parents

26:55

and my family had to keep me discant and keep

26:57

me on the right track.

26:58

And focus on the main thing.

26:59

I was able to, you know, accompass what I want,

27:01

what I need to accomplish, not for me, but also

27:04

for my him.

27:06

You know, we do.

27:07

We had goods somewhere someone

27:09

else who shares that connection with you, with

27:11

big brothers, big sisters. Rashad

27:13

White, he was a huddle while

27:16

we were at Super Bowl at Radio Row, and he had his big

27:18

with him there. So it's like incredible

27:21

to see that those relationships

27:24

and and that mentorship really carries

27:27

on well into your adulthood. And now

27:29

he you know, he's mentoring someone and

27:31

it's just incredible what the organization does. So I

27:33

love that you're still He basically

27:35

explained the same thing like you're saying, once you're in

27:37

that family there's no way that you can

27:39

detach, right like, it just stays with you for

27:42

your whole life.

27:42

Yeah, we just see all the good things that

27:44

it does for the community and for the people.

27:46

So you just want to be a part of you know, when I found out

27:49

Rashad was a little you know,

27:51

he came to him immediately. Every

27:54

time I do anything, I make sure he's there, just

27:56

to have a bit a kid.

27:58

I love that.

28:00

Before I let you go, my fellow Miami and what high

28:02

school did you go to again?

28:03

Remind me Miami north Western,

28:05

home of the baby.

28:07

Let me tell you something about Miami Northwestern.

28:10

I want to upset high school and our football

28:12

team. God bless them.

28:13

They were not great. We had like the soccer

28:15

and the baseball.

28:16

Down the

28:18

Miami Northwestern was just one of the still

28:21

to this day, one of them high school

28:23

that pumps out top to your

28:25

NFL town.

28:25

So I wanted you to say it. I want to do to

28:28

shout out I'm in Northwestern.

28:31

I'm gonna shout it out one Levante.

28:35

Thank you so much.

28:36

It's with you incredible.

28:38

Yeah, thank you so much for joining us on

28:40

the podcast.

28:41

Good luck to you. I hope that things

28:44

work out between.

28:45

You and the Bucks.

28:46

But if that doesn't, we

28:48

are going to be rooting.

28:49

For you wherever you land, regardless.

28:51

You're just a good dude, gents, a giant

28:54

and we totally support you.

28:56

Man.

28:56

So thank you again for being on here.

28:58

Yeah, I appreciate y'all. Thank you all for having me. God

29:00

bless.

29:03

Hils

29:15

and webl.

29:17

This is the end you just heard of Lavonte

29:20

David.

29:20

I swear to you, I have a man crushed

29:23

on l David, Right, he's this gentle

29:25

giant.

29:27

Yeah, well, of.

29:28

Course that's you

29:30

gotta you gotta

29:32

roll with the girl for sure.

29:35

Yeah.

29:35

And I do hope that somehow

29:37

the Bucks figure out something

29:40

to bring him back because he has meant so much,

29:42

as we mentioned to him, you know, to that community

29:45

and to that franchise.

29:47

And it was.

29:47

Interesting going into the mental

29:50

aspect of it when we talked about some of

29:52

these young Bucks entering

29:54

the NFL, because that was the first place

29:57

that he thought of and and

29:59

we were just talking about that with the

30:01

ni L, the ni L money

30:04

and how that could potentially affect

30:08

these these players who are

30:10

coming out right and how

30:13

they've now received money

30:15

at a certain age and

30:17

they're getting.

30:18

All the the.

30:20

You know it trappings,

30:24

right, Yeah.

30:26

I just think that, Look, there's

30:29

a lot to be said, and I know, like we we try

30:31

to dump on gen Z a lot.

30:33

They accomplished a lot.

30:34

I don't. I don't want to, though, I don't want to.

30:36

Nobody point get

30:38

off. It's not a get off my lawn moment,

30:40

I think.

30:41

But people do that though right.

30:43

Present company included. I'm not gonna you

30:46

guys. My whole thing is they

30:51

tend to be and I can't speak. It's not a

30:53

monolith, right, So I want to put everybody in the

30:55

same But I think that what we see from

30:57

certain athletes who have maybe experienced

30:59

some success with nil as they should.

31:02

I love that they have this opportunity to

31:04

make this money, to be able to provide for themselves

31:07

from their family.

31:07

I think it's fantastic.

31:09

But I think when you don't also have the

31:11

greater long game in place, you

31:14

can.

31:14

Get caught up in the sauce.

31:15

Right.

31:16

So, like all of it is very fleeting, it's

31:18

very fair.

31:18

Very very fleeting, and like things can go like

31:21

this, So when you're already seeing this kind

31:23

of success, some folks can get

31:25

too caught up in it and not really

31:27

realize that all of it can be

31:29

gone in a second, and

31:31

you still need to make it to the

31:34

league to continue to

31:36

get these deals and to really make the kind

31:38

of money that you've been working towards, and

31:40

to reach the pinnacle of your career that you've been working

31:42

towards.

31:43

Probably their whole lives, a.

31:44

Lot of these guys started playing in pop Warner and flag

31:46

football when they were little kids, right, their

31:48

whole lives have been dedicated to football.

31:51

So I think it's important, and I hope that most

31:53

of them have a good team around them, a

31:55

good base behind them to know, like, hey,

31:58

let's invest let's focus on

32:00

like the mental aspect of you getting into the league

32:02

physically, are you prepared? And most

32:04

of them are right, But they're

32:07

also coming in a generation that's very overstimulated.

32:09

They're more visible to us than ever before

32:12

with social media and with these partnerships,

32:14

so it's a lot more to handle.

32:17

It's like balance

32:19

for them.

32:20

They say, la gana, right, is

32:22

that's lagana? And I feel like desire

32:25

is not something that you can teach and

32:29

you got to have it within you. I

32:32

guess it's possible to develop it,

32:34

but you have to develop

32:36

it got to be hungry.

32:37

Yeah, you got to you gotta be hungry. And

32:40

that's always the thing for me.

32:41

We're always and we've been in this business where it's like you

32:43

know somebody who's an intern that

32:46

they are.

32:47

Eager and you just know they

32:49

seconds, yeah, that have it.

32:51

And and here where in this

32:53

situation where there's a bunch of talent evaluators

32:56

who are seeing these young men come

32:58

into these situations and they have to

33:00

play alongside you

33:02

know, Betro Macho's like we were talking about with

33:05

Levante David and those

33:08

guys. That's their livelihood,

33:11

right, and these guys can't

33:13

be jerking them around or

33:15

jerking their teammates around.

33:16

No, it's it sort of goes

33:18

back to that phrase we've said a bajillion times.

33:21

Hard work beats talent. Talent

33:24

doesn't work hard.

33:25

Especially in the NFL, people get humbled

33:28

immediately, very very quickly. So

33:30

I root for all of them, and I again,

33:33

they are a more overstimulated generation

33:35

than ever before. And I

33:37

always pray that they have the right people

33:39

around them because I think that that

33:42

makes a huge difference.

33:43

Now, some people are just not some people

33:45

are just jerks.

33:46

Like let's just like

33:50

that also right in any generation.

33:53

You can't fix that always.

33:54

But I think for the most part, and Justin

33:56

being able to speak with some of the draftees like

33:58

they are hungry and they do want to be here,

34:01

and they have worked so hard for this

34:03

for their entire lives, and they have entire

34:05

family some of them entire communities

34:07

behind them that are waiting for

34:09

this success. So I love

34:12

the combine because you get to see.

34:13

The sale of this conversation

34:16

and then draft.

34:17

And I comes. I cry every draft as

34:19

they do to Yeah, I'm here for

34:21

the tears. I'm like on CMJ, like,

34:24

ah.

34:26

Ugly crier, though, are.

34:27

You not a draft?

34:29

I'm a crier, but I am

34:33

depending on the movie I'm watching.

34:34

Full sob well,

34:37

so I don't think they're sobbing in

34:39

Chicago, but there's definitely a lot.

34:41

Of intrigue, let's just say.

34:43

And we were talking about this generation

34:46

of player where now

34:48

if you unfollow a team,

34:51

your own particular team, it makes

34:54

about human right, So and this happened

34:56

with Justin Fields.

34:57

Also, who thinks to check.

34:59

That people

35:01

with too much time?

35:02

Everything intentional?

35:04

Nothing, Okay, there you go, that's

35:06

it.

35:07

So So, so here's Justin Fields

35:09

he was defending himself.

35:11

He was saying that, you know, hey,

35:15

you guys are reading too much into it.

35:18

And he said that on a podcast.

35:20

Well, of course, Ryan Poles,

35:22

the general manager, he had

35:24

to be in that scrum, you

35:27

know, at the combine to talk to everybody

35:29

on Tuesday, and that was by design just

35:32

to have him do all the one on ones

35:34

or everything that he has to do, because

35:36

everybody was asking him the same question,

35:39

what are you going to do with

35:42

that first overall pick?

35:43

And this is what he had told reporters.

35:47

I will say this. I think you guys know

35:49

me well enough now I do if

35:52

we go down that road, I want to be right by Justin

35:54

as well. No one wants to live in Gray. I know

35:56

that's uncomfortable. I wouldn't want to be in that situation

35:58

either. So we'll get the information, will

36:00

move as quickly as possible. We're

36:02

not gonna be in a rush and see what it's

36:04

a SOLF and what's best for the organizations.

36:07

He is so sick of answer that question.

36:09

Yeah, but Buddy's happen.

36:12

He hasked you and listen, they're open for business

36:14

personally. I just don't think that they've gotten the

36:16

deal that they've wanted, you

36:19

know, and I personally

36:22

think that they are going to draft

36:24

Caleb Williams in my own

36:27

personal opinion. It's not a

36:30

personal diss on Justin Fields. I mean

36:32

their reports linking him again, reports

36:34

linking him to Atlanta.

36:37

So is that the route that they

36:39

want to go? I don't know.

36:41

Well, here's the thing, is that they're going to ask

36:43

for a king's ransom, as they should,

36:45

yes, for that pick because

36:48

everyone's chasing Caleb, especially the teams

36:50

that really really need a quarterback. So they

36:53

have a huge position of power in

36:55

this instance, and they know it.

36:59

I think it didn't. And that's the other

37:01

wrinkle, right to all of it. It's like the whole social

37:03

media drama. You

37:05

know, it adds, it adds to the storyline,

37:08

which is great for us. But

37:10

you know, he did, he did a great job answering,

37:13

answering that question. And I'm sure he's

37:16

you know, at this point, he can recite it in his sleep

37:18

because everybody's asking about

37:20

what they're going to do with the one number one

37:23

right, No, No, you know, we're gonna check

37:25

all options, see what's presented to us. Sure, absolutely,

37:28

he's not lying, He's not lying, he's

37:30

not, But who is willing and

37:32

can actually afford two

37:36

give them what what they want,

37:38

what they want and what that pick is

37:40

worth to them.

37:42

So is it Atlanta?

37:45

Could they be the one.

37:46

That would make the most.

37:48

I feel like they're in one of the bigger positions

37:50

of a need for sure.

37:52

New a new coach there and Raheem Morris.

37:55

He also addressed reporters kind of looking at

37:57

the future and

38:00

what the outlook is for next season.

38:01

But they also need a lot of other things too, So you can't

38:04

give up everything to just step

38:06

the I mean, arguably you need a quarterback,

38:08

no question. Yes, and we love the Desmond

38:10

we do, but like it just it is what it is. Right,

38:14

Oh man, I could not be a GM.

38:17

Well, well let's let's let's hear. Let's hear from Raheem.

38:19

I want to see what he has to say, if at all,

38:22

if at all, Yeah, anything.

38:30

I'm not afraid to say that we have

38:32

the ability and we're capable to go out there and win

38:35

next year if we do some of the right things,

38:37

some of the right moves, we can do that. And

38:39

that's not an arrogance, that's not a com that's

38:42

not a cockiness. That is more of a credit to

38:44

the people that we're in the building with me still

38:46

and some of the people that are not there now and what

38:49

they've been able to do. You know, if we had better quarterback

38:51

play last year in Atlanta, I might not be standing

38:53

here.

38:54

Okay, come on, that's truth bomb right now.

38:56

They're correct.

38:57

Okay, So Desmond sorry saying

39:02

yeah, yeah.

39:03

Free Kyle Pets. Yeah, so what I

39:05

gotta say.

39:07

They've got talent there on that offensive and Josh

39:10

Robinson was incredible, you

39:12

know, Drake London, you

39:14

know, so so for them, they they are a

39:16

team that that I

39:19

want to see what they end up doing here.

39:20

It's gonna be very curious.

39:22

Yeah, very very curious.

39:23

But how how much wiggle room do they have to?

39:26

I mean, free agency bowl will tell a lot

39:28

about it too.

39:29

M h.

39:30

I think that starts to put like the writing

39:32

on the wall, Okay, we acquired this in free agency,

39:34

these are the moves that we made.

39:35

Who did we go after aggressively?

39:38

To see that sort of

39:40

paints the path of like, okay, what are the pieces

39:43

left for them to fill now through

39:45

the draft?

39:47

I love this game.

39:48

I love these combos.

39:50

I love this game. Yeah, it's been interesting.

39:52

You mentioned Kirk Cousins earlier

39:55

because now he's on the up and up, and I've heard

39:57

a couple of people saying that he's like the best free agent

39:59

quarterback.

40:01

For the best available one out there.

40:05

So Kevin O'Connell was on the.

40:06

Mic talking about Kirky

40:10

and what they want to do, Kirk chains chains.

40:15

I think the thing about free agencies

40:17

itself is this is not Kirk's first time

40:19

in free agency. Kirk

40:22

Cousins knows how I feel about him. I've

40:24

held no secrets there. He knows how

40:26

the Minnesota Vikings feel about him. I believe

40:28

Kirk wants to be a Viking, and we're

40:30

gonna work to try to make that.

40:33

Uh the outcome, Well,

40:36

that's got to be the outcome.

40:38

And justin Jefferson signing megat

40:41

that's a no brainer. That has to happen.

40:43

And he expressed interest in having uh,

40:46

you know, Kirk Cousins back as as the

40:49

as the QB. So yeah, I mean

40:51

makes sense there for them.

40:53

Shout out to the very nice Vikings. It

40:56

was clean, very clean, but

41:00

team forward.

41:01

That's cute it.

41:03

I don't think you know what on on

41:06

earlier this week, at the combine, I saw quite a few

41:09

like GMS and coach I was.

41:10

Like, wait a second, this is not available in the

41:12

NFL shop.

41:13

Yeah, are these custom joints?

41:15

Because I volunteers tribute, I would like some of these.

41:18

Yeah, it's very clean. I like that.

41:19

I like that we're going more subtle in

41:21

tone in terms of our gear. But

41:24

you know that, I mean that sounds great for Kirk've

41:26

been there. He's done a lot for that team,

41:28

and I know he gets a lot of slack, but

41:31

they love him over there, as as evidence.

41:33

By by coach.

41:34

So well, I guess

41:36

this takes us to our ipunto. You

41:40

know what my punto is Miicole

41:43

Hartman. He was also on

41:45

a podcast and talked about Aaron

41:48

Rodgers his experience with the Jets.

41:50

Then Thomas Morsteat the punter, then

41:52

came out and said, hey, you got to earn

41:54

everything. I mean pretty much

41:57

put n Coole Hartman on blast. Yeah,

41:59

so I think this is this

42:01

is I know the season for hand size and

42:03

such and leaked information, but I

42:05

think there's also part of these beefs

42:08

that maybe we'll start to bubble

42:11

a little bit.

42:11

Who knew more said that's a weird

42:14

one, right not.

42:15

It was not my Bengo car either,

42:19

so is.

42:20

Giving more beefs. So anyway, there will be,

42:22

whether they're random or not.

42:24

I love that it's.

42:25

So weird, right, Okay,

42:28

cool, go off kings to your

42:30

thing. Mato was

42:33

earlier this week at the Combine.

42:36

I got to moderate the panel

42:38

with the twelve full time

42:41

female coaches in the NFL,

42:43

which is the most the NFL has ever

42:45

had. It's the most full

42:47

time female coaches of any major league

42:49

sport.

42:50

Believe it's tremendous. It's

42:52

tremendous.

42:53

The NFL for Women's Forum started

42:55

eight years ago, the amazing Sam Rappaport

42:58

over at the league office, and I've

43:00

been able to play a small slice in it, moderating

43:02

these panels every year. They host

43:05

forty participants who are in the collegiate

43:07

level at this point, who want to find

43:09

that pathway, that pipeline to get these

43:11

jobs. So like sitting up on the stage with

43:13

women who were sitting in the audience

43:16

just the year before, proof of concept

43:18

and proof to power of just

43:20

how it works, and to see the

43:22

coaches really buy in. Ron Rivera,

43:25

of course, who has been full participant, he

43:27

was one of the first to do it in the league.

43:30

John Harball came through.

43:32

Our buddy Demico Ryans was there, Todd Bobs

43:34

was there, Day Ball was there.

43:37

You know, they all come through as they can throughout the

43:39

combine, and it just shows that they know that talent

43:41

is there and these women

43:43

have done a tremendous job and

43:45

it it just shows how important it is for them

43:48

to be there.

43:48

We no one would have thought that would have been

43:51

remotely possible, right ten

43:53

years ago, five years ago, right,

43:56

And it just goes to show

43:58

you. And this is why the NFL is trying

44:01

to go global and having games in Brazil,

44:03

Spain, et cetera.

44:05

If you are.

44:06

Talented, they will find

44:08

you. Yes, they just need the opportunities.

44:11

It's just great to see that they're

44:13

doing what they can to extend those

44:15

opportunities and find and recognize the

44:18

talent.

44:18

Yeah, and they're in all sorts.

44:20

They're in ops, they're in coaching,

44:22

they're in recruiting, they're in analytics. There

44:24

are some legal experts there as well.

44:26

And it's just I was like, man, I want

44:28

to go to law school. Yeah, commissioners,

44:30

that was like, I'm d do that to yourself. I'm like, you're right, I'm

44:32

going to law school, Roger. You know that's right right

44:35

here.

44:36

But it was. It's just really cool.

44:37

It's a very empowering moment and it shows

44:40

you know, the slogan has always was

44:42

typically the future of the NFL, and

44:44

this year was really poignant to see them They

44:46

left that up there, but they crossed it out and

44:49

then put the future is now love it

44:51

and we had all twelve women up on the stage,

44:53

which Sam said she got pushed back like,

44:55

oh, it's too many people on stage, and she's like, they need.

44:57

To see it. Yeah, they need to see it to

44:59

understand the power.

45:01

That it's a visible,

45:03

tangible t it is

45:05

available.

45:06

Yeah, which is huge.

45:07

So shout out to Sam and everybody at the league.

45:09

Shout out to you.

45:10

Glad that you're there moderating those

45:12

sorts of things and being in the middle of it.

45:14

Literally, I'm just like, well, you guys be my friends

45:17

there. I want to be like them when I grow up, Like they're so

45:19

so cool. It is tremendous and

45:22

I'm never surprised

45:24

but always so impressed with everything

45:26

that's that's going on.

45:27

So that's my shout out. Shout out.

45:29

So I love it.

45:30

Absolutely love it and shout out to all of you who are listening

45:33

to the l out Of podcast. Remember to download,

45:35

subscribe like the whole

45:37

thing, the

45:40

riot is continuing.

45:42

Let's keep doing this.

45:43

Yeah, we love it.

45:44

We will see you guys soon and trust we'll

45:46

have more for you throughout the quote unquote

45:49

not off season.

45:50

Yeah

46:04

m hm

46:06

hm.

46:10

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46:12

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