WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:03.399 So we're bringing in the heavy hitters for these moments. 2 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.200 And right now joining us is Robert Johnson, former ute 3 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:09.960 and NFL dB Rojoe. 4 00:00:10.039 --> 00:00:12.199 How you doing, Hey, I'm doing good. 5 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:15.199 How you doing? Oh? You're lying to me. I can 6 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:16.879 feel it. I can hear it in your voice. You're 7 00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:19.199 having a bad You need a shoulder to cry on. 8 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:23.160 Come on, tell me what what's going on? Football is 9 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:26.120 back in So it ain't. No, I'm not fad now. 10 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:30.600 I hear you. I hear you. Okay. I don't ask 11 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:31.920 me why I thought this, but I did. 12 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:38.840 The NFL Hall of Fame game happened last night, and 13 00:00:40.200 --> 00:00:43.560 I love to watch a lot of the induction speeches. 14 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:49.640 And I'm curious about your football experience. So you're you're 15 00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:52.960 going into the Hall of Fame, all right, and there's 16 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:54.920 a story that happened in your life. 17 00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:59.039 There was a moment that changed it all for you. 18 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:02.079 Tell me what that was where you just fell in 19 00:01:02.119 --> 00:01:04.560 love with football or it just you just knew that 20 00:01:04.680 --> 00:01:05.640 was what you were going to do. 21 00:01:06.840 --> 00:01:12.120 I mean, the best, the main example, the biggest story 22 00:01:12.120 --> 00:01:14.079 that I can tell that that set me up for 23 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:19.040 football was playing baseball, which is strange. Playing baseball yeah, 24 00:01:19.079 --> 00:01:22.599 it was just happened to be that. Coming around the 25 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:26.040 base instead of sliding to the home plate, I ran. 26 00:01:26.439 --> 00:01:28.200 I ran through the back catcher and. 27 00:01:29.719 --> 00:01:29.920 Plate. 28 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:32.159 And I remember the coach from the other team. He 29 00:01:32.200 --> 00:01:34.840 was a football coach, and he was just like, I 30 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:36.239 need to find your mom and I need to find 31 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:39.280 your mommy brother. Just you're somebody, because somebody got account 32 00:01:39.359 --> 00:01:41.239 for you. Like do you play football? And I was 33 00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:44.159 like no, I never played flag and just you know, 34 00:01:44.280 --> 00:01:46.079 just always played all the other sports but never played 35 00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:47.760 And he said, I need to put you in football. 36 00:01:47.799 --> 00:01:50.680 And then that's when it all started. That's when everything 37 00:01:50.879 --> 00:01:54.040 started to wow, start to take off and started goes 38 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:56.680 goes all the way back to baseball. Baseball when I 39 00:01:56.719 --> 00:01:59.040 was a kid, I was around seven years old. I 40 00:01:59.079 --> 00:02:02.000 remember eight, eight or seven because I remember going to 41 00:02:02.040 --> 00:02:03.879 the second grade when well I was going to the 42 00:02:03.879 --> 00:02:05.840 thirty year. I think when that happened. 43 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:10.319 Did you did you keep playing baseball as you grew 44 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:12.439 up or did or was that it? You were just 45 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:15.639 like I just like hitting people, and uh, this is 46 00:02:15.639 --> 00:02:16.280 what I gotta do. 47 00:02:17.159 --> 00:02:19.199 Oh that was it. That was it. It was just 48 00:02:19.240 --> 00:02:22.280 like no more baseball. Even though I was always a 49 00:02:22.280 --> 00:02:24.840 good center fielder. So I always felt and that's you know, 50 00:02:24.919 --> 00:02:28.199 you think about centerfield safety or right field, left field, 51 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:31.080 those are the best safeties. It just kind of makes sense, 52 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:35.080 you know. And yeah, I ran off with football, and 53 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:37.599 then basketball was one of my main sports. And then 54 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:40.080 football was just enough. I can be physical. I didn't 55 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:41.759 have to worry about nobody getting in trouble if I 56 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:43.360 ran into anybody. 57 00:02:43.879 --> 00:02:45.159 I love it. I love it. 58 00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:49.479 And so your your three conferences ago, right, you're Mount 59 00:02:49.560 --> 00:02:50.080 West guy? 60 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:52.159 Yeah, Mount West I was. 61 00:02:52.319 --> 00:02:57.039 I was four conferences a go, like, we didn't have 62 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:03.080 face masks. That's that's how fun? What what what does 63 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:07.240 it mean to you to look at this program and 64 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:08.840 you you were a part of some really good teams. 65 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:12.960 You saw a big transferformation for the program. But what 66 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:14.960 does it meant to you? What's it been like for 67 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:17.759 you to see kind of the rise, to see the 68 00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:21.120 progression of the program and even college football and where 69 00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:21.680 it is today? 70 00:03:22.759 --> 00:03:25.759 Well, I mean college football has completely changed. The landscape 71 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:29.719 is so different, you know, it's such a It's a 72 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:32.520 great way of looking at it because I always tell 73 00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:35.439 myself that back then, if they've had this playoff thing, 74 00:03:35.960 --> 00:03:37.280 you know, when I was when I was a part 75 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:40.240 of the undervieated season. We could have at least shown 76 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:43.520 exactly the type of domination that we was able to 77 00:03:43.560 --> 00:03:47.400 do against teams. But you know, like right now, the NFL, 78 00:03:47.719 --> 00:03:51.000 the NCAA layout is it's it's tough. It seemed like 79 00:03:51.039 --> 00:03:55.520 we're there. They're still trying things right now, and this year, 80 00:03:55.560 --> 00:03:58.439 I know that the NFL playoff picture has changed, so 81 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:01.120 I know they're trying things. And to talk about the 82 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:05.159 University of Utah conference wise and just where we started, 83 00:04:05.319 --> 00:04:08.080 you know, and where everything has happened. And I think 84 00:04:08.120 --> 00:04:10.680 I've said this before on the radio station or on 85 00:04:10.719 --> 00:04:13.639 our show, on your show, is that when I go 86 00:04:13.719 --> 00:04:16.279 back home people, when I go back to California, go 87 00:04:16.279 --> 00:04:19.439 back to Los Angeles, people are really wearing Utah stuff, 88 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:22.079 and it always like like throws me up, Like, man, 89 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:24.800 nobody knew anything about Utah when I was saying I'm 90 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:28.720 about to go to Utah. 91 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:29.600 Yeah, it's crazy. 92 00:04:30.439 --> 00:04:33.240 Yeah, it changes up everything. But I'm really happy and 93 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:36.000 proud of the program and whereas and where is it 94 00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:39.000 going because it's still it's still going high, which is 95 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:42.199 unique in its own way. Because now University of Utah 96 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:45.959 has gotten some respect from a lot of those colleges. 97 00:04:46.040 --> 00:04:48.560 That's that's a Southern you know a lot of those 98 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:52.399 southern colleges. They all know about Utah and it's been 99 00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:55.680 it's been a great experience to just say that I 100 00:04:55.720 --> 00:04:57.399 am a University of Utah youth. 101 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:00.600 How much money do you think you would have been worth? 102 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:01.160 In nil? 103 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:05.319 Exactly? I mean we cracked jokes about it, and I 104 00:05:05.319 --> 00:05:07.439 always tell myself, I'm like, they could have gave me 105 00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:09.079 just sixty thousand, I'd have been fining. Me and my 106 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:10.920 family have been fine, we can you know, we can 107 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:14.439 make that work. But gosh, like I just wish I 108 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:16.199 could have got all the free stuff that they're getting, 109 00:05:16.279 --> 00:05:19.879 all the endorsements, because Comcast had a picture of me 110 00:05:19.959 --> 00:05:21.959 when I was when I was going to the University 111 00:05:21.959 --> 00:05:24.279 of Utah, and they wouldn't even give me a discount 112 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:25.879 on Comcast back then. 113 00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:31.360 Do you think you would have transferred? Do you think 114 00:05:31.399 --> 00:05:32.839 you would have ever entered the porter? 115 00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:35.800 Was there was there a time when you were playing 116 00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:38.120 you go, boy, I wish I you know, things maybe 117 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:40.279 aren't working the way I want or might be a 118 00:05:40.279 --> 00:05:42.319 better opportunity that ever cross your mind. 119 00:05:43.160 --> 00:05:45.519 It's pretty funny that you speak about that because me 120 00:05:45.560 --> 00:05:48.120 and my group of my group of Hall of famers, 121 00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:50.720 that's why I said my Sugar Bowl team, we always 122 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:52.959 kind of talk about it a little bit because you know, 123 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:54.639 back then, the school that I want you, that's the 124 00:05:54.639 --> 00:05:57.279 school that you was representing. You was part of. You know, 125 00:05:57.399 --> 00:05:59.639 you loved your school. And right now it's a lot 126 00:05:59.639 --> 00:06:01.600 of the player that's not loyal to you. They're not 127 00:06:01.639 --> 00:06:05.079 loyal right now. They followed the money. So in my case, 128 00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:08.600 being that you know, immature, you know as well as 129 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:12.639 I would say my age at that time, it matters 130 00:06:13.240 --> 00:06:15.959 where my family was standing at right at that moment. 131 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:19.399 Because I believe that if it wasn't for coach Toataki, 132 00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:22.680 that that looked at me and seen me as a 133 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:25.000 good player, I don't think I would have been able 134 00:06:25.040 --> 00:06:27.800 to go anywhere. So I think my loyalty would have 135 00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:30.079 stayed here at the University of Utah as long as 136 00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:32.519 coach of Taki it was part of the coaching staff. 137 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:35.040 I believe in my heart, I wouldn't I wouldn't win anywhere. 138 00:06:35.560 --> 00:06:37.399 Now if he would have left, then that would have changed, 139 00:06:37.560 --> 00:06:40.279 you know, that would change up a mindset. But yeah, 140 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:42.000 I believe I would have been loyal to the soil 141 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:44.279 when it comes to the University of Utah, in the 142 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:48.759 state of Utah, how they put their hands and hugged 143 00:06:48.839 --> 00:06:51.199 me and kept me good. So no, I don't I 144 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:53.480 really don't believe I would have left the University of 145 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:55.319 Utah no matter what the type of money that was 146 00:06:55.360 --> 00:06:56.079 being thrown at me. 147 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:00.480 You know, I hadn't thought about that question until, you know, 148 00:07:00.759 --> 00:07:03.160 I was thinking about what I wanted to ask you today, 149 00:07:03.240 --> 00:07:06.120 and I just thought, I wonder, because you know, I 150 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:08.600 was thinking of myself, what I would I ever consider 151 00:07:09.480 --> 00:07:12.759 what I have ever considered leaving? And uh, and we 152 00:07:12.920 --> 00:07:14.879 we had some lean years back when I was playing, 153 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:17.160 but but a lot of those same reasons. I don't 154 00:07:17.160 --> 00:07:21.519 know if there's something about this loyalty, there's something about uh, 155 00:07:21.800 --> 00:07:24.240 you know, the you just feel that you feel that 156 00:07:24.360 --> 00:07:28.439 into your program. I wonder how many players today where 157 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:31.959 they've transferred a couple of times, you know that I 158 00:07:31.959 --> 00:07:34.120 don't know that they'll ever have that or maybe I 159 00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:36.399 guess they will with whatever the last team they were with. 160 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:39.959 I just I just think that would be I think 161 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:42.720 that loyalty thing would be a hard thing to get 162 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:45.319 over now having you know, maybe you are in a 163 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:48.519 bad spot. I don't know, and then you go, you know, 164 00:07:48.519 --> 00:07:51.240 maybe there is a better, better opportunity for me, but 165 00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:52.279 but I think it'd be hard. 166 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:54.439 I really do yese. 167 00:07:53.879 --> 00:07:55.720 And then think about this as a sucky feeling one 168 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:58.639 like me as a as a retiring fl player that 169 00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:00.720 when I was watching the Hall of Fame game last night, 170 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:04.879 DJ the quarterback DJ, I can never say his last name, right, 171 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:08.879 the one that bounced around, the one that went from 172 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:11.480 yeah him. Like when they pulled up his stats and 173 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:14.120 everything in stat line, it's like, you know, I wish 174 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:16.079 some of the players were really some of the current 175 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:18.160 players the same college would look at that stat line 176 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:21.199 and really look at it and like, you know, look 177 00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:24.120 at the details. Because he was once one of the 178 00:08:24.199 --> 00:08:28.560 highest ranked high school prospects coming out of high school, 179 00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:30.800 and he went to a school that he did really good. 180 00:08:30.800 --> 00:08:32.799 Then he bounced to another school, which was Oregon State 181 00:08:32.840 --> 00:08:35.159 and did okay, and then he bounced to the Tenant Well, 182 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:37.879 he bounced to Florida State, and then he had had 183 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:42.440 a rough, rough season and then he wind up being undrafted. See, 184 00:08:42.519 --> 00:08:45.279 so so I wish some players would look at it 185 00:08:45.320 --> 00:08:47.559 in the way of like is it really worth it 186 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:50.879 to not show any loyalty because then you think that 187 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:53.480 your NFL career is going to take off. But I'm 188 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:56.679 not saying that he's a terrible player, but he's tagged 189 00:08:56.720 --> 00:08:59.399 right now as one of those journey players now of 190 00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:02.000 like how loyal would he be to a team? So 191 00:09:02.120 --> 00:09:03.960 he wounded up being a free free agent pickup. 192 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:08.559 One of the things in the Utah program that's been 193 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:12.039 kind of a staple has been that loyalty, but it's 194 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:16.360 also been the development of players. And you really, and 195 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:18.440 I'm sure you went through that. Tell me a little 196 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:21.639 bit about your experience with kind of growing and developing 197 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:24.120 in the program and getting your opportunity to play, and 198 00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:25.000 how much it meant to you. 199 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:30.080 Well, it helped so much because Kosataki when he came 200 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:32.080 and got me, he the first thing he said was, hey, 201 00:09:32.120 --> 00:09:34.200 we we really don't have a set position for you. 202 00:09:34.840 --> 00:09:36.960 So we really don't have a seposition for you, but 203 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:39.480 I really believe that you can do something special for 204 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:42.120 the for the program, and for me, it was like 205 00:09:42.200 --> 00:09:44.679 somebody giving me the opportunity. So when I came out 206 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:46.759 here to the University of Utah back in the day, 207 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:50.679 is my very first week here a training camp. You know, 208 00:09:50.759 --> 00:09:54.840 I was playing receiver, corner and safety and you know, 209 00:09:54.919 --> 00:09:57.399 and I had a red jersey in a white jersey, 210 00:09:57.600 --> 00:10:00.279 and right at that moment, nobody knew exactly where it 211 00:10:00.279 --> 00:10:01.879 was going to place me. But it was just like 212 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:04.600 whatever position that we put you, and we can develop 213 00:10:04.679 --> 00:10:07.759 you into that position. And you know, I got really 214 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:10.039 lucky where I had Coach Odham at that time. Coach 215 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:14.279 Odham was my position coach, and Coach Scaley was our 216 00:10:14.360 --> 00:10:15.480 GA at that time. 217 00:10:15.879 --> 00:10:18.039 Wow. And the development. 218 00:10:17.480 --> 00:10:21.120 Part, yeah, the development part was tough because I was 219 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:23.399 a lean guy, you know, like I was a tall, 220 00:10:23.519 --> 00:10:26.600 skinier on the slim side. And it turned into like 221 00:10:27.080 --> 00:10:29.000 Coach Odham was just like, hey, we put some weight 222 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:31.799 on you. We can place you in different spots. And 223 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:34.080 it just happened. Like all the developed part of it 224 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:37.879 just happened because the loyalty of the alumni of alums 225 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:40.559 that's there at the University of Utah. They talked to 226 00:10:40.600 --> 00:10:43.399 me a lot. Because that first year, if y'all remember, 227 00:10:43.799 --> 00:10:46.440 even the fans that's listen, we played we had a 228 00:10:46.440 --> 00:10:49.399 points ahead a game against Navy that year. We made 229 00:10:49.399 --> 00:10:51.799 it to the points head of bow and it's in 230 00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:55.679 San Diego. Eric Weddle came and spoke to me, like, 231 00:10:55.799 --> 00:10:58.200 you know, one on one, and I just was like like, man, 232 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:00.399 this is this is crazy, you know, like it's just 233 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:02.279 an NFL player that's talking to me and you're talking 234 00:11:02.279 --> 00:11:03.480 about safety, pride and. 235 00:11:04.039 --> 00:11:04.399 You know it. 236 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:08.799 It made me feel like I can develop here and 237 00:11:08.840 --> 00:11:11.039 I can develop on a different level that even if 238 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:12.960 I didn't make it to the pros, at least I 239 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:15.159 will make some really good connections with some friends and 240 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:18.120 some alums that I know that it's time needed. Where 241 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:20.840 I'm done with football, I can lean on them. So 242 00:11:20.879 --> 00:11:23.559 the development was out was not even just straight football. 243 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:26.159 It was outside of football because that's how the University 244 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:27.000 of Utah works. 245 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:32.120 This time of year, of course, camp is starting, NFL 246 00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:37.159 camps starting, and college. What does this time of year 247 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:39.679 mean to you when you're going back to camp? Do 248 00:11:39.720 --> 00:11:42.080 you still feel it in your body? What does it 249 00:11:42.120 --> 00:11:42.480 mean to you? 250 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:46.840 It's such a right now because I'm not playing, but no, 251 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:52.200 it's it's so different. I literally just sent a video 252 00:11:52.679 --> 00:11:55.279 to one of my good friends that I played flag 253 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:57.879 football with my current player flag football with him, and 254 00:11:58.840 --> 00:12:00.799 I was showing a video the day in the Life 255 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:04.039 of the Tennessee Titan, and they was talking about Randolly. 256 00:12:04.279 --> 00:12:07.000 I think his name is Randell the receiver, the little 257 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:09.360 fast receiver. They were showing about the day in the 258 00:12:09.399 --> 00:12:10.919 life and he was like, I start my day off 259 00:12:10.919 --> 00:12:13.679 at five forty five in the morning. I was just like, man, 260 00:12:13.720 --> 00:12:15.480 I remember when I had to start my days off 261 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:23.919 at that time. But it's it's nice to see things 262 00:12:23.960 --> 00:12:27.480 like that on social media. And it does suck sometimes 263 00:12:27.480 --> 00:12:29.480 because I still mentally feel like, oh, I can get 264 00:12:29.480 --> 00:12:31.759 it done, but physically, you know, I'm thirty eight years old. 265 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:33.559 My body is not going to hold up for a 266 00:12:33.639 --> 00:12:37.919 day of practice. But I miss it. And this is 267 00:12:37.960 --> 00:12:41.159 always that time of the year where it feels like 268 00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:44.879 life is finally great again because football is back in. 269 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:49.039 But it's definitely enjoyable, and it just makes you miss 270 00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:51.399 it if you really have that big heart for football. 271 00:12:53.080 --> 00:12:55.559 So you listen to some of the coaches up on 272 00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:58.480 the hill talk about they got a lot of players, 273 00:12:58.519 --> 00:13:01.480 you know that they like that not necessarily all of 274 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:07.080 them have experience, and yeah, how long does it take 275 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:09.679 for a player like you know, they've got some of 276 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:11.159 the they got to figure out kind of some of 277 00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:12.799 the dbs. They got to figure out some of the 278 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:16.000 defensive linemen. And uh, and how long do you think 279 00:13:16.039 --> 00:13:19.840 that process takes? Uh, when you go into fall camp 280 00:13:19.879 --> 00:13:22.720 and can you can you get up to speed, can 281 00:13:22.759 --> 00:13:25.159 you get where you're playing at a high level or 282 00:13:25.159 --> 00:13:28.120 at least an efficient level, or or does it take 283 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:30.279 you know, two or three games or a season or 284 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:32.360 half a season? How long does it take for a 285 00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:36.679 new guy with with talent and but but still kind 286 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:40.519 of raw to get kind of really flowing and playing 287 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:41.279 at a high level. 288 00:13:42.519 --> 00:13:45.759 I go into a numbers game, like to me, like, 289 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:47.559 you can go into training camp and do everything in 290 00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:49.919 training camp. That's cool, That's that's nice, you know, but 291 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:52.519 you got to remember you going up against teammates and yeah, 292 00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:55.039 it might get it might get tough. You know, by 293 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:56.759 the end of the day they wear the same color 294 00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:58.919 as you. So what I like to tell my tell 295 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:01.840 myself and also tell some of those new those newer players, 296 00:14:01.879 --> 00:14:04.519 It's like, by the time you hit that that hundred 297 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:06.919 play mark, Like when you in the season, when you 298 00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:10.240 hit that hundred play mark, you you start knowing, you know, 299 00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:13.600 you start like like getting the feel of it. And 300 00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:16.480 then now when you hit that hundred play mark, like 301 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:19.440 you know the basics of playing in a Division one 302 00:14:19.480 --> 00:14:22.360 football game, but then also when there's something that's being 303 00:14:22.360 --> 00:14:24.639 thrown at you that might throw you off, it's okay, 304 00:14:24.679 --> 00:14:26.759 you won't you won't fall apart because now you've got 305 00:14:26.759 --> 00:14:29.480 a good base. So I always say, if a player, 306 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:32.440 a student athlete can get to one hundred plays, you know, 307 00:14:32.519 --> 00:14:34.639 like by the time you get that hundred plays, it's 308 00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:38.000 like everything started clicking. It's almost like working a normal job. 309 00:14:38.039 --> 00:14:40.559 Most people say that when you work most jobs, by 310 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:42.879 the time you get to that six month period, everything 311 00:14:42.919 --> 00:14:45.159 start to click and then you start just like knowing. 312 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:48.000 I give it one hundred play mark because you got 313 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:49.960 to think about this and for some of the fans 314 00:14:49.960 --> 00:14:53.440 that's not really familiar with it, is that defense wise, 315 00:14:53.519 --> 00:14:56.960 you get about like you get about thirty, you get 316 00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:59.440 about thirty to forty plays, and if your defense is 317 00:14:59.480 --> 00:15:02.519 not as strong, if it could push to sixty plays 318 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:05.519 in one game. See, so I say, like to be 319 00:15:05.639 --> 00:15:08.120 on the safe side, maybe two and a half games, 320 00:15:08.200 --> 00:15:10.679 maybe three games in is when you finally start to 321 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:13.759 like get that like, okay, now I'm comfortable. Now let's 322 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:16.440 you know, now I understand it. I understand what practice 323 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:19.320 look like and things like that. So one hundred plays 324 00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:23.600 would be my guest my guestimate of like, now you 325 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:26.039 adjust it, Now you got your you got your feet wet, 326 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:27.879 now you deep in there, you know, now you're ready 327 00:15:27.879 --> 00:15:28.480 to play play. 328 00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:31.639 Do you think maybe coaches look at that too and 329 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:33.919 they go, all right, we're giving this. We got to 330 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:38.399 give a guy a fair opportunity because it does take 331 00:15:38.440 --> 00:15:38.960 some time. 332 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:41.120 But do you think they kind of go, Okay, we're 333 00:15:41.159 --> 00:15:42.440 at our hundred playmark or. 334 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:44.519 Where at a certain level and he ain't getting it, 335 00:15:44.600 --> 00:15:47.960 so we're gonna we're gonna go in a different direction. 336 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:50.039 You feel like coaches maybe do that as well. 337 00:15:51.639 --> 00:15:53.960 I feel sometimes they do, But then there's so many 338 00:15:53.960 --> 00:15:56.519 different variables. Because I'll use myself as an example. When 339 00:15:56.519 --> 00:15:58.200 I first got there at the University of Utah, the 340 00:15:58.200 --> 00:16:01.559 first game we played against Oregon State only had six 341 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:04.240 plays I think, and three of the plays was a 342 00:16:04.440 --> 00:16:06.840 kickoff return. See, so I didn't really get like the 343 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:09.519 live action. But then going into that second game where 344 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:12.080 we played against air Force. I think we played against 345 00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:16.080 air Force, I had about fifteen I think fifteen sixteen plays, 346 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:19.279 and you know, four of them was a special teams, 347 00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:21.440 but the rest of them was I was on the 348 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:23.639 field and like I made a couple of tackles that game, 349 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:25.600 and you know, and it was like I'm starting to 350 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:27.679 get the field of this Division one football, Like, Okay, 351 00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:30.519 it's going pretty good. And then you know, a variable 352 00:16:30.600 --> 00:16:33.279 was thrown in because maybe coach Otaki or maybe coach 353 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:35.799 Coach Anderson at that time was kind of ramping me 354 00:16:35.879 --> 00:16:38.639 up to like get me prepared for it. But then 355 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:41.600 when we lost those first two games, it was like, okay, 356 00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:44.080 we might need to we might need to throw throw 357 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:46.000 a wrench into this plan and change up some stuff. 358 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:47.919 And then we wind up playing against UCLA and there 359 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:51.320 was ranked number eleven and at that time, and coach 360 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:53.720 Anderson just was like, okay, Roger, you're starting this game. 361 00:16:54.200 --> 00:16:54.440 See. 362 00:16:54.440 --> 00:16:56.919 So it was it's a lot of variables that throws 363 00:16:56.919 --> 00:16:58.840 into it because you might have a coach that might 364 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:00.679 want to see a player get a couple of reps 365 00:17:00.679 --> 00:17:02.840 in and see how they react, and then they're like, okay, 366 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:04.480 we might want to you know, put them on the 367 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:07.160 shelf for a little bit. But then injuries happen or 368 00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:09.640 the season is already not going the way that you thought, 369 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:11.799 and it's like, maybe we need to throw this player 370 00:17:11.799 --> 00:17:15.359 in and see how it goes. So it's a lot 371 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:18.200 of experience, Like it's a lot of experimental things that 372 00:17:18.279 --> 00:17:20.200 happens that you have to do as a coach. So 373 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:23.559 I don't know what every coach thinks about, but I 374 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:27.359 do know that when when things happen, players get hurt 375 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:29.720 or a player not performing to the to the ability 376 00:17:29.720 --> 00:17:32.519 that they thought, that's when you start going to that, hey, 377 00:17:32.839 --> 00:17:34.319 we might need to throw this kid in and see 378 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:34.880 what happens. 379 00:17:36.920 --> 00:17:40.079 Uh. College camp is a month. 380 00:17:43.119 --> 00:17:46.680 And there's a lot of practice and there's there's no games, 381 00:17:46.839 --> 00:17:48.400 like like it's the NFL. 382 00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:51.240 You know, you start having games and it's a better thing. 383 00:17:51.960 --> 00:17:52.079 Uh. 384 00:17:52.680 --> 00:17:53.880 I have two questions about that. 385 00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:57.079 One, do you think that it can hurt you as 386 00:17:57.079 --> 00:18:01.920 a player because you're you almost over practice or overtrain 387 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:05.799 or you know there's and and you don't know you 388 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:08.200 don't have the barometer of a game to kind of 389 00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:10.960 gauge how where you are in your performance. 390 00:18:11.759 --> 00:18:12.519 Uh. 391 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:16.799 And Two would it makes sense to change this, like 392 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:20.839 to have maybe a non conference game like a it's 393 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:23.039 like a preseason game, it doesn't count. Maybe you play 394 00:18:23.160 --> 00:18:26.960 more regular season games during the season. But you know what, 395 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:29.839 it what it makes sense to to put in a 396 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:33.839 you know, maybe it's a scrimmage against another school or 397 00:18:33.839 --> 00:18:36.319 something anything, or a game or a non confidence anything. 398 00:18:36.759 --> 00:18:39.519 I don't so so practicing too. 399 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:44.960 Long and the idea of actually having a non conference 400 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:47.079 game in the middle of the summer while you're going 401 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:48.599