Big Red RageBig Red Rage - Cardinals Rookie Darius Robinson Holds Himself To High Standard
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Take it over.
Here's Paul Calvic.
I'm ready. I'm one hundred percent ready. I'm telling you I'm ready. And Ron Woofley.
It doesn't get any better than that?
Are you we good?
See?
Let them hear you tell everyone how we're the original Thursday Night book ball. That's right as today's official eye temperature eighty degrees broken all time meetings record going back to nineteen seventeen. And I say you know what, that's an omen That's an omen for these last three games, Ron Bfley, Okay, Cardinals are gonna beat the odds, the math will work out in their favor, and they're gonna make this playoff push with three games to go.
Okay, there we go, Pauly. I like it.
I like it nothing else. The number is three because that's the number of games the Cardinals have now had our very special guests tonight, first round rookie d lineman Darius Robinson. Everyone, and he dressed appropriately because he has T shirts, T shirt and shorts on. So you're you're truly in Arizona now, Darien.
Yeah, that's how's that? Yeah that's awesome.
Every morning I wake up seventy degrees, so you know, in Michigan snowing right now.
So I'm just super thankful to be out here.
Okay, So Darius, here it is. It obviously is your rookie season right now. How are you feeling overall? How's the body doing?
Yeah?
I feel great.
My mind feels good. I feel healthy. It's the best I felt since camp. So just each week just stacking and keep getting better each week.
But I feel great. Just super excited for Carolina this week.
How about the NFL overall just general. When I say NFL to you right now, how are you enjoying the NFL?
Now? It's a blessing. It's super fun.
It's like everything I dreamed of playing on Sundays, playing against players that I've always watched growing up, and this is a dream come true. Like, I feel like the biggest things I learned is like in the NFL there's really no weak links, Like no matter like what anybody's record is or what players they have on their team, They're gonna bring it every Sunday. But that's the thing with me. I love to compete, so I'm just having a blast each week in practice and in the game as well.
You have a Cotton Bowl shirt on right now. Yeah, and I bring that up because you played in Minnesota. That was your debut a couple of weeks ago.
Right.
What did you feel like the next morning that Monday morning, just because you had mentioned the media you had not played a full football game since last year's Cotton Bowl.
Yeah, my body felt good. I was just kind of a little upset with myself about how I played. But now, honestly, I just took a minute to really embrace like all the things I went to to play my first game, I was just let it go.
But I was just super excited.
Man, that was my first NFL game ever, So all you can do is grow and get better, but really just enjoy the moment.
So I know you're hard on yourself. You always are, right, and I like the fact that you are. You're you put yourself under the microscope and you look at yourself and want to get better, and that drives you, doesn't it.
Yeah, most definitely.
I feel like I'm always my hardest critic, But also, like JG and Nick, my coaches are even harder on me, which is even better because you know they have high expectations of me, and I have high expectations from my so so I'm glad. Like that's how everybody in the building is, because everybody just wants to compete and be the best. So I'm just excited to be a part of organization that really prides that.
See when I think of that right there, what you just said, there are some guys who will take that and receive it and get better from it. But there are some guys who won't, you know what I mean. And I think they give that to you. I think they give you that kind of grief because they know you'll take it to heart and do something with it.
Right.
Yeah, most definitely.
I just want every day is a blessing, and if you're going out there just to go out there, like I mean, there's other careers and other jobs you could do, but if you're not really trying to pursue being the best version of yourself, because you can only play this game for so long, So every moment I just try to maximize every opportunity. And that's just kind of how I process everything each day.
Darius Robinson is our guests on The Big Red Rage here, presented by Santan Ford and Gilbert Live at Trophy in Chandler. Have you noticed is this a wacky question, because Wolf and I have noticed how a lot of the rookies this year and the draft class last year, which led the NFL in rookie starts and rookie snaps, have a very similar mindset. The Manti Austin Ford and Jonathan Gannon are looking for guys who, if nothing else, are really serious about the game of football. Have you noticed sort of that share commonality or trait between a lot of the young guys in that locker room.
Yeah, I definitely say that.
I feel like everybody, the younger guys all like love football, like genuinely love the process, genuinely love the game and getting better. And I feel like it's really a credit to Manty and our coach because Jag is a guy like if you really love football, you would love to play for him. But if you're a guy that was just so so, you would get bored easy because he talks about like the most simplest things, but you don't realize the huge impact that has on the game as far as like takeaways and explosive plays and playing with a motor. But as a student of the game, like myself, like I'm always just trying to listen and learn. But I feel like that's how the whole, like young or part of our team is right now.
So, Darius, you said you didn't like how you played in your first game back.
Why Honestly, I just felt like my pass rushes was just average, Like I didn't really feel like I affected the quarterback enough dad, And then the run game, it was like one or two plays, I felt like I was kind of like the half step behind, but it was nothing that was like truly detrimental to why we lost. But I'm just like I said, I'm just super competitive and every time I go out there like I want to be the best player on the field. So I mean, I just gotta keep growing. But every week since then, I've gotten better and better. So that's why I like, for me, it's not getting too high or too low. Just focus on my process each day. Honestly, that's so good.
Well, we host Jonathan and It's TV show, and he made mentioned this week on air, how yes you had the three tackles. Yes you had your first career sack, but there were a number of other plays where you made a play that provided other guys to get in that you did something on film that allowed somebody else to make a play, and we'll get into a lot of that. You spoke at the head coaches mindset, we asked him after the game last week, just the team's mindset. Three games to go there, you are a game out of first in the division.
Here's JG.
You know, our backs against the wall. But we're playing meaningful games in December right now, and they got to reset themselves. Two day trip going over versus Carolina on the road, A team that's well coached and plays extremely hard, and we're gonna have to throw fastball to win a game and stay relevant.
Here, what's the what's the move been like, what's the state of the team? Sort of the vibe this week on the field, in the locker room.
I say excited, excited for another opportunity to compete, especially just late in the season. We're in December, playing meaningful game. So I think everybody on our team is just excited for this opportunity, and you know, we just have to be ready to go win that game at all costs. So that's kind of everyone's mindset right now.
So when you think of the Carolina Panthers in a very big picture kind of way right now, not talking specifics, but big picture, what do you think of First.
I think that line aline is really good. I don't even look like like in college. I feel like I looked at records more and I thought they were more meaningful. But in the NFL, is really not like their two guards and before the center got hurt or like their best like core group of players on the offense, and those are.
The guys I got to see every play.
So I just think about, think about my rush plan, think about my run plan. But now they're really good, Like their record doesn't reflect who they are, So I just think about what do I have to do.
To make sure I'm ready to play and compete.
Honestly, Yeah, they have one starting guard who got big money. He was a free agent from Miami, got like twenty million a year, I mean.
And then the other guard was with Seattle last year, so that's why I was asking them. They seen him twice last year. So just trying to get as much info as I can. But those are really good players.
How forthcoming?
How are the guys when you're when you're asking your teammates about these guys?
I mean, do they got you?
Yeah? They do.
They just be surprised that I asked something about it, because like I'll be in the meeting, like I said, the rookies in the back, but like I'll just be like, hey, I got a football question, what do you think about this?
Or blah blah blah blah blah.
So just because I really be super engaged in the meetings and realize, like everybody, the NFL is really a small community. So eventually somebody's either played against this person or they was in camp with this person or something. So as as much FO as you can get for the game, then they'll help you play better.
You know that's.
Awesome, bad man, And you know already that Look if NFL games come down to a handful of plays, literally, you know, any little edge can help make that one play that might change the outcoming at the game. In fact, here's Kyler Murray just talking about this opportunity where the Cardinals are is they go out to Carolina here in week sixteen.
You could be disappointed that we put ourselves in this position. You could be happy that we have still have an opportunity, and I think the guys were taking that second route, which you know, fighting and scratching for, you know, opportunity to get into the playoffs.
You know, our backs.
Against the wall.
You know, we understand that, we understand what's that stake, and we understand it's each week.
For us, so we we gotta go play our best on the road.
How often do you talk to Cardinal offensive lineman? Obviously in your own meeting room, but like you ever go up to like, oh, I don't know, another super veteran like Kelvin Beacham.
Yeah, you can get some wisdom. Yeah, I talk the Beach all the time.
His locker is right next to mine, like, and I just begin as much wisdom as I can from him because just how I was talking about earlier about longevity, like playing the NFL that long is like mind blowing, honestly when you think about our position up front, So just thinking about his body and uh, just life too outside the ball. And then the rest of the O line. You know, fall Camp, you don't like each other truthfully because you know we're banging every day. But eventually as we face other teams, you guys get more friendly with one another and be like, what did you think about this rush or what did you think about this rep? So that I can get better against the other team. But I have a pretty good relationship with the O line, but specifically Kelvin Beacham.
So when you look at these last three games overall, it's interesting because to a tongue of Bye Law, the quarterback of course for Miami before last week's game, said we got to win all four games. And he said, we control our own destiny because we know we've got to win all four games, and if we don't, we have no chance of getting into the postseason. I love the fact he wasn't even considering tie breakers on that Darius, he was not. He was talking about, if we don't win all four of these games in a row, we're not getting in. We're not getting in under any condition. So he looked at it as a positive that they control their own destiny. If they don't win all four games, which they did not, they're out. Do you guys have a similar mindset to that?
I would say we have more of like a this week manset as far as focusing on the Carolina and don't focus on anything other than that. I think it's in the back of people's minds, but I all we talk about is Carolina each week. The team are on that week, so we're just excited to go compete.
You know, see I do is that?
Okay?
Well, if I do, I want la it starts at Carolina, Paul, I know, I get it. It's it's La via Carolina.
All right.
We're gonna get into the whole Carolina thing.
All right.
Darius might not say much, but you know, for us, well, we know the game plane you run the ball. Okay, Oh come on, well, you know what I've called it by the way it's the line.
Of scrimmage game, Paul.
Well, if it's the Grandma got run over by a reindeer game plan where the Cardinals of the reindeer and then the Carolina rushde dead last is Grandma, That's what it's.
Okay, that's the way you're gonna frame that up. Well, I'm going point of a talk, wind up scriptage.
A single game ticket's on sale now at Azycardinals dot com slash by tickets to secure your seats today. We'll let Darius Robinson render a burger verdict a little bit later as we get rolling. It is a big red rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert. I've a trophy and Chandler on Queen Creek Road between Price and Dobson.
He takes the snap, Cardinals rush for back to pass in trouble and sack by brown back at the twenty yard line.
Coming from the blind side, getting a little drape made.
Grease four than one at the Cardinal four may on her center.
Stevenson the tailback gets to.
Carry running to the left and it's gonna be close.
Tizier, White and L. J.
Collier on the tackle and he is short and the Cardinals takeover on downs.
At their four yard line, pass.
Over the middle, pulled in and then intercept that it was redirected into the arms of Murphy Bunting. He's tackled at the forty five and the Cardinals get a takeaway.
May setting up now steps up middle of the field.
He's hit and dives close to the first down because he was tackled.
Behind the line of scrimmage.
It's a sack on that third down play, and he went to Darius Robbinson his first NFL sacked.
About that Cardinals defense. Daris Robinson balling especially here recently. He's our guest on the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert We are santan Ford. For example, the Cardinals defense has allowed just eleven touchdowns going back to Week seven. That is the fewest in the NFL. Think about that, and in the last eight games, the Cardinals will allowed eighteen points per game if you go back to Week seven. In that stretch, only Philly has allowed fewer points per game than the Cardinals. Once again, Paul calvic, Ron Wolfley and d rob the Cardinals first round rookie. So what do you think has been the difference, especially if you talk about December football. Right November and December, this Cardinals defense seemingly turned a corner has been playing its best ball. I don't know where do you think overall the unit is better than perhaps, you know, September and when this season started.
I'll just say a little bit of everything.
But I think it starts with DC Nick, Like he's a great game caller, the way he've viewsed the game, how he puts us in a position to make plays. And now I think everybody's just going out there executing and then just having fun with the game.
But Nick, he's a great coach. So just how he lines everything up for us.
It's Nick a screamer.
Is he a yeller one of these guys that is gonna yell and project or is he the other one?
Now he's the more too he but then it's like when he says something, you know he really mad at it, But nah, he's cool, super super good guy, super great coach, and just always thinking of ways to put us in positions to make plays. So that's why I like an indye. I always think about like my individual reps because those literally translated to the game and I know the nick's going critique. So now he's a great coach.
Though, has he given you a checklist? Does he come up to you and say.
Right all the time?
Yeah, yeah, He'll tell me like little stuff as far as like my power level, my alignment signed like all things that helped me get better because the individual drills translate to teams so much faster, and then it goes from the practice team that always going against the ones of the other teams, so you really got to be on it with your technique and fundamentals. But now he's a great coach, always giving great feedback.
You know, I'm very thankful he's my coach.
How tough has it been to learn his playbook? Because sometimes especially on third down, I call it eleven card pickup instead of fifty two card pickup.
Eleven card pickup.
Guys just walking around and all these crazy fronts and he's always down up different, you know, disguises.
What has the process been just to learn his playbook?
Man, fall Camp, I thought it was the craziest thing ever. I remember I was telling you, like, it's just so many take this dud this dude is. But then obviously it's crazy from the fall camp playbook to now it's way smaller. So I'm like, danmn, we went through all that in fall camp.
We didn't even call out of the plays.
But then now once we get to the week, he just have a set amount of plays and I just study him every day, just make sure I'm ready. But it's way more condensed in season. So just trying to go out there and play fast.
It's kind of tough for you because you can play so many positions. They can move you all over the place. Right now, how are you picking it up? How's it coming?
Yeah, it's coming along good. Just learning specifically our personnel groups, Like on third dive, if there's one D tagle, two D tackles, which side do I go to? The maounager go to the field. And then after that, just knowing what rush I have to have, Like if we're bringing everybody, I need to tighten up and get on my track now, Versus if it's only four or five us, I know I got time to work. So really just learning to end like the small details in the play call to know what I want to do from our rush or how I want to play this play out. But I feel like that's the next level. I'm gonna keep chasing it from my game this season.
Yeah, all right, So Darius Robinson, you got twenty two snaps against Minnesota, then thirty in each of the last two games. Once again as advertised, here's your head coach on his weekly TV show Game Plan, Jonathan Gannon on your progress Darius Robinson.
Just what he's doing on his get off. I think he's playing with good pad level and knock back what he's doing with his hands, and he's learning every snap man, and you know, there's some plays that aren't going to show up on a stat sheet, but he's making some big time plays, and other guys are having success, you know, because he's making their job easy. So he's going to continue to learn and improve and impact the game for us.
Is there anything you've learned the hard way? Is there anything that's happened in these three games you're like, oh man, you know what, Okay, I'm not gonna let that happen again.
Yeah.
Probably past level of just being too high, especially with our blitzes. It was one play last week where Buddha like just smoked me.
It was crazy.
It was I'm in his way and it's all because of like little thing with my footwork, stepping under myself. And you know, Buddha plays so much faster than everybody else. So I learned the hard way. So I got ran over by Buddha. So next week, I know, well, this week, I know I'm not gonna step under myself again, So like little stuff like that. And then just as far as like having a level mindset because of how good everybody is, like that's I think the biggest thing that I've noticed, Like everybody is so good. So it's like if you win a rep, okay, cool, But if you lose a rep, do not like go on the dumps with your feelings or emotions because those guys get paid to they were the best player at their college too. So as long as I just like just keep shooting and keep shooting, like keep firing like and just keep going like, that's what helps me stay in a positive mindset like throughout the game.
So that's what I say each week.
I'm learning though, So Darius, best offensive lineman you face so far?
Offensive line I faced this.
Far so far this season?
I mean, yeah, so Seattle and.
Then New England last we England. Yeah, oh, the guard from New England number seventy one.
Like, he's a big, like why body guy, so you could tell it takes a lot of space in the gap, and a big guy like that doesn't always want to move, but you got to get him to move. But no, the NFL, everybody's good, truthfully, but seven to one I probably say stand out the most.
He's a big dude. I'm spacing his name right now, but he is. He's the individuals. Yeah, you can.
Tell he's a good athlete because early in the season when somebody got hurt, he was playing tackle, so you tell he can he can play.
So nah, he's really good, but just keep getting better each week.
Yeah, there are many guys I'll put in the same categories of Will Hernandez in terms of thickness, right, yeah.
I think he low key is bigger than Will that star. Yeah yeah, so yeah, that's a big dude.
All right.
Well, recently on The Big Red Rage, someone you know pretty well, Marcus Golden, former Miszoo grade himself, former Cardinals. Great right, yes, definitely and a guy, uh you know, big player, big personality, and he gave you big props on a recent edition of The Big Red Rage.
When I saw him playing in the MISSOO always let man, that guy got a motor on him. When you play like that, then you got the gifts that he got. Man, big old guy, long arms can can naturally bend the edge or go through him in the Sky's the limit for him, honestly, Man, with the abilities that he got and the way he played a game, that's what I really love about him. But I will honestly say, before the season is over, I feel like this kid gonna dominate. He gonna make some big plays this season. Are you calling him a dog?
Yes?
Yes, he's a dog dog dog man real, Yeah.
Somebody go tell Darius Marcus Golden just called him a.
Dog wolf at a Pumpins breaks there a little bit. He was out of his chair with that comment from from Marcus Golden. Let me ask you this just in terms of what is your game day demeanor? Like Paris Johnson Junior is one guy Monday through Saturday and Sunday, he's a totally different dude.
What do you like on game day?
I say, just really like focused and locked in. Like I felt like the first two games I was too like like trying to be too like upset and mad, and I was like the third game kind of just more was relaxed and playing my flow, and that's why I feel like I played even better this week. But I know I just be myself. But just once we hit them lines, you know it's time to go. It's time to compete. But I'd say I'm probably similar to dude, I probably don't smile as much.
So the Patriots guard, it was Mike Oweno. That's the guy right there. Huge, just a massive guy. Drove me crazy. I could not remember his name. Southfield, Michigan. Yes, talk to me about Southfield, man. We've talked a little bit in the past about this, but let people know what exactly was Southfield, Michigan in life.
Yeah, it's a suburb right outside Detroit, Michigan, about twenty five thirty minutes away. I grew up there, me and my mom and my brothers. So that's really my hometown where I grew up.
Man.
You know, that's where everything started from me. And that's right outside of Detroit, right outside of Detroit. So cold weather you're good.
With, Yeah, the co weather. So that's why that's a blessing every day.
Like I don't even check the weather app anymore because I know it's going to be like seventieth sunny. So now I'm just super glad to be here in Arizona.
So your first love was baseball, and I love your Little League picture that our jim Omahara found right here. Okay, yeah, it's pretty easy to tell who has the measurables to be an NFL player.
Yeah that's me, you know.
So are you really in the same age group for the rest of these kids?
Now?
I remember, and everybody used to always ask the my coach and my mom like can we see his birth certificate because of how much big I was and everybody else. But now I used to love baseball, was honestly my favorite for it. It's just the only thing is I feel like when you get to like that middle school to early high school, you're either going to keep falling in love with it or it gets boring. And I feel like I hit that it got boring, and then I started playing football and basketball it was more exciting. So but I really love baseball circuly.
What's what's incredible about this? First of all, how old were you in this picture?
That would like eight or nine or ten years. It was definitely when I was young. Oh, my goodness.
Yeah, an incredible, very impressive picture right there. Yeah, but you were a catcher. Yeah, so how was it boring? I mean you were literally involved in every pitch literally is I.
Think it's just because of how the many games you play, and you know out there and as a kid, like it's.
A lot of gays a lot of hours. I think that's what it was for me.
See Wolf is a little offended because he contends that he was an all state catcher in high school. No one can prove it, which is where I segue to your next sport, which was basketball, which is interesting because that you didn't even play football until your junior year of high school.
Yeah.
Yeah, well I played Little League from like maybe like around that picture, so I had to be like first to probably like fifth grade. For a couple of years I played little league, and then, like I said, I liked baseball, but didn't want to play baseball no more so I was playing basketball like eighth grade, freshman year, sophomore year high school. And then I quickly realized I wasn't gonna get a basketball scholarship, and I never forget my mom. She told me, like, you know, if you don't get any scholarships, like you're gonna go to the military or something that's gonna be your next stage in your life.
And then I was like, okay, we are the options I got.
So I transferred to the public school and started playing football my junior year. My junior year, it went pretty good, but I didn't hear anything back from like any colleges. So I was like, dang, I might really be going to the military. And I'm not saying that as a bad way. I just didn't I didn't really know what that's what I wanted to do with my life. And then after that I started getting like a few offers and I was like okay. And then my senior year came and I got all the offers and I was like, Okay, maybe I'm not Maybe this is my blessing to just keep playing football.
And yeah, rest is history.
Would you say you were a late bloomer.
Yeah, in the game of football, Yeah, I definitely say.
That's why I would say, like, I feel like my ceiling of football is still so much higher, and that's why I'm so hard on myself. Like I remember during the pre drive process, like a lot of people didn't realize that, like I've really only been playing at a high level my two years of high school and my five years of college, and now I'm in the NFL, So I definitely know I got a lot more to grow in my game and continue to learn. But that's why I had that mindset of always just trying to be the best player on the field so I can just keep growing.
So it says here that they recruited you as a tight end. Yeah you got hands, Yeah, most definitely. You know, I was a basketball player, so you know you can play them with basketball when you're younger. So I definitely had hands.
So there's a possibility in an interception is on the horizon for you.
Both, hopefully on one of these screens.
You know, I can catch them, but you know, you know, I gotta keep wrestling and then if I feel it come off earlier, hopefully tipped catcher or something like that.
Were you jealous of John Gaines got in? You know John Gaines got as a full back.
Nah, he got it. I'm just ready for the next step on defense.
Honestly, well, he did a great job of that too, getting the I formation a gap.
I asked him today, I asked him to say any experience at any level at anytime, he said, Nope. That was my first game REP ever at full back. So pretty cool, pretty.
Cool attack the gap attack it.
Think about this, Sterius, I mean to be first team All SEC though, like you were last year, your final year in Miszoo. I mean that have been quite an honor. I mean to have in that conference with me named first team and honestly, we're so used to seeing all the defensive linement come from Alabama and Georgia. I mean, you really got a ball out to be one of the other schools and make it.
Right facts and definitely, uh yeah, no, my last year was probably like the honestly, like the best year of my life. Like I've never had so much more fun playing football, being a part of a team, like I love Maszoo so much, Like it really like means the world to me, honestly. But now that was a huge accomplishment because I feel like, if we talk about college football, if everyone says the SEC is the best, and you're saying I'm the best defensive lineman, one of the best ones out of the conference, like what does that truly mean? And then I feel like, again I proved it at the Senior Bowl. Every opportunity to prove it. I proved it, So you know, it was just a honor to represent my university once again.
For the people who don't know this, I've talked to you many times about this, and I love this. But you could play anywhere across the board. Yeah, pick one position that you love the most.
I probably say four. I say to the guard I love that. It's nice. So it's it really is a remarkable story.
And uh, you know, and I'm sure because Johnathan Gannon and Mania Support have mentioned it. The fact you've just been playing since your junior high school. They still see a lot outside.
Too in your game. So it's gonna be really intriguing.
Aaron reminder. You can learn more about Arizona Cardinals single game tickets, premium sceening group tickets, and the all new luxury field seating experiences today for all your Cardinals ticket infogo to Azycardinals dot com slash tickets. We continue Darius Robinson our guest here on the Big Red Rage presented by sandtan Ford and Gilbert Live from Trophia. Chandler are located on Queen Creek Road between Price and Dobson.
Shotgun Formation for Rogers.
Rogers takes the snap blitz coming, Rodgers has no chance, sect by Whoa Baker for a loss of pain and the forty yard.
Lin Houda Baker came off the edge clean and Aaron Rodgers not as Backwax who.
Wanted to be here And that's really cool. So the sides came together and made it work. And I'm happy we have him obviously, you guys know what he means to the team, to the city, to myself, to the coaches. Can't put a price tag on it. So I'm glad he's signed up here.
You see Buddha Baker practice this week, especially yesterday, and he's getting props from all the fellas, right, and everyone's coming over and making a B line form and you realize, oh, yeah, number three just got a three year contract extension.
How about are you let's too bad right there?
Yeah?
The fact he's gonna be with the Cardinals through twenty twenty seven, Yeah, that is a double ding, no doubt about it. Our guest tonight, Darius Robinson, who let's see here a few weeks ago, when you met the media right before you debuted, you had a common effector Jim O Mahunter put the quote down here. When asked about Booty, you said he's the best player I think I've ever seen in my life. I was standing right there when you said it. All right, so now we can get into it. Why what have you seen that's so impressive everything?
I mean, like just the motor he plays at that's first though. Then the instinct to be where the ball is at, and then to actually get people on the ground is like a huge deal. Like a lot of people realize tackling is hard, and he's like the most consistent guy that makes the plays happen. And it's just honestly just seeing him go through the week and just see how well he takes notes and highlights things, and you know, I literally just try to follow him and everything he does because he is the standard of an elite football player, standard of our organization. So if that's like what I want to envision myself and hopefully someone talks like me like one day, like I have to find a way to be like Buddha because he's just like on a different level with this.
That is that is an awesome description. I mean, will think about it. You invest in Buddha. Baker who's going to be an All Pro this year and he's number two in the NFL and tackles. You think about that, the top twenty, there's eighteen linebackers in Buddha. Okay, but then all the guys we've had up here on the Big Red Rage this year, whether it's Darling Thomas, whether it's Rabbit, whether it's Max Milton, Darius Robinson. Everybody watches Buddha, they learn from Buddha Baker. So just the investment in the player and then the leader, right and what he's bringing to everyone else. Especially it's such a young locker room.
You know that there are three things that you look for in a football player. At least for me, it's all about blocking and tackling, Paul, Football is a game, a contact game. We all understand that it's about blocking and tackling. But you look at Buddha Baker. He is fearless in how he plays the game. That is number one. He is fearless. He is max effort, max effort, fearless, and he does it every play that Paul, you just he Buddha Baker is one of these guys. I talk about it all the time, but it's the truth. He's the smallest guy typically on the field on any given Sunday, and yet no nobody plays bigger, nobody plays the game harder or bigger or better than Buddha Baker. So can you imagine what that does to everybody else around him, even the opponent on the other side watching him play. If this guy can play the way he plays with the kind of fearless tenacity and toughness, if he can play that way on every play, why don't you Why don't you play like that? That is it's just watching Buddha Baker play the game. I talk about it all the time, but you can't overstate it.
You can't.
Watching him play the game challenges every dude that is on that field.
Why aren't you playing like he plays?
And he's already a six time pro bowler, al right, He's had the pass he's had the personal accolades. Now it's the team goals. And Buddha talked about that yesterday.
Just for them to be able to continue to trust in me to be that certain player you know, on and off the field field for me with special and you know, my my main goal is getting the Super Bowl here in Arizona and That's what I've stuck my mind to and I'm gonna try to lead, you know, the players and team to get to that point.
You mentioned how you got smoked by Buddha last.
Week, right, I got hit so hard.
I hit the ground. I had an arm sleeve and I took it off after I hit the ground so hard. My arm sleeve was on my hand. Because I hit the ground, I hit my head on the ground.
I stood up.
I was like wow.
I was like, I know, he ain't just blocked me like that. And then I was like I had to get hit from behind or something like that. And then when I wanted to.
Tell you, I was like, yeah, I know exactly what happened, because because Wolf knows. For you know, five six years, I've had a saying on the sideline is the you know, it's the sideline pencil neck radio guy. I said, win in doubt, it's Buddha. When somebody comes out of nowhere. Facts, something happens to you on the field as well.
Facts.
Now I learned my Listen, I'm not gonna step under myself no more. If we all going that way, I make sure I take a big step that way. Because Buddha coming from Bahamah. Nah, this is a great player, right.
Soabuddha gets a big deal right, three years reportedly fifty four million, thirty million guaranteed. And uh, and our Jim Mom Hunter asked him, you know what what were you doing exactly when the deal got done and you received the news.
You know, I was holding my baby at the time. You know, she's six months, so I was just holding her. And uh, you know, have my daughter eating spaghetti for dinner, so it's kind of just you're excited. You know, they don't of course know what you're excited about, but it's kind of just like right after that, it's like, Daddy, I'm done eating, you know, so it's like, all right, clean the spaghetti off her face, you know, get ready for bath.
Uh.
He's more versatile than I thought. Yes, he's he's at home playing dad, right, So that's really well done.
You know.
He mentioned how some guys are motivated by the next contract, and that's perfectly fine. And Wolf you talked about though, you know, there's what is your motivation in football? If I might ask, because if that's not too personal a question, I mean, because it's such a physical game, it requires so much effort, so much commitment, right. I mean here you had to deal with an injury, right, there's always the risk of injury. Yeah, I mean what is your motivation every day?
I probably say just to be the best, honestly, because we don't know how much time we have. Something somebody told me is like, rather you're a rookie or an older vet, you really don't know when your clock is really up. So if you're not maximizing, like each day an opportunity, then what are you really doing?
You're just out here?
And I don't want to be a guy that was a first round pick and he was just out here, Like I want to be that guy. Like now, we took Daris Robinson first round of twenty twenty four, and look at his body of work and look at how great of a teammate and consistent he was throughout his career. So that's why I'm just trying to taste that level each day. But all you can do is do the little things right each day and eventually it'll add up.
Jarius, that's awesome. I mean you are one wear it away dude, there's no doubt about it. Let me just say this too about Buddha Baker quickly. He could have gone to the free agent market. Why why wouldn't Why didn't he go? I love the fact that Buddha actually re signed with the Arizona Cardinals because it tells you the direction the Cardinals are headed. He could have just waited. It doesn't mean even if he waited till the end of the season, it doesn't mean he wouldn't have signed with the Cardinals. He could have gone out and said, Okay, what are you gonna give me? Highest bidder out there free agent market. He could have hit the free agent market.
He did not.
He re signed before that. And by the way, he's not the highest paid safety in the league. He's the fourth highest paid safety in the league. Okay, Winfield and then Derwin James and then oh who is at Meka Fitzpatrick. Those three guys right there are paid more than Buddha Baker. Okay, So that tells me he wanted to be here, and that says a lot about the culture that JG and you guys are building here.
Facts.
Facts, And to reinforce your point, he said that when JG and money took over, you know, a year and a half ago or so, that he went to lunch with them, and he wanted to hear their plan. So to your point, yes, he's he's been following, he's been okay and and and this is evidence that he's buying in that he sees yep, the direction and where it's all trending. He sees the plan and uh, he likes where everything is going so very interesting and it's uh and it's what it says to the locker room as well.
Right, big time.
Just if you do your job, do what he does, act like he acts, play like he plays, and you're going to be good around here.
Think about it.
James Connor, Team Captain, Buddha Baker, Team Captain, Yell Deafroholt easily could be a team captain. These are all guys who've been rewarded and had contract extensions.
Hey.
Check out the latest episode of the Day Past podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify and the Cardinals official YouTube page, YouTube dot com slash ac Cardinals. We continue Darevarius Robinson live from Trophi and Chandler on The Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford in Gilbert.
We are santan Ford, Kurt Warner.
Takes an ee and the Arizona Cardinals won't play for the National Football Conference Championship next week.
Cardinals fans, do you believe this football team?
An incredible performance in Charlotte they throttle the Panthers thirty three to thirteen. The Arizona Cardinals won't play for the right to go to the Super Bowl.
And let back crescendo right that sound. That was a two thousand and eight playoff run all the way to Super Bowl forty three. And it was one thing to beat Atlanta in the playoff opener, but then to go to Carolina they were one of the top seed and to jack stomp them to take like a thirty point lead in that game and close it out en route to the NFC Championship game at home and Tampa and Super Bowl forty three. Yes, the Cardinals in Carolina have a pretty lengthy history twenty a time in last twenty four years, including the playoffs. They're going to play a game. It's a big red rage presented by santane Ford and Gilbert. Where are santan Ford here? Live at Trophy and Chandler on Queen Creek Road between Price and Dobson. Darius Robinson is our guest and Carolina here there by the way, how are you in the cold weather? Is your blood thin?
Yeah?
That's right man? All right?
What stands out about this Carolina offense that you know you got to be ready for on Sunday?
Yeah, I said, the offensive line of two guards of pilot, the best players on the offense. So you know, I gotta be ready to work and compete and really just study more film and get more and more confident until kickoff. So I know that would be a big challenge, but I'm.
Well in that regard too. I'm sorry, PAULI.
They really run the ball, yeahba Hubbard. Now they's got over one thousand yards rushing right now. Yeah, this guy runs the ball in a very physical kind of way, does he not?
Yeah?
No, Nick's pointed out of to be that we got to you know, hamstrings and they tackle and get him on the ground.
But now that's all I said.
The record doesn't reflect because you still got to go out there and compete and you know, excited for the opportunity.
But we definitely got to wrap up and tackle get him on the ground.
Yeah.
They had a three game stretch against Casey, Philly and Tampa here recently all one score losses, really close games. And that's why Jonathan Gannon said this about the Panthers turning to corner.
Their last six games, they've played really good ball. I think they've turned the corner. I think coach Canals is doing a really good job. He's got good coordinators in there. They're creative, they got talent on all three phases. So we're gonna have to play goodball going there. But you look at it, you know they won two hit the buy. I think they you know, Kansas City was a one score game, Tampa was a one score game, Philly was a score game. Those are all playoff teams. So this team's turned the corner and they're doing good, so we're gonna have to play our brand of ball have a chance to win.
You mentioned your film work, and you know, you had the interview right after you were drafted, and you got really detailed in the explanation. How much time do you invest in watching film per week?
Yeah?
A lot.
And I feel like my process has gotten better since I've been in the NFL, figuring out exactly what I want to watch now as far as like the pass Russ cut ups and then watching the run cut ups on certain days so that I don't over complicate it because really, like like you said, I only play like thirty thirty five snaps. So I just think about, Okay, if I'm earlier, when I've just got back, I'm playing more pass us, so I was watching more pass rus, but now I'm back playing base now too. I'm just watching more of everything now, but now I definitely have a lot of fun doing it, honestly.
So just knowing how well they run the ball with Juba Hubbard right now, would you say they're more.
Gap scheme, more power scheme, or more zone ski.
Yeah, I'll probably say more zone scheme and gap scheme. But you know that's the thing. We'll show a four down and then we'll show a three down, So it really depends how we come out and play.
So I just look at our call sheet for the week and think.
About my alignments and we'll block I'll get so maybe I can know a step ahead. Like I remember last week with the Patriots, the big thing was is like if the back was to the left but the tight end was on the line, it's nine times out of ten gonna be a counter.
So the four eye I'm gonna have the hard down block.
So really, then I'll change my four eyes stance a little bit and really think about just knocking the tackle back every time.
So that's really detail. Yeah, honestly, way to come back back.
Yeah, because honestly, when you watch tape like you can't, well, some guys are like magicians where they really know.
But truthfully, like, as long as you can make one player two plays off watching tape, it's all worth it, honestly because then you can play so much faster.
It's amazing. Man.
And and here you get yet another highly drafted quarterback. You played all the top three rookies this year's draft, and now you get the number one pick from last year, Bryce Young. Here's Jonathan Gannon on the Panthers Young QB.
I think he's really taken a step forward, you know, with the playmaking ability. I think he's got good command. Obviously he's mobile, that's real. You're not going to trick him too much for being a second year guy. So yeah, we got a big challenge ahead.
And it's been stark the difference between Bryce Young. When he's not pressured, he's been really good and really productive. But like Dallas last week, got to him and they created four takeaways.
Yes, so and Paul, he was playing very well before that.
It's interesting because he started, he threw three interceptions in the first two games, and they said, whoa, whoa, whoa, We're gonna go with Andy Dolton. They let Andy Dolton play, and then he came in in game eight. The last eight games he actually has played Bryce Young. He's done an excellent job right there. But last week was difficult for him, the entire team, as a matter of fact, it was very difficult both sides of the ball, Paul. In terms of line of scrimmage. Right now, this is where the Arizona Cardinals have to win this game, in my opinion, is on the line of scrimmage at.
The point of attack. Offensively and defensively have to do it.
And let me just end by saying this, Cardinals have been in the community as a team. 'tis the season right? We're talking about a young man here. Those who aren't aware, Darius Robinson held a back to school drive at his church near Missoo to donate backpacks and school supplies using his own nil money last year. And I just wanted to end with that because that is remarkable, that is, and we know you're going to continue those sort of efforts in the community here in your new home at Arizona. Darius, we really enjoyed it.
Thanks for the time I said.
Thank you guys, Niche, Darius, thank you man.
Looking forward these last three games both Cardinals and the playoff push and the first round Rookie and what's in store special Thanks as always, jim O Mohunter, Cody Fincher, Wald Ellis, Lawrence Ellis, Evan Riser, Barron Wolfley On, Paul Calvicy and Darius Robinson. This has been the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford in Gilbert.
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