Command Center PodcastUnder the Lights of PRIME TIME + Memories Against the Falcons + OLB Dante Fowler Jr. | The Player's Club | Washington Commanders | NFL
Happy Holidays from the Players Club. On this episode, we are talking holiday memories and some of our favorite matchups against the Falcons, and we're previewing Atlanta that week seventeen matchup that's been flexed Sunday Night Football. Then we're sitting down with Dante Fowler Junior. He's a baller. That's all going down on the Players Club. Let's go. The Players Club is presented by Pepsi, the official soft drink of the Washington Commanders, and in part by Johnson Kendall Johnson, the official insurance broker and risk management partner of the Washington Commanders, where our passion is your protection. Welcome to another edition of the Players Club. First and foremost, happy holidays to you all. I'm lond To Fletcher, got my man, Santana Moss eight to the Nine Shy Springs aka Blue Foot aka Blue Blue in the building us man. It's the holiday season, a lot to be thankful for it. Be thankful, Tyner.
We know you love this that clause. This this your season, This your holiday season.
You you always love this.
What are some of your favorite holiday memories?
But I think.
I'm I'm big on family. I'm big on family. But I'm also I've been at giver all my life. It's crazy. We were just sitting there talking about not having right and then when you finally get a chance to have, that's what you want to do. You want to pour into others that you know because you remember that that moment of you know, damn, I wish I could have this, a thing.
I wish my old girl could afford this.
You know, you remember the moments and it was valuable lessons learned that those times and those ages, and so now to be able to afford the things that we can, and I'm always I'm big on just giving. So I think some of my most memorable moments is just being with you know, whether it was here in Virginia or down in Miami when we always in one house, everybody kind of like coming around and you just do something with the family, whether it's the holidays or not, but mostly around the holidays, And I think my most fondest memory of the holidays in Virginia is just getting ready for a game, but knowing your family up there to watch that game and you gotta go work. But it's Christmas season, you know what i mean. They having a good time they on vacation. They enjoying your gifts that you're giving them.
But you like it.
I got to go out here and make this money all over again.
Let me ask you this, and Blue you can share your memories as well, any favorite traditions also, so memories or traditions.
For me, you know, I remember just going to that was the time I could go because I stayed with my mom during the school year. Then I would go to Dallas with my dad doing the holidays, So that was my time.
I get to go to the locker room.
Man you know, you know the Cowboys is playing, So for me, it was just being around the family. But more so, I just that was the first time, like you know that back in the day they could bring everybody could bring their kids and practice and stuff like that. So it was a good chance to spend time with the family. I think for me, man like now as I get older, man like, as my kids started to get older and get out of the house, I just just like having them around, you know, having around, because you know, once you turn teenagers, hanging out with your dad ain't cool, you know what I mean. But that's that's the time we all get to come back around and be thankful seeing my mom and stuff like that.
You know what I mean.
Oh yeah, I love the holidays, man, love Christmas, Christmas obviously, you know, being a kid getting the presence and I every year I got a train track train.
The same time, the same time you get the same track or different different trains.
And it also a race car track.
Was the one where you can add to the one previous.
Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm saying. You don't mess around. You lose a piece of your Why do you always lose a piece.
Of the curve?
Lose a curve exactly the cur it's the curve shortened if it's just but you lose that curve, man, that's crucial. That's crucial, man. So that was always a special time for me, getting that there. We would so I lived with my mom and then my father he stayed on the other side of the town. We would go on Christmas, always go to my grandmother's house. It was you and you and who you and your brother, sister who was me and one of my sisters. Here we go, okay, now spending spending time over there, great great family atmosphere. They they playing bid Wiz and uh being being in the basement listening to them tell their stories and you know, hearing some lives being tell a lot of lives.
But thinking about you just brought up the race car electric football, man, everybody anybody had electure football?
Y' did your age?
That's up man, It's still around for all the.
Fans out there.
Man, tell us about your election football getting.
Ready to take I was.
I was in the video game too.
You ain't electric football.
You put a penny on it and the curve making, dude, curve this is.
Yeah, it costs a little too much for me.
It's say you mentioned being a giver holiday season.
One thing about this time is given you.
You got a foundation, man, this opportunity take time to kind of talk about that and what you're doing, how people can help out and you know, any any foundation you want to be involved with, blue or involvated, just opportunities to give.
You know.
One of the things mainly that I was when I was coming up, it was it was something to be a part of my community. And when I say community, I'm just talking about my neighborhood. It wasn't a community where there was like people helping each other or nothing like that it was just somewhere I lived, and I think I took it personally when I saw how the family structure that I had at home, having a mom and a dad, you know, in my household, how much different it was for me compared to my friends, you know, or people who are associated with played at the part with.
I could just see the difference.
I can see it was no foundation at a certain time, Like I just be looking at guys, I'm like, man, he just he out hered what time, and then he leaving it. You know that it's dark, the lights on, and they're still out there driven the basketball.
I'm like, well, damn it ain't got nobody telling him to come on.
So you kind of start, you know, early developing that that thought, like man, what's going on at day house? And then you start seeing it, Oh do you get the more you see, like now he's doing something totally different from what we was doing when was younger. And then you realize like, man, I'm fortunate to have what I have so early out the gate man, before I even got to college, I was already my brain was turning like man, I want to get a foundation and I want to be at the gift of them kind of dudes, not even just giving them something far as tangible, but it is tangible, but it's not something that they probably can say, oh, I got this gift, something that I can give them, you know what I mean, whether it's love, whether there's a lesson, whether it's.
Just a shoulder or something he's given and the thought that thought that was thinking about him and care.
Yeah, And so I just.
Wanted to be that kind of support system for a lot of the people in the inner cities, not just just period, because I knew that the many trips I took to play football or run track, I saw the same kind of people growing up and being a part of these families or not having families. And so that's mainly what I start out to do. And then, you know, when you come from what we come from and then have the success that we have, people try pointing to what you're doing because they're eager to be able to say, Okay, yeah, I can't. I never thought to do that on my own, So let me do it, you know, through you and reach out.
And that's something that I do now.
Like you know, everybody you hear a foundation say, well, this foundation, you know is for you know, some kind of disease or this person or that person, or we give back to this church in hospital, we give back to this United Way. Me and particularly man, everything I do is going back out into the community, into those neighborhoods and to those schools and to the people that I touched personally that I'm able to go hear those stories like I don't have.
You started because you started foundation in high school, right, I started in college college.
I started in college eighty nine.
What's what's the foundation?
So so my foundation name is eight nine Ways to Give If you ever want to look into what we're doing and some of the things that we're doing, like far as events wise, we have a golf tournament. I just told you, Goya need y'all guys to show up for me if y'all can April eighteenth. We already had a date set so you could go on that eight nine Ways to Give dot org to get all information for that, knowing how to sign. They can donate on that as well. You can do all type of stuff on that. But yeah, that's and that's particularly what I wanted to do. I just wanted to be able to be that crutch for the ones who don't have. And I think we've been doing good so far.
Man.
You know, I started way when I was, you know, leaving college, and it was just sentantamous foundation and then I kind of, you know, transition to the eighty nine ways to give them, knowing that this area know me as eighty nine and so I wanted to kind of give it something a little put a little.
Twist out, shout out.
Yeah.
I had a foundation. It was called London's Bridge Man Foundation, and it's the reason I got back got into giving back. Is similar to what you said when you see younger kids doing being out there. I was that kid, had a lot of stuff going on at home. Man, I'm out on the basketball court shooting baskets as a way of scape. You know, I'm staying out of trouble now, not want to go home, or different things taking place. So the fact that you even noticed kids that are like that, but sports changed my life. It was a group of foundation that took me in and helped me get to the point that I help me make sure I graduated high school, helped me in college. So once I got into position to give back, like man, I'm gonna start me a Foundation, and I did that. I had my foundation London's Bridge for about fifteen years and once I retired. I'm not big on fundraising, so I'm funding this. Yeah, I like, man, shoot these broadcasting checks. Yeah, a NFL check. But I still give to other people's foundations. Not because it's just like I look and see what other people are doing, you know, just that's just kind of where my heart is, and I still do that.
I had to Springs for Life Foundations the same thing all while I was playing, and all the reasons I kind of I would say put mine on pause because I supported my father.
You know, he needed like kidney trans with j d RF.
So I became the spokespersson from Juvenile Beat this research fund and supporting all those efforts around that. Man, it's like like that's that's that's crazy that you know. I don't think we get enough attention as athletes. Know what you guys have done or what we've done. I've given the millions of dollars in Seattle or just even to loud County for the the camps, never taking anything from but this is this is the time where you know, the holidays. I think we are we realize in the NFL. We fortunately we can look back and say, man, we affect so many communities. Man, Yeah, so that's that's good man. And also I don't know if a lot of fans know this.
The Washington Commanders they have community outreach as well, ye, and fans can go to the Community Outreach on there and also donate because they get they they do a lot of giving to the to the the community, local communities as well, local children. Those those are needs. So you know, definitely encourage you to go to Santana's eighty nine ways dot org. Correct ain't no ways to give that eighty nine ways to give dot org or you know, you going to the Commander's website and there's a I want to say, community service or community tab that you can click on and give or even if you want to do something else. You know, definitely encourage you. This time of year, a lot of people are in need. Yeah, no dumb all right, man, Timas change it up.
They're gonna switch it up.
Man.
You know what time it is? Drive time, fellas.
It's time for drive Time, presented by Eastern Automotive Group, Any car, anyway for everyone, since nineteen eighty eight. Now Fellas Fellas Fellers or this episode of Drive Time, we're gonna be talking about some of our prime time games. You know, we have a prime time matchup against the Atlanta Facults.
They kind of flexed us.
Man.
You know it's crazy because let's let's talk about the flex first, where we get into the primetime games that our memories of prime time games. I've been a part of teams where we get flexed, and think about that. I'm not sure if you guys was acceptable of it, but I used to hate it, and especially when I knew I got to schedule locked in, I'm playing at one o'clock the rest of the day to do what I want to do.
Man, we used to get flex I you be like, bro, you just took away everything I had planning.
But you know, when you're getting flexed, specially in particular to what we've got, what we have going on, it's good to be seen under the delights. It's good to have that kind of prime time or you know, I guess you could say showcase, so you can basically put your talent on notice. Put what we're doing as an organization, as a team want notice. And you know, our guys Rose to the challenge last time and hopefully they do that again. But y'all give me some of y'all. Let's go down memory lane of some of youall primetime moments or do y'all remember any of your primetime moments?
Blue you started off back.
Oh you know, I don't remember all my prime time He brushed time. It's a big moment on top of four of us.
It's smooth.
It's to say, one person I know gonna shot on prime Time where it's peers can see if it's old Blue foot.
That's only time you play play.
I played all my games, and what time we played to day one o'clock? I think her.
Eight o'clock.
When you look at it, like you'll see like sixty seventy straight games. But that's okay. We want to talk about that, y'all. This y'all, y'all mistaken playing for practice. That's totally different. I played so but thinking about prime time, a few things stick out and we always bring it up. The Monday nighty dollars was big. That was a good Prime Time. But we went on the stretch, Tanner when we needed to win, we got flexed. You talk about you like getting flexed that was for about five weeks. We got flexed and flexed every week. We had a Thursday night games Chicago, then we came back and think Minnesota was like Sunday night games, and then the Giants was a Sunday night game. So for me, man, you know, like I said, we talked about it earlier year. I love the prime time just because, yeah, this team is going to have an opportunity for their peers.
Because everybody still question.
It's like people on the West Coast and you know they they like I hear about the Commanders. I'm excited that this team can flex. But I liked when we play. But I'm excited we all school. I'm excited about this. People get to see what we get to see.
You know, I don't look down on so much now.
I think as what we do far as I'm pretty sure you London calling the games, and then you know us be mentioned all us out there, you know, you know, doing a pre in the post game show.
The flex does affect us, trust me.
Because but now because now I only get home and on at seven o'clock watching the later game. Now I'm probably getting home at one o'clock in the morning something.
But you know, it's all good man, it comes to terr tory.
But I will say this memory laying down, you know, some of my prime time moments. It's been a few. It's been a few that I can remember right now. I can't trust me. I probably leave this show and then oh man, I remember this, Remember that moment. I think the most standout I could never not talk about, you know, the Money Night miracle. I mean, I feel like every time I'm going somewhere, people want to mention that that was a prime time moment, that it was just a regular prime time moment. I didn't get up no more than I got up for any other regular game, another prime time moment. I believe that New Year's they game for us to five you was a part of that, for us to beat Philly to go to the playoffs, that that was a big time when Sean picked it up.
Yeah, I picked it up and do that game.
You know, if you want to keep it in prime time, this period prime time, regardless of it's a regular season or not. Those playoff performances was prime time moments. When you're in the playoffs, every game is a prime time game. So I've had a lot of those in New York, and I had some of those here, you know, as you know, playing with the Jets and playing here. But there's moments where, you know, the reason why I try to not talk so up on prime time because it's supposed to be natural for us to kind of like go out there and do what we do, you know what I mean. I never really got up more or less, you know what I mean. I feel like I was always so amy or about staying neutral and being in the same set mind state.
That I was in the week before.
Anyway, that half the time I'm forgetting what time we're playing, you know, I'm.
Just about, it's just the schedule, what we on today, you.
Know what I mean, whether it's it's a Sunday night or Sunday at four. You know, I'm like, it's just a schedule. This is the time I gotta get up, to the time I gotta be on that first bus, I gotta go get rid, I gotta go play, and then before you know it, you're done, show it out in front of the lights, and before you know it, they're talking about you, like, oh, this is the.
Prime time moment.
So my mindset was always the same, whether it was a primetime game. Whatever happened during that game, Oh, it could have been a prime time that's.
Good teammate, yeah, but a good team, Yeah, good team.
I played in a lot of prime time games to super Bowl, to super Bowl, NFC Championship, super Bowl, Yeah yeah, in fact checked that.
So you're played in two first out of two out the first three years, to out of my first four.
Years, out your first four years, yeah, yeah, so those it doesn't get any bigger than the super Bowl. That's just that's just crazy right there in itself. And then with the super Bowl, it's more the hoopled everything leading up to it, the pageantry leading up to the Is it crazy?
Yeah, it's like it actually can be exhausting, really especial after I were practicing and have something.
Every day every day, man, every day your media schedules off your I mean every day you had media from the opening night media session and it's even bigger, bigger event now to every day. You know how some people could get get little when it was open locker room and not have to talk to reporters during the Super Bowl. No, everybody has to be available talk Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. It's just a little bit. I think maybe even Friday they might close it. One little kid, but it's it could be exhausting. But from the regular season standpoint, Monday night football I didn't. I didn't particularly care for Monday Night until it got here that that feels like forever to get there because you watch all the games on Sunday. Yeah, that shit around the hotel all day Monday. Then you finally play Sunday night. I was good with Sunday Night.
A different feel about that game.
Yeah, okay, you still you going to the whole to the coming to the stadium right around four o'clock. Game still going on. You watch watch everybody else playing. Yeah you know, uh, you know it's about to be a big game.
I liked it.
So as y'all talk about the two thousand and seven season, what I loved about those those primetime Flex games was we played in the cold.
You didn't sleep, guys.
So we go to the Giants in the Middle Lands this cold as well, we're about to be hitting out here.
So I love those type of games.
Uh, going to Minnesota that year, yeah we shut down. That was the year we shut down down, And so I loved that.
That was seven touch down that game. But that was that's when Todd College was on the run.
Was crazy.
Every you knocking them down with Minnesota, Chicago, you name it, we were knocking them down.
Yeah. But to your point, though, you're trying to treat all the games the same from a preparation, not get too high and not get too low. What another reason why I didn't like Monday night football because I'm my preparation was so intense by the time, like I need a game to hurry up and get here, like this is exhausted, all this preparation from a middle step. I need this game the hurry up again. This is another twenty four or more hours of just me with my thoughts.
You wouldn't when you wouldn't shut off said nothing enough, like because because I know oftentimes I would have to just like take a not blue relax.
There's another big fletch. Couldn't turn it off.
Skill guys that we got to relax.
Now you wonder why that boys around that tunnel like I'm just ready man, I m and why and six got to coffee in three ready balls? Man flesh was too intense for me. Out of his way, not my head.
Keeping moving believe that the loan to run through the wall right now.
But I like the long means man talking. I'm tired of because you get an extra meet when you play at night. We talked out man, Matt, I don't want to meet with y'all no more so tired to look at Let's go play football.
Speaking of the whole flex situation. And you know, going up against the Atlanta Falcons, you know it was a special Atlanta Falcon and we got a quarterback change. We got Michael Pennick's right, Pinnix right, he's.
Going to be the quarterback.
Think about when Atlanta got Michael Vick. Do y'all have any memories of going to get in those days when he was with Atlanta. I did shood something with us, man about memory.
I started off with the Rams, and the Rams and the Falcons used to be in the same division back when I was in so we played them twice a year. Was I think with us in the NFC West, No, that was that didn't happen until after I left Saint Louis, So Carolina, Atlanta, New Orleans, San Francisco and Saint Louis that was the NFC.
West And so yeah, so Atlanta was in that. Yes, that's right, that makes sense. Yeah, that was a that was the n f C West. So we played vict twice a year.
I mean the first time we played him, We're at the down down in Atlanta. I come on the blitz and he started to take off and I turned the corner and I clipped his heel, but I darned to strain my hand. String. Yeah, I got the sack on, but I like felt a little string man. This is the fast dude on the football field, and he got the ball.
Every single play for me. That was the first time.
So we played in the Seattle we had to go down and that's when you know the Mike Mike Vick experience. That was the first time I think they had like Sean Jefferson, I received and you know somebody else have received it.
Now.
That was the first time that I actually matched up on the quarterback.
He was spotty.
I spied him on. I spied him on second and third down like maybe first time. But for the most part they spread out a little bit. My job was to just shoutow Mike Vick. We had Joey Gallaway playing him and practiced a little bit George Jeorye.
He probably did.
Joe had a different get He don't like to run fast this game day, but you fast.
But Mike, but Mike was. Mike was special with the ball in his hand. And they think about Michael is you knew he ran for a while, but it was it was how quickly it was like it stopped and starting. It was answer. It was like joy. It was just like joy. It was instant. He get up on you, and Mike was shifting with it. He ain't give you too much, but he'd just give you enough.
To get you get your moved a little bit. So, yeah, Michael specially.
I just think about it, you know, coming out. You know, I was a guy when he played in the Big East, and I told Mike this story the other day.
You know, he shout out to Mike.
You know he we just we just heard he got the coaching job that had the stake, so shot to him. But he came here one day to visit Jayden. They had this little thing they need, this picture they took and they exchanged jerseys. Met him and Fred Smooth was in the same draft class, and I.
Remember I was sharing with him.
I was like, yeah, bro, you know, and he asked me, say, Tanner, you came out the year after me. I said, Mike, I'm older than you. We came out together. And he said, oh, I said, Mike, we was. We was co MVPs or the Big East that year in office of the m v P s.
He's like, man, I don't even know. I forgot.
I said, you had so much going on with the draft and everything, being number one overall pick, you probably forgot about that. But that meant the world of me just knowing that. You know, it's crazy because I did something in the Big East back then that hadn't been done before or now now after because now the Big East no longer exist football wise. But I was the Special Teams MVP and co Offensive MVP with Mike Vick, and that had never been done by nobody.
Me having both awards, you had to.
Put up some crazy numbers because I remember what Vic did.
Yeah, but that's the crazy part about it. I think what they gave it to me for because I did.
More or less I had I had.
I had reverses for touchdowns, passion for touchdowns. You know, I was doing stuff as we see, you know, for the little bit of touches I had.
I was scoring, you know what I mean.
And it wold me too because I'm like, well, damn they I had twelve touchdowns that year. They was all split up from punt returns, reverses and passing retouchdown.
So it was just like one of those things. They're like, man, this guy shot.
Out the Big East man, Big East football.
But no, he was laughing about that and it it was just funny to to just see him and he was like, hey, bro, I want to be a part of one of y'all shows. So now that we know, you know, and he's a he's a guy from the Virginia area, so we.
Would love to have him. Now that he's we're.
Gonna get back in the area. On the bottom, man, don't get you in the players club, man. We wanted to you know, shit, a special shout out to help you recruiting.
Oh yeah, exposure.
Okay, so check this out.
So some of the guys, some of the fellas that you know that stands out to me, you know, talking about the Atlanta Falcons and and I'm going down memory land. I'm not talking about none of the guys at the day. I just want to go back and some of the guys you guys may have matched up against. And one particular time, Julio Jones was that dude, man, did you ever get a.
Chance to who is young than me?
But I admired him from as far bro He's one of those guys you see on tape and he's one of the guys I was like, I would have loved to match up against him because he's just a freaking athlete, big, and I felt like I was drafted for those guys.
What about a guy like Tony Gonzalez that.
I came in with Tony?
And yeah, I had a couple of couple of matchups with help. Only used to deal deal with Tony toally about six.
Five long arms.
He wasn't fast, but so I wasn't worried about him running past me. But I'd be on him and he just have those long arms and he's boxing you out. He got some balls, you got some balls and big flat Yeah, but I made him work though. Made so my last season we played, we played the Falcons and in Atlanta thirteen, I had to score that to you and certain formations, certain person of personnel group is down the distance red zone area like I knew what the route was, new the coverage. I'm literally talking to Tony before the snap. Uh, he's lined up the flex at number three. We're playing. We're playing cover four but with our baskeardized cover ford. So I'm carrying and I'm talking to Him'm like, I know you're about to get this ball.
He's like, no, noting about to get it.
But I'm locked up on him. He runs this route and this one I knew it was tied to retire. I was like, man, I'm here, I know what's about it is. I still couldn't stop it. As I said, they called. He caught the ball and scored a touch out, just like man, damn Fletcher.
Man, I remember you sharing that story a little bit about him. Still can you feel like he was right there in the ball, he still was able to up and do it. Yes, speaking of like, since we're talking about prime time memories, and I think this is one of those memories that I don't know, I don't know we shared enough about. This is a primetime moment I can say in our career, let's let's go down memory lane and do I remember signing that first NFL contract.
Before you was all world coming out you was.
What we all got three different stories. I say, by.
Well, I remember, here's a crazy thing about when I got drift to the Seattle that spring.
It was weird because the team was up for sale.
Mister Allen was binding, so the team was practicing, so I for a while, I was in limbo when I was signing my contract and I'm not gonna be in Seattle, stay of Washington, Mama being the Rams, and end up purchasing a team that made blah blah blah and keep the team, which is the Seahawks today in u Seattle. So that was a little interesting moment. The state tax too, a huge difference in the state tax, so that was a big difference. So that was a big moment for me, man. But I remember signing it, man, and you know that was it.
It was.
I mean, we'll see you like.
It's a difference from you because your dad played in the league, so.
Like it wasn't a life changing moment.
Might get you, man, I was that was small town.
That was like seven, man, but seven million years. Yeah, yeah, I had five, but I had a close ninety seven. The TV contract wouldn't have got crazy money. But the thing For me, man, it was like when I got drafted first.
Of all, I thought I should have been the second.
Pick Oakland shout out to my manor rest in peace, Don Russell see. But for me, man, it was almost it was almost like it was a life changing moment. But I worked so hard to feel like I needed to get there. I just couldn't wait to play. I just couldn't wait to prove myself. And I felt like at Ohio State with Joey and Eddie and m I felt like I saw my boys. I felt like I needed to know, hurry up and get there and play. Yeah, I just wanted to prove myself.
Got you, I mean, you know? And London was right. We all had different moments. So I think when I think back about Minds two thousand and one getting drafted first, being the first round pick and a sixteen overall pick, it was mind battling a little bit because and only for the simple fact of what my journey was about what it was like to get there.
Bro.
I mean, if you tell me, after going through the stuff I went through, you know what I mean individually, that that was going to be the outcome, Bro, I'll do it all over again, but I still want to have a clue how I was going to do it.
It was tough.
It was tough sledding, and to get there, coming in knowing just four years prior, I just barely got through the back door in college to get on.
The football team. You see what I'm saying.
So that was like an accomplishment in itself. I cared less about a contract, I care. I cared less about what round I got picked in other than my goal was I want to play professional foot That's how I was.
I want to day one, I want to be a pro.
When my dad asked me at six years old, where I was five or six, I know it was around that time, what you gonna be when you grew up? And I said, I'm gonna do that. Well he's watching, He's like, yeah, bo, all right, you know what I mean. And from that day on, that's all I ever thought about is And he couldn't deny it, because even my dad used to tell stories to the media when they started talking to your parents about you know how it was he as a kid. My dad said, well, he told me I want to play ball, and I can't say that I didn't believe him.
But when when you look.
At how you slept at night, you had to put some kind of you know, trusting that's what he want to do.
I slept that ball all the time as a kid.
I had pictures of me growing up, football in hand, pampa, football in hand, you know what I mean, doing something as I got old, the same thing. So getting to the contract part of it, it was just it was life changing. I think I was more It's crazy how a lot of us anticipate that moment in that day, but still it's so cautious with how we, you know, get carried on with it, you know what I mean. Like I was like, Okay, I know this is life changing. I know this is something that I've always said I want to be and this is was going to do it, okay, but I can't.
Now it's time to go to work, you know what I'm saying, Like, Okay, he go.
To ink, ink, ink, pending ink, I mean ink to paper.
Now it's time to go to work.
And I was more focus of going to work.
Going to prove myself on the field, and also at the same time, like it's crazy because mane, I was twenty one years old when I signed that deal. You think I knew anything about a dollar, you know what I mean?
But how to spend it? You see what I'm saying.
So it was it's a scary feeling too because you like, I know, I'm a bank account, fat nine.
But right what to do next with it? You know what I'm saying.
So if you if you have the right kind of people in your coner, you all right. But if you don't, which a lot of us don't, you know what I mean? My parents was the only thing that I had in my coner, and they ain't had their hands out, but they couldn't tell me what to go in best then they couldn't tell me how to put it. My dad like put that thing in that account right there, you know. And the only thing that I know I got some a little you know, coaching up on was when I saw the numbers was different after I signed. I'm like, bro, I was supposed to be signing for five four? Why this thing looking like three too?
But that's you learned about.
I think Man and London you can went to the NBA too, huh Man.
I had I ain't know, but we ain't gonna talk about it about your side, you know, you third overall draft pick, first round to hear Division three guys undersize undrafted.
So yes, I remember my first NFL contract. It's crazy. After the draft, I'm thinking, even though I played the Division III school, I man, I've read shop, I was, I was, I was a man in bunks boys, So I'm still thinking I'm getting drafted. I'm thinking, man, I'm getting drafted at least in the third round. That's how the type of work I put in watching draft didn't get drafted. So rams Uh called me in the seventh round like we might take you, didn't end up taking me. So now at the draft, they're like, hey, we want you to come to here and be a try out player or whatever. So I go to the camp. When I get there, they're like, hey, we want you to we want to sign you. You know somebody you signed me, but I'll need to give me a sign and drafted. You need to give me a sign of boning. Now we ain't gonna give us sign the boning. So were going back and forth, me and the gentle manager just here and I in the conference room. I'm like, man, you give me a side of I had an agent, but I'm talking London with intense even with no leverage.
Look, you respect where I come from or not?
Just me, Charlie, Charlie Armory with the GM. We we're in the conference room with long gas conference table, like, dude, you giving me, you give me a sign of ball, Like Charlie like, now, we just gonna send you back if you know, if you don't sign a deal.
So I'm trying to.
I ain't gonna let you punk me, but I ain't stupid either, So I'm like, all right, I'm gonna sign this contract, but I'll be back for some more money. Like So I signed a contract one work here the year, held out the next year, only sign of one year. I told you I was gonna give me some more money rams work here the year. Yeah, I won, Yeah, one Rookie of the Year. So I only signed one year deal, but I'm exclusive rights the next year. Hey man, I did a one day hold out from a off season workout. They gave me some more money, gave me that sign a bonus, said he in my.
Like, I told you one way or another.
Huh hey, But to a point, I ain't had no lever, but.
Every forgetting that I'm gonna get me something.
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You got the game on Santana Moss.
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Football is better.
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You're listening to the Players Club presented by Pepsi. It's time to switch it up. Man, set the tone. It's time to set the tone. Brought to you by Johnson Kendall Johnson, the official insurance broker and risk management partner of the Washington Commanders, where our passion is your protection. At the time, obviously we got the game against the Falcons. A lot of playoff implications in this game. Yes, as we've all been in these type of games. How do you stay focused, keeping the main thing the main thing, not getting too far ahead of ourselves, but being able to focus on Hey, just win this game. Don't let the other stuff come in and play even though we know what's at stake.
Yeah, I think it's only natural.
It's natural for us to kind of hear the noise, but it's also natural for you as a competitor to just know that, you know, the biggest game is the game in front of you, and I think you can't accomplish what you're trying to accomplish that we give you're not solely focused on what the job is and what your task is going to be. So you know, I'm talking to two other guys that played at a high level that understands. Man, if you thinking about meet set yourself up a filure, you.
Know what I'm saying.
And that's one of the things I've always told myself and I will. I care less how I play this game, but it's all about this game. Whether I played well, whether I didn't play as well as I wanted to, It's all about this game.
And that's and that's what you do.
You give yourself an opportunity to be solely, you know, concerned about that and making sure that you got your best stuff for them that week, because that's that's the only thing you're gonna be able to do, is give yourself a chance for next week, you.
Know what I mean?
And you think about the Raheem's gonna have the team ready, right right Morris? Yeah, Ryan Morris, the coach, head coach who's here. Yeah, but when you think about the Falcons, man, they got some dogs, they got some But the thing that was interesting this week to me, fella us is we know they gave Kirk Cussing all that money in Fridges. You know the fact that they decided to switch quarterbacks out in a move that's made the discussion that Rahiem had to have with the owner to do that, or what they see in Pinnix, it's saying this kid is ready, he's good enough to play. So one when a team make a move like that, I'm thinking about it, like they still trying to win that competitive.
That's true, But when you have a rookie I care less of how good he is, and you in the hunt.
For the for the for the postseason. Yeah, is that really you saying that you got a chance to win or yeah?
I mean because they might see because you're just saying.
Like, hey man, right now, we might not win, so let's just see what we.
Got in this guy.
I think it's the opposite.
I was like like, like, they're probably looking at our rookie because you still have a rookie.
Yeah, they But I'm talking about you know, one of the things that's going good for us is the reps. Jaden has the reps coming out of college, now the reps in the pros. Pennies come off the bench in the most critical time of the year in December football, where you gotta win every week to get yourself even talked about going to the postseason. Right now, you're in a favorable situation where maybe you do, maybe you don't, But do you believe he just that much better than Kurt to get me?
I think that's exactly what they believe, especially when you the way Kirk Kirk Kirk has played these last.
You know, five games.
At one point during that four game losing streak, zero touchdowns, eight interceptions. They beat the they beat the Raiders one touchdown, another interception.
So you're talking about five games where one touchdown, nine interceptions.
And they're looking at They're looking at Penis in practice and I'm sure Penick said back in OTAs and mini camps and even training camp. This Pinix, this version of Penis is a lot further ahead, and they're saying.
Hey, he looked good in the preseason.
Two. We need a spark from this offer. This passing game is not good enough for us to to make the playoffs because they're looking at, hey, our schedule, we got a great opportunity to run the tables and we got John Robinson. I think it's just like the Kurk from a physical standpoint, whatever the case may be, they like Pinis probably gives us a better better option throwing the football. So I know my point is you you you can't.
They're looking at it like this chance to be the Commanders. You got to be ready. Yeah, you got to be ready for a team that's gonna be well coached and think they got there. They're making They made.
This move with the mindset, if we can make the playoffs, exactly what pics we can't make it.
And that and couldn't be that can only be what they've seen of this guy going up against their ones in practice, those reps, because that's the that's where you really get to see what you got on your team. That's when they when the scout team go against the starting offensive defense and and and in Penis case, you know, him going up against that defenses which has been playing pretty good this year, to see him probably get him some fits in practice. That's why they had that Oh you know what, man, we sure that we should get this guy truck, you know, get him a shot this year this so we can see how far along, or we can get him ready for next year, you know what I mean, Like, hey, it's a win when we can we can get a playoff birth with this guy, or just get him that much more ready for next year that when he comes back he already.
I don't want to get into Atlanta, but that's hard to put the man the kirk a lot home, that back tad.
That we both know roight Heim Moore as well, he was, he was here. Rod's gonna have them guys ready. Yeah, great guy, happy for him that root foremost Sunday, Rod, you get your victory another, get that week next, that victory next week. But uh, you know, definitely going for the burger. There go the thing about bringing in Panics and also why they probably feel comfortable about it. There running game, John Roberts, John Roger uh Roberts said our jeer, Yeah, they have, they have. They have a running game that can take the pressure off the quarterback. And you now you open up play action.
Pass and big receivers, big physical receivers, big physical receivers.
How do we how do we stop this offense.
You know to me and I think especially when you're just talking about running, you know, when teams come in with a potent running game, you know the way one of the things we do is swamp to the ball. That's the things I love about when we do defensively. No matter who makes the first you know contact or that that that that ball carrier here goes everybody else, you know what I mean. Like I say, they swam on you like a torranso on the calipillar. I don't use that before that just that's the phrase I like to use. And it just you can see it because when that calipillar putting them arms all around, I mean when when that that tarrant look gets you know, gets a whole of it and wrap them up. Just that's how our defense is. They swarm and you don't even see that. You don't even see.
That ball carry no more.
But besides that, it's just one of those things is you know, we're susceptible to the run. You know, we We've had that problem all year long. And what's crazy about it is when we play against great competition, our defense team seems to rise to the challenge and although we allow them to have a little you know something, because you can't really stop them, and when somebody's good at what they do, you can't just stop them. We find a way to contain it the best way we know how, and then put them in a situation where we say, okay, now score, we got you. We got our backs against the wall. Score so as you can score. So that's one of the things I like we have going for our offense. I don't really sit there and say say that we will. I mean for our defense. I don't sit there and say that we can just stop these guys in their run game.
But containing them gonna be everything.
Yeah.
No.
And then as you mentioned, Sean, they got they got some weapons, big receivers, play megas, nice tight ends. But after the break, we've got Dante Folish joining us. You're listening to the Players Club, presented by Pepsi.
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Slash Commanders, you're listening to the Players Club presented by Pepsi. Welcome back to the Players Club. As promised, We've got Dante Fola Junia. This is your ice Cold Player presented by Pepsi, the official soft drink Hub the Washington Commanders.
They're balling. We appreciate it.
We appreciate you joining us.
Appreciate it.
Man I tell.
You first season in the bargainy to go out there doing your thing. What has it been like for you you comele of here with Washington.
Man, it's been real cool, you know, just coming here, you know, having a good opportunity, you know, just go out here and showcase the people I don't really about and stuff like that. So man, it's cool. I remember in twenty fifteen, like going through the draft. I remember I was either going to go to the Jazz so I was gonna go to the Redskins number four. When I came down here and I did a visit just went real smooth with those guys and stuff like that.
So man, I thought it was gonna happen.
But it's crazy how everything you know comes back around and stuff like that. So man, it's definitely cool to just be in this type of situation right now.
Yeah, speaking of opportunity, you know, when we heard that we was getting a guy of your caliber, you know, we always you know, pleased to know that you know, we're getting the talented. God when you got here, it doesn't always paning out how we wanted to be. But when you got here, did you do you was going to have a season like you having right.
Now to be honest with you, Yes, I did, just because you know, the two years that I had in Dallas, what's real cool.
Just to be able to.
Learn from DeMarcus Lawrence and Michael Parsons. We was loaded a defensive end and we was a special group. So just being able to learn from those guys for two years in a road being coached by a d East, the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks, I was just ready for this moment. You know, my body was able to get healthy again. I was banged up with the Falcons those past two years. So just being able to play that role coming in on third down, banging my body a lot, you know, saying for.
This for this moment when you yeah, I feel real good.
So coming into this season, I felt real healthy. And you know coach Chad the strength coach definitely, you know, putting in to work with him in the off season and then training camp made me feel real confident and real good about myself.
So you got a relationship with d Q man You tell us about that. Obviously he come to Washington with Dallas.
And way back.
That's about the relationship with d Q man Man.
Me and DQ go way back, you know, he recruited me in high school and stuff when he was the defensive coordinator at u F And you know, I was a diehard Florida State fan. Like that's why I was gonna go. And then when I met d Q, Yes, he got me.
Bro just a real dude.
And you know I made that decision for myself that I was gonna go and play with him.
My pots was mad at me for a while.
Fida hard Florida go to the games when Santurinados, I remember those days.
Man.
But yeah, man, when I met d Q, man, he was just so real and I just knew he was the coach for me. But he left my freshman year and it was just crazy because like all the things he taught me just in that one year, I just used it for those last two years. You know, you know it took me to another level. But you know he always had my back. He always you know, stood.
At every every stop, right, he recruited you at every stop.
He recruited me almost at every stop.
Man, like for show, that's my guy, man, stand up God God that I'm just grateful for to having my corner to go down.
Yeah, when you look at this team and so many new free agents guys, either through the draft or free agency. I think it's over seventy percent of the roster completely new. DQ. You've you've been with him in multiple places. Cruju in Florida played for him, Atlanta, played for him in Dallas. How has he and how have you guys been able to bring this together so quickly?
Just a culture, you know, his culture is just it's just real. It's it's no facade in it, you know what I mean. So like it's just kind of like contagious a little bit when you see, you know, real people doing real things and they stand by what they mean and things like that. The brotherhood, the things that we did in the lost season really bonded us and brought us close together.
Man. So it was real cool just to be able to be.
In that situation and say I was one of the first people, you know, to build that up and start this culture right here, because it means a lot to me. And it's definitely contagious, man. I feel like when you play karateie football and you just genuinely know that the person got up next to you gonna do his job and you can count on him and depend on him. It's going to take your play to another level. So he does a great job with that for sure.
Yeah, speaking of that culture, man, you know, most of the guys come in here and say they talk a little briefly about you know, the brotherhood and everything. What are some of the things that your guys, your group of guys, you know, we all shared that space in different rooms, you know, different settings with guys.
But what are some of the things that you can remember that you.
Guys did before the season started to get that caaraerie up to kind of build that bond with each other.
Man, A lot of guys was I think it was one hundred percent attendance at OTAs to be honest with you. So you know, when you have things like that, I feel like that's already special.
Guys that actually.
Want to be here, coming in every day, put in the work, getting to know each other in the locker room stay. You know, sometimes in locker rooms you have the D line O line. It's like a melting pot. Like I sit next to Tressway, you know what I mean, and Jeremy Nichols. You know those offensive got special team Scott, So it forced you to like be able to interact.
With people, get people, bond with.
People, and you know the things that we did before the season. He has these special guys from the military coming.
We had to put these big logs.
You know, we're throwing like the Navy Seals type of stuff. You know, it was hard, you know what I'm saying, And some guys wanted to break, but we didn't let them. And I felt like, that's that brotherhood. That's that's brotherhood. And we didn't know what I'm from a candapaign at that time. We just made each other. We haven't been in a month with each other, and you know, we're telling them now, we're not gonna let you fall.
Bro, get up.
We got this where if you do, I'm gonna go and hold the other plug. I'm gonna go and hold the other log so this lock don't fall, you know what I mean. And I feel like that really bonded us together. I think the coaching staffs did it as well. So just to imagine like some of the guys on the coaching staff trying to do it, it's pretty front that you know that that's contagious.
Man, it takes you to another level.
Man.
We watched your plays and that Carolina play man, I call you Lebron when you're number six, had across, that's get him with a crossover.
Man, running back, you got some skills.
Mann talk to us about not going That's always been my dream. Like growing up, I used to watch offensive guys, so I used to play running back. My dad was a running back growing up really good. So when we first wanted to play football, we should just play running back, running back drills, and I used to watch Reggie Bush, Adrian Peterson, Sean McCoy sometimes Santanamos.
I used to always, like.
You know, be able to have some wiggle and jerk people down on from down South.
You know, we try to like, you know.
Jerk people, and we got all the type of sauce to us. So we used to play a lot of throw them up, bust them up. We used to take that junk serious. So I always had that type of you know, you know, that type of swivel, and it was just, you know, fortunate enough I was able to be able to show.
That, tell you what has happened and this at that moment, lets go there.
I'm like, I've been waiting for this all my life. So bro, you gotta get this work. You gotta get this work. Break you down.
You shut him down.
That moment for sure.
Well you did a nasty that's great.
That's all gote. We have all the guests who joined us on the show. We asked the guys to sign this football for us, mat if you wouldn't mind blessing us, put your autograph on this man. I can't wait to continue, continue to watch you ball out the man and that'll do it for the Players Club. We'll see y'all next week, same time. Want more great Commander's Podcast, We have a full slate for you. Every day of the week. Mondays myself at Brown Weinstein are breaking down the game on Booth Review and you won't want to miss Fred Smooth and Michael Jenkins Tuesdays on the Get Loud podcast And Wednesdays, our guys Logan Paulses, Sat, tanam Ass and Fred Smooth are talking all things Commanders Football. Check them out on the Commander's YouTube page or subscribe wherever you get your podcast.
