Studio 44, Ep. 9: Marlon Humphrey Welcomes Kyle Hamilton

Published Jul 25, 2022, 3:04 PM
Marlon Humphrey talks to rookie first-round safety Kyle Hamilton about his Notre Dame background, what he anticipates for his first season and much more.

How do I want to enter Kyle Hamilton first round pick? Uh, let's do something random. Hamilton, um, descendant of Alexander, descendant of Alexander. How about I ensore you? It kind of takes away from it. Yeah, all right, okay, Carlin Humphrey is without a doubt in the conversation, to be the best corner in football. What's up, guys? We are here with Kyle Hamilton, the Baltimore Ravens first round pick, number fourteen. Overall, I'm excited to welcome this guy because he's the first rookie. But how are you doing? I'm doing well? How about you? I'm doing great. As I did my homework on you, I started seeing a lot of similar characteristics and it started with high school. So I was I was a little torn. I saw a little four star, no five star? Which which one? Did you? Do you claim? Or? Were you in high school football? Um? I claim I like to claim like a three star honestly because I was funny thing about mine, We're not similar at all? Yeah, you were? You were him and I was just another dude. But no, So I had never gone to a football camp before my sophomore ye summer. Going into my junior year. Um, I was a hooper up until that point. Um, so I was I was lit to get three star rating. I was like, wow, I'm actually on a website. Um my dad played. Everybody my family played basketball. So fun from fact that I was actually about to quit football. Whoa after my sophomore year. I had a few basketball options and at the time I was probably six one like one forty, like choking what? And my mom was like, didn't want me to play my sophomore in football because she didn't want me to get hurt. Begged her to play. Let me play, thankfully. And then my high school football coaches has like three hundred wins, like super old guy, very intimidating, so I was scared to go to him after the season to quit, and so I waited a week, kind of put it off, and then fau came and offered me. I originally thought it for basketball, but he was like, no, I'm the football coach, and I was like okay. And then Louisville offered me that same week, so I was like, all right, well, I've always little football really more than basketball, so I guess I'll just I'll just stick with it. I'm here now. So what so you were you were scared to you were scared to quit football? Yeah, scared. So basketball was kind of your first lover, Like why why were you even playing football? All? Just kind of good at Yeah, I mean I was always good. Um at the time, I didn't know I was like college good or NFL good. But yeah, my pops played professionally for like thirteen years played basketball, and my brother played in college. My uncle's cousins, everybody played basketball. Everybody wasn't really a football player in the family. So I just thought from a young age, like this the path you go down just hoop and then hooping college and take that wherever you can. But I was different. Did how family feel with you playing back like football over basketball or did they never really care? Surprisingly, my mom was more against it than my dad, um, because my dad's seen me from a young age be good at both and he always knew that I like football more. Um. Basketball just got burnt out with it with au and all that stuff from a young age, and football is kind of released, um in terms of the basketball stuff. But he was supportive. Everybody was really supportive, supportive of it. Um. I mean, at the end of the day I was going to school for free, so I mean can't complain. So there's always everybody in the NFL thinks can hoop? Would you like we go into the locker room. Are you claiming to be the best hooper on the team or I know that for a fact for a fact? All right, Okay, that's gonna happen in the locker room. We're gonna we got a quarter. But I can't get too crazy. But um so, how was it? I know your dad played in the pros. Were you alive at times when he was playing? Or how did that work? I was born in Greece actually because of that Um Creek, Greece, a little island off the southern coast um so he was playing over there. He went to College of Southernmis. He's from Mobile, um with the College Southernmis. Was actually sweet mates with Brett Farve when he was there. Told me some funny Bret Fave stories. Probably can't repeat them, but if you want to share, no, I'm gonna keep that between us. But and then he went overseas, was in Italy, Israel, Russia, Spain, Philippines, And I was only in Italy, Israel and Russia. And then Canada States and obviously so he was he bounced around a lot. Yep. How was it? How old were you when he was doing all that? Um? I don't remember any of him. My brother does. He's four and a half years older than me. But we Caamada States when I was three. When you and your brother talked about that, How does how does he kind of remember when he's playing professional Um, he thought it was cool, like kids at school stuff like that, UM, moving around. My brother would like he went went I think we were in Israel and he was going to like the English primary school. So he would come home and say, like trousers and like pick up on like English slaying and like he would kind of adapt to different cultures we went to and from. But um, but he thought it was really cool. I mean, it's cool to have that perspective from a young age being a professional athlete. My dad played UM for Denver in Miami. But I was I don't remember any actually I wasn't even alive, but it was always I don't know if you ever got this, but for me, it was always, oh, your Bobby's song, your Bobby song. Yeah, yeah, definitely, So that's that's how definitely. Yeah. At AU tournaments, like random people coming to me, Oh, your dam son, I'm like, I don't even know you are talking about my dad, but yeah, he's his name carries a little weight. I would say. Yeah. So did you ever feel like, I know me growing up it was I didn't really feel pressure, but my older brother went to Arkansas a full ride, my dad played in the pros, So there was always kind of an expectation kind of there, and it was almost something you had to like grow out up to where it wasn't oh your Bobby selling, Oh your Drek's brother, It's oh, you're Marlin this guy. Did you ever feel like how was that for you? Obviously you did it, you're here. How did you kind of grow out of those shadows? Yeah? Like you said, it was pressure, but at the same time, I feel like it was competition, like within the family, Like I said, my uncle's cousins, everybody played my brother growing up seeing him he played at U Penn So and the Ivy's, played at a good academic school and obviously played basketball to college level, and growing up seeing that I was like, I want to be that, but even better being the younger brother you're always kind of like on the coattails a little bit doing all the stuff that you don't want to do, but it kind of creates something inside you, like I can do this, and I know what I'm capable of, and I think that definitely helped me get her. And so I was doing my research, I saw I had to look this up last night. Mensa. Yeah, so you're supposed to be a scientist. Just mean this really smart. I ainsign guy. I wanted to be an architect, actually, but I know architecture and football college football is not gonna be an architect. I could down the road. I wouldn't want you to let me design your house right now, but give me some schooling and I definitely could. And honestly, I've had some bad house. I mean, I built a house twenty house down, so that didn't go well. That could have been you. You could have gave me a pretty bad and I just but hopefully that doesn't happen, but maybe maybe one day, But tell me tell me about that. Yeah. My mom, typical Korean mom, was on us from the jump about school, like I can't go to practice unless your homeworks finished, can't stay up past this amount of time, gotta have you worked on for do everything is you? So I always say, do what you have to do before you do what you want to do, and that really stuck with me. She definitely had a bunch of those little little nuggets that I kept. But but uh, now, it was always school first, and that was a big reason why I chose Notre Dame because I mean, it's a privilege to be here, privilege to play football, but you never know when it could end. And having that Notre Dame background my brother having an Ivy League background, Um, that's almost just as satisfying as saying, like I played college football, so like I went to a great university that has great connections. So you're all all a guy in high school pre offers and then offers started coming in. You know, it is like that started lacking, not slacking, but some being started trickling. Inn Let it get your head. I wouldn't say that, I think I just I thought she was pushing you and that she was I knew where my bread was buttered, though, Okay, man, I'm a little disappointed. Man Like no, I think you know, act though and all that stuff. Who was at thirty It goes up at thirty six. Yeah, I had a thirty five okay, um minus a couple yea points minus a couple point. But once I got the minimum, I was chilling. Anyway, I could have done better. I did go back when I went back to school. Matter of fact, let's talking about you going back to school. What is your plan for going back? I need to I have to. That was like I said, you want to talk about dedication. Do I want to talk about dedication? I took classes during the football season. See, I can't do that. Day needs you in class. Jerome Bettis was in class this semester, this best semester, like twenty year old taking Like, we want to talk about more dedication. First two off seasons in the league, in two times graduating. I need to make that I became more dedicated after the fact because I really wanted. The diplomat has mean something to me as well. I think we all want to play for ever. But even if you do play forever, eventually, right, you kind of gotta do I'm assure you just want to just kind of do nothing, which is no fun. But I think if I was giving advice, it was a great feeling to get my Dipluma and sounds like you went to Northern Dame to get that diploma. So that's that's what I would offer. Talk to me about Northern Dame. I know that's a legendary school, not only for academics but in sports. How was it kind of wearing? Was that gold shiny goal? How was that twenty three point nine carrot goal? To be exact on the helmet? Fun fact, a little recruiting pitch, but now it was for me personally, it was down to Georgia and Notre Dame. Obviously two very different schools. Georgia probably would have been the easier choice. Come from Georgia. Knew a lot of people there playing the SEC probably gonna have a little more fun than Athens than South in Indiana. But um, as a sacrifice I was willing to make, kind of want to get out to the the South experience something new. Got to be a lot of cool people, not even just teammates, like people Notre Dame, even though they may be affluent, like the coolest people will ever meet and you will never know that, And these are connections like I'll have forever. Um. But it was different, It was different. It was Um. We couldn't room with a football player of freshman year. I was gonna actually about that. Yeah, So in the middle of the summer, we're all um doing workouts or whatever freshman year, and then we get an email dorm assignment and roommate assignment. So you could have gotten dorm with ac new dorm, or you get a dorm that was built in eighteen seventy eight, no ac with a quad and then a twenty by twenty room with four dudes and it bunked up and one room, one room, no doors, no none of that. One sink, community bathroom, community bathroom. So it's it's a grind, but I mean that's what makes me special. At the same time, it's as you got to decide whether you want to do that or not. Yeah, I can't really relate. Actually, when I was younger, I guess we had my dad was very uh advanced in like building stuff. My mom used to call him Bob the building from the Little Cartoon show. But I guess we complained a lot. So we had upstairs, we had a living room upstairs, and then three bets, five kids. I guess we were doing so much complaining and my dad got tired of it, built a wall in the living room and made two bedrooms. That's a good dad. That's a great dad. So hearing you stay with four would be very not used to for me. These are random people, like, Yeah, you get your roommates signing, You're going to Instagram, like Twitter, like Google in them, trying to figure out what they're like, what they don't like. Like some dudes will have their best friends forever, meet them randomly in their roommates. Some dudes will come in and not talk for a whole year because you got to do that for a year and then you can pick your roommates your sophomore year. You can't move off to your senior year. And you only went three years, so you were in there at the whole time. Uh see, Ni, you don't even need your cont That's a little bit about talking about the NIL because we you know, back in my day, you know, I was eating with my my girl car get the clown, got to call my mom. So it times have really changed. How did the how do you think the NIL has affected you, and how do you see the NIL going in the future. For me personally, it was cool to kind of because I knew the NFL was coming up, so I mean money's involved as well in that scenario, so I kind of get a taste of that financial management and stuff like that, investments, all that. But for me, I made sure it wasn't a distraction from football. I got all my stuff set up in the summer going in and then kept my My mom works for marketing company. My brother works in marketing right now, so I was like, why I hire somebody when I have people around me in my circle who can deal with it. So chose them to kind of helped me and represent me in that area and that way everybody eats. So that was pretty cool in that sense. But like I said, now it's kind of it's almost turned into like pay to play in college, like free agency, so especially with the free transfer rule, it's kind of crazy. But I think overall it's a good thing. Yeah, I think I like that guys can just make money off their name. I think it's a really good thing. I just it's just crazy how it's really gotten a free for all and it's almost like who's paying the most? And but but it's been I think it's been really good. It's been really good to see guys that I mean, some guys play really well in college and it doesn't translate to the next level, right, UM, like undersize guys and you know, so I think it's been really good. But back to Northern Dame, let's talk about Northern Dame success with the college football playoff. This might this might be a might be a yeah. Yeah. I just want to what do you think what playoff prep, post postseason prep. What's kind of the thing. Why do you think that's kind of been the lack thereof? Um? I think it has something a little bit to do with the mentality mentality around Notre Dame at times, because we play teams like Outbama, play teams like Clemson, and these are obviously blue bloods when we belong in that conversation. But I just feel like at times of round Notre Dame, it gotta be like, like, damn, I hope we win the game, not like not like we put our pants on the same way, we're about to go, like win the game. And I think that hurts us at times because even this year, and I didn't play in the bowl game, but we were in the Fiesta Bowls New Years six Bowl. We were up like twenty one and I kind of felt like we like let our foot off the gas a little bit. But no discredit to the guys that were playing, but like, it's just we haven't been in that situation before. We haven't been up in a New Years six Bowl game, So we just gotta learn how to play like that. I'm sure the guys are capable of doing so, and we will. We a new coach and um, some new life being shot on the program. But um, I'm gonna sound kind of weird by saying this, but we lost by less than the loser and national championship both times. You can go back and check that. So we lost to Clemson by twenty seven when I wasn't there my senior in high school. And then we lost to Obama by like seven seventeen I think, and uh, and then they smashed Ohio States. So I guess we'll take third place. That is that isn't okay? Flex? Yes, okay, Flex. You talked about not playing in your ball game, you opted out for the Combine, all that stuff. I know you went to the Combine, did scout to like team? Did they mess with you about that? About Notre Dame success, about about opting opting out. Uh, yeah, for sure. And you know how it is even that's like it's like, so you just don't care about your team, that's it, Like you know the answer to that. But my answer was just like I've done everything I could for these past three years, been a germ mind and playing in the NFL. I feel like I provided myself my family with a good opportunity. You can tell I rehearsals and uh, and I felt a good time for me to go. And I told on my teammates that because I was coming off an injury at the time, um spraying my mcl halfway through the season, I got cleared before the bowl game and I said, if we're going to the playoff, I'm gonna play. If we're not, then I'm not gonna play. And it turns out we didn't go to the playoffs. So I told everybody on the team, Me and my boy Cayron, who also opted out plays running back, told everybody we're not playing, and everybody within the building was cool with it. So like we have a great season, go to the playoffs. There wouldn't be like a if we make it the super Bowl, I'll play like that wouldn't just making depends depends. Yeah, no, I'm playing, of course I'll play. I just want to make sure we got here on the team. So, Um, you talked about um nor the Dame. Um, I know, it's just I think anybody that goes to like a legendary school, there's there's so many memories you take from a place, whether it's plays you made. What's something that you'll miss the most about that place? Definitely? I'm sure you said the same thing, like, just dudes in the locker room, like because and at this level, it's different from college, because like I was living with three of my boys, who, um, gonna do a little plug, actually have a podcast around you need to come on. Um inside garage, inside garage. We had a garage in our townhouse. And I'm not gonna go on that tangent, but um, yeah, guys in the locker room, playing videogames with them, hanging out with them, going to the functions or whatever with them. And that's definitely one thing I'll miss the most about school. What was your favorite play you made in Northern Day? Do you have one favorite play? Very nice play, I'd probably say, yeah, the pick against Florida State All right, Yeah, yeah, you got some right, No, I take that back, take that back. First play ever in Notre Dame Stadium my freshman year, I gotta pick six. Your first play ever, first play we played Louisville the week before at Louisville first Yeah, first one Notre Dame Stadium. I picked six. That was pretty dope. That was dope, and dal Dalen shot out. Dalen Hayes was um Dally tipped the pass and I caught it, So yeah, Dale meant to play and then I just capped it off. But um, uh, you got the shot of dam That's all that really. I mean, I i't had two PM pick up fumble pick. I mean, he's just doing his job, pick up the scoring. Then I'm the man, you know. But he came end zone, celebrated, jumped up, he knocked me on the ground like it's on videos somewhere. But yeah, that was pretty dope. It was your favorite play ever college in the NFL high school A little league, man, I'd have to go, I didn't really do anything similar to you, but it's probably u um. I just caught an onside kick in the championship and it was just it was just funny. The way it all set up. So we practice this onside kick every week. We do like a little pooch kick probably what I don't know how long college is what eleven weeks against Clemson Clemson, I dropped the onside kick every single week, just about every single time. So I'm like, probably never gonna call this because I mess it up all the time. It surprisingly, saving didn't really he didn't get mad. Yeah, he never took me off, which was really surprising. I mean, my hands are a little suspect anyway. But so we're playing the championship crazy game. Sean Watson's going crazy, We're battling, and we're about to do normal kickoff and they run to me and they're like, don't forgot, don't frege out. We're about to do the onside kick. And I've never stood in the huddle because I was just safety. So then running to me and like causing this uproar was if anyone was paying attention, and they would have been like, something's about happening, right, But anyway, griff Adam Griffith, I think you say his name kicks it. I just catch it. Be going to win championship, and I felt like that in Kenyan Drake's like ninety something yard kickcarf return, like two pivotal players because it was so hard to stop de Shun. All right, let's talk about Northern Dame career. They say you play, I have not watched enough tape on you. They so you play all over the field. Why how does that? How did that come up? Like when did they realize, Like I think this cog I can be here. I think he can be here because he can be here. Yeah, Um, I think obviously, just my size, given how big I am for the position, um provides a little flexibility, and I feel like I move up, move up my size. So whether that's being in the slot or playing the post, or coming down and covering mark or something. Um, I feel like I can do all those things. But at school, um Aloe Gilman, Jaylen Elliott to safety captains. They were in what I mean, So I was pretty much just coming and playing third down like Nickel um dime my freshman year. But after they left, we lost a lot of people in the secondary. So at that point I told the coach, I was like, if I need to play posts, will um Nickel like whatever? Just used me as kneeb and kind of stuck um playbook wise, it was kind of tough to get everything down, but I got a good grasp wep in and continued this past year. So hopefully I can do that at some capacity at this level. But i know it's gonna be harder, but I'm excited getting in the box. You got to be pretty physical to get in there. Yeah. Have you ever thought about that Joe Mixing over there at the Bengals Naji Harris, Yes, d Nick Chubb with the Browns, because you know a lot you know, they say, oh, man call Himilton. Oh it's crazy man. That's that's they telling me, like, man, it couldn't pass his God. And I'm you know, so I'm like, okay, okay, I'll see him. You got here, And I'm kind of you know, I always you know, when I'm a rookie, y ass as when I was the first round and people are looking at me like trying either kind of like can this guy play ball? I'm looking at you. I'm like you're kind of thin, not thin, but kind of thin. You're pretty thin. So obviously you play with a lot more funk. Well maybe funk is the right word, but you know what, I mean you play with a lot more. Yeah, obviously what kind of get and you seem a very calm guy, so obviously you're a different beast on the field than you are just walk around every day. What kind of what gets you going? I would say just the preparation, Like this is most rewarding thing in the world in my opinion, football. You know how much we go through on a daily basis, the grind, Like why not go out there and try to be the beast that you know you can be? And that's what kind of got me going, especially the other dame, Like I know, dudes were looking at me to be that spark plug and so if that's a big hit or if that's a pick, or if that's a check being made, that was tough the week throughout practice, Like just giving other dudes confidence, that's kind of what gave me my push to keep going. Like like you said in the box, you just gotta have a different mentality. Like they in college. I wasn't got who it was, Aj Dillon. You played Boston College, big dude, obviously, and before the game, everybodys saying like because they had backup running back. It was two fifties as well, and then before the game, everybody saying like yo, like be ready, like bring your big boy pants, this and that, and I'm like I'm sending the hotel on Friday night. And this kind of changed my whole outlook on tackling. I'm like, I'm not gonna die, Like That's how I approach it now. So I'm like, I'm just gonna throw my body in there. Might hurt a little bit, but most likely would be ready for next place. So if and if a running back feels that from a dB, they're kind of like, okay, like I'm not gonna try him like how I would somebody else. So she just kind of trying to gain that respect. Obviously, you win something, you lose something, but I mean, I'm willing to lose something to win the others. That mentality gets you to draft night. I know you went to the comment, I mean went to the draft did you enjoy? Because I had a similar situation. I did not where it was it It was honestly, I don't remember where. It's not doing very memorable, but I didn't go because I just felt like there was a lot that you had to do there. Yeah, for sure? Is that true? I don't really I've never even talked to him about that. Actually, is that true? Where you like doing this and this and old spides and this and this and yeah, definitely. And the draft was on Thursday. I had to get out there on Monday, and it's in Vegas, so I was there from Monday to Friday. And that's a long time in Vegas. That's the year in Vegas. And so my family got there Tuesday, but I didn't really even see them for real up until Thursday because I was just working all day long. And then my friends were there so like we would do stuff at night. But um, it was a fun experience for sure, especially being in Vegas. I don't know if it was somewhere else I would have gone, but um, being in Vegas, like I definitely have to go to that for sure. What is it like getting a call that you're going to get that you're going to be drafted at fourteen? Overall, it was a real Like I've said this before, like I looked down on my phone and it's kind of funny in the green room, like the first few picks, like you know who's going Like yeah, so like when like Aiding goes to Detroit or like UM, Like Sauce goes to the Jets at four, like everybody's still in the room like, oh yeah, congrats, Like everybody's clapping, yeah and so, but like once he gets like seven eight nine, like everybody's just you can hear a pin drop. It's so weird. And then you're just sitting there and all of a sudden, you hear a family clapping and everybody's like like, congrats to them. Yeah, So it's it's a little weird. It's a little funny. At the same time, I wasn't really stressing it that much because I know that like going into the draft, I'm like, I'm gonna be drafted in the first round NFL Draft. Like, although like you worked so hard to go as how you can, like that's been a dream since I was five years old, Like what are you really complaining about the end of the day. But it was cool, like in the call, being able to share that moment with my family, like it just encompassed everything that I've ever worked for and that they've sacrificed for me. So I was definitely a special moment. Did you have any team that you thought you would go to? Um, honestly with me, it was like anywhere anywhere. It was. What I was hearing before the draft was like when my people were talking about was like seven to fourteen, and luckily fourteen was Baltimore. I feel like it was like and everybody's like, oh, like you fell like stuff in that, but one like I play safety and like it's just it is what it is with the way they draft falls with it, but too, Like I go to Baltimore, like one of the best franchises in the NFL, Like you get to start a franchise and no offense to the people we were picking earlier, but like obviously they're picking early for a reason, and you get to go to the franchise who's been there, has done that, guys like you like Lamar like and like immediately in contention with the Super Bowl, so be able to learn from a great organization. It's like the perfect storm for me. Edree gives you a call on draft night. Now there's one thing I'm sure you do know you haven't really been to a game yet, I don't think with Baltimore, but you're gonna see two jerges a lot. Ed Rey and ray Lewis very did not call me when I got draft. I'm not safety, so I'm not taking any beef. How is it to get that call? It was dope. I mean, he's obviously best ever. I'm a Sean Taylor got too, so one two best ever safeties to ever played a game. And it's like, this is a pinnacle of what I'm trying to get at. So as much as I can pick his brain or just understand not even just football stuff, just like his process, like mentally how he has performed at this level for so long. But like after I got drafted, like you know, you do media after within thirty minutes, I was asked about edvery like forty times. So I was like, okay, like this is already becoming thing. But I talked to him on that call about that and he was kind of like, be your own man, like Edward's gonna be Edward. Kyle Hamilton's gonna be Kyle Hamilton. So that really stuck with me. At the same time, it's just be you do what you can do. There's gonna be a bunch of comparatons out there, noise and all that. You know that with the media, So no offense to the media. But but yeah, I mean that he dropped some nuggets for sure, And I think that's what's the best part about this NFL thing, Like you have all the resources in front of you, like literally, you can be connected with anybody who can give you great information just up to whether you want to do it or not. And I feel like I'm definitely gonna take advantage of that. So you get drafted here, you look at the secondary. I mean me, you got Marcus Peters, couple Pro Bowls, Marcus Williams just signed a big deal, Chuck Clark, it's kind of Ruther Deep through a wild Tony Jefferson just sound, Kyle Fuller, a couple of Pro Bowls. You look at a crazy room, what kind of it's all about earning your stripes in the league. That's one thing that I've when I when I got drafted, it was it was kind of in a unique situation. I remember we had Jimmy Smith who had I mean longtime raven game winning playing in the Super Bowl, Brandon Carr had just signed a deal, Tavon Young had just come off rookie year starting I'm kind of sitting there like I don't really feel like they really needed me. Specifically, there wasn't a positional need, which the Ravens are known for, just drafting the best available player. How do you kind of see your fit or what kind of do you just plan on doing to get on the field. Yeah, I feel like it's everyday thing and just little things at the same time. Like you said, getting respect, I think it's huge at this level because you're playing with grown men who've been here, and your first round you come in, it's like, who are you? Kind of um. But I try to just stay humble, keep a humble approach, keep my head down, just keep working. You know, I'm gonna make mistakes and practice like that, but it's trying to make the same mistakes. Communicate. Coaches are getting me big, getting on me a lot about that right now, communicating, So trying to do everything I can, just little stuff like that, and hopefully once we get closer to the season, camp, preseason all comes together and then at that point, hopefully during some playing time and but whether that be on special teams like wherever it's needed, I'm I'm excited to do. So That's kind of how it was. I was like, I don't really care where I played, right, just give me on the field, give me, give me on the field. Anyway, I think I look back on my rookie year was I didn't play, I didn't play much, but I learned so much just sitting in the rooms with Eric Weddle at the time. It was just crazy, Like I just remember sitting with me and Chuck. It's like two rookies that just got drafted. It was just so much knowledge comes in from from the different vets that you'll talk to it if you haven't already, but there's just so much knowledge and um, different guys you meet and different things. And then as as season goes on, end up starting like the last four games and it just it just just put your head down, get to work. I was never trying to overstep. Yeah for any VET, I think they threw away my shoes. Yeah, as a lot of store I walk in, They're standing over the trash can just looking at my shoes, and I'm just like did you can't say anything though, it was it was a there was a reason why they was like, bro, what are you doing with these? I was like, you know, college, so it's uh, it's fun. There's there's no there's no crazy rookie hazing here and so you'll you'll be good. But do you miss being a rookie? Are you like being a vet? How does it feel to be a vet? Man? It's weird because it goes so fast actually, like it doesn't seem like I'm a vet, but people say that it's so hard to understand though you know it's being kie. It's just like you turn into a vet so quick. Like at one point you're going into a game, and I remember it, like I remember kind of when people kind of really kind of knew who I was somewhat. I mean, we actually got killed that game, but it was against the Browns, and I just remember, actually Jimmy Smith called me. He's like, bro, it's gonna be It's gonna be big tomorrow. Like you're playing O. B J. The Browns. You're matching up the entire game, following him everywhere. And I just remember sitting there in the hotel room the night for the game, and I'm like, I feel like I can make a name for myself off this guy. Yeah, And so now that narrative is like switched, and it's like it's kind of what Harves was saying today, what Ray Lewis said to him, it's like if I run, if a running back, rookie running back runs ray Lewis over, They're like, I just ran ray Lewis over. Yeah, Like I just caught a passing ray Lewis. So every day you gotta it's like you have to work even harder to stay where you're at. And so that's that's basically being a vent in this league. You get you earned that respect, Like it was an honor for me for different guys like to be like, Yo, what's up, rook man, I really like your game and I'm just like Dana's Dude's yeah, am, And so once you start doing those type of things, like it just becomes such an honor kind of to to where the shield where where where the ravens. And that's kind of the difference now with like being a VET. You go up to like young guys, you're like, bro, I really liked your game. I really like this, Like Denzel Awards are He's like only a year younger in me, I think, But I'm like, bro, I really like your game. You talk to this guy, you talk to this guy, and so it's it's it's just different, but the best thing. When you're a vet, you're in such a routine, like you know, what really is your schedule? I think when I was a rookie, I just remember having so much time, Like I'm like, dang, bro, like we have a lot of time. So I was like, I want to go downtown Baltimore and see how it's going. And then like week four comes around, You're like, bro, I'm so tired because that rookie wall hits. Yeah, talking about that rookie year man, it's it's it's definitely a thrill. These long days they started to pay off, and uh, you soak it all up and you kind of just go from there. But I want to ask two more questions. One question is what is something very memorable to you that a coach has said to you just throughout your whole whole career that that's stuck with you. UM Terry Joseph was saved the coach at Notre Dame for my two years, or for the first two years I was there. He's now saved these coach at Texas UM. When I came in, I was a five star when I got there, so obviously very hard on me. Everybody was. And one thing he told me was don't be too cool, and that definitely stuck with me because, yeah, you see a lot of guys who were just like too cool to like run to the ball or too cool to make a call um because I kind of feel like they made it or something like that. But I feel like I've kind of carried that with me even when I was all American whatever, and the day in my junior year, like still you gotta double down on it, kind of like being a vet like you said, um on a smaller scale obviously in college, but guys are looking at you like I'm gonna not run the ball because Kyle was not running the ball, Like why do I have to run the ball? So you never know who's watching? Um? But yeah, I would say, don't be too cool. That's one good advice I gotten. And then confidence is everything, I think in any no matter what you're doing, obviously you've enstilled a lot of confidence. What is confidence to Kyle Hamilton? I would say, confidence to me is just preparation and knowing how good I am in the least narcissistic where I can say that, um, but I know I've prepared in a sense that allows my athletic abilities to do what they can do. I'm trying to get the play back down everything, and I know, like I can't really like play like how I want to play because I'm still trying to Obviously it's a process. It's not like mad about it or anything. Gonna get there actually, but um like yeah, notre Dame. Like once I had to playbook everything, Like I was in a flow like kind of like I said, like a mini vet, like going into a game and knowing exactly what to do, what everybody on the field is doing at that point when the ball snap, you can just be Kyle at that point, and I feel like that gives me confidence, Like once I get to that level and just move how I want to, Like, I don't think there's really anybody who can perform. I got kidding, Kyle. Thank you for your time, Appreciate you having me on. Thank you first round Pick Club. Do you feel like, you know, you we had two, you would have been, you know, kind of been the star, but now it kind of got split Like I was just me, you know what I mean. They wouldn't have done that to me and they would have shared my first round you know, attention like you're in the club, but like you feel like, honestly, no, I'm kind of great before Tyler gets deflected. Can I get us too? So I'm just good in Mountain okay. COELH.

Studio 44 with Marlon Humphrey

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey sits down with his teammates, coaches and front-office m 
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