The Richard Sherman Podcast - 49ers DB Renardo Green on SF defense, Kyle Shanahan exchange, picking off Seahawks TWICE | Richard Sherman

0:00 I'm thinking, like, hey, I've been playing special teams.

0:03 I'm like, boo, if this is like this, and I go out here and play a full game, I got to get my mind right.

0:09 Because if this is like this, then, hey, y'all, hey, boy. That's what I was thinking. I'm like, yeah, NFL, real, boy. This is a man's game for real. You got to come with it.

0:22 Welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast, and let me introduce one of the best young corners in the National Football League. He's now in his third season with the San Francisco 49ers, having an outstanding season already with three books, and I know he'll get more this season. Welcome to the show, Renardo Green. How you feeling, brother?

0:41 I'm feeling good.

0:42 You know, we put a lot of, like, just time in coming into this year.

0:48 Our coaches, they real good coaches. You know, just.

0:51 real strategic about how they move and operate.

0:54 And, like, a lot of the work we.

0:55 Put in is showing from us winning, you know, winning different ways to, you know, going through things and overcoming adversity and then just guys just going out there and stepping up and making plays.

1:08 Like, I'm feeling good about this season.

1:10 Look, I'm going to take you back to last year because that was one of the pivotal moments in your career. And I... I honestly don't know what coverage it is. I'm guessing it was two. Yeah. You know, because it was a high-low. It looked like they kind of high-lowed you, and you might have, like, you know, guessed a little low, and then they went high. But, yeah, I just remember there being a big moment with you and Kyle Shanahan, and, you know, he having this conversation because Kyle gets super frustrated.

1:35 People don't know Kyle, but Kyle was like.

1:37 Yeah, you know. You know.

1:38 I know exactly. I know him well. And... Since that moment, you know, sometimes when stuff like that happens to a young player, you could go one of two ways. You know what I mean? Like, it could fold you up, and that could be like it, and then you struggle the rest of your career. Or you could use that, put it right here, and let it motivate you and fuel you to be the player that you know you can be. Talk about that, how that motivated you or didn't motivate you, and what went into your offseason.

2:06 I mean, I feel like, Like, what really happened in that situation, it wasn't really like how the media portrayed it and how things really went down. Because we know that football is an emotional sport and it's a man's game.

2:21 You know what I'm saying? So emotions and tempers be flaring.

2:24 It was really about me coming out to get a coaching point because he don't feel like I hurt the coaching point when they was yelling to me on the field about splitting the zone.

2:32 You feel me?

2:32 We just got a sack. It was, what, second and 20. Forced him to throw the check now. You feel what I'm saying? And I got greedy. and thinking the ball was going to go here, and instead of doing what I was supposed to do, I jumped it to hit it over the head. It was really me coming out to get the coaching point and then post to go back in. But just with tempers flaring and you know how it be out there, we just start talking and time going on and games still going on and stuff like that.

3:00 Me and him, we talk.

3:01 Me and Coach, we have general talks and stuff.

3:04 We're good with each other. We even talked about that.

3:07 And the big thing is you just know he's always believed in me. You know, ever since he's seen me in the draft, he's always believed in me. And I've always believed in myself. So he just felt like, you know, he could have got more out of me on that specific play. You know, kind of like, you know, you see how saving be. You know, I see, I see like saving don't care.

3:28 Saving going to get on you.

3:29 Right, he don't care what situation, where you at.

3:32 He on you.

3:33 So he just felt like, you know, he could have got more out of me out of that play. And he's just like, you know, just more and more and more. Like, I got to get better. One percent, you're getting better, you're getting worse. So, I mean, like, I didn't really take of it too pivotal or let it affect me like that because I know really what the relationship is and how things really work compared to an outside narrative.

3:55 But like I told the media before, like, when you just got, you know, like you know who.

4:01 You is, you got your confidence and all that other stuff, but you got certain people like that that actually see the same thing you see in yourself.

4:08 You know, when I say him, you know, John.

4:11 It's like, it just make you be like, you ain't tripping for working as hard as you work. You ain't tripping for being so caught up in, you know, your mindset of how good and great you trying to be.

4:22 You ain't tripping, just keep doing it. You feel what I'm saying?

4:24 So like this off season, I was just like, you know, I was playing through some things my second year. I ain't play bad, but I know that I ain't play how I know what's really inside me. So I'm like, I'm going to make sure that when the time come around this year, I'm going to capitalize more on my ops and I'm going to make it known that like, yeah, this is me and this is who I am.

4:43 Like it ain't no if, ands, buts about it. You feel what I'm saying?

4:47 No question about it. And the next time you're stepping on the field in Seattle, you're left with two books in your hand. You're left with two footballs with their logo on it. So I know that had to feel good. And those were great plays. Early in the game, the reigning offensive player of the year, Jackson Smith and Jigba, runs out. And you know early in the game, you ain't even really got your feels about you.

5:07 You ain't really got your.

5:08 And you jumped it. You jumped in so early. I said, ooh, this boy is in his bag.

5:14 Yeah, yeah, yeah, man.

5:15 Tell me what went into that play because I know they run quick game out of that, but it takes something else to really trust yourself and trust what you saw on film and say, all right, I see it, I feel it, and I'm going because he don't give no tails.

5:30 Yeah, see, and that's what, like, when you guard him, he moves without indication.

5:35 Like, it's really no indication, but Like, just.

5:38 Me being older and more experienced, and I was like, they started in a stack, and it was condensed, and he motioned out in his third down.

5:44 You're not running the deep route, especially as the back man.

5:48 And then you motion out to this split, and then when he stemmed, the initial stem, I narrowed it down to, like, three routes you can run. You're going to give me, like, a curl, an out, or a dig. If you run a post, you're just going to have, we're just going to run, fam. It's third down. We're just going to run.

6:02 And when he stemmed it out, and I seen him, like, I seen him try to hit me with a, a one-two shimmy because I just stayed square and I didn't open. So, like, it wasn't no clean release to where he could just run the speed up. I knew it was out at that point. And I was just like, just run the route for him and find the ball. That's all I would think, just find the ball.

6:21 If people understood how fast it was moving with your brain moving and going through all that, that's like a second and a half. Like, all that happened in your brain in like a second and a half. I just need people to understand that.

6:33 And.

6:34 Everything you're saying right now tells me how great you can be because for you to understand and digest that information and see like formations, things are just likes and him motion out and you're like, all right, it's third and five. If they run something deep, we going to battle. I'm going to take the charge. You're going to have to push me down the field and then I'm going to figure it out. But still. be aggressive enough to say, my opp is here, I'm taking advantage, and to catch it.

6:59 And then that over route where you undercut it, they're running with a tight end on you. I know you felt a little disrespected, but....

7:09 I seen it like.

7:10 I seen it like I had gave an alert end call because only one tight end released vertical, and his initial stamina was like, oh, I know you're running an over, fam. Like, you give me all the indications.

7:21 And then... When he ran.

7:23 It, I'm like, if I go be on him right now, I know Sam not going to throw it.

7:28 So let me just sag off a little bit.

7:30 And then once I seen, like, it looked like it was open, that's when I really turned it on. And I just ran the route for him. Like, the man traveled faster than the ball in that situation. So I'm like, yeah, I'm going to get.

7:41 Me another one. I'm just hoping he throw it.

7:43 And when I look back and I see that ball come by his hand, I'm like, oh, yeah, I'm going.

7:47 The other way.

7:47 That's all I would think about. I'm like, all right, yeah, I got him to throw it. Oh, yeah, I'm going the other way now.

7:52 I love this, bro. I love hearing this because you can tell how slow the game is for you right now. Talk about that because people don't, you know, it's hard to talk to people who don't play the game because you say that. It's just player talking. You'd be like, the game's slow down. They'd be like, yeah, it's slow for him. But they don't know what's going on out there. Like, you seeing it.

8:10 I mean, it's like when I be out there compared to my rookie year, I feel like Football is going to be football, but when you first get to the NFL, this is the fastest it's going to be, and it's like the highest of the highest.

8:24 So a lot of plays I was making was really off reading and reacting. You feel what I'm saying? And I had three DCs my first three years. You feel me?

8:35 So when you're learning different, like, defensive strategies, you know, different route concepts, seeing how coaches think, like learning the game within the game. That's what like, like me and coach used to talk about the game within the game.

8:49 It's like, when you out.

8:51 There, it's like everything just, you seeing stuff before it happened.

8:55 You feel what I'm saying?

8:56 It's like, I know you're not running this or I, I know why I started, you know, I was an off man.

9:02 I know why I started at an eight or nine.

9:04 Why would I just burst out of my back pedal and create all that separation and As you running down the field, I'm breaking down your potential routes at level one, level two, level three.

9:14 As each, as you clear a yard, I'm just breaking everything down.

9:17 Like, guys, like, it just, when you just done played so much ball, been in so many situations, been around so many great minds and didn't think about it, I do play around a whole bunch of, you know, great players.

9:29 You feel what I'm saying? It's like you just learn and pick the game up.

9:32 And from that point on, it's like, now you just processing everything and it's just happening just like, just, just, Slow.

9:38 Everything just happened in slow.

9:41 Bro, your football IQ is up there. I don't even know if you know that. How you talking is greatness. When I'm playing a game, that's why that play on second and 20 or whatever, as you mature as a player, you're going to look back at that play and be like, what the hell.

9:56 Did you think was going to happen in that situation?

10:00 You know? Because all the quarterback did was veteran you. All he did was vet move you. Hey, I'm going to move this young boy down. And if he bites, I'm going seven. If he don't bite, I'm going to throw it to that seven. But you just told me, man travel faster than the ball. So if he throw it down to the flat, by the time he catch the football, you at it, you.

10:18 On his neck.

10:20 Yeah, tackle. Catch tackle. It's catch tackle. And so that's always the case when you're in that situation. It's going to be catch tackle.

10:28 So.

10:29 It's always high to low in those situations. Don't let them get easy stuff. And I'm not trying to coach you. I'm not, you know, you know what you know. But it's just such, it's going to be so matter of fact, just like everything else. When you're going down the field, I'm pressing. You outside release, you eliminate.

10:43 Ding, ding, ding, ding.

10:44 As we go past five, 10, 15, 20 yards. Like now it's a different play. Now it's not this. It's not that. It's not that. And so as you continue to play and you trust yourself, man, you're going to continue to blossom. It's cool to see. Uh, talk about something that people may not know about Renato Green just from watching you play.

11:07 Um, I like to travel.

11:12 I say, I like people may not know.

11:14 I like to travel.

11:15 I'm a big, uh, I'm not the, I'm not the big, I'm not the most outgoing person. I don't know that I'm not the most outgoing person. Um, I got my little select few, my select circle, and I just rock with them. I don't like too much outside noise or just too much coming my way. You know, I like more peace. You feel what I'm saying? I'm into cars.

11:38 I do like cars.

11:39 I ain't going to lie.

11:41 I kind of got a fetish about cars. Besides from that, though, like, I really be, like, I'm a chill, like, chill type of dude, like. Just sit back, relax, enjoy my time with my ones, and enjoy the fruits of my labor. I don't really be doing too much. I don't really like to get in too much.

11:59 Well, you come from a part of Florida that put them out now.

12:02 Yeah.

12:03 You come from a part of Florida that put them out, and they play some great football. Talk about how that kind of molded you into the player you are, and when did you know that you was going to be elite at corner? Obviously, you stayed home for college, but– You know, when you're growing up, when you're a great athlete, you, everybody wants the ball. You want to play receiver, you want to play running back, quarterback. When did you become like a true corner?

12:25 Uh, so growing up, growing up, football always just came natural to me.

12:30 It was always like breathing.

12:31 Like ever since I was five, when I was six years old, I said, yeah, I'm going to the league fam. I ain't working for nobody. I ain't trying to do none of that. I'm going to the league. I made my mind up. And it was like, but it was all like, it was easy to do when.

12:42 I'm scoring three touchdowns a game. You feel what I'm saying?

12:45 And, You know, I'm going against, like, you know, I'm playing dudes that's, like, even from little league to high school, college, I'm playing dudes that young that's in the league now. You know, and I've been seeing them. We've been going at it, having our battles and stuff. So, like, just growing up down there and, you know, just playing in that environment, it just, you know, you plan to get a lot of good guys, so you naturally going to be better. But then I just think that I was just gifted and blessed because, like, There'll be times where I'm not on the field. I can't even tell you how I would do certain things because I was a running back. Like, I played running back, quarterback, linebacker, safety

13:22 with a little bit of corner.

13:23 But, dude, man, Pine Hills Trojans, number four.

13:28 Dude, man, you go down there and say the name, dude, man, Pine Hills number four. They're going to tell you just like that. It's just like football was always just easy and natural for me. Like, that's just how it was with me.

13:40 Dude, man.

13:40 Dude, man, yeah.

13:43 Um, I just, like, I just, I just, I just played and things just always went good for me, I guess. And then when I got the, the high school, ain't nothing, ain't nothing really shift.

13:55 I had a cousin, he telling me like, cause.

13:57 I'm playing receiver, but I wasn't finna play varsity my, uh, my, uh, my first year. I was playing like JV until I got moved up, but he always used to.

14:05 Tell me like, bro, stop playing, stop playing. Um, like cousin Kari, like stop playing receiver, bro. He's like, but come over here on the dark side.

14:12 But play corner. I'm telling you, the money at corner, bro. I'm like, but I want to catch touchdowns.

14:17 I want to score. I've always been doing that.

14:19 You feel me?

14:19 He's like, bro, come on, man.

14:21 You done this, too. I'm telling you, this the way it's at. So I'm like, man, I want to play varsity, son.

14:26 It's the end of the year. I get moved up. I ain't going to get moved up at receiver. I mean, I could have.

14:30 But I was like, man, right now, I got a better chance to get where I want to be at playing defense.

14:34 So I'm playing corner.

14:36 So I just start playing corner from that point on and made that my primary position and just having to work out. Like I just happened to be real good at it. I played it a little league, but not as much. It just, I was just a natural at it basically. And that's how I started playing cornerback.

14:51 You, you, you, you trying to downplay everything, Renato. You trying to, you trying to downplay everything. What it sounds like is the game came easy because you adaptable. Like at every level of play, you figure it out. At every level of play. the game starts to make sense. And that's IQ. That's high IQ football. Like, hey, how do I need to adjust in this situation? That's where I'm going to be. What level y'all playing at? That's where I'm going to be. And I'm going to go above that level. And now you're in the league and you done figured out the lay of the land, the receiver concepts. Fred Warner's a great player. Drake Greenlaw's a great player. You've had great safeties. You've played with Raheem Morris.

15:27 You've had great D coordinators, but Raheem Morris is a great D coordinator and he's a DB guy. So I'm sure he's talking the game through to you. It's a simple game. Everybody runs the same stuff. It's a copycat league. Can you not let fatigue make you a coward out there? Can you overcome being tired on the third and sixth that you didn't study on film all day? Can you not be tired and be too tired to put your foot in the ground and go make a play? That's what separates good players from great players and great players from Hall of Famers is fatigue. More times than not, circumstance ain't going to dictate whether I'm on it or not. Like, I could be days with a stinger, my neck hurting.

16:06 All right, it's third and three. We on the logo. They in the max protect. All right, it's going to be double dig post. It's like, can I get to that spot? Or can I get everybody else in the spot? Hey, hey, you be right there. Be in that dig window. Hey, Earl, take the post. I want the ball to come to this dig. I'm going to give him enough space, and I'm going to see if I can't get a book out of this.

16:23 Yeah.

16:25 When you play in the game at that high of a level, people can't even understand. They think picks is accidents. But like you just talked it through. Yeah, fact. On both your picks, neither one of them was accident. Like it's process that goes involved. And even when I do that process again and again, I might do that process 30 times in the game and not get one target.

16:44 I might be right 28 of them times and nobody throw it over there.

16:48 Crazy, crazy how it work. People don't be knowing they in depth. It's crazy how it work, man.

16:54 It's sick, but the thing that you've got to be careful of is as great as you're going to get, and I hope you get 10 this year, eventually the target's going to go down. Yeah. And can you still be great when the only target you get is fourth quarter, third and eighth for the game? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can you be great then? Everybody talk about that NFC championship when I tipped the football. Wait, that was my first target.

17:21 For real?

17:23 That was my first target of the game. Like, they're not playing. And the only reason they did it like that was because he was in two minutes and he couldn't have the coach just tell him, don't throw it over there.

17:32 You know what I mean? Yeah, he just did it, yeah.

17:35 He just did it. And by the time he did it, the game was over with. It's over with now. Like, you can't go back. But that's the next level of just being locked in, play after play, and staying involved, bro. I'm so impressed with how you started this season. It's really cool.

17:53 I just been, I just been trying to just dot my I's, cross my T's and leave no stone.

17:59 Unturned and not get tired of doing the.

18:02 Same thing over and over and over. And like how you was, you was saying, you know, but what about when your shoulder hurting this and that and the third, and you don't feel like doing this and that it's like, you know, Kyle talk about that, uh, competitive stamina, that competitive stamina.

18:17 He always, always preaching.

18:19 And like how you say like override that mind, like just, trying to lock in on those principles and do them daily. Like consistency is a hard thing to do. It's one of the hardest things to do in life. So it's like, it's a real grind, but I just be telling myself like day by day, day by day, earn, earn that win, earn that, whatever performance you put on, you go for two books, three books, whatever you do, whatever you do, earn it throughout the week. Like, don't, you can't cheat this man. You going to have to go through what you got to go through to get what you want.

18:51 And it's going to hurt.

18:52 But fam, it's worth it. You're doing it for a reason. So that's what I just try to lock in with like on a weekly basis.

18:59 Bruh, you, you, whoever your mentor is, whoever in your mind, even if it's just you, you're doing a heck of a job, brother. That's what your mindset is right. Like it's, in love with the process. If you fall in love with the process and you sit there and every day you like, man, I dominated them today, but today I'm working on my press. I'm working on my foot. I'm working on my footwork here. I'm working on my route recognition and walkthroughs. I'm working on identifying plays and walkthroughs and then picking those plays in practice because the same plays you walk through are the same plays they're going to run in practice. One of them periods. Boy, there are boys that have played 10, 15 years in this

19:36 National Football League that didn't realize that the walkthrough and the practice or a lot of.

19:41 The same place.

19:41 And I'm like, as a box of rocks over here, like, I don't know how you're supposed to vote with somebody this long.

19:48 Hey, this is one of them you see just shake your head.

19:52 You can't. I can't even explain this.

19:54 I did. Hey, well, I just look over there. I'm like, hey, man.

19:59 But you are totally right when you say you earned the right. Like, when you get picks in a game, like, I didn't earn this. I didn't saw myself doing this. I've done it in practice time and time again. And consistency and greatness, it's a boring trait. Like, when you're doing it right, it's going to be a boring game.

20:15 But can you not get bored? Can you remember that this was the dream all along? Can you remember all those moments that, hey, as a kid, this is all I wanted. Can I continue to challenge myself, play in, play out, when they're not challenging me?

20:28 Yeah, facts.

20:29 When they didn't decide to take the second and third receiver and just put them over here to go to sleep for the rest of the game because they don't want to put their number one over here. They just want to I want to stay over there. I didn't have games where they're like, why you don't follow? Well, because we didn't lean everybody to that side, and I'm one-on-one backside with whoever they put over here, and they just decide not to look over here. Yeah, right.

20:51 It's like, what you want me to do?

20:53 What you want me to do? Right. But talk about Raheem Morris and how different it's been, because I've heard Jair talk about it, Malik talk about it. I've heard Siegel talk about it. Talk about how different this defense is compared to last year.

21:11 It's not so much of a three-match where we're relying heavily on certain guys to be in windows and the corners can be softer.

21:22 I got confidence in my guys.

21:26 I got confidence from the front seven to the back end.

21:31 I got confidence in my guys.

21:32 To go win and go be playmakers and go make plays.

21:36 He teaches....

21:39 He teaches just the game of football in a player's perspective, but he can also do it in a coach's.

21:48 A lot of coaches can just do X's and O's.

21:51 He can do X's and O's, but then break it down as if we out there on the field and he's like, you with somebody you training with and he playing the league too, like your homeboy or something, you playing the league and y'all just going through saying, y'all put that hand here or step with this foot and this and that. It's like he's able to break the game down like that. That's one thing that I find very, very helpful. Because he'll tell you something like, I'm not expecting you to make this play. If you make it, it's so good. If you make it, do this and that in the third, hey, it's great. But I want you to make this play. I want you to make this.

22:24 Or he'll be like, yeah, if this happens, Don't even turn that way. Just kick 180. He gets on a double move.

22:29 It's cool. Kick 180. Let's go play ball down the field. That's all we finna do.

22:33 He catch this, force him to catch this one hand, back shoulder, like that, force.

22:38 Him to do it.

22:39 He catch this, man, dap him up, give him a high five and tell him go catch it again. Like, he breaks the game down, like, in a realistic way. Like, he don't put unrealistic expectations on you that you can't do or that doesn't make sense. Like, Basically, everything he basically ever told me, all the little tips and nuances, every one of them made sense, everything that he's told me since he's been there.

23:01 That's really cool. Even the play with Arroyo that you was talking about that you picked, like, you could have said in and in and left it. Yeah, fact. Like, you chose to squeeze. You said, hey, I got no other threats. I ain't got nothing else to do. Let me go ahead and dance with.

23:17 Him a little bit. Let me get me.

23:19 Let me get me. And that's much different. And that's a choice that you made and that's coaching by him and everything coming together in the right way where like last year, if you let that go, that's a completion. And nobody's dropped in that zone. They got sucked up by the run fake.

23:33 Facts. Facts. See?

23:35 Yeah.

23:35 You know, man, he, the man's like, he's a, he's a great help. Like I give him that.

23:43 Like when he came here and we just start talking and stuff like that, like I could just tell that he knew ball, but it's him. And it's like Jerry, you know, like Jerry know his ball too. Like he'll tell us like, I'm telling you, when I was there, Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers, he told me he reads this with the safeties.

24:01 You know, do this. This will make him not throw this. They gonna run this. Or Jerry be like, he be saying stuff like this.

24:09 They paying this receiver 40 million.

24:12 Do you think they put him at number two to block? Hey, like, but hey, that's the game though.

24:20 That's the game.

24:21 That's the game.

24:22 It's common sense, but sometimes it ain't so common.

24:26 Exactly.

24:27 So just having them, like, just talk to us and break the game down.

24:32 He say open book test, NFL open book test.

24:34 I'm telling you, like, just having them to break the game down even more and give us little tips and nuances how they do.

24:41 Like, they've been a very big help. It's like they help. They help.

24:44 Expand our knowledge within the game, within the game. Like, we know X's and O's. I know what gap's supposed to be this. I know what the stud fit is. I know what the rotation, the read of Linda, the boundary of the week.

24:56 Like, I know all of that.

24:57 But when you can really break it down to where a player's talking about the game within the game, and that's, like, how they coach us, it just makes it that much easier.

25:05 It makes everybody be on one accord.

25:06 And then how guys making plays and the reason why we got a record that we got right now going into the bye week.

25:14 In a hundred years, whenever I get into coaching, I can't wait to help people play the go ball better. It's one of those things where you watch guys and you're like, bro, y'all faster than me, more athletic, all this other stuff. But like, I feel like I played the go ball about as good as anybody. And I feel like sometimes guys want to make it a foot race every time. It's not a positioning thing. And I feel like shoulder in front of they shoulder, like ride that red line that you see in practice, knock them off that red line and get on it yourself. I caught 41 books in my career, and I'd say 30 of them was nine balls.

25:50 It's crazy because I done seen a few of your highlights, and I'm like, are you pressing everybody?

25:59 I'm pressing everybody.

25:59 I'm like, he's pressing everybody, and I'm just looking. I'm like, well, one.

26:04 Thing about him, he getting that head around, and the thing is, he getting that head around, and he catching back shoulder, like back shoulder books. People don't know how hard that is. I'm like, he catching back shoulders. You may have a step on him. But, man, looking back and going up and grabbing the ball like that, I say that's one thing. I say that's how he catches on him. He getting that head around. Like, that's one thing about Stern. Stern going to find that ball.

26:25 I'm going to find that rock. And the thing about... back shoulder is it was like always like footwork position. Like once you get to a certain point and I get my head around, if I'm where I need to be, I feel like I can give you like a half a body and still go vertical and get to the ball. So I would, I would, I would damn near be half a body, but like, like, I mean, I'm feeling for you. I'm feeling for you. I didn't know where you're at. And if ball came, then it's almost like I'm in a post with him and I'm just shoulder around.

26:53 Like, yeah.

26:55 And it ain't nothing they can do about it. Like, if I see him throw it and you see him throw it, like, I'm in front of you. Facts, though.

27:02 Facts.

27:04 You know, but we talking too much ball. We can talk all day. I love your mind, man.

27:09 Hey, man, I love it, bro. Like, I grew up playing it. It's what I do. It's what I know. It interests me. I actually got a love.

27:17 For the game.

27:18 And I don't talk ball with a lot of people because, like, When I be hearing people say stuff like, you know, I could be wherever I'm from or around the area, and I be hearing dudes say, I don't see how the corner, you know, let the guy get behind him. Everybody know the best corners. They let the ball get caught in front of them, and they just make tackles.

27:36 I be like, when I be hearing, I say, this my own talk to everybody about balls. Hey, guys be thinking they can do this. I done heard guys compare theyself to Wes Walker and stuff.

27:47 I'm like, see. Oh, my God.

27:49 Hey, this is why I don't be talking to everybody, fam. I can only talk ball with certain people. So, I don't talk like that.

27:55 So, if I them talk a ball with somebody, because I know they know ball.

27:59 Man. Hey, somebody, they talk about the best scorers just letting them catch it and come up and talk. I'm ending the conversation right there. Hey, brother, you go have a beautiful day.

28:08 Well, I got to go. I got to go, fam.

28:10 I got to go. All right. All right. I don't even know what you're talking about. But I'm not going to hold you much longer. My last question, what was your welcome to the league moment?

28:19 Crazy as it was, it was my rookie year. It wasn't even on offense. It wasn't even on defense. It was special teams.

28:25 Special teams get real now.

28:27 Oh, I didn't know that. So, I mean, I didn't know that. Like, man, I remember because I was at the Gunna.

28:34 We played the Jets my rookie year, first game.

28:36 Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo.

28:37 I go down there, I make the tackle, boom. I'm like, oh yeah, this kind of sweet. This down to third. I'm like, ain't nothing too crazy out here. We don't like game. We go to game like four. We go to game four. I do it this time, but the returner put a move on me. And he put a move on me, and I dove, and I messed my shoulder up. But I'm like, I'm on the sideline like this.

28:59 I'm only playing special teams.

29:00 I'm on the sideline. I'm like this. I'm like, I ain't going to lie. Something wrong with my shoulder. But I'm just going to play. Maybe it's just going to go away.

29:07 Oh, I go to guard the gun and I'm on punt return because I was that too.

29:11 Man, I get an outside release.

29:14 He hit, he swiped my arm and my shoulder started hurting. I'm like, I don't, I'm like, hey, but I'm finna keep playing though. But I'm like, he got me.

29:21 So I'm running. I'm like, I can't block. I'm finna go second level, find somebody else.

29:26 As soon as the returner tried to catch it, My man that I got beat, he blasted the returner. The ball go flying in the air. I'm like, I already know they finna say I didn't do my job. That's on Renato. He ain't do what he supposed to.

29:40 So I'm running.

29:41 And it's a pile already on the ground. And I ain't know them piles getting like, man, welcome to the NFL, man.

29:48 Welcome to the NFL.

29:49 Instead of getting in there and scrapping, I just put my hand, you know, on the pile.

29:55 And I'm just trying to look around.

29:57 Oh, I never figured he was number zero, but he played like linebacker or something. He came down, but full speed, put his helmet right, like smashed my hand, broke my finger down, like twisted and shifted. I wasn't even looking for the ball no more. I done took a knee. I done took a knee.

30:13 Like, I'm like this on the ground. I done got up. They still squirming for the ball. I done walked the other way. I'm like, bro, I think my fingers broke. I say, bro, this NFL, it's real like him, boy.

30:24 A special team might be the realest place. Look, some of these dudes only play seven, eight snaps a game. That snap they out there, they don't go. And if the ball on the ground.

30:37 Oh, it falls to the wall, boy.

30:40 It's everything.

30:41 You better put your hard hat on, boy. That's when I say, oh, yeah, I got to come right. This is how I'm thinking. It's like, I don't play defense and dime package and sub in a little bit and stuff like that, but I'm thinking, like, I've been playing special teams. I'm like, boo, if this is like this, and I go out here and play a full game, I got to get my mind right.

31:00 Because if this is like this, then, hey, boy, that's what I was thinking.

31:04 I'm like, yeah, NFL, real, boy. This is a man's game for real. You better come with it.

31:09 Grown man game. Grown man game. Do you got any questions for me? I want to leave it open to answer any questions you got before I let you get out of here.

31:19 What would you say.

31:21 what would you say was the biggest lesson you learned playing it, like playing in the league, but that wasn't football related. That just came with you being sure. Like that just, that, that, that just came with your success. Like, what would you say the biggest lesson, you know, you learn just in life, like in, in life?

31:40 Hmm.

31:42 That's a great question. Um, like, it was something you said earlier, just being consistent and not just consistent in football, but in every, every aspect of your life, like consistent off the field, like understanding like where you put your money consistent with that same effort, same attention to detail that you spend playing corner. You got to be with your money and you got to be with your assets, your home, your cars, you know what I mean? Know what's going on that way with your daughter, your kids, you know, and you got to just stay consistent. keep the main thing the main thing at all times. And the people around you, you got to try to appreciate them while you're playing, especially the people that are around

32:27 like your family.

32:28 Yeah.

32:28 You know? And I think we get so locked in, rightfully so, on this game and what we got to do, but you got to keep that in line as well. You know what I mean? Everything got to flow the way it's supposed to, and then your game is going to keep flowing the way it's supposed to.

32:44 Okay.

32:45 I think that was the biggest thing I learned over time. And that was through a lot of mistakes and not keeping things.

32:50 In line the way it's supposed to.

32:52 You know what I mean? And when it's in line, then ball's in line, then my mind's in line. And I'm playing at a really high level.

33:00 All right. All right. Appreciate that.

33:04 Yeah. Yeah.

33:04 All love.

33:05 That was a great question. That was a great question. And when you get neat, go ahead.

33:10 I was going to say, you can finish. I was just going to add one more thing.

33:14 No, when you get in these big games, you've played in a lot of big games, it's the same old thing. Like, think of the chess match that you've been playing, but it's a higher level. Like, almost to the point you're game planning yourself. Like, all right, I jumped him in the first quarter on that hitch, it's hitch and go time.

33:30 Like, next time I'm gonna.

33:32 Hitch, like, you might, I might, I'm gonna be tight on the hitch, but I'm gonna be, like, I'm not gonna be driving through the ball, I'm gonna be driving to the ball. Like, it's gonna be like, I gotta see it. I gotta see you full hitch. And, You know, if you put something, you book that over route, watch him until he's across the field, until he gets it out of the hash. Keep your eye on him, because if you turn your head and he... I'm telling you.

33:56 Race return?

33:58 Look, that return, you know. Boy, be running, be like, oh, bro. Oh, hey, what?

34:04 Hey, people don't know Ball. They on the TV. He suck.

34:07 You know what?

34:08 You know how I be, man. You know how I be.

34:11 Way up.

34:12 The other thing I wanted to ask, I find that interview so funny, but it's real. You know the interview I'm talking about. You know it's what I'm talking about.

34:21 I'm like, but I done seen that. I done came across that video a few times. I'm like, but it's, man, funny.

34:27 But I feel him, though, because I can't even go against it.

34:30 Like, that's real, though.

34:32 I just like, well, like, I want to know what had happened.

34:36 Like, he was being like a little alien, just saying anything and everything.

34:41 You talking about Crabbe? Nah, nah, nah, nah.

34:44 I'm talking about.

34:44 You talking about Skip?

34:46 I think him. I think him.

34:49 So, Skip had basically... That year, I think that's my second year in the league.

34:54 Yeah.

34:54 I end the year, I'm first team all pro. I got eight books on the year. I didn't gave up. I'm 46% completion percentage. Like, I'm strapping. I got like 28 PBUs. Yeah, you're going ham. I'm like that. This year, too.

35:07 Yeah, you're going ham.

35:08 I'm going crazy. Yeah.

35:10 And.

35:10 He talking about Revis, rightfully so. Revis been good for a long time. And he's like, he ain't even in the same universe as Revis. He's nowhere near. He's basically a bum. I said, now look, hey, like you can say, you can feel he better. You can feel I'm better. Everybody got their opinions.

35:26 That's cool.

35:27 He can say whatever he want because he out there putting it on tape.

35:30 Respect.

35:31 But I ain't about to just let you keep talking crazy about me when I don't think you've accomplished anything in this world.

35:38 You know what I mean?

35:38 I'm in the second year in the league. I'm a first team all pro. Just damn near led the league in interceptions. I was one off because they got nine and they got their ninth in the last game and I freaking, I had my ninth in my hands and then safeties and the other corner ran into me. It's crazy play. But, oh, it pissed me off so bad.

35:55 I had the ninth. I was like, led the league. Ball out. But, boy, I had to tell him because I'm like, bro, I'm not feeling good, I'm sick, but I'm tired of you talking crazy on my name and I'm not about to accept this anymore. Like, I'm like that. I'm like that. And I tell it to anybody's face, I tell you to watch the tape because my tape will tell you bigger than I can tell you, but I'm better at life than you in every which way you can count it. Like, you talking about ball, you talking about education, you talking about, I'm better. And I've only been here 24 years.

36:25 Yeah, yeah.

36:30 I feel, you know, I'm like, hey, he said some real stuff, dog. I can't even, like, because I know some people, man, I'm like, but, hey, forget all that, man. Hey, he's speaking some real stuff, dog. Just listen to him, dog.

36:44 Listen.

36:45 Just listen. Keep balling. Keep balling, brother. Keep growing. Keep elevating, brother. You on the right track. You got a good head on your shoulders. You got a fantastic game. Big fan of your game. And if you ever need anything from me, don't hesitate to reach out.

37:01 I bet I got you. I appreciate it. I appreciate you having me on here, too.

37:04 Yes, sir. Appreciate you coming on. We'll have you when you get your 10th.

37:08 I bet that.