Tedy Bruschi - The Champion’s Comeback - [Glue Guys, EP.24]

Early in my career, I'd spend hours alone in the film room thinking I was being productive. But the truth was, I had no idea what I was doing. I was just going through the motions. That's what finance leaders tell me. They're frustrated because they waste hours manually tracking expenses and reconciling statements when they should be focusing on driving their business forward. Be honest with me. How much of your time is spent on high value work? For many finance teams, it's less than 20%. But you can change that right now with Ramp. Ramp is a free corporate card that handles all the tedious financial operations automatically so your finance team can focus on what actually moves the needle. One CFO told me they cut their month end close from five days to one. It's no surprise over 25,000 businesses trust ramp, including Shopify, CBRE and Boys and Girls Club of America. Don't waste any more time going through the motions. Check out ramp@ramp.com GG and for glue guys listeners, Ramp is offering metal cards for the next 30 days. Just go to ramp.com gigi cards issued by Sutton bank member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply.

Am I worried about winning football games or survival? I can't even see. I can't even drive. I need a procedure for my heart.

You get one more chance. Like, what was that like for you.

When after a play do you say to yourself, I'm still alive? And I did that. I didn't need Bill Belichick to be my friend, really, at that point in.

My career, guy that you respect and you bled for, for him to say, it's time to move on. Like, what is that? What does that feel like?

It's humbling looking up all your accolades, Teddy.

Yeah.

Honestly. And having worked with you now for two years, like, I kind of pride myself. There's a couple things I think I, like, I try to take pride in. Is like one is like toughness. I like something I strive to be and, you know, some. Some level of intelligence and smarts. And then you sit next to Teddy Bruski and come on, man, it's humbling. It's humbling, man. Freaking middle linebacker. Thirteen years in the NFL for some of the greatest teams and the greatest dynasty, not just in football, but the history of sports. Survived two strokes, came back to play freaking stuff. Still just kicking ass. Ran three marathons, played saxophone with the Boston Pops. Bowled a perfect game.

I did bowl a perfect game.

Played for three hall of Fame coaches in the NFL, which is ridiculous. I kind of want to dive into all three. I think for me, though, it always helps, like going back to beginning. You're from the Bay, which I currently, you know, Rovi and I live in.

Yeah. Born and raised in San Francisco, California. You know, not the best neighborhood, but a lot of kids didn't grow up in good neighborhoods and, you know, learned a lot. I think a lot of street smarts growing up, taking public transportation, public schools, that type of stuff, growing up sort of hard. Parents got divorced when I was early, when I was young, about three years old. So that really had an effect on me in terms of a single mom working multiple jobs, a lot of adversity she had to go through to raise three kids. So I think that was a big part of my, you know, chip on the shoulder type of motivation to, you know, succeed at whatever I was doing or just looking for an outlet to finally, like, let things out. Playing football was by chance, Fellas.

Tay, where do you think you get your toughness from?

My mother and father are both tough people. Very strong minded, stubborn people. It's probably what led to divorce. You know, you get two. Two people that aren't willing to compromise and they're fighting all the time. It's like, all right, all right, I'll go see my dad on weekend visitation. Okay, there we go.

And then there. In high school, when did you think, was there a moment when you, like, sparked, like, maybe I can go to college and do this?

Yeah.

I had no clue that football was even a way to get to college. You know, we weren't seeing a lot of scholarship athletes go out of Roseville High School. And the teams were okay, but these guys were, you know, I didn't think that they were out of this world good or anything like that. So after my junior year, we were sitting in the senior square right there after school, and a coach came up to me and gave me a letter. And in the upper left hand corner was a gold helmet. And it was my very first recruiting letter after my junior year. And it was from ucla. And I said, what is this? And he said, it's a recruiting letter. You fill it out, send it out. Maybe they'll. They'll give you a scholarship to go there. And I was like, really? And so really, that's when I thought it was all possible for me to go play football in college.

And Teddy, I was. You know, we haven't met in person, so I was actually surprised to see, like, your stats on, your size.

Right.

Like, you know, on. On tv. I thought you were even bigger. I thought you were Taller than you are. And so when you were in high school, when these guys are reaching out to you and recruiting you, I mean, are you at that point a pretty undersized player for your position? But, and so you must have been just tearing it up in high school, you know, because otherwise they wouldn't be recruiting you. But when the coaches would come see you, did they kind of tell you like, look, I don't know if you have the size for, to come here or what were you feeling as being undersized when you were in high school and in college?

Yeah, I think it was, it was Ed Kazarian who was the offensive line coach at UCLA who actually ended up coming out to see me practice, practice and told me how, you know, you're a lot, you're, you're a lot undersized for what we usually are looking for. And then, you know, a lot of, a lot of other colleges also said that about just, just not being tall enough, not being big enough guys. I was playing defensive tackle at like six 1, 200, you know, 25, 230 pounds. You know something like that's crazy. That's crazy. Yeah. Then they come in with like the tweener, know all the tweener sort of label and where are we going to put them and all that stuff. But the University of Arizona, the lower tier, tier of the PAC 10 back then decided, you know, this is a guy that would fit right in for us. And Coach Tomy who was a coach then offered me a scholarship and all I needed was one. It was really out of University of Arizona and Washington State. And all I figured was where am I going to live for the next five years of my life? Pullman, Washington or Tucson, Arizona? And I was like, I'm going to Tucson, Arizona, man.

So you go on like, this is crazy. I don't know if you guys know this. Teddy is part of arguably one of the greatest defenses in college football history. Desert Swarm. This is when I was like in my prime. I was like loving college football and University of Arizona was like, was kicking ass and this defense like changed the game and here he was the best player, two time all American. I mean I think you do you tie the sack record, the college sack record, 52 sacks.

Yeah. But yeah, we had a great defense. Desert Swarm tied Derek Thomas's all time Sack record with 52. It's, we're on the last sack. We're playing Arizona State. It's the last game and I know that I needed like three in that game to pass Derek Thomas. And I think I'm like, at two and a. Two, two and a half, right? Two and a half hours, like. So I rush on the edge, and as Jake Plummer and. And I'm bringing down Jake Plummer and I'm thinking, this is it, man. 52 and a half. And one of my buddies, Chuck Osborne, comes on the sack, right? Bang. And we both go down. And I look at him, I'm like, no. And we both get half a sack. And so then my coach tells me the next day, he's like, you tied it. You tied it. I'm like, oh, that's. Oh, I can't believe. But yeah, yeah, there was a brutal. I mean, it really. I mean, rushing the pastor was my thing back then. I mean, I. I got to the league and they told me I was playing linebacker, and I was like, what does that do, you know? I mean, I need to know the position.

Was the NFL ever a thought growing up? I mean, you know, you were shocked. You got one letter from ucla. You're like, oh, I can go to college. Like, when did. Like, oh, I have a chance to actually get paid to sack the quarterback now.

And Teddy, the. The context for this. You have it is, you know, between Alex and Shane. Alex thought he was getting punked when his brother told him that he could get drafted. And Shane sort of, I think, had the goal and the. Almost the confidence and the knowledge of it way earlier than most, like, in high school was sort of like, I think that I'd like to be a professional basketball player. So just hearing this is pretty fascinating for. For us to see the. The range.

Yeah, I. I would say the same. I maintain the same sort of, just clueless, sort of blinder effect in my collegiate career as I did in high school about getting a scholarship until after my junior year when it was like, boom, there's something tangible from a college that's real. And, okay, maybe I need to adjust my goals. After my red shirt sophomore year, I think I was like a second team All American. And then I was thinking, okay, maybe it's possible because I'm starting to get recognized for things might. Well, I have. I had 20 sacks my red shirt sophomore year.

Oh, my God.

And, Yeah, I had 20 sacks. And then it was like, all American. And then from that point on was like, yeah, yeah, I got a chance to do this. I know, six, one. So at this point, I'm 61, 245 pounds, 240 maybe. And all I did was just rush, rush, rush, rush. And that's all they had me do was read the hip of the offensive tackle, Alex. And if it went down, I surfed and it would pass protection. I went. I went up the field, and if there was a tight end, I played a Jam 7 technique. And that's all I knew. That was it.

To put this in context, this is the rarest transition to go from. I mean, in high school, he's a defensive tackle, offensive lineman. Then you go to D end in college, and then you make your way to middle linebacker in the NFL. Like, usually guys go the other way, right? They bulk up and they're skilled. They're skilled players. And then they end up with their hand in the dirt because they get bigger. Like, they don't. You don't do the other way, you know? Yeah, it's. It's so rare.

My first meeting with Al. Grow. I'll grow. Who was the linebacker coach? I was the only sort of middle linebacker they drafted. And I'm like, I'm in. This is in the pros.

This is your first meeting in the pros, and you're a third.

And I'm like, damn, I'm the only one here. This. I'm the. They didn't draft any other potential. So he's teaching me about COVID two, and I'm trying to write everything down that I possibly can. And he explains that, okay, you recognize pass in Cover 2. You drop to the hook. And finally I was just like, yeah, where's that? I didn't know any. He was like. Then he looked at me and he looked at Dante Scarneckia, who was the assistant linebacker coach at the time, and they looked at each other like, what, did we just draft?

Yeah.

And then he. So he had to go flat hook, half. All of these things. He had to, like, circle for me. And I'm like, oh, okay, now I know where the hook is. I don't have drop there now. All right, that's fine. And so that's. That was really a. A really a transformation that I had to. I mean, from seeing this and then I had to see all this, and it was like, so, so tough for me.

It was funny. I was talking to a guy today who's a super successful business guy, and he was talking about he's walking to a new environment. He just took on a new role. And he was talking about how, like, you know, he's nervous because some of the stuff he's going to be dealing with, he doesn't know. And he's going to have to, you know, he's going to get told you got to drop to the hook effectively, and he's not going to know what the fuck the hook is. And I, you know, I encouraged them. I was sort of like, listen, like, everybody's got it. You got to ask the question. Your normal instinct is going to be, let me go Google it. Let me go look it up. When you were in that moment and the guy's using the terms that you don't know, have you always been someone who's willing to ask, like, the quote, unquote, dumb question? Or did you. You know what I'm saying? Or is that something that you kind of were. Did because you were desperate of. I don't even know what this guy's talking about.

Yeah, well, that was desperation at that point.

Yeah.

Because there was, like, probably close to five other things that were going on top of it that I was still thinking about that I just didn't know what the heck. Even in terms of alignment, of being five yards off the ball, and I'm like, holy shit, five yards off the ball. And then, you know, where my. Where my eyes should be and all of that stuff. I had to just stop him somehow. And, you know, me being by myself, too, I'm like, I can't embarrass myself in front of anybody. You know, there's no one else in the room. So, like, hey, man, I don't know what the heck you're about.

Talking.

Talking about, we need to slow down. So I just sort of. Sort of had this. Just the courage to ask that question at that time.

Yeah, I think that's the right word, by the way, because I think that there's so many times where you just, like, don't ask. You don't even know what the heck's going on.

Guarantee you're not the only one in the room that doesn't know the answer either. I mean, if I was in there with other rookies, I'm sure they might have. Maybe there were some other guys in my same, you know, the same sort of situation I was in. But. Yeah, just never been afraid to ask questions.

This is your rookie year and Bill Parcells is the coach, right?

Yeah.

One of the run of three hall of Fame coaches that you've had, but, like, Bill. And Belichick is the DB coach.

He's a DB coach. Yeah. I did not know he was even on the staff when I got there, because Bill, like Bill had just got. I think he just got fired out of Cleveland. Right. So. So he just sort of slithers in into the Staff and he just wants to lay low in the grass, you know, and just coach DB's. And so he was always super quiet during defensive meetings, team meetings, and Al Groh was the defensive coordinator until, I mean, we gotta be like six weeks in or something like that. And finally he speaks up about the DBs chopping down these fat ass offensive linemen and you can't let them block you and do this. This is what you gotta do. And I look back, it's a voice I never heard. I'm like, oh man, oh, that's the Cleveland guy. You know, I mean like he was, he was not considered some genius by me or anything like that, but he was, he really kept his, his. He was. Kept a lot of things to himself during those meetings.

During that 96 year, Alex and Teddy, like for, for our listeners, like, like the thought of like not knowing like a teammate's name or coach's name is kind of foreign, you know? You know, like when you were CEO, you knew everybody's name for the most part, right?

I mean like.

Yeah, yeah.

Well explain that dynamic. Certainly. Shane, to your point, like when Instagram got big, you know, at some point, no, you don't know everyone's name, but like, yeah, you know, the people that you're around, the idea. To your point, nobody who's ever played athletics thinks that there would ever be on a team where they don't know a coach or the teammates names. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's, that is not a thing.

Be to like, to my experience. And Ted, you could rip on this, but like when you're a rookie, like, like Teddy's point, you're spinning, right? Like you're just spinning and you live in your own little world. So you're in like your linebacker world. You're just like trying to farm your own land and, and you, you sit so like siloed, right? Like you're in your group and like the DBs, I mean they're part of the defense, but they're. They're in their own group. They have their own coach. Right. Like you're not. And you're in a big auditorium together when you meet as a defense, right?

Yeah. I mean, training camp, you're talking 80, 90 guys. And Alex is right. I mean, I'm really just. I just want to make the team.

Yeah.

You know what I mean? I'm a third round pick. I have no. I mean there's Bill Parcells who basically is dog cussing so many people during practice, and coaches and all that stuff and it's super intense to where I mean, I had the rookie class that I was with. You stay close because you're in the hotel rooms and you end up knowing who your draft class is and all that stuff. But you get to these other guys and they're not really motivated in meeting you in terms of, you know, you get to be third, fourth round picks, fifth round picks. You know, these veterans know it's a possibility at some of these guys, I'm going to be here, I'm trying to do my own thing. So it's, it happens on a football team.

Shane, what was Parcells like? I mean, he is, I mean, I have this impression of him. He's old school. I mean I've heard the sound bites like he's a tough, tough love, old school coach. And this is your welcome to the.

Is there even any love? I mean, to me I think about him is tough.

I don't.

Is it tough love or just tough?

No, there's. There's a side of Bill Parcells that is. Would meet his players, the ones that he cared about on different levels and the ones that were, you know, he felt were the right guys, the ones that got it. Do you, you know those guys that get it, as he would say. I mean, he was, I was so lucky to have him lay my football foundation. I mean it was his last year in New England in 1996 and I think from the middle of the season on he knew maybe even sooner because there was a lot of tension between him and Robert Kraft, the owner. I think he knew this was his last year and his last go round. So he spent so much time in team meetings talking to us, it was consistent that, you know, a half hour to 45 minute team meeting was sometimes the norm because he wanted to give a message about how we should finish this season out. So as hard as he was, like getting on players and especially getting on coaches during practice, there was one time that I was a rookie and I'm starting finally to learn what linebacker is and I'm covering Dave Megat man to man and I'm on the scout team and Mag D. I mean this guy is like a scatterback, quick and everything like that. And I'm off the ball, I'm doing this and I, I step in front and I pick off the pass and it's Drew Bledsoe that throws. That's a Wyman stepped in Bledsoe in front of me and it's a week after, I mean, during the week that I'M making some plays, practice ends, and Bill Parcel says, bruski, get in the car. Because that's when we used to have to drive from one practice to, from one field to another. Before they got all the fancy facilities up there in New England. You actually had about a five minute or so drive where the, where the practice facility was. And during that drive, I'll never forget it, he really talked to me about surviving in the league, getting an accountant. Oh, Teddy. I've seen more guys go down, go down to the IRS than drugs and women. And, you know, he would, he would talk to me about. He was talking to me like, I'm like, he actually thinks I'm going to be around. Yeah, you know, it was the cool. It was the, like the biggest, one of the biggest moments I had my rookie season that I'll never forget that I was like, man, this coach cares about me. And so I took his advice, you know, try to be right about the irs, getting accountants, all of that stuff, and staying on top of stuff because he took the time to do that.

That's such a cool story that like the. Him seeing you is like, get in the car and then get an accountant. But like, to your point of just like, oh, man, he thinks I'm actually going to, like, he thinks I need an accountant. You know, like, that's such a cool expression of like how somebody shows they care. Like, that's awesome. That's a. Yeah.

I called my agent, was like, I need an account. He's like, ted November, I don't care. Get one. You know?

Yeah, we talk about like different roles on teams, right. And you famously, you know, later become your team captain for seven years. But like, as a rookie, your role is different, right. You're learning the position. Are you doing special teams at this point?

Yeah, I was mainly a special teamer. I was a special teamer and a third down package player, you know, coming down, coming out and rushing the passer actually from the defensive tackle position in the league now. So I'm rushing as a three technique and I'm like, you know, shoot six one, 245 pounds. But they called the package cactus because I was doing so many things, different things off the ball. I was like the, you know, what you call, like the, what they call the buck in terms of moving around and running pass, rushing games with everybody out of an odd front. So they wanted to make a package for me. And then me being from Arizona, they said, we'll call it Cactus. So whenever they got Cactus, I would come in and be a defensive tackle or rush situationally and shoot, we're end up in the Super bowl in 96 playing the green Bay Packers. And I sacked Brett Favre twice as a rookie and for out of that cactus package. And it was crazy. And I'm like, this is, you know, it was, it was just a total still finding what I could still do on the team as I was learning to, to, to learn my long term role. Like I had to do something that could keep me on the team while I was learning to play linebacker because I had absolutely no clue to, but I could still rush the passer, which was I was really good at in college and I could play special teams.

Teddy, what was your welcome to the NFL moment? Do you remember? Like, oh, crap.

I would say the first time was a rookie during camp at Bryant College is what they called it back then. Now it's Bryant University but Bryant College. And it was the day that all the rookies had to get their head shaved. And I had, you know, I got hair, I got the hair mullet going and all of that stuff. And so I walk into the bathroom and there's guys with clippers and Ben Coates had a bat. And so it was like, you got a problem with this? We can handle this.

Sorry. You said Ben Coates had a bat.

Ben Coates had a bat. And that's if anybody decided to act up like they didn't want to get their hair cut. Like probably Ben did when he was a rookie. So that was one of them. And the other one was when I was playing scout team on Ben Coates, I was actually playing outside linebacker and I had him in man to man coverage and, and I'm, I mean, I'm just trying to work these techniques they're trying to teach me. We're going down the field and I'm stabbing him, I'm working his hands and all of that stuff. And as we're walking back, Ben Coates looks to me and says, hey, rookie, you ever touch me like that again, I'll break your arm.

He did.

And I was like, all right, I get it, I get it. And this Ben Coates was a well proportioned big man. I mean, there are guys that are big, but like head, shoulders, arms, forearms, hands, everything about Ben Coates was like a man. And I was like, yes, sir. Yes, sir.

I mean, you're young. Like you're, you know, 21 years old at that time, right?

23. 23, yeah.

23 years old. And like, like you said, like you're Just getting, like, when you're getting told by, like, a man, right. You know, something that you. I just feel like your life gets. It speeds up so much when you guys have the lives you have. Nobody at McKinsey, you know, when I got out of college, was like, hey, man, you do an analysis like that again, I'm gonna kick your ass. Like, that's not, like a thing, you know, that's not what happens.

You know, the funny finish, Ravi, That's. That story is fast forward 13 years later. We're playing some type of special teams or something, because, I mean, I was on the punt team till the end of my career, and Julian Edelman was on me on scout team, and Julian did the same that I did the Ben Coates. Thirteen years later. And as Julian Edelman and I are running back to the. To the line of scrimmage, I looked at Julian and said, rookie, you ever touch me like that again, I'll break your.

Mentoring.

Story. Jules will tell that story, too. And then I remember seeing him after one of his super bowl victories, and he told that story. I said, you know what the funny finish, the funny. The beginning of that story was, and I told him the Ben code story, and we hugged and we laughed about it, and it was funny.

Well, so what was parcels like to the guys that didn't get it because you talked about it? You know, he had this part. He would get you if he thought you got it. But, like, what was he like overall? What was he like to the other folks? Because he is seen as somebody who, you know, iconic NFL coach and known for toughness.

I don't know. I wasn't one of those guys.

Do you feel like he tested you early?

Yeah, often. Often. Like, you could. You could. You could almost tell, like, within the script of plays, you knew that one was for you. And if you. If you. Because. Because you. The way it was structured, man, I mean, meetings, walk through practice, you're told about a certain read that you're needing. You'll need to get in a meeting. They'll walk through it and walk through, and then they'll show it to you. Speed. And then if you don't get it full speed, you can almost feel the reaction from the coaches. Like, didn't get it after we showed it to him and told it to him and all of that stuff. Like, within scripts, you could tell how much you were tested every single day. Like, damn, that was mine. That was my play action read where I should have got back to the end cut. And I missed it. Or something like that. And. And. And it was. You really felt bad about it because, I mean, you don't get many chances. I mean, two days of full pads and then Fridays, no pads, which. Which is how we used to do it. And if you missed a Miss a rep, I mean, it's just. You feel like it's just a waste. So. And you. You could feel. And know when you were tested, it was often.

Yeah, you go to the super bowl your rookie year, you. I mean, sacking Brett Favre twice. Like, then they have this. You said it, right? Like, he leaves. He resigns.

Right.

Parcels resigns.

Yeah.

And then in comes Pete Carroll. Right. And you have Pete for the next three years. What a. I mean, it's like, transition into Pete. I mean, Pete again then. Right. I mean, this guy's defensive guru goes on to win a Super bowl and national championships and has a completely different style, right, From. From Parcels.

It was just so different. I mean, it was like going from a guy that you knew had control to going to a guy that hoped that his players would help him have control. You know, just the true definition of when going from Parcells to Carroll is like, Pete was a player's coach, and he really wanted his guys to. To lead for him. And I think it was just too big of a transition for a lot of guys. I mean, so we went. So we went, wait, 10 and 6, 9 and 7, 8 and 8 during the three years with Pete. And I mean, playoffs, Playoffs out of playoffs, and Pete gets fired. But I think the big difference with Pete was when he went to USC and ended up going to Seattle. You know how they like to name the days. I mean, like, no turnover Thursday, no repeat Friday, all of these things that they name. Like, we never had anything for Monday, which I heard that he ended up calling it, like, tell the truth Monday, which a lot of guys will talk about. We didn't have that when he was in New England. You see, he. He. I think he learned that after he was with us, and then he sort of got a little bit harder at SC and then C. But I think Pete learned a lot with his. With his time at us and to where he became a great head coach. I mean, you could tell. I mean, he was a great motivator. And the guys that were so. I mean, I was only one year with Parcells, so I could, like, help try to make the transition. But then the other guys that were just ingrained in that Parcells way, I don't think they truly grasped it eventually. And so I Think that's just why Pete got three years and he was done.

See, the thing that I hope if we ever end up talking to Pete Carroll, which I hope we do, he to me, is one of the more inspirational, like, late in life learners, you know, that exist, you know, like, I don't know how old he was from 97 to 99 or whatever, but he's the coach. But, you know, 40s, 50s. I mean, you know, it's not. He's not 22. Right. And he, at that point, it effectively is a failure, and he turns out to be an excellent NFL head coach at some point. And it's like real lessons from mid-40s or 50s that then get applied in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. That's cool. That's very unique. You know, so many people, they just, like, stop developing, you know?

Yeah. I think during. During my time with Pete, I am so incredibly grateful because during that three years with Pete and also Bo Pelini, the linebacker coach, that's really when I learned to play linebacker. Like, after my first year, it was sort of get by special teams, third down rusher with Pete and Bo, they're the ones that taught me the intricacies of playing the position and gave me reps at it to where, you know, by the time Pete was gone. I mean, I really don't under. I don't really know if during that three years am I worried about winning football games or survival, you know, because me learning to turn into a positional player that can have a future in the league, and I'm watching other linebackers, like SEO and a lot of other guys that are just the tops at their position trying to, like, do similar things that they're doing. But Bo and Pete ended up teaching me so much to where once they left, then I felt like I was able to survive with Belichick. Okay.

And then that Belichick walks in the door. He's a. He's a Parcels disciple, right? Like, Marcellus has this big tree. I mean, Sean Payton's a part of it, Tom Coughlin, but, you know, most famously, Bill Belichick was with him for a long time. But they seem like they do not have similar personalities, right? I mean, Bill. Yeah, Like.

Yeah, I think. I think, you know, that little piece of Parcels even that. You see how. I mean, it's. It was so impactful to me when Bill Parcell says, get in the car. Brusque, right? And what that car ride meant to me, man, you know what I mean? Everything that he talked to me about succeeding in the league and, you know, and how he thought that I had a long term future. Those type of conversations, that's not getting on your ass about, you know, a play or anything like that. It's like sincerely telling you, I think you're good, man, and you can, you can, you can be something in this league. That's the difference. That's the difference. I mean, I mean, I think Bill Belichick was a lot more black and white for me. For me, that it was. It was more about now. Okay. I got parcels in my. In my foundations laid. I learned how to play the position with Pete Carroll. Dude. All right, just how do we win? How do we win now? And then that's when. That's what Belichick took us to the next level with.

He, at this point is a kind of a failure too. Right. Like you're saying he's been a two time head coach. It didn't.

It was like a retread. Right.

You know?

Yeah.

When you talk about Belichick being black and white. Right. And in a vacuum, I would have thought that, that I could imagine a story where that's not enough. That's not what takes you to the next level. That you actually do have to demonstrate that you care about the guys, you know what I'm saying? Versus just like. No, it's about what do we do to win? What do we do to win? What do we do to win? And so what is like the learning from Belichick as coach, as you think about like leadership or whatever. Do you see what I'm saying? Because, like, I want to know what he's like and why it works. Because absent this conversation, I would have. I would have thought, you know, that it wasn't just black and white.

Yeah.

Well, you get to a point in your career where all you want is black and white. I mean, when you. All you want. Because all you want to do is win. And you don't. I didn't. You know, sometimes, I mean, I didn't need Bill Belichick to be my friend really, at that point in my career. And, you know, getting a read on him early on, it's like he has really no goal to be your friend either. And that's okay, man, because I mean, it's time to win football games and just tell me how to do it. And the black and white comes. This is how we win the game. This is what you're supposed to do to win the game. And every sort of guy sort of knew what they were supposed to do. All right? That's what we got to do. And a lot of times if we didn't, we lost. If we did, we won. I mean, our first year, we went 5 and 11. Okay. Our first year in a Belichick, he was. He didn't come in some genius or anything like that. Players had to get better. I think players had to understand him. That first year, too. It was nothing but hard weeding guys out who were his guys, who are not his guys. And that was a lot of. Of the first year. But I really don't believe a professional coach needs to let players know that they care back then. Back then. Especially in terms of you get fourth, fifth year, sixth year in the league, and your goals are sort of changing in terms of how you want to just win. And you got. I mean, I had a family at home.

Yeah.

I didn't need any. Any. I don't need you to be my friend, Bill, because I got everything I need in my house.

Yeah.

So it's either we're going to win or we're not going to win, man. What are you going to do about it?

Well, look, you're 5 and 11, okay? This guy's been fired twice. You got to be thinking like, like, what are we doing here? Right? Yeah, I mean, I'm sure there are some guys like, oh, no, no, no. Stay the course. Stay the line. But that's got to be hard, dude. Go from, you know, a slow decline from 10 and 6 to 5 and 11 with a coach that just got fired twice. Like, what is that locker room like? And what's the conversation?

The slow decline? I'm thinking of my rookie year going to the super bowl, and then, like, maybe we'll be able to make it here a bunch, you know, and then all the way going to Pete, Carolyn, just crash into 5 and 11. And. Yeah, I mean, it's hard to just go through the process that Belichick was trying to preach, which was a simplistic process of, you know, the old one game at a time, one day at a time, one everything at a time, and not really thinking about, okay, we went 5 and 11. We suck. Just, it's a new year, and every year is different. So, you know, let's start this process over again. It's hard to believe that sometimes, but that's really the type of. I've already given you two examples where I didn't even think about going to college to play football until I got the letter. I didn't think about. I didn't think about playing in the pros till I became an all American after my red shirt sophomore year. So I was always that way anyway. Like, I'm just dealing with what's right in front of me. And we had some other guys that were bred the same way, and that's really what Bill wanted us to focus on. So it was sort of a good match.

I want to go back to, like, not knowing, you know, the safety's name who might be a rookie. So how in the heck do you create a culture of winning when you are just worried about your job? All right, you may. You may not talk to the dbs, you may not talk to the. The defensive ends in a meeting. Like, it's so fascinating to me that you're working in the silo. Yes, I know my job. And if I do my job, it all but, like, at some point, there's got to be some synergy on the defense, right? And some communication. So, like, how do you develop that? What do you do? Where do you start when you're 5 and 11?

First, learning to do your job well is the first thing. Like, if you can't lead unless you know how to do your job, I mean, if you suck, no one's going to look to you for leadership. All right? So just learn your own details of your assignments. That first of all, and always in football, the success at one position has to have the success of another. Like, I can't do well without my defensive lineman doing.

Talk about this all the time, Alex. Yeah.

And I can't do well with. Without my safety's doing. See, So I know how to do my job. And then now there's the first step. But now to come do it even better. I have to, like, work in. In concert with you, you, you, and you and you. And then it broadens. But the starting point is always, okay, what do you do on this play? That's what I do. That's the black and white. But then, okay, these are the adjustments and everything and how all of this works together. You end up getting there. You end up getting there. It's just a simplistic way of saying it. To do your job, and then you can do your job well. And then the third part really is to help other. To help others do theirs. And then once you get there, that's when it all starts working together.

What do you think was different about Belichick with you guys than the previous ones where it didn't work? Because I think that it seems like this approach of, you know, black and white, do your job. It's Very inputs oriented. Right. Of like, you know, it's all about that. Which makes sense. But what do you think?

I think almost, yeah.

Obsessive on the.

At least from the outside it appears that like obsessive on the inputs, like the details.

Yeah, yeah. But what do you think was different for why it worked? It's just better players. Like what, what made it so successful? Round three versus not in rounds one and two.

Well, I really think those players. Absolutely. I mean, I mean we had some very good players that had backgrounds with two very good coaches. When Bill came in and then getting used to him and becoming 5 and 11 and then the next season, I mean Drew was still a great quarterback for us, but Drew went down, then Tom came in and then he had to develop from ground zero also. But we had so many good players on defense in the offensive line and our special teams ended up doing so well in winning games for us also that it was almost like a perfect synergy of just everyone coming together at once and growing up together also because those players, that group of players were young together. I mean Ty Law, lawyer Malloy, I mean Seymour, myself, I mean Vinatieri was the kicker. I mean so many offensive linemen and Drew Z, Matt Light, a lot of guys that were, I mean, I'm just mentioning off great players that ended up being having really, really good careers that I think Belichick had the fortune to come into a great situation.

Do you think like on that same note, because this is my, at least my perspective from the outside is like, it is very black and white, but then again it's, it's so detail oriented. And I've told you guys, it's like in the NFL, there's there when you come in, I feel like there's this philosophy of like you're a finished product. And so like if you can't do it, we're just going to get somebody else that can. And there's not like a teaching and developing mindset. And at least from my perspective, like the whole Patriot way, a lot of this like that Bill was about is like this. He's a teacher. And it would like very much break these things down fundamentally and teach and develop. And like there's a lot of guys like, look what Tom started as and became, right? Like you, you were a D tackle and become this, you know, all pro middle linebacker, Julian Edelman plays quarterback in college and becomes this unbelievable receiver, right? Like that doesn't happen a lot of other places. And so like I, at least from my perspective, like maybe there's a brilliant. In it. You're. These are young 22, 23, 24 year olds that need to get taught professionalism. Right. And like Bill, that's all he was about.

I'm a perfect example, first of all, of like being developed. I was developed and I was developed by three different coaching staffs. But Belichick put on the finishing touches in terms of me being able to do what I could do at the highest level during those championship runs all the way to 07, you know, 07 and 08, of course Brady goes down, but yeah, I was a perfect example of that. I mean, Tom was a perfect example of that. Really. There were a lot of examples of development of players and yeah, as simple as it sounds, that are all the, you know, the do your job and that stuff. There was. There's coaching that goes involved, there's. There's adjustments, there's just techniques, there's. He made the complex seem a lot simple sometimes in terms of setting the edge, stopping the run, taking somebody away in the red area, something like that. But absolutely, there had to be brilliance in terms of coaching strategies especially. Bill always said, I mean, win championships, you need good coaches, good players, good fortune. And we had a lot of good fortune too. Some calls that went our way, the ball bounced our way, all of that stuff. I mean, it happens. It happens. You can see it happening for the Chiefs this year for a lot of. A lot of teams. I mean, there is a lot of good fortune involved. No question. That's.

That's the biggest. That's the biggest. You know, think fans don't realize, like it's a bounce of the ball and, you know.

Yeah.

The line between being immortal and being in a skid mark in the underwear of history is razor thin.

We lost, I mean, in 07, that undefeated season with Tyree and the ball on the helmet and it's like, yeah, it's. I see it in my sleep, you know, but that's. I mean, we had plays too. We had the tuck rule happen. We had plays where guys were knocked out, but a foot was out of bounds and he fumbled. But he was touching, I think it was. David Patton was touching the ball. And we still retained possession. Various instances like that where it's like, man, we just got, you know, we got lucky right there. Absolutely.

There's this good statement in business that the CEO of Microsoft has said, which is. He's like, look, in the short term, HR departments are inefficient. In the long term, they're pretty efficient. And the idea Is like, yeah, you might not get paid what you should get paid in the short term, you might not get a promotion. You should get in the short term. In the long term, you generally get what you deserve, right? And I think that over a long enough sample size, I think, you know, in sports, you guys were so good for so long that you did win a lot of championships. You didn't win each one that you could have won, but you won a lot because you guys were really good for a long time. I think the thing that's interesting is if you're only good for one year, then that good fortune thing is really. It can really hurt you, because all of a sudden, you know, if you don't get that good fortune in the one year that you're close, you got a big problem. Teddy, I can't believe we've been on this for almost an hour and we haven't talked about you having a stroke at 31 years old. You know what I'm saying? So, like, so you. At this point, how many Super Bowls have you won?

We had three Super Bowls, and I just played in my first Pro bowl, so I was. I'll just get into it, fellas. I was home for about a day and a half, and I woke up in the middle of the night of. Of To a dream, actually.

And you have kids at this point, Teddy?

Yeah, yeah, I have three kids. Young boys I had. Young boys I had. So woke up in the middle of night, you know, severe unexplained headache, numbness down the left side of my body, and I just thought it was from the Pro Bowl. So, I mean, I went to the bathroom and went back to sleep. Woke up later in the morning, and I had lost the left field of vision in both my eyes. And that's when we called 911 and, you know, get to the hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and found out it was a stroke. And, yeah, that's where sort of a lot of things changed for me there. The only time I had used the word stroke was on a golf course.

So I didn't.

First of all, I didn't even. I didn't even understand. It's like, how did I have a stroke, man? I'm 31 years old, Doc, and it's like, you know, we go through the whole prognosis and find a hole in my heart, and, you know, that's how the blood clot maybe traveled up to my brain. And, you know, doctors will give you a lot of gray. A lot of times they don't give A lot of black and white answers. So, I mean, it was all about just rehabbing from there. And they thought closing the hole in my heart was the best way to go. But I thought my career was over. I went to Bill and actually told them that I wasn't going to play anymore, that I was going to retire. And so that was pretty much, yeah, that was a low point of, of my professional career. When you think everything's going great and everything was really. And all of a sudden, who do you turn to?

We, we talk to, you know, all of our guests have a moment where they don't know what tomorrow is going to bring, right? And especially for men, especially for NFL players, middle linebacker on super bowl winning championship teams. You're not supposed to have any emotions or anxiety or depression or question. You're supposed to just be a, be a man, right. And be the picture of toughness. So like a question we ask all our guys, like, who do you turn to? Like, who, who do you let the, the veil of vulnerability shine in, in your life in 2005?

You know, spiritually, I turn it over to God and all the control that he has in my life. You know, I sort of think about it that way. Way sometimes. A very spiritual person leaned on prayer after that. Is my wife. Really. My wife and I were not. We were, we. We thought we were done playing football. It's like we can't do this anymore. I can't even see. I can't even drive. I need a procedure for my heart. You know, all of this stuff is just so overwhelming that, you know, we're just. I'm just trying to get back to be a good husband and a good father again, you know, and hopefully I can rehabilitate my left side, where I can still do that. And so I took football out of the equation because I thought that was a lot of maybe unnecessary, unnecessary thoughts to have in terms of. I didn't think it was possible at all. No one had ever done it before, come back to play football after suffering a stroke like this. I couldn't lean on anyone for advice. So it was my wife and I basically doing what we could to stay together and be there for our three boys. I think that's just. My wife was my major support.

Okay, so you're in your mind, you're done with football, you're happy to be alive, right? I would imagine. I mean, stroke is scary as hell, right? You, you start to get back through work and through medical help, all this stuff, you're starting to get back when do you start thinking, like, maybe I'll go back to play football? And I can't even imagine you even think about telling your wife at this point. I would imagine you don't even let it into your brain. And so talk to us about that.

Yeah, it was the middle of the night and the time was 12:23. And I say that, and I know the time because of my wife was breastfeeding at the time. And we had a clock up on the dresser that was like digital and it had those little sections of a number, you know, and when I had, when I had lost my vision, the left side of vision, like what? All I could really see was like 2:23. And I couldn't see the clock unless I turned my head a certain way to get to my right side of vision. But I woke up this one night and, you know, it slowly started to come back. You start to see the bottom of that one. But I woke up one night in the middle of night, and I saw not only the one in 1223, but I saw that little battery symbol. We didn't have a 9 volt battery in it because that says if you, if. For if a power goes out, it's just gonna, you know, or back up power. So I'm like, damn, I could see the whole clock. Maybe I can play again. And. And that's when I started thinking about it. And then that's when my wife and I really started having a problem.

You gotta keep going.

She's in the other room right now and she can probably hear her talking. But yeah, I'm telling you, I mean, you can understand. I mean, you're, you're my husband. You're the father of my three kids. I'm not putting you back out there on that field. Not after we had this whole ordeal and talk about brains and hearts and this is not shoulders and ankles. I mean, Alex knows all this stuff, you know what I mean? And it's like, this is real life stuff. You're not going back. And so, yeah, it was, it was point of like a lot of stress in our, in our, in our, in our household for, for a while.

If this brings you bad memories, Alex, you know, if you're, you know, stressed with Liz, we're sorry, but, you know, I think people need to hear this story.

Yeah, well, I need this a little shared connection.

I made a mistake. I made a mistake, like during my entire rehabilitation process. Like, I can look back on all it, all of it now, and it's like, so once she's we're at odds, you know, in terms of what I want to do and what she wants to do. And so what I was doing is I was going to rehab, right? And I'm going to the rehab at the stadium, and I'm doing all these things to where I'm progressing, and from all the way to not getting my heart rate rate above 100 so the device heals properly to where now I'm, like, running and I'm doing a lot of things, and my balance is back and then my sights back, and I'm all this. Heidi was at home. So we talk about this, like, even recently, about. Man, I wish I would have brought her with me, you know what I mean? So she could see me and see me how good I was doing and rehabilitating and seeing that maybe I am okay. But she was at home doing her thing, and I would go and then I would come home and. And like, know that I was better. But she always just still saw me as someone that she wanted to keep in shrink wrap, as she would say.

Yeah.

And so, I mean, I totally understand that, but I think looking back at it, that was. That was a big mistake of mine not to include her in a lot of the rehabilitation that I was doing. So we get through all that, and there. There comes a point. There comes a point in our relationship where we're really. We're really not doing too well. And finally we had. We were just. We kept having conversations and trying to talk about things, and it was the one time. It was. The kids were asleep. We're in the hallway. It's a dark hallway. I'm the stairwell. I'm sitting on the stairwell. And I tell her, I just can't do this without you. And I tell her how much that I needed her also. And I think that was really a point for us because I was really trying. I think I was. Maybe I was just more vulnerable at that point, that I need your support. It's what I want to do. I understand the way you feel, but if I don't have you, I don't know how this is possible. So she wanted to get reassurance again. And so that's when Mr. Craft comes into play. And after all the opinions that we finally had, he sent us to one final one, and we were together. And it was a doctor over in Columbia, which I believe Mr. Kraft is an alumni there, and answered all of our questions together, sitting side by side, which we had done throughout the process. But we had to come through it again. And we Came to the plan that I would come back. So I guess the moral of the story is I didn't do a good job including her. Including her. And. And being totally honest with her and what was happening and letting her see how well I was being, you know, I was in the whole thing. I can do this all by myself. I got this man. And so I think that was a mistake on my part. I really could have done that better, you know, so totally understanding how where she was coming from and what she wanted for me was only out of love. And we made through it, you know. Been married 30 years now. Almost 37. No, 27. 20. 27.

Yeah.

She's in the next room. Teddy, you better remember. Come on.

I know, I know, but you go through situations like I've never been in that situation before, and, you know, to be. There was a lot of pressure, you know, I mean, so much of the media that it was covering so much of it, and there was a lot of pressure on a lot of us and a lot outside pressures going on also. And so, I mean, just making through it at the end, getting through it at the end is probably the most important thing. And. And we did.

I've never been able to ask anybody this, but, like, your first practice, your first hit, your first game, like, I. Going back to those first one more time. And I know I had so much anxiety and doubt, right? And fear. But then you're also exhilarated, right? You're, like, doing this one more time, you know, like, you never thought it was going to happen again, and you get one more chance. Like, what was that like for you.

When after a play, do you say to yourself, I'm still alive? And I did that on the very first practice rep. Like, Dean Pe was the defensive coordinator. And we get into the 900 on 7 drill. It's a run drill. It's how you start practice usually after you've warmed up and everything. And the first play, they script them, they know the place. It was like a lead right at me, and it was a fullback. It's like one of the more violent collisions a linebacker can have. I'm like, oh, shit. The hole goes like this. I'm like, all right, here we go. And boom. I hit the fullback and literally a big clack. And then I'm still standing, and I'm like, I'm still alive. And that's what you go through, Alex. I mean, shit. I mean, that's what I was thinking there. And then after the period, I went to my coach and I Was like, please lead on the first play. He's like, I had to see if you were ready. And so that's just the way it was. And literally, guys, I had a goal, I had a goal like that season was to just get all the zeros off my stat sheet, like tackle, assisted tackle sack, interception, pbu, like, try to get something, everything, all of those notches again, just as a, as a stroke survivor. Now I was looking to, so that was a, I, you never have those goals before, but coming back from something like that, it's like you're doing everything else now as a, somewhat of a survivor and it's important.

Yeah, the, the, we should get back to this. The thing I was going to on the relationship side was like, most people that are not going to have a stroke and come back to play professional football, but most people probably are going to have a disagreement with their spouse about something that is important. You know what I'm saying? And so I think the lesson for me on this of like, how you deal with it, how you went through with it, how, you know, you go through all the emotions of, are you being selfish by doing it? Are you protecting the family enough by doing it? And then kind of the how do you resolve it? That to me is super fascinating because I think that, you know, maybe it's like, you know, needing to move to a different geography, different job, whatever it might be. People are going to have stuff where they're not on the same page as the person that they care about in their relationship. So I, I, I find that. I really appreciate you sharing the details with this.

Yeah. I would say the two things that really I learned was, you know, it's, you're not, you're not always by yourself, man. Yeah, I mean, it's, it's okay to include others, include others that want to help that I didn't realize, like, there's so much else going on by the caregiver, which is what we call it in the stroke community, or a caregiver of. That's, that's taking care of the patient, which is basically what I was. And I wasn't taking her emotions and mental state into account. So realize, I mean, that's my, that was my first mistake. And then the other one was, I guess I learned, I mean, it's okay to say yes when people say, do you need help? And that's hard for a lot of men, you know, I mean, it's, it's hard. And that's what I learned. Like, so tired after my stroke to like, get up and get a glass of water. And it's like you feel. Instead of feeling bad, and Heidi would say, I mean, you ask, do you need anything? You know what? Yes, I do. I do need help, because I'm tired right now, and I need something, babe. And so I would say those are the two things that I hold onto and I try to take with me now into my. My normal life in terms of seeing things more with. I mean, I guess as a stroke survivor. Yeah.

And so we've now talked. We talked about Belichick, we talked about Carol. We talked about parcels. But you were the captain, too, so what is your style? What was your style as a leader? I mean, you know what you said. Seven years as the. As the captain of a dynasty. I mean.

Yeah.

What were you like or what are you like?

I guess I was. I mean, they nicknamed me Bitter Brew in terms of how pissed off I could get sometimes. You know, I guess that sort of Vrabel actually gave me that nickname. Oh, here comes Bitter Brew, you know, But I guess I was. I was very upfront with guys, but I really thought that I couldn't get up front and lead without, like, knowing my teammates really well. You know, I tried to have relationships with a lot of them and, of course, always thinking that I was on a level playing field with all of them, not thinking that anyone's more important than anyone else, first of all, and that, you know, leadership can. Can come from friendship first and then, you know, constructive conflict, you know, sometimes, which. Which I think happens a lot in locker rooms where you get an uncomfortable, comfortable conversations, and that's absolutely okay. But I tried to do it with probably leaning a little bit more to even a softer side of Bill. Part ourselves in terms of, you know, getting to know my teammates on an intimate level, first of all, because, I mean, no one. You won't get that respect, and no one will listen to you if they think they're just being yelled at, you know, So I think that was. That's the type of leadership that I tried to implement.

Who were the glue Guys in your locker rooms? You look back at the players, the coaches, obviously, it's called Glue Guys. We celebrate the people who just bring everything together. You know, we think you're a glue guy. That's why you're on the show. We're honored to have you as our guest. But who.

Who.

Who would you consider the glue Guys? The glue gals that helped you on your journey?

Yeah, the glue guys, man. I appreciate that. Yeah, that's a Great term in terms of, you know, who holds everything together. I mean, Roman Feifer was a linebacker that doesn't get talked about that. I, man, one of my favorite teammates of all time, you know, Joe Andrussy, Matt Light, you, you talk about offensive linemen that are so important that play in pain so many times. Larry Izzo was a special teams captain who's now coaching in the league. You know, a lot of, you know, those type of guys that are backups that do so much important things on special teams. Also, I mean, shoot, we had a great kicker in Adam Vinateri that was good with everyone, you know, in terms of, he's going to the hall of Fame, but he was a guy that was just one of the guys. So, I mean, names that, you know, that aren't, you know, really talked about a lot in terms of a lot of the, A lot of success that we had, but definitely were so important. Roosevelt Colvin, he played outside linebacker for us. Anthony Pleasant. Anthony Pleasant. Just. I remember AP coming in one time and guys were blaring their music and there was profanity and everything like that. And AP was really God fearing man. And just, just, just getting on everybody about how they conduct themselves because there's a training room next door that have women in there and young men in there. And then, you know, we shouldn't be playing this type of music. Those type of guys, you know, it's, you know, that type of leadership. I'll always remember Bobby Hamilton. Bobby Hamilton. So a lot of guys that are just coming into mind now, it's so cool.

I hope everyone realizes how many you just rattled off. It's not, they think about it. And that's not a coincidence that how many you rattled off given the success of that team. Right? Like you just named a lot of guys, right? And you need a lot of people to keep that kind of successful multi year team together. Right? That's, that was so cool. And that was off the top of your head.

Yeah, there's, there has to be, there has to be a lot. I mean, I can keep going with a lot of guys. Like Troy Brown was an early one. Kevin Falk was another one. Guys not looking for the credit, but just looking for rings. You know, we had a lot of guys like that.

What year did you retire?

2008 was my last season. 2009, going to training camp and Bill Belichick says, let's meet tomorrow. I went home and I said, heidi, this is it. This is it, man. This is it. This is the meeting. I'm telling you, this is it. He and I go into that meeting, and that's when he says, yeah, we think it's time to move on. And I try to talk him out of it a little bit. You sure, man? Not just one more year.

So you've won championships of this guy. You've been the captain, right? You've been with him for how long? How long was he your coach for?

I think that was my ninth year or would have been my tenth year. Nine, ten years.

Okay, so. And that is somewhat akin to being, like, let go in a company. Right. But you've been fucking performing. What does it feel like to have that nine or 10 years in from a guy that you respect and you've bled for, for him to say it's time to move on? Like, what is that? What does that feel like from someone with a lot of pride?

Yeah, I guess my perspective was a little bit different because I think I was on. I was, like, getting bonus time.

Yeah, you were on bonus. Yeah.

I played four years after my stroke, you know, and you know those stats that I told you about, filling up those. All those stats? I did a lot of that. I mean, I. I only counted stats in terms of how many tackles did I make as a stroke survivor, and I made 366 tackles as a stroke survivor. And so that's what I remember. But, I mean, him telling me that. And you know what? I think that's a reason why Bill keeps his arm's distance from a lot of players, too, because there's always a tough conversation to be had that. I mean, it's not like I. I felt like he owed me anything or I owed him anything. It's like, we never really got that close. So it was like, I think it's time to go too, you know, 13. Thirteen years, you know, and we had a good run. And it's like, all right, all right. That was good.

Even for me. There's such a good lesson in there of just, like, gratitude for the opportunity.

Right.

Because if you feel entitled to the opportunity, then that conversation is horrible because the person's letting you down after all you've done for them. But if you feel grateful for it like you did, and you know what I'm saying, the whole thing is different. And it's like. There's just. Just, like, thinking about it. It's like, it's such an important mindset that you walked in with.

Yeah. And I guess. I guess. I mean, being a good leader, you also have to be a realist. I mean, because you have to be able to see things that need to be said and just be real. You know what I mean? Like, no, that's wrong, man. You shouldn't be doing that. And this is the way it should be. But also putting it to where, yeah, I'm watching myself on film, and, yeah, that's not very good anymore. You know, it's like, that's not the same as it was four years ago or five years ago. And it's like, you got to be able to see that. And I was able to see that, too. It's like, I remember watching a clip where they had clips from five years ago that were playing similar things to, you know, that we just did the other day. And I'm like, who? That guy's good. That was me. And then it's like, watching me again, I'm like, 13 years. Teddy is like, oh, yeah, that's not. That's. That's just okay, you know, And I guess I could also see that, you know, and so that helped me sort of come to the, you know, being grateful for what I had, and like, yeah, man, that's it, Teddy.

Appreciate you, man. I feel like we could talk to you about two more hours.

Yeah, man, it's been great. Yeah.

You got to be a repeat blue guys guest. We're already inviting you back. This. You were. This.

We haven't even got into fatherhood. Transition away from football. No, no. Unbelievable. And I. And I think some of the things. Is so funny to hear you express them. I. I could only imagine being your teammate in a football environment, because, like, I love. I think you keep it real more than anybody.

Thanks, man. Thanks.