David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs: Detroit Lions two-headed monster set the tone ahead of 2025 NFL season, why Jared Goff is right QB, Dam Campbell's culture, new offense, owing the city a championship and how adversity fuels them.

“Sick and tired of being sick and tired…we want the big thing.” David Montgomery Detroit Lions Running Back Our Pivot training camp tour continues as the 2025 NFL season is quickly approaching and we make a stop in the Motor City to catch the Lions practicing with Miami Dolphins as Detroit has been a NFC favorite last 2 years and looks at this season as the one to take care of unfinished business. Sitting with star running back duo, Jahmyr Gibbs & David Montgomery, the two-headed monster is setting the tone for the offense to play fast, gritty and compete. In a rare joint appearance, the dynamic tandem opens up to Ryan, Channing and Fred about the pressure, the chemistry, and the unfinished business driving them into the new season. Reflecting on the heartbreak of the last two seasons, including Detroit’s near-miss in the NFC Championship and the emotional toll of falling just short of a Super Bowl as Jahmyr opens up on how David was the one who helped get him through the pain of a costly fumble and kept him up in a dark time. Since Jahmyr's rookie year, his explosive playmaking and Montgomery’s physicality complement each other and the duo's embraced a “1A/1B” mindset over ego. Under the leadership of a new offensive coordinator, their game plan may change but the duo said the team is ready to attack opposing defenses with more motion, more versatility, and finding ways to keep both backs involved. Their close relationship with quarterback Jared Goff and how he fits right in with them as the leader of the huddle, and maybe not earning the league-wide respect, but these two tell you exactly why Jared is the right leader for this team. Matching the fire and passion of head Coach Dan Campbell, the locker room has matured into a team that’s not just hopeful — but hungry as the cultural shift has transformed Detroit from a punch line to a powerhouse. From laughs to leadership, this episode gives fans a rare, unfiltered look at two stars who aren’t just sharing carries — they’re sharing the weight of a city’s dreams. A few weeks away from kicking off the season, the Lions are roaring to get back to the top of NFC and this year, finish it off bringing home a Lombardi Trophy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:01Speaker 00

  This episode is brought to you by Michelob Ultra. Good times mean competitions between you and your friends. Like seeing who can throw some pigskin the farthest or rush the field the fastest. Winner gets an ultra. Because it's not just a superior like beer. It's also giving fans superior access to their favorite sporting events. Superior is worth playing for. Visit michelobultra.com/superioraccess to enter. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026 Anheuser Busch InBev Michelob Ultra Beer, St. Louis, Missouri.

• 0:30Ryan Clark?

  It's not just Jameer Gibbs blazing speed or David Montgomery's punishing physicality that makes the Detroit Lions running backs special. The league's best backfield duo nicknamed Sonic and Knuckles truly are like brothers. Both men have battled their share of adversity. Demo grew up rough in Cincinnati while Gibbs was homeless until adopted by a family he met at a shelter in Georgia. They've combined for 51 touchdowns the last two years, but this has to be the year that the Detroit Lions make good on their potential. Demo pulled Gibbs out of a hole after a second half fumble led to a tragic collapse in the 2023 NFC Championship. And injuries allowed Jaden Daniels and the commanders to leave Motown with a playoff upset last year.

• 1:13Ryan Clark?

  Head coach Dan Campbell keeps them all in line while Jared Goff, yeah, he's that one white boy that's always good in the hood. He's everything to the Lions. These are their words, not mine. From Hutch to Sewell to all pro wideout Amon Ra St. Brown, their biggest stars do the dirtiest of work. It's championship or bust in Detroit. From Demo stealing facility codes to Gibbs choosing Georgia Tech because current Detroit running backs coach to short choice was there, they've run a long way to be in this position. The Pivot Training Camp Tour lands in Motown with Sonic and Knuckles as me, Chan and Fred learn what makes the Lions roar so loud. Hey, Jameer Demo, so we walking out the hotel to come here, right? Yeah.

• 1:56Ryan Clark?

  So I'm coming up the little, it's like a little incline. I look up, it's some dude tatted up, tank top on, just sitting in front of, like the lobby. I walk up, it's him. He been on a diet like a month. And now since he on a diet, he trying to tell us how to eat. He got on Chan earlier because he eating wasabi, almonds.

• 2:15Channing Crowder?

  Watch your sodium, bro. Get your ass out of here.

• 2:19Fred Taylor?

  You know what I'm saying? I'm just trying to look out for him, bro. I was 248, I'm trying to bring it back. He was shocked when I told him. I said, I was talking to him and A Chan. I said, I can probably get y'all when I was in my prime.

• 2:32Ryan Clark?

  He said around 42.

• 2:32Fred Taylor?

  He said, nah.

• 2:33Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, around 42.

• 2:34Fred Taylor?

  I said, 428, 226.

• 2:36Ryan Clark?

  I ain't know that, nah, I ain't know that.

• 2:38Fred Taylor?

  I used to scatter a little bit, but I love what y'all do, though.

• 2:41Channing Crowder?

  I was before folks ran 42s, though.

• 2:44Ryan Clark?

  And he was 230.

• 2:45Channing Crowder?

  Big as hell.

• 2:45Ryan Clark?

  Them big old pads on.

• 3:06Ryan Clark?

  My man, welcome to the Pivot, man. Appreciate y'all. Jameer Gibbs, David Montgomery, Channing Crowder, Ryan Clark. This is Fred Taylor, Pivot fam. Thank y'all for pivoting with us on our training camp tour. I'm gonna start with you, Demo, and then obviously Jameer. You can talk about it, too. One of your early interviews in this camp, you said, all right, it's enough of getting close, right? Like, this is the year. What made you say that publicly?

• 3:32Speaker 04

  I think for me, I don't really fear the public, like, eye of things. And I was just telling the truth. I mean, it wasn't really about me trying to express to the public, like, this is what we felt. I mean, they just asked a question and I answered it as honest as I could. So this was really answering the question.

• 3:50Ryan Clark?

  What is it about this year, though, that is different? You know, you look at, two years ago, you go to NFC Championship. Last year, you guys are the number one overall seed. It felt like y'all had that mindset, hey, we want to win a Super Bowl this year in the last two seasons. Was it the losses in the playoffs? Or is it just a feeling that time and windows do close?

• 4:13Speaker 04

  I think it's an assortment of kind of like everything. But I think ultimately, like, for us. I know my mom used to tell me like when I used to do stuff over and over and I listen like she gets sick and tired of being sick and tired. I know we kind of had this standard and this expectations for ourselves that we haven't met yet. And you know, this city deserves it. You know, you get a blue collar place who have been through the trenches and always been drug through the dirt like. It's their turn and their time now and they deserve it. So we trying to do whatever we gotta do to ensure that we able to fulfill that for them.

• 4:47Ryan Clark?

  Jahmyr, how y'all changed that? Cause y'all, like you saying, you beating the hell out of people. You went into division, you doing all that and then you get to that point like RC said and ah, how you push over?

• 4:56Speaker 05

  I think the main thing is being healthy, like having all our guys on the field, uh, that'll help a lot and just being disciplined, I think. That should take care of everything because you know, we got the players and the coaches to you know, do what we want to do. So I think just being disciplined and keeping everybody healthy is the main thing.

• 5:11Fred Taylor?

  Looking at the previous two seasons where you were really close two years ago.

• 5:15Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 5:15Fred Taylor?

  Then last year, obviously got uh, injury, beat the team up pretty bad. What's different about the, the team this year just starting off in this training camp compared to those two seasons?

• 5:26Speaker 05

  We just like so locked in, like even though we got you know, a new playbook and stuff like we learning. We have up and down days, but like today you see that was like the, that was like our best day of camp like so far, by far. And I think when, when another team comes in and we gotta go against another team, I think that's when it comes out. So.

• 5:42Ryan Clark?

  Demo, you know, you mentioned new playbook. So much about this offense and the conversations we would have about what Detroit was able to do on that side of the ball was Ben Johnson. Ben Johnson's now in Chicago. How much has changed for you in, from what you have done the last two years?

• 6:02Speaker 04

  I think naturally, just having a different person. Um, you, you gonna have like this small minute things change, but Johnny Mo is, is completely different from Ben. You know, I love Ben. Ben was incredible. He gonna do great things in Chicago. Um, but I think Johnny Mo's damn good too. So, um, I'm kind of excited to see how it all will shake out, but if it shakes out the way that I think it'll be, it'll be, it'll be good.

• 6:30Ryan Clark?

  Together in two years, I have over 50 touchdowns. Right? One would think if I could go get 26 in two years, if I could go get 25 in two years. That the running back mindset would be, well shit, if I ain't have Demo or if I ain't have Jahmyr. I might have 20 in a year. Can y'all explain the dynamic between the two of you? How it works from a personal standpoint and also a player?

• 6:59Speaker 05

  We're very selfless. I care for him like a brother. I know he feels the same way. We want to see each other succeed. I mean, we just go out there and play. I mean, whatever happens after that happens.

• 7:09Speaker 04

  But y'all gotta look at Saquon. And what did we have, 370 touches last year? Like, y'all don't look at that like you're saying. A little selfish, like, "Man, give me that rock 350. What can I do with 350?"

• 7:22Speaker 05

  I mean, that's cool. I mean, it is cool, but like, I'm worried more about winning a Super Bowl. I ain't gonna lie. So whatever that looked like, I could have 100 less, 50 less. I really just want to win. Because I haven't won like a state championship, a national championship. So I really just want to win the bowl.

• 7:38Fred Taylor?

  You guys alternate by series, right? Not a couple of plays or situationally, but by series.

• 7:43Speaker 05

  Depending how long the series is.

• 7:44Fred Taylor?

  Right. My frustrations, and I love Mojo and, you know, chopping up Two-Head Monster. And I got ready and I tried to stay ready for when it was my time to run on the field. And sometimes the older I got, it got a little harder, right? These bones, I get cold quick. How do y'all stay like, you know, present and focused? So that when you are called, like, you know you're ready to go and you don't miss that moment?

• 8:07Speaker 04

  There's no excuse to being a pro. We get to do this.

• 8:12Fred Taylor?

  Right.

• 8:12Speaker 04

  There's millions of people who died to be on our shoes. If I make that excuse up as to me not being ready when my number is called, that's my fault.

• 8:23Fred Taylor?

  I mean, is it like the bike on the side, stretching?

• 8:26Speaker 04

  Yeah, I think it's all of that. You just being able to, some of the things that you said, stretching, like running around. You know what I'm saying? But like I said, I think that's just all up to you, what you decide to do on the side.

• 8:38Ryan Clark?

  I know a lot of times you can bond with teammates or just bond with individuals based on commonalities. And I think on Sundays, Monday nights, Thursday nights, you know, people see you both as these top-tier NFL running backs. But both of y'all have a history of overcoming adversity. You know, I want to start with you, Demo, man. Because I get to see you with your son all the time. And it's just a, it's a presence in you. And it's like, he gets to see you work, and then you get to go love on it. You know, that's not how you grew up. You know, you saw, you saw death. You watch, you know, a family member take their, their last breath. Your sister, obviously, had a horrific accident.

• 9:22Ryan Clark?

  How has the adversity throughout your life built you to the man and player you are today?

• 9:28Speaker 04

  I ask myself that question all the time. And I ask myself that question the most when things get the hardest. But for me, I think it's realizing that it's so much more bigger than me. And I know it sounds cliche, but like, I got a lot of people at home depending on me to be exactly who I know I'm capable of being, not for what it can pay them to be, more of what it looks like to be of how it affects everyone else back at home. I got a nephew who just beat cancer. You know what I'm saying? Like, my sister is what my sister is, but my entire family looks at me as the one, the voice, some of us would say. The moment that I realized it was bigger than me,

• 10:10Speaker 04

  pain, emotions, the things I can't control, it don't matter as much. Because I know like, if I wasn't to do what I was capable of doing right now, where I was just to fold and throwing the towel, I'm teaching my son, I'm teaching my nephew who just beat cancer, my sister who can't walk no more, I'm teaching them that it's okay to like, to quit. Like, and that's not fair. My sister don't get to walk, like, why is it fair for me to quit? And I can do whatever I want to do. I'm healthy. But my sister would die to have the opportunity to just walk.

• 10:54Speaker 04

  So like, it's so much bigger than me, and I realize that. And sometimes, the word selfless gotta be thrown in a lot. Because when you going through it, and you in a fire, and it's hot, and it hurt, and you can't really see anything else farther than what's in front of you, it get hard believing some of the things that you need to. But that's why I revert back on God, one. But two, like, I dream for this. So like it's here now, like what I'm complaining for.

• 11:25Ryan Clark?

  And Jahmyr, man, you come from homelessness. You, your grandmother, you obviously, you know, the story is well documented about, you know, you being adopted from someone through the shelter. But like, how often do you go back to those days and those struggles? And say to yourself, you know what, man? Like, if they just asking me to carry a ball, if they just asking me to practice. All the stuff I've been through is so much greater, so much more difficult than this. How much easier does it make this life that you've had to persevere through so much?

• 12:00Speaker 05

  Yeah, well, man, I ain't even for that cap. Like, I keep that completely separate. Like, I don't even really think about that. I mean, honestly, I just really like playing. So like, I've always played since I was little. Just throwing up, like, playing with my friends, the older kids. So like, I enjoy this, so it's not really, oh, they tell me, I gotta carry the ball like this. Like, I like playing, so it's not, I'm not complaining about nothing. I just, I just like playing. But like, the other stuff, I just keep it separate. I don't really jock on it for real, so.

• 12:27Channing Crowder?

  Both of y'all, man, with the tough upbringing, y'all could have went off to skate. You know what I'm saying? Y'all could have been in prison. You could have been, you know, got on drugs, done something like that, been on the block, where you just get caught up. How did y'all, how did y'all keep that focus to be where y'all today with those tough upbringing?

• 12:43Speaker 05

  I mean, my grandma helped me a lot with that. Like, certain people, um, I'll be around, she say, don't really be around them because, you know, certain reasons. Or like, my, my homeboys at home, my cousins, like, sometimes, like, they'll do stuff, and I would want to go with them. They say, nah, you, we know what you can be, what you can become, so now you still here. So like, I mostly, you know, give up to them. They helped me a lot with that.

• 13:03Fred Taylor?

  Who, who's in charge of accountability? Sonic or Knuckles? Like, who got to hold who accountable?

• 13:09Speaker 05

  Nah, we both, we both do this, we both, uh...

• 13:11Channing Crowder?

  We just be, we kind of go after each other for real. They're my dog, bruh, so.

• 13:15Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 13:15Channing Crowder?

  You know what I'm saying? How you rock, I rock.

• 13:17Speaker 05

  Yeah, we'll keep it straight.

• 13:18Fred Taylor?

  What do y'all do a, a, away from the field together? Y'all stream, game?

• 13:22Speaker 05

  We'll be on the game sometimes. We won, low-key won a stream, ain't gonna lie. But...

• 13:26Ryan Clark?

  You don't need to stream.

• 13:29Ryan Clark?

  This one.

• 13:31Speaker 04

  He know me too.

• 13:32Ryan Clark?

  Hey, man, all the stuff that David let y'all see, that's all he, that's all people need to see.

• 13:38Fred Taylor?

  Right. But what did y'all do when y'all away from the game? Y'all, y'all watch the game like, like YouTube, TV, watch another game?

• 13:46Speaker 04

  I mean, I play the game all the time. Like, I go home, like, I just get on the game. And then, you know, obviously, I be with my girls. So, I mean, if it's not the season, I be with my, my homeboys too, so.

• 13:56Ryan Clark?

  You FaceTime in one night and then we just got to talking about you and talking about like certain things throughout your life. And he was like, man, he's like, I just love him, you know? And obviously, Jordan talks about you all the time. I was reading a story, I think it's a pretty recent story. And it said you stole the code to work out at Iowa State. And you would go, you know, work out late nights and continuing to work to get better. Because I guess they said some other running back was like the best running back on the field in the game. What was it about hearing that and/or about not being able to be thought of as the best running back on the game that made it imperative that you use every minute of the day to get better?

• 14:37Speaker 04

  The other running back was like one of my best friends. His name was Mike Warren, but it wasn't even about him. I was so infatuated with the fear of going back home and being like everybody else that I had a choice to make. Going to that facility and figure out what you gonna do to ensure yourself a chance here?

• 14:56Speaker 04

  Or you gonna be like everybody else back at home? I didn't have like the college experience and I didn't want it. I didn't want it. I know I had an opportunity in front of me and I've never been the biggest, never been the fastest, never been the strongest. I've never been the top guy. I'm cool with that, though. I'm cool with that because I know who I am. I ain't, I'm fearless. You know what I'm saying? Like, I ain't scared of nothing. Like, I done been through everything. I had seen it all. I'm just trying to be the best version of myself I can be. I, I don't really be caring too much about what be going on outside of it. Because I know like my journey for me. You know what I'm saying? Me being a pops and me showing my son like this what it looked like is for me.

• 15:39Speaker 04

  So like stealing the code from my coach like it was normal to me. Like it wasn't like this big thing. I'm trying to like impress the coach. I didn't care. It was more so like, bro, if you don't get in there and figure it out, it's over for you. You going back home, you gonna be broke, you gonna be serving just like everybody else you know. And I'd be standing here six, seven, eight years later, standing in this moment like I could have been that guy on TV. Hell nah, I'm gonna be that guy. I had a choice, I made it.

• 16:09Speaker 00

  This episode is brought to you by Michelob Ultra. Good times mean competitions between you and your friends. Like seeing who can throw some pigskin the farthest or rush the field the fastest. Winner gets an ultra because it's not just a superior light beer. It's also giving fans superior access to their favorite sporting events. Superior is worth playing for. Visit michelobultra.com/superioraccess to enter. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026 Anheuser Busch InBev Michelob Ultra Beer, St. Louis, Missouri.

• 16:38Fred Taylor?

  Like I'm trying to envision that. How, how did it all happen? And when did the coaches find out?

• 16:42Speaker 04

  So crazy thing. I had been in there for a couple of weeks. It was happening on the weekends. So Coach Campbell, Matt Campbell, who was my coach, I used to talk to him often. He know I love him, but he couldn't remember a bunch of stuff because he was just cluttered with everything. Coach, if you hear this, you know I love you. Skip, his assistant, used to keep his code on a, on a notepad, like a little sticky note in his office. He would change it all the time so that everybody wouldn't remember it. Well, one time I went in there, I talking it, chopping it up. I had one mission going in there.

• 17:17Fred Taylor?

  Right.

• 17:17Speaker 04

  Like he thought I had something else going on. I'm like, I gotta steal that hoe. So went in there, got, took the sticky note.

• 17:26Speaker 04

  And before I left that day, I had to go try and make sure it worked. And I know his code, the master code, because we had a code also, but it stopped at a certain time. Right, right. Ten o'clock. Yeah, like, so I took his and I'm working out for a couple of weekends. And then one weekend, he came in there. I'm like, ooh. It was like an official visit or something like that. Right. I'm like, ooh, I'm stuck. Right. But I'm like, I'm acting like I ain't seen him whole time, like, you know what I'm saying? And I'm like peeking, you know how you like trying to peek without looking? He on the side, he just, and Coach Kim like to do this thing where he just sit there like this. I'm like, damn, let's see the two things finna happen. He really just gonna be cool with it and gonna rock out, or I'm gonna be in a team meeting the next day. Right. And I was cool with that.

• 18:11Speaker 04

  But shoot, like, it was crazy how it happened because I was doing that every weekend. Then I started getting the homies in there. We in there jamming, like, everybody working, but we in there like fooling around, having a good time. Like, it was our version of going out. Right. But we was getting better, like. Right, that's dope.

• 18:26Ryan Clark?

  He talks about not having the college experience. You sort of had like a very new era college experience. But it's not often that a four-star, one of the best players in Georgia chooses Georgia Tech.

• 18:40Speaker 04

  Yeah.

• 18:40Ryan Clark?

  Right, like, that's not a thing that happens all the time. And it's cool that Tashar Choice, who is your coach now, was also around then. How did that relationship play a part in you becoming a Yellow Jacket?

• 18:54Speaker 05

  Yeah, just our first talk on the phone, I was just hearing him talk and his expectations of me and just him wanting to meet me. He really spoke volumes. And then when I got there, it was just like, I know this is not like the normal thing to do. But like, I was thinking about going and committing. You know, after I went there on my, on my visit, that's like getting all these other calls like throughout the, throughout the season. So I'm like, ah, damn, I don't know what to do. And then Ohio State. I was mainly gonna go to Ohio State, Aaron Gokala. I was gonna go to Ohio State. And then I forgot what happened. They called me because I was finna commit and they called me. There was like something about scholarships or something. Then they wanted Trey Sermon out the portal. So I'm like, alright. And I just went to commit to T A. Maybe because of choice though, that's really it.

• 19:36Ryan Clark?

  Talk about the difference when you leave Georgia Tech and now you're at Nick Saban's Alabama. What was like the Saban indoctrination or experience for you?

• 19:47Speaker 05

  I think more defensive players would get that. Like offense, like we, I mean, I only seen him at team meetings and, you know, we split fields at practice. So team meetings or like the end of practice where it's like, team one situations like that. So then that's the only time we'd be over there. But like kickoff return, he'd be over there, he'd be joking with me and stuff. He was cool. I follow Nick. Coach Saban.

• 20:10Ryan Clark?

  He dope.

• 20:12Channing Crowder?

  Man, Saban used to cuss me out. I played for Miami. I brought him a stripper to a team meeting though, one time, yeah. That started out a bad relationship between us.

• 20:24Ryan Clark?

  What'd he say?

• 20:25Channing Crowder?

  He took our run. I think his little man got hard because he ran up out the room.

• 20:31Channing Crowder?

  He cutting this out, right?

• 20:32Ryan Clark?

  No, he said it in front of him.

• 20:35Speaker 04

  We had him on the show.

• 20:38Ryan Clark?

  Demo, you kept saying Coach Campbell and I was like, wait. Dan Campbell is one of those coaches. He reminds me of a Mike T. He reminds me of an Andy Reid. That people who aren't in the building with him, they say they want to play for that guy. He was my teammate in New York. What has it been about Dan Campbell that allowed this team to be authentic? Allowed this team to believe in itself? And allowed this team to compete consistently in a very Dan Campbell-like way?

• 21:04Speaker 04

  He's unapologetically harsh. And he holds everybody accountable for everything. I believe we got some of the best, if not the best, at a certain amount of positions on our team. And he don't care. Like if you not on your shit, it's over with. He on you. Like you messing something up. It's like having somebody that's like, that always keep you on your toes and always make you think that like, you ain't doing it good enough. I feel like it creates a different level of expectations, but I think how he was as a player, like he gritty for real. Buddy really gritty for real. Like nah, I'm like for real. Like you could see the little dip in his mouth.

• 21:48Speaker 04

  Like Buddy don't be playing. And like you don't really see that a bunch. Like you see a lot of coaches, like if you the best guy, they don't call, they gonna call to you. You know what I'm saying? And I feel like that brings down a lot. He ain't on that, bruh. You see the winner, you ain't. This shit like bam, I ain't gonna lie. I got here, and I got here, I thought it was gonna be like light practices, like everything sweet. We had sweatpants. Man, I got here in full pads every day. I said, man, I thought I escaped this shit. Hey, bro. Man, that's what had me hot, ain't gonna lie. But I appreciate him though. I love, I love Coach.

• 22:20Channing Crowder?

  That approach, cause they're, you know, they got all the memes out and bike their kneecaps and you know, we'll play you anywhere. With that approach, and y'all have really embodied his personality, this team. You don't gotta call no teams out, but do teams tap out when they see how physical y'all really are?

• 22:37Speaker 04

  I mean, I would hope so.

• 22:38Channing Crowder?

  But do you feel it? Like you be in game where you be like, oh yeah, they don't want this shit no more.

• 22:41Speaker 04

  Oh, for sure. Yeah. I ain't gonna say, but yeah. Yeah, I ain't gonna say, for sure though. It be fun.

• 22:47Channing Crowder?

  Yeah.

• 22:48Speaker 04

  Yeah, we just having fun. It be fun, yeah.

• 22:50Ryan Clark?

  Y'all are such a different personalities though. Like right, right now, you just like, I know them. I'm not gonna say their names, but they know too. And then he was like, it be fun though. And I was talking to Solomon earlier, and every time you're on TV, or if you've won a championship, they ask you the question about what it's like to try to repeat, right? Or what it's like to win a championship and how do you reload for the next season? And I think it would be more difficult to be right on the cusp. And not make it, right? To be in an NFC championship and have a lead in the second half and not win it. To be the number one overall seed and have 12 damn defensive players on IR and not be able to get a stop.

• 23:35Ryan Clark?

  How difficult have the last two playoff losses been for y'all?

• 23:41Speaker 05

  That first one was hard, I don't cap that. Cause like, I played a big part of that, you know, cause I came out fumbling. So they scored right after that, then just it just chain of events happened. So I think I started that. So I held that one on me for a long time. Then I know Demo talked to me after, it was like, just let it go. We'll be back next year. That's in the past, like, no, you can do it back now. So he was helping me go over that for a little bit. And last year, I mean, it is what it is. Stuff happens, so.

• 24:07Ryan Clark?

  When he was being hard on himself for the fumble in San Francisco, or what made you go to him and say, hey, man, you gotta, you gotta let that go?

• 24:15Speaker 04

  I mean, it's evident enough, but Jameer is, if not now, will be the best running back in the league. And it's no, it's no like guess to it. That moment was my opportunity to let him know, one, how much I loved and I cared for him as a person, cause I know what that can do to people. And two, I also needed him to understand that like, this is small fish to what like, of how important he is gonna be to us. And I've seen people not shake that kind of stuff. We need Jameer. We all know that. And if I was to sit there and allow him to fester and him being a rookie, sitting in

• 25:00Speaker 04

  there and fester on something that he don't do, I was gonna be letting him down as a teammate, but like, letting him down more as a brother. Like, let him know, like, I got you, whatever, like. I'm taking him against anybody. You know what I'm saying? So it was more so like a learning moment for him, for him to like understand like I can grow from this, but in the same breath like, bro, let that shit rock out, bruh. You a dog, bruh. You gonna be a dog to the end of it.

• 25:28Fred Taylor?

  I love that chemistry and camaraderie, man. And it brings me to a quote. You said that he's the best back at his size in the game. And when I think about that comment, it makes me really think about running back attributes. I always look at running backs and try and compare them to running backs from different eras.

• 25:47Speaker 04

  Yeah.

• 25:47Fred Taylor?

  You, D, you remind me so much of Marshawn Lynch.

• 25:50Speaker 04

  That's so crazy. What choice just said?

• 25:52Speaker 05

  Yeah, we were just talking about that.

• 25:53Fred Taylor?

  A hundred percent.

• 25:54Speaker 04

  That's crazy.

• 25:54Fred Taylor?

  Running hard. You run like you don't want to go back home. Like anything in your way, you go get it. And you, Jay, you remind me of CJ 2K, Chris Johnson.

• 26:05Speaker 05

  Yeah, I heard that a lot.

• 26:06Fred Taylor?

  Ta ta and get missing.

• 26:07Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 26:08Fred Taylor?

  Like, when you guys look at the running backs from, you know, those eras before you guys, who would be, you know, guys that you would look at your game and say, hmm, it's probably a little mirror image of myself, the way I like to try to run the ball? If you can name two or three guys.

• 26:24Speaker 05

  CJ, Kamara, and...

• 26:27Fred Taylor?

  Kamara for sure, yeah.

• 26:28Speaker 05

  I try to throw a bit of Shady in there a little bit. Get to, ah, yeah.

• 26:32Fred Taylor?

  Shady didn't have your speed, but the looseness for sure.

• 26:35Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 26:36Fred Taylor?

  Yeah. What about you, D?

• 26:37Speaker 04

  For me, definitely Marshawn. I try to emulate my game off of him.

• 26:42Fred Taylor?

  Mm-hmm.

• 26:43Speaker 04

  That's probably like my main one. And like Walter. I never watched Walter.

• 26:49Fred Taylor?

  That's a good one.

• 26:50Speaker 04

  Yeah, but like primarily Marshawn.

• 26:52Fred Taylor?

  Hmm. How did it make you feel though? You said Walter, being in Chicago early in your career, you know, in the building, the house that Walter basically built, Sweetness. And to be able to kind of pull from, you know, that inspiration of Walter Payton, like how did it make you feel going there every day pulling up?

• 27:11Speaker 04

  It was my duty and my right to ensure that I needed to be at least half as close or as good as he could be. Like his bar was so high that if I didn't look at it of me trying to chase Walter, I was disrespecting him. Cause he walked very hallways that I walked too. We were wearing a patch of his, his number on our jersey. And it's crazy because I went from the best running back to the other best running back, being in Chicago to come to Detroit. But for me, like I took it personal. I'm like, bro, like I'm not finna disrespect him. Like, I can't do that. I can't do that. It's Walter paying, bro.

• 27:52Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, I feel like, and I'll be quick. My gift from Walter, I never got a chance to meet him, but he inspired me to get into the ball, in the ball. I was nine and Channing might joke, in 1985, after watching the Chicago. For real? Y'all always showing out, man. After watching the 85 Bears, I was nine and I went outside. I wanted to do everything that Walter did. My first NFL game was at Soldier Field. Yup. Blessing, a good moment.

• 28:22Channing Crowder?

  On low definition.

• 28:24Fred Taylor?

  Face your demons.

• 28:26Channing Crowder?

  I wanna say be complacent, but like, do you, do you notice you've made it? Cause you.

• 28:32Speaker 04

  Me?

• 28:32Channing Crowder?

  Yes.

• 28:33Speaker 04

  Hell nah.

• 28:34Channing Crowder?

  You have made it, bruh.

• 28:35Speaker 04

  Nah. Nah, I can't, I'm still, nah.

• 28:41Channing Crowder?

  It just, you don't, I don't wanna say you're not happy, but it seems as if like you, you, like you, you made it out of that, you made it out of your situation.

• 28:48Speaker 04

  For everybody else, yeah, but not for me.

• 28:50Channing Crowder?

  What, what is making it for you?

• 28:52Speaker 04

  I don't know that answer yet, but it's not there yet.

• 28:56Fred Taylor?

  My man, I love it. I love it.

• 28:59Ryan Clark?

  I was here for the draft and there was the Jared Goff chant, you know? And I got to talk to him today on the field. And you can obviously admire someone's game when you're getting a chance to watch it on all 22, but it was different to watch him go through the season and talk about leaving Los Angeles and all those things. And like, he is still questioned sometimes. What does Jared Goff mean to this team in particular?

• 29:22Speaker 04

  Everything. It, it sounds cliche, but it's for real, like, just work with me here. You know the one white boy that's the you in the hood? But like, he just like on the outskirts a little bit, but like, he like kicking it with the black boys.

• 29:38Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 29:39Speaker 04

  But when he get in there, he talking that cash, that cash money shit like he one of us? JG kinda like that, like, he gonna let his, you know what I'm saying, hang.

• 29:48Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 29:49Speaker 04

  That like, like that's what he do. You know what I'm saying? But everybody don't really know that. JG really got some shit to him. Like, for real. Like, and that's who I want leading the troops. There's a lot of great quarterbacks. JG a dog. He a great quarterback. You know what I'm saying? And I think for him, I understand it. It's kinda like similar to me, I think. He don't get enough credit, or people don't like talk about him enough, or he not good enough. So like, that fuel him so much, like, to, to, not even to prove everybody wrong, but to prove himself right. You know what I'm saying? And I see that out of him all the time. I respect him.

• 30:22Speaker 05

  Yeah, JG a dog, man. Like, he, he, he is everything to this team. Without him, I don't know where, where we, where we be at. But yeah, like he was saying, like, he don't get enough credit. Like, they be saying, like, like the weapons around him, like, like, he gotta throw the ball, like, what you mean? Did y'all see him throw the ball today? Oh my god. Bro, he was going crazy today. But like, that's my dog, man. I'd do anything for him. I, I, that's why, I rock with him.

• 30:45Ryan Clark?

  Amon Ra St. Brown almost beat Chan up when he came on the show.

• 30:49Speaker 05

  I think I remember that too.

• 30:50Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, like, they had, like, it was like real light-skinned beef, man. It was a, it was a, it was a crazy. There's only one finest dude in the room. It was a crazy deal, but we watched him today, and we were talking about it when y'all sat down, bro. I think Waddo and Tyreek were banged up, right? So, they weren't doing one-on-ones, but you could see the one-on-ones at the same time. Waddo and Tyreek aren't going. Amon Ra St. Brown went six times, and he won every single rep. The run game is huge here. The offensive line is such a big piece of what you do. But when you have a top-tier wideout who is a dog, bro, and who is a competitor like that, how much does having Amon Ra, someone who's not only reliable, but who is big time,

• 31:33Ryan Clark?

  mean to help you guys in the run game as well?

• 31:36Speaker 04

  As much of a dog as he is catching the ball, when he don't have it, he really even more of a dog.

• 31:42Ryan Clark?

  Come on, block him.

• 31:43Speaker 04

  For sure.

• 31:43Ryan Clark?

  Really?

• 31:44Speaker 04

  For sure. Just like one. JMo, yeah. Like, I think that's what make us all.

• 31:51Speaker 04

  I can speak for our offense. Our defense, dogs too. But our offense, everybody around us like are so selfless. And we want, we want to win so bad that like we willing to do whatever it take. And it start with Saint. You know what I'm saying? You see Saint, like you said, if not the best, one of the best wide receivers in the league, going to hit a non-technique on a crack block and bringing everything with it.

• 32:18Speaker 05

  He gonna do it every time. Like he like to do it.

• 32:20Speaker 04

  That fire you up, bro. As a runner, as me as a running back, as him as a running back, if I see Saint going out there to do something like that, bro, when I'm in pass protection, I better kill somebody so I can get that man the ball. You know what I'm saying?

• 32:32Speaker 05

  You know, most receivers don't want to do that. I can name like only three, him, Waymo and Puka. Yeah, I think those three are the main ones that really like to get in there. But yeah, Saint, yeah, man, he's a dog.

• 32:45Speaker 00

  This episode is brought to you by Michelob Ultra. Good times mean competitions between you and your friends, like seeing who can throw some pigskin the farthest or rush the field the fastest. Winner gets an Ultra. Because it's not just a superior light beer, it's also giving fans superior access to their favorite sporting events. Superior is worth playing for. Visit michelobultra.com/superioraccess to enter. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026 Anheuser Busch InBev Michelob Ultra Beer, St. Louis, Missouri.

• 33:13Fred Taylor?

  Camp fights are coming. We were in the car. We had an over under like one. This is gonna be a fight today. We saw like five. And you said most receivers don't do that. Who gonna tell one to keep his helmet on if there is a camp fight?

• 33:27Speaker 05

  JMo gonna be JMo. That's him. He ain't, we let him rock out. I ain't gonna lie.

• 33:31Speaker 04

  Me personally, I feel like you, every team need one of them.

• 33:34Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 33:35Speaker 04

  And he the one.

• 33:36Speaker 05

  Yeah, he gonna, like when we in a slump, he the one that bring us up.

• 33:39Speaker 04

  He gonna turn us up.

• 33:39Speaker 05

  He gonna turn us up every time.

• 33:40Channing Crowder?

  Is he all the way there? Cause I wouldn't turn my back on one. He's a little different, isn't he?

• 33:44Speaker 04

  Different.

• 33:45Speaker 05

  He's different.

• 33:46Speaker 04

  You love him though. Yeah, but you see him like he ain't scared to be himself. I feel like a lot of people like when you get into the NFL, like they. The NFL is this or that, like they saw him fear of like with the I C. He do not care, like, and I respect that out of him. And he's came, since I've got here, he's come far, like.

• 34:06Speaker 05

  Facts.

• 34:07Speaker 04

  He's, he's been, he on board now. So like the J more that y'all thought y'all seen, okay, cool.

• 34:12Speaker 05

  Yeah, he's grown so much.

• 34:13Speaker 04

  Y'all finna see something crazy.

• 34:14Speaker 05

  So I'm proud of him.

• 34:15Fred Taylor?

  RC mentioned Amon Ra. I want to ask you guys, um, you know, last year you did deal with a lot of injuries. But to see, you know, your defensive leader back, Aiden Hutchinson, just to be able to look across and see him out there practicing, moving around. Like, how does that make y'all feel knowing that, you know, he's on the schedule?

• 34:31Speaker 05

  Bro, he's insane, bro, like, we, we, we call him the what, werewolf?

• 34:35Speaker 04

  The werewolf, yeah.

• 34:36Speaker 05

  Got chipped on every time, we passing the ball every time, or he's not getting off, like he's. But just having him back just brings so much like confidence to everybody. Like, he makes a huge difference.

• 34:47Speaker 04

  I be like, kind of see it from my standpoint, and like, Hutch a dog. And I be seeing like, I've never been on a team this loaded, ever. But when you see like Penne and like Aiden going against each other, and it's like, they both winning against each other and you could just see them taking it up. It's, it's, it's beautiful. And like, it make you like, okay, so this what football about.

• 35:13Fred Taylor?

  Right.

• 35:13Speaker 04

  Like the best against the best, and the best getting over on the best and the other best finna show you something else. Like, to me, like, having Aiden back brings the team around all the way up. You know what I'm saying? But for me, bro, I just be like, I be trying to like, see it from everywhere, like, when I see them two go out, I be like, God, damn.

• 35:35Speaker 05

  At 58, that boy too.

• 35:37Speaker 04

  Yeah.

• 35:37Speaker 05

  Oh, my God.

• 35:38Speaker 04

  Crazy.

• 35:39Ryan Clark?

  Coming into last year, Detroit was the very trendy pick to win the NFC, right? Because y'all were the best team, and this is just, that was my opinion, right? Y'all were the best team, y'all had the best players, y'all had the best coaches. After not winning it, you hear more of, well, Kelvin Shepard and.

• 36:00Ryan Clark?

  Johnny Mole, like, they gotta show up. They lost two of the best coordinators in football. You know, they had a ton of injuries on defense. Aiden Hutchinson is coming back. NFC North, everybody's Minnesota, Green Bay, Chicago's better. There's all these questions now surrounding this team. What has been the main focus in this training camp for the Detroit Lions, just internally about themselves?

• 36:24Speaker 05

  It's getting better every day. That was, that's the main thing. And then as an offense, if we don't feel like we had the best day, making sure we step up the next day, always, always trying to get better. And if we don't get better that day, the next day, come out and just come back stronger. So that's the main thing on offense.

• 36:40Speaker 04

  Yeah, for sure. I think for me, like, I'd be more concerned if they weren't talking about us at all. I ain't really a big fan of the media. You know what I'm saying?

• 36:50Ryan Clark?

  What you look me in my eyes for? Like, why? There's two other people sitting here that's media.

• 36:55Speaker 04

  Nah, I just.

• 36:56Ryan Clark?

  I ain't too big, I'm looking over here.

• 36:58Speaker 04

  I don't be nothing that would.

• 36:59Ryan Clark?

  Hey, he been with the. God, nah, go ahead, dawg.

• 37:03Speaker 04

  Nah, I just saying, you know what I'm saying? I just like to work. You know what I'm saying? And I think like, and I'm not speaking at y'all, but I think like, when I know like the media like can talk about players that ain't never did nothing close to what we done did, like, it drive me up a wall. So like, I kind of leave it for what it is. So I think like for us, like, a lot of guys don't, we don't really care about what nobody else got to say. Like, we don't care. Because at the end of the day, if you winning or you losing, they still gonna find something to talk about.

• 37:33Ryan Clark?

  Yeah.

• 37:34Speaker 04

  You know what I'm saying? So like, why do it matter?

• 37:36Ryan Clark?

  Yeah.

• 37:36Fred Taylor?

  I think that's the beauty of the pivot in this long format is you're the voice. You know, it's not just snippets. Like, the fans actually get to pull up and see and hear from you guys. You know, that's why, you know, we have guests that want to come on, and that's why we have guys that we want to chop it up with. So people can get to see that part of you. Uh, so my question is, one of my favorite questions on the show I always ask, biggest pivot? What's your biggest pivot in life? That's that moment you can look back on and say, "Without this happening, or because this happened for me, I am who I am today."

• 38:11Speaker 05

  Probably when my aunt passed away back in 2020. That stripped me hard. I had a couple of months to get over that. I was with her every day in the summer, every summer. We were just so close. It was just, like, it was crazy. It was like, she wasn't even like my aunt. She was like my sister, you know? We were just always together, always laughing, always joking. Like, we used to play this game. When she was like driving, like, every time we see a Mustang, it was about Mustang. Then like, uh, whoever got the 10 wins, like, some goofy shit. And then my first car, I wanted a Mustang just because of her. And, uh, yeah, I think that was the biggest thing.

• 38:45Speaker 04

  For me, probably when I was in 7th grade, going into 8th grade. And there was this wrestling coach named Coach Meddings. And I was coming from a different school. We were running laps around the field. And I came straight from a track meet, so I didn't have no cleats. And I'm running on the outside track where everybody else was running on the inner field. And I'm running around, lapping everybody. And everybody like, "Who is this?" Go through the season. At the end of the season, Coach Meddins looked at me, he was like, "No bullshit." He said, "You good, but you're not good enough to make it." And I said, "Oh, yeah, for sure." He started reading off of like the statistics of like,

• 39:30Speaker 04

  this percentage of people make it, this percentage of people don't, like... He basically was telling me like, "Stop smelling myself." I'm like, "All right, bet. I'll show you something." So, I showed him.

• 39:44Fred Taylor?

  Right.

• 39:44Ryan Clark?

  How much do you think about Vince Turnage?

• 39:46Speaker 04

  Often, often. He was a hero back where we used to from. You know what I'm saying? Fast, but like, didn't look like it. He was like gliding. It almost looked like his feet wouldn't touch the ground when he was running. But like, high spirited. My oldest brother is like, closest friend. Really, really great human and had an unfortunate thing happen to him.

• 40:11Ryan Clark?

  We've been talking about like bye weeks, right? And what people, like, who would you watch on a bye week? Like, we talked to Jameis. It was, it was a long answer. Let's just, let's just say that, you know? Bijan said, Bijan said he watches all the good running backs. So he's, he mentioned y'all. Who else was it? Saquon? He was like, I watch all the good running backs to see what they're doing. Give us three or four teams or players you would watch on a bye week when you were home.

• 40:44Speaker 05

  Oh, the Eagles? Y'all would have been watching a lot of football. I ain't gonna cap. I'll put on like YouTube clips, like the YouTube highlights. I'll put that on and just skim through every game that came on.

• 40:52Ryan Clark?

  Really?

• 40:53Speaker 05

  Yeah, I ain't gonna cap.

• 40:54Ryan Clark?

  I guess.

• 40:55Speaker 04

  Nah, I ain't gonna lie. Players, my first was Bucky Irving.

• 41:00Ryan Clark?

  Cold. Tampa Bay?

• 41:02Speaker 05

  You can go.

• 41:02Speaker 04

  Yeah, he cold blooded. Stupid. I would watch Chuba.

• 41:06Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, Carolina.

• 41:08Speaker 04

  I wasn't really looking at the guys that everybody like talking about. Like, I wanna look at the guys who in the mud work. Like, the guys who coming on, but like, I wanna know why they coming on. Cause I felt like I was always in that position. Like Kyron, like those kinda guys who don't really get. Yeah, like ain't getting a ton of notoriety, but like, they hooping. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm trying to like, ooh, they like, this what they doing. Like, this how they, you know what I'm saying? So I kinda try to look at those guys, like, the top guys, they the top guy, you know what I'm saying? But I be looking at other guys too.

• 41:39Ryan Clark?

  He said that you're gonna be the guy. Bijan actually said the same thing. He said, he's like, you know, he's like, he's like, me and Jomir cool. And he's like, and we know that, like, we have to be the running backs for this era that set up the next generation. Of running backs. How much does it matter to you that, shoot, the other guy in your class thinks so highly of you that both of you sort of have a responsibility and a duty to hold it down so the next generation of backs, who can catch the ball, who can run the ball, can be taken care of the way they're supposed to contractually?

• 42:16Speaker 05

  Yeah, B is my dog. I've known him since high school. All-American game, first time I met him, we was chopping it up. Yeah, he was real cool. Then we just stayed tapped in throughout the years. You know, Coach Choice, you know, he coached me at Texas. He went to Texas. He was trying to get me to come be with him, but I was like, nah, I ain't trying to do that, ain't gonna lie. Yeah, us being the two running backs to set up everybody for the future. I don't really think about it like that. I'm just, honestly, I'm just trying to play. I just enjoy the ball. Like, I just like having fun, bruh. Like, I ain't even gonna cap. Like, I just like playing, making people miss, just being out there with my brothers hooping, so.

• 42:48Channing Crowder?

  When y'all watch our boys play, you watching, you know, Bucky, you watching your homeboys?

• 42:53Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 42:54Channing Crowder?

  Can y'all take a, can y'all get a play and say, "Coach, we need to put this in"?

• 42:58Speaker 05

  Nah.

• 42:59Speaker 04

  Yeah, nah.

• 42:59Channing Crowder?

  You don't have to bring nothing to the set of the coach.

• 43:01Speaker 04

  I feel like we already got some shit.

• 43:03Speaker 05

  Like, we got a lot.

• 43:05Channing Crowder?

  We already got enough.

• 43:05Speaker 04

  We ain't trying to put nothing else in.

• 43:06Speaker 05

  Yeah, we got a lot.

• 43:08Ryan Clark?

  Hey, honestly, people watching their tape like, "Hey, Coach, we gotta put that in."

• 43:11Speaker 05

  Yeah, I've heard that a couple of times. So, yeah, we watch y'all, yeah, we got this from y'all.

• 43:15Speaker 04

  Yeah, they can keep it.

• 43:16Ryan Clark?

  What can we expect from the two of you? And most importantly, the Detroit Lions in 2025?

• 43:23Speaker 04

  Oh, I think from the Detroit Lions, what I expect? We want the big thing. You know what I'm saying? I mean, just like everybody else, but like, we want the big thing, for real.

• 43:34Speaker 05

  Like I said before, I never won anything like that, so that would be very special to me, to do that.

• 43:38Ryan Clark?

  Well, man, we appreciate you boys sitting in here with no air conditioning.

• 43:41Speaker 05

  Boy, what?

• 43:42Ryan Clark?

  You know, fighting, fighting through it with us.

• 43:44Speaker 04

  Busting.

• 43:44Ryan Clark?

  Hey, walking be hell in here. Walking is crazy. Oh, my God. Nah, man, I appreciate y'all, man. I do love the relationship. I love the way that both of you guys play. But I think it's inspiring for people to be able to see that you can root for your homeboy, you can be selfless and also be successful individually, as well as collectively. Man, best of luck this season. Man, we appreciate y'all.

• 44:06Speaker 05

  Appreciate y'all for having us.

• 44:06Ryan Clark?

  Yes, sir. Hey Chan, Demo the rain, you over?

• 44:12Ryan Clark?

  Here's the thing, he wide than you think he is. He got wide shoulders, you know what I mean?

• 44:16Fred Taylor?

  That's favorite player.

• 44:17Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, yeah, he got wide shoulders.

• 44:18Fred Taylor?

  This guy's on in power.

• 44:19Speaker 04

  Whatever they getting on you.

• 44:20Ryan Clark?

  No, we didn't ask too, and I, because I was trying. When y'all was doing some, just passing, saw a little slot, you know what I mean? Show you in the slot, I seen a little, I seen a little pony personnel. Also too, I'mma patent this shirt and, you know, y'all could just, I give y'all some money off of it, right? It's gonna say zero to five real quick, and I'mma have y'all pictures on it. So I'mma just need y'all to sign off on it, you know what I mean? Y'all can, zero to five real quick, right?

• 44:46Fred Taylor?

  That's hard though.

• 44:47Ryan Clark?

  That's cool, y'all, yeah, see?

• 44:48Fred Taylor?

  That's on y'all, man.

• 44:48Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, y'all can have it. Yeah, y'all, yeah, y'all can have it.

• 44:50Fred Taylor?

  You see it on the neck though?

• 44:54Fred Taylor?

  My mom used to say, if you can, how you can hear?

• 44:57Fred Taylor?

  Mine on my neck, yours on your teeth, you trying to hide them. I seen him in the back of the car. It's a gift. Yeah, ain't mad at that.