Steelers Kenny Pickett: 1st Rd NFL Pick to QB1 in Rookie Year, His Advice to Draft Class

FOLLOW THE PIVOT PODCAST: MERCH | https://pivotpodcast.com YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/thepivotpodcast INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/thepivot TWITTER | https://twitter.com/thepivot TIKTOK | https://tiktok.com/@thepivot FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/thepivotpodcast FOLLOW HAPPY DAD: https://www.instagram.com/happydad FIND HAPPY DAD: https://www.happydad.com/find Kenny Pickett joins the Pivot to share his football journey, teaching moments, how’s he preparing his team for next season while planning a wedding and his advice to young guys going through the draft process this week. Ryan, of course amped up to have a fellow Pittsburgh native on the show, starts the conversation with the mental toughness one must possess to be a starting quarterback in the NFL and what it was like to receive that call from Coach Tomlin on draft night. Channing chimes in that his journey seems like a Disney story and wonders what has been the hardest parts of making it to where he is today while the guys talk about being a young leader and his approach to bringing the team together to build a championship mentality. 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

  Every game day, you show up for your team. Now, it's your time.

• 0:11Speaker 00

  Ask your prescriber about Wegovy. Semaglutide injection, 2.4mg a GLP-1. Call 1-833-4-WEGOVIE or visit wegovie.com to view the medication guide and to learn more about Wegovy. Why wait?

• 0:30Channing Crowder?

  God laughs. He like, he put me on this earth to laugh.

• 0:33Ryan Clark?

  Jerry was gonna bust you up like Vince was gonna try to.

• 0:36Channing Crowder?

  Who was that?

• 0:36Ryan Clark?

  Was it the dude that gave you the skateboard? Who was that?

• 0:39Channing Crowder?

  Cause his name, I can see his face. I, yeah, I almost got taken advantage of a number of times in my life.

• 0:49Channing Crowder?

  I bust my teeth out on rollerblades. The dude gave me rollerblades, like this old white dude that lived in my neighborhood. Like up on the hill by himself, he's like a loner.

• 0:58Ryan Clark?

  Yeah.

• 0:58Channing Crowder?

  And then he saw me and called me up and was like, "You ever skated before?" And I was like, "No." He's like, "I tried these on." And then Ryan was like, "Bro," he was hollering at you. And my little minor, "Oh wow, nice guy, wants a skate."

• 1:08Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, appreciate the skate.

• 1:09Channing Crowder?

  Yeah, wants to help me out, give me skates.

• 1:11Ryan Clark?

  Busting your teeth saves your booty hole.

• 1:13Channing Crowder?

  Yep, cause if I didn't bust my teeth, I would've kept getting the skates and then I'd have got...

• 1:21Ryan Clark?

  Your whole life could be totally different.

• 1:24Channing Crowder?

  You know why that is?

• 1:25Ryan Clark?

  Cause you're handsome. I knew it.

• 1:28Channing Crowder?

  Comes with it. He always... It's the territory. It's my weight I have to carry around this earth. It's a big burden.

• 1:33Ryan Clark?

  You and Kenny?

• 1:35Channing Crowder?

  Me and Kenny. Kenny's a good-looking dude too. Boy, before I even saw him play, I saw the draft, I was like, "God damn, that's a good-looking man." I haven't had your problems though, bro. You got the lead there, man. You got the lead there, bro. I was like, see, I'm, I guess I'm woman pretty. I'm woman handsome, but I'm also man handsome. You got something else, yeah.

• 1:57Ryan Clark?

  You're man handsome and woman handsome.

• 1:58Channing Crowder?

  And woman handsome. I'm both sides of handsome. The girls and boys want me.

• 2:04Ryan Clark?

  That has to be difficult.

• 2:05Channing Crowder?

  It's... You see my black in my eyes? I don't sleep at night, worry about this.

• 2:36Ryan Clark?

  Welcome to the Pivot. You've already gotten a little bit of what the show is like, man. I don't know where your fiance is, but...

• 2:45Channing Crowder?

  Working on a call right now.

• 2:46Ryan Clark?

  Okay, yeah, so...

• 2:47Channing Crowder?

  Live about 10 away, Kenny. All I gotta do is hit me.

• 2:50Ryan Clark?

  Got you, got you. Man, welcome to the Pivot. We're excited to have you. It's just always a cool opportunity. Not only sit with young players in the league, but people who have already had the experiences you have had. And to be a starting quarterback of what I feel is the most prestigious organization in football is such a heavy weight to carry. You did it in such a graceful way this year. So congratulations to you. This is Freddie T. That's Channing. I'm RC. Man, pop me a Happy Dad first before we even start.

• 3:21Channing Crowder?

  Oh, yeah. You training, huh?

• 3:22Ryan Clark?

  I'm training. Yeah, you can't have one.

• 3:24Channing Crowder?

  I'll drink you one.

• 3:25Ryan Clark?

  Well, and you know, too, I had to walk here because they dropped me across the street. Kenny was outside looking for me, and I was in the wrong spot. Cheers. You know what I mean? We'll start it up. We'll start it up, right? Look at you. You always do that. Every single time. Cheers.

• 3:40Channing Crowder?

  There you go. Get right, get right.

• 3:41Fred Taylor?

  For the fat quarterback, throw me a pass. That's what happens.

• 3:45Ryan Clark?

  But, man, let's get, let's get right into it. Also, shout out to DraftKings, all of our supporters, everyone who's been rocking with us since the start. We appreciate y'all. How does a freshman who was 5'6", 140 pounds at Ocean Township High School... There it is. ...win, and I want to say this right, win the Phil Villa Piano Award? Now, I gotta brief them and brief the world on what this award is. Your school decided that they were going to make an award that they weren't going to give out every year. So you couldn't just be a good player. You had to be good at your school, good at high school. You had to be headed to college, but also somebody at that school had to look at you and say, "You know what?"

• 4:30Ryan Clark?

  This dude can make it to the pros, right? Because Phil played for the Raiders, was a four-time Pro Bowler in the 70s. How did you go from that young, small kid to now being Kenny Pickett, the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers?

• 4:44Speaker 04

  Yeah, man, I think I had that like work ethic early on that, you know, we were talking about, you know, you hit, I hit that growth spurt and I added the weights to it and I was always the smallest kid. So like I was, I was always getting like, you know, right above the cut line for like the Elite 11 stuff and like the rival stuff. So I always had a little bit of an edge to me. I think I kept that once the growth spurt came in, in the weight room. And, um, you know, just that, that edge, I think has taken me a long way. And it's something that I, I've kept, you know, I haven't changed that. Um, something I'll keep throughout my career. It's just kind of a part of me just coming from that, you know, underdog type story. Um, so I think having that mindset throughout, you know, early on in my career was helping me get to this point.

• 5:20Ryan Clark?

  There's a story that at 10 years old, because you can look at your first year especially, or even your college career, you didn't hit the, you didn't hit school and start balling. You kind of had that Mac Jones, Joe Burrow last year that propelled you into the first round. But your coach, and one of the stories written about you says at 10 years old, y'all at some type of camp and people are running and like Chan, I'm sure was, I was, Fred, I was always open when I was a kid, but that was actually true. I legitimately was always open and they come back to the huddle. They're telling you that they're open and you tell them, look, I'm gonna throw the football to the dude that's gonna help us win. And if you're that dude, you're gonna get it. What was it about you? Was it your pops Ken or your mom Casey who also played college soccer?

• 6:05Ryan Clark?

  Was it something that they instilled in you that kind of had that leadership from a young age?

• 6:10Speaker 04

  Yeah, that's a good question. I would say my dad, I think, you know, he played ball at, at Shippensburg, D2 school was All-American there. Yeah, you're familiar with the right, out towards the Penn State way. Um, so he, I had like that defensive mindset growing up. Like I always loved playing linebacker. I played both ways in high school. Um, you know, and he always taught me that, like the work ethic, that, that's where I got it from. Um, so I think, you know, just watching, you know, him go about his business when I was young and kind of just like he would, we would always watch TV and he would just say, you know, look at Peyton, look at Tom, like look at how they're interacting with guys on the sideline. Like I just picked it up early and, uh, you know, I just do it my way, not anyone else's way. I think, you know, everyone has their, their own way to lead. And I just want to, you know, kind of take everybody else's way and kind of mold it into my own.

• 6:52Channing Crowder?

  And being like you saying, we see you now as big as you are, you're talking about the growth spurt and how you were an underdog. And that kind of, you know, got me because of the fact that I was gonna say like looking, looking up at you and reading about you, it seemed like you lived a Disney life. Parents, both college athletes. Yeah, like it's boy meets world or something like that.

• 7:12Speaker 04

  I had the Bieber haircut.

• 7:13Channing Crowder?

  You had it like, what was his name, Zack Morris or something like it, like it was a perfect thing. Is that true? Like, like you're saying, both parents successful, successful athletes and successful business people. Your boy, your sister, you know, nuclear family, amazing. Like you go, you start, then you become an All-American, then you become a first-round pick. It seems like your life is a damn movie. Is there any turmoil early on?

• 7:35Speaker 04

  Blessed, man, grateful. I had some, you know, everyone has their, you know, ups and downs growing up and, you know, we had a tragedy in our family growing up. Everything is not perfect, but man, I'm completely blessed and grateful for the way I was raised and the people that I had around me in my life. Coaches, parents, grandparents drive me everywhere. I just lost my grandfather this season. That was tough. But like you said, man, just grateful, you know, couldn't write a better story, couldn't have came up a better way, like just, just real grateful for everything that I've had.

• 8:04Fred Taylor?

  And Channing's talking about, he alluded to your childhood a bit. Ryan talked about, you know, how big you were in stature growing up. And a second ago, you mentioned, you mentioned Peyton and Tom. You know, those are two guys that played in the game that you don't necessarily have to say their last name. We know who they are.

• 8:24Speaker 04

  Right, right, right.

• 8:25Fred Taylor?

  But going to college in Pittsburgh, I would think you would have led with Big Ben, Ben Roethlisberger. So it brings me to the question, how much, were you a fan of, and it might be rhetorical, but were you a fan of Big Ben growing up?

• 8:38Speaker 04

  I was, man. So, you know, one of my best friends was a diehard Steelers fan. I was, I was an Eagles guy myself, so McNabb was my guy. But I always watched Ben, man, like when he had the, the run he had with A.B. and Le'Veon and stuff, Heath Miller, you watched those games, Martavis Bryant, like those games, man, those guys were playing at a different level. So like I, and I was at Pitt and I was able to see it every day, like watching that. You can sit on the side after workouts and just watch them and watch the timing like watch them when the ball comes out before a guy's breaks like way before I was doing it. You know, I'm like, you know, shit, I got some work to do, you know, with my guys to get to that level. But like I saw how it was supposed to be done from Ben, you know, at practice. So he was another guy, you know, I was, you know, able to see up close in person, which, which really helped.

• 9:23Speaker 04

  The first encounter with you and Big Ben, what was that like? So first encounter really was a phone call. So, you know, I had a phone call with him. And, you know, he just, you know, congratulated me on, on, you know, getting drafted to the Steelers. And, you know, what it means to be, you know, a Steelers quarterback. And I was able to talk to Terry Bradshaw as well on the phone. Just two guys who did it at a really high level, who, you know, you know, hopefully I can have half the success that they've had, man. And it'd be a pretty good run. So I had two, two great guys to chase. So I'm excited to get going.

• 9:50Ryan Clark?

  You know, it's so crazy when you are in that building, it's hard to ignore history. And I think what's different about playing at Pitt and being a Steeler is there is no other place, I would think, for a college student or a college student athlete, where you consistently see the pros, right? You watch them practice, you see them go into work, you know, I was in that building for eight years. And, you know, that's where you saw Aaron Donald and you saw Darrel Rivas. And you was like, oh yeah, they got it, you know? And so for you, being in that building and then all the uncertainty leading up to the draft. By the way, your hands are at least my size or bigger, right?

• 10:30Ryan Clark?

  You know, when, when all of that stuff breaks out and, you know, I'm be honest, I'm going back to the film. And I'm like, man, if it affects his game, I don't know how. I see that people will look at him and try to critique him and they try to break you down. So going into that draft with all of that uncertainty, what was draft night for you? And how did it feel when you finally got that call at 20 from Mike T?

• 10:55Speaker 04

  Yeah, it was crazy. Everyone's like, oh, where did you know, did you know? I mean, I had no idea. It ranged from six to 20 is what the range was. It could have been Carolina, New Orleans, Detroit. Indy was talking about maybe coming back up to get me if they can make a trade or something like that. There was plenty of options that I had no clue where I was going. You know, I just kept watching the picks go by, picks go by. I'm sitting next to my dad. We're just kind of looking at each other like, man, who knows where this is headed? But we knew the Steelers were at 20 and that was one of my favorite places, obviously. So I'm like, you know, this would be unbelievable. And so my phone rang and it was, it was Coach T. And I just kinda like, it's all that stuff you talked about from childhood, everything like

• 11:36Speaker 04

  just hit me like a tr- like I had everybody there. I had like 200 people, my closest friends and family, like everyone says, man, but generally everyone in that building had some help in getting me to where I was. So I wanted to make sure that everybody could come by. I was at Philville Piano's restaurant. So that was, that was sweet to have that kinda legacy there.

• 11:53Channing Crowder?

  Yeah.

• 11:54Speaker 04

  It was special, man. I just, I just started, but I don't even know what he said. I remember, I remember he said, "Hey, man, it's Mike T." And it was like done. I was, I don't remember what he said. I was like, "Man, this better not be a prank call. It's definitely gonna get, I'm definitely about to get drafted." So I, I lost it, man. It was, it was incredibly special. Um, you know, I'll remember it forever, man. It was, it was awesome.

• 12:13Channing Crowder?

  Does the hand size stuff get on your nerves? Because like, you're too slow. I'll work out. I'm not accurate. I'll practice.

• 12:20Speaker 04

  Yep.

• 12:20Channing Crowder?

  Like, do you sit and look at your hands? Like, come on, motherfuckers.

• 12:25Speaker 04

  I stretched them out a little bit, man. I was doing some exercises. I got them up. I think it was like eight and a half at Combine. I got them to like eight and five eights or something at Pro Day. So like, for whatever that's worth, man, I was trying everything I could. You couldn't, I was sleeping in like a splint to like stretch my hand out. Like, I'll do whatever, whatever it takes, man. I'll do, I'll do whatever. Um, so yeah, like, but like you said, it's something you can't really control. So at the end of the day, I'm like, I mean, I'm just gonna go throw whatever. I mean, I played in the second coldest game in the Heinz Field history against the Raiders and, you know, we won the two-minute drill. So we did, we did alright. So, um, yeah, that, that, it, there's always something like they just, once they find something in that draft process, man, they're gonna hammer it home till, till the draft. So you just hear about all the negatives and not

• 13:07Speaker 04

  much of the positives. So if I could have any advice to the guys doing it, man, just, just keep working and it all works out.

• 13:13Fred Taylor?

  And with that, KP, you, um, even at Pitt, Dan Marino, I'm sure he was plastered all over the place. Another big target for you to go after. You mentioned Bradshaw and Big Ben. The expectations are what they are. How do you yourself manage those?

• 13:30Speaker 04

  Yeah, that's a, that's a good question. I don't, I don't try not to put too much thought in it. Like, you know, people are like, how are you gonna, you know, you're coming in for Big Ben? Like, obviously, it's a, it's a Hall of Famer, man. Like, it's, it's not gonna happen in one season. It's not gonna happen in two seasons. So like, I know there's such a long ways to go, where I'm just kind of focusing on, okay, like, I gotta improve at XYZ. Right now, I have no shot at being a, a good NFL quarterback. So I just focus on what I can do to get better, you know, how I can help us as a team. And, you know, hopefully, at the end of it, I can look back and say, alright, I did some good things. So I think just kind of being in the moment, focus on what I need to do.

• 14:03Fred Taylor?

  Right. And that, uh, that brings us to where we are now. We're in Hollywood. Not Hollywood, California, but Hollywood, Florida. And you guys are down here, training, you know, all over social media. It's yourself, it's Mitch Trubisky, the receiving corps, Deontay, Pick, you know, all those guys. Speak to the level of commitment. You and your post-rookie year now, first offseason, and you guys are going to a location where you all are just here to get that work. Speak to the level of commitment by your group.

• 14:37Speaker 04

  Yeah, it's big, man. It's big. It's, you love, you love hearing guys like, anyone in the NFL could say, man, I want this, I want that. Like, everyone should have like that want to. Like, they can talk about it, and it sounds great, and everyone's on board, and it's a rah rah type thing. But then, when it's time to do it, like, who shows up and who's there? Like, that's when you find out. Like, who's really all in it, who wants to do it. So to have everyone show up, man, and be down here and ready to work, it was, it was, it's awesome to see. And, you know, it just kind of excites you as a, as a quarterback, as a player, that you got guys with you that are on that same kind of level and same kind of drive that want to go out there and win a championship. So it's awesome to see.

• 15:13Channing Crowder?

  And who set it up? Because you weren't starting at first. You can't tell nobody come work out if you ain't starting. Like, did you set up the workout?

• 15:19Speaker 04

  This one, this one I did. Yeah, yeah, this one I did, man. I'm, I'm the starter now. So yeah, yeah, I did it. I did it now. So, um, you know, put everyone in the group chat, and everyone was on board. And it's not hard, like you said, to get guys down to Florida, man. If I was, if I was in Jersey, I think that's a little bit harder. So, uh, so getting guys down here was cool.

• 15:35Ryan Clark?

  You know, that brings me to a question. When he mentioned that Mitch, Mitchell was here, and obviously, Chan talking about starting, we all have visions of what our career is going to be. And when you finish as strong as you did at Pitt, it's not about sitting. And then, obviously, you know, with getting Mitchell Trubisky in the offseason, you guys were going to be competing, and you had to wait. You know, you waited until October 2nd to be inserted against the New York Jets to get your opportunity. What was that process like for you, waiting your turn? And I watched the preseason. You showed in the preseason that you had the ability to go out and start, but the Pittsburgh Steelers still wanted to go through the process in the way that they did.

• 16:20Ryan Clark?

  How difficult was it for you to sit and just wait for your turn?

• 16:24Speaker 04

  Yeah, I mean, as competitors, you know, you guys, you want to play, man. You don't want to go out there, run out of the tunnel and then sit in the sideline with your helmet. So, but listen, I trust Mike T. wholeheartedly, man. So, he has a plan. I knew he had a plan for me and whatever, you know, whatever it was, I'm like, I'm all in on it and whatever he wants me to do, I'm doing. So, I was able to get into a good rhythm and a routine of like film study and preparation and kind of learn how to do that as a pro coming out of college, having class, which my senior year, I don't think I went to too many classes, to be honest. It was, I was majoring in football, but like I kind of had like, you know, Coach T. there to guide me early on and what that process looks like. And we kind of really refined it to some of the point where I came to starter. It was just another week for me in terms of preparation because I was doing that, like

• 17:09Speaker 04

  I was preparing like the starter, just not getting the practice reps. And then once I got that, got my feet under me a little bit, I felt, you know, a lot better.

• 17:16Ryan Clark?

  So, the first start is against the Bills. It was horrific.

• 17:19Speaker 04

  Yep.

• 17:20Ryan Clark?

  Right? So, Minka, me and Minka text a lot, and I was texting with him about something, and he sends me a quote. And the quote is, it's a picture of you, and the quote was, "The only dude I had taken the alley with me from the Pittsburgh Steelers was the quarterback." Right? And I was talking about you.

• 17:36Speaker 04

  Nick probably didn't like that, man.

• 17:37Ryan Clark?

  Not, but the thing was this, before I said it, I said, "No, we all know about Cam and Minka, and TJ wasn't playing at the time." So, I got them out the way first.

• 17:46Speaker 04

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 17:47Ryan Clark?

  You know what I mean? For him. And he even told me, he was like, "Yeah, I just used it for motivation."

• 17:50Speaker 04

  Yep.

• 17:51Ryan Clark?

  But that week is your first week starting. The game's going terribly, and you're fighting though, and I'm watching, which is why I said what I said. But a funny thing from that game is Damar hits you late.

• 18:03Speaker 04

  Yep.

• 18:04Ryan Clark?

  Right? Damar Hamlin hits you late on the sideline. You had, yeah, at least you had one lineman, you know. Come over the fight.

• 18:09Speaker 04

  JD came over.

• 18:10Ryan Clark?

  For you, man, when you're in that game and it's going bad like that. And obviously, we don't know what's gonna happen with Damar later on in the season. And you're in that moment and your homeboy for school hits you. What are you thinking to yourself? Like, is it like, should I steal on him? Or like, do quarterbacks do that? You know, are my hands worth enough to not hit him? You know what I'm saying?

• 18:31Speaker 04

  Right, right. Um, so I slid and he hit me late. And I just got up, I was like, come on, man. Cause I've known Damar for so long. We've been going at it for a long time, man. Practices, you know, we talk, every day in practice, we would go at it. Uh, you know, Paris Ford, he was in, we would go every day, man. Love him to death, but every day, we go, it's good, you know, competing. So I get up, he's like, man, I was worried about the fake slide. I was like, get the fuck out. I was like, come on, bro. I was like, whatever, man. But it was, it's good, man. Cause like, you know, Dane Jackson's on that team too. He was on, we were on same locker room together at Pitt, man. And, uh, you know, they whooped our ass for sure. But, you know, just, just compete, man, trying to win and pissed off, being down that much. So just kind of the emotions get to you a little bit.

• 19:12Ryan Clark?

  The fake slide, bro, where'd that come from now?

• 19:14Speaker 04

  I honestly swear to God, it was just in the moment thing. I never practiced it, swear, swear. They pulled up 10 yards away and I'm like, I got a lot of room to run. Like, I thought I hit a stutter step and I was out. But when I watched it on tape, I'm like, yeah, that's a fake slide. So I dragged my foot and everything. But a lot of people were upset. You guys are defensive guys, so I'm sure you guys are on TV bashing me. Yeah, but I was just, I was like, yeah, man, it's in the rulebook now. So now it's gone. And now no one, Vix was way cooler than me, though. His should have been banned a long, remember when he did that spin move with the one hand?

• 19:45Ryan Clark?

  Yeah.

• 19:46Speaker 04

  That was, that was way cooler than mine, so he has it for sure.

• 19:50Ryan Clark?

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• 20:11Channing Crowder?

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• 20:18Ryan Clark?

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• 20:22Fred Taylor?

  Man, you've been riding those same game parlays for a while, but me, listen, you got DraftKings Sportsbook and then you got DraftKings Daily Fantasy. I'm the daily fantasy guy. I still can play and I'm all good.

• 20:33Ryan Clark?

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• 20:53Speaker 00

  Every game day, you show up for your team. Now it's your time.

• 21:03Speaker 00

  Ask your prescriber about Wegovy. Someaglutide injection 2.4 milligrams a GLP-1. Call 1-833-4-WEGOVY or visit wegovy.com to view the medication guide and to learn more about Wegovy. Why wait?

• 21:22Channing Crowder?

  And you bring up that first game and we all watching. You talking about games, we watch all your games. And especially with this Pittsburgh lover here who talks about it every damn show.

• 21:31Ryan Clark?

  They get upset because they don't win a lot.

• 21:33Channing Crowder?

  Yeah. Hey man, you know what? We won with Marino. That's how long ago before the Dolphins were damn, we no worse than them. But, um, but was there any, was that, was that a humbling moment? Because like I was talking about earlier where you go to, you're a baller in high school, then you get to college. Well, you won it all ACC Player of the Year, Athlete of the Year, had that Johnny Unitas Award, All-American, like.

• 21:54Ryan Clark?

  Every record, he got every Pitt record.

• 21:56Channing Crowder?

  Every record you can, and broke the Dan Marino stuff, you know what I'm saying? It's rolling and then you get to Pittsburgh and you're not starting. Then you start and y'all start getting, y'all get asses beat. Like, was it then, when was that humbling moment? Was there, was there a humbling moment?

• 22:13Speaker 04

  You know, I feel like I'm a humble guy, but when I, once you cross the line, like you have that, you know, that you're the man and that you can't get touched out. Like, you know, you just have that feeling of you doing this your whole life. You worked hard to be here. Like, you just feel like you can't get touched. And like, of course, man, like, you're playing against the best in the world. Like, when I started practicing against Minka, against TJ, against Cam, you're like, you know, these guys can play, you know. It's a humbling, once you get up here and you see how good everyone is, man, you can't have an off day. You know, you gotta be on, on your shit every single day, or you're gonna get, you're gonna get beat. So, you know, I definitely came in, I feel like with a humble attitude, man. But, you know, it definitely gets checked when you get blown out like that. And it's not a good feeling. So, I felt like, once we hit the bye week, man, like, we came together. And like, it could go two ways. Like, we could, this thing could tank, and we'd be two and

• 22:57Speaker 04

  whatever and finish. Or, you know, we could push for the playoffs and have a shot. And we ended up having a shot that last week and didn't go our way. But, it was cool to see, you know, the way we finished, the way we came together as a team.

• 23:07Fred Taylor?

  The AFC, loaded with great young talent. What is it gonna take for you in that next step, that big leap, for you to be mentioned with the likes of, you know, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen?

• 23:21Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, look at his division. In his, in his division, he has Joe Burrow.

• 23:25Fred Taylor?

  Right, right. So, that next step, what is it gonna take for you to get there?

• 23:29Speaker 04

  That's a great question, man. I think, I look back on my experience at Pitt, I think that what, what took me to the next level, it's just you go back to football being like that ultimate team game, man. There's, we, we had a lot of talent at Pitt, and it came together that last year, where, you know, that work ethic matched the talent we had. And, you know, I think we're kinda heading that way, you know, with the Steelers. I think there's a lot of talent on our team. And, you know, as long as I continue to work and, you know, push myself in the offseason and make that leap, and, and master our system, and kinda own it the way you see these other quarterbacks in the league own it. And the guys have been playing the same system for a couple of years now. You know, they're running the show out there, and that's kinda what I wanna get to. It doesn't happen overnight. And, you know, I understand that. It's gonna take some time to get there. But, you know, I'm gonna do everything in my power to get there. And I know that we have the guys on

• 24:14Speaker 04

  the team that, that want that same goal, you know, hoisting that trophy up in February. So, you know, I know we'll get there sooner or later.

• 24:21Ryan Clark?

  You know, in Pittsburgh, that's all it's about. Small goals are not recognized there.

• 24:28Speaker 04

  Right.

• 24:28Ryan Clark?

  Which is evident by playing for a coach who's never had a losing season, season in over a decade and a half, and people want him fired. For you to, you know, become the starter when you did against the Jets and for the season to not be going as well as it was, obviously it starts to be, is this going to be Coach Tomlin's first losing season? And coming into the year, you had the quarterback controversy. You started to right the ship. The defense was playing well. Najee starts to pick up. The offensive line starts to play a little better. And you alluded to this game earlier. It was kind of my, okay, KP got it game. You're playing the Raiders. It's freezing. You know, and I've played in some cold games. That would look cold on TV, bro.

• 25:12Speaker 04

  Cold, cold.

• 25:13Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, my homeboy coaches for the Raiders. He said he was ready to go the moment he stepped off the plane. To finish that game though, you have a big drive. I think you hit George Pickens for the touchdown to win the game. And you know, we're going to hear a lot about Pickett to Pickens and I want to ask you about that later. Was that kind of a moment for you, followed up by a week of doing the same thing and beating the Ravens late in the game where you said, you know what? I might, I might be able to do this and as a team, we might be able to do something.

• 25:42Speaker 04

  Yeah, I think those, those big time moments when guys step up around you and you're kind of, you're getting comfortable in those, you know, in the NFL, I feel like all those games, a lot of them just come down to one possession, man. Like it's not college where you're beating teams by 21 or, or you know, 14 points. It's coming down to that two minute, either offensively or defensively, a majority of the time. So we worked, you know, Coach T, you know, saw that we're a young team. We worked that drill, man, a lot. And I wasn't successful at first. Like I had a lot of adversities early on in the two minutes, just coming from college and the clock stoppages and not having that after first downs. And you don't realize how fast that clock goes, man, when you keep it in bounds and the game just is a little bit different at the NFL level when it comes to that. So once I felt like I had a good feel for it and you're showing up in big time moments and you're doing, and you're having success and that, that route that George ran, like

• 26:27Speaker 04

  he converted it, you know, he saw the right coverage, he read it and did it and we've worked it. So like you're starting to see things that you've practiced over and over again, like come into the game and now you're having success in the game. Like you're just seeing the trend go up. So that's why I was really hoping, man, we get in the playoffs and have another shot just because of the way we were playing, like we're, we're, we were coming along, like we were doing what we were setting out to do. So you know, that's definitely those two moments of, you know, winning games, big time moments, it's kind of, you're like, okay, you know, we have a shot.

• 26:55Ryan Clark?

  How good did it feel though, to do that to the Ravens? Like I think. People, it's hard to find an actual rivalry in the NFL. It just is, even if you play a team all the time because you don't beat each other enough or it's not physical enough. That one is, and that's something that I was a part of. And I tell people all the time, you always look to see who you play the next week because you know how much it's going to take to win that game.

• 27:22Speaker 04

  Right.

• 27:23Ryan Clark?

  When you do win that game against the Ravens, what's that feeling like in the locker room for you being the starting quarterback in that moment?

• 27:31Speaker 04

  Yeah, it's huge, man, especially because I got knocked out so early in the first one. You know, I was hyped up for that one and I didn't, you know, I think it was the first series, second series was out. So then when I came back for this one on the road, like it just, it means a little bit more too to win on the road, like, you know, going into a hostile environment like that. That was probably my favorite atmosphere that I played in, you know, my rookie season, being a rivalry game, being late in the year. But like you said, brother, the pads pop a little differently, I think, in the Steelers versus Ravens, man. Like that game's a little bit different. When I hand that ball to Naj and I kind of turn, I hear what's popping in between the tackles, I'm like, I might want to stay away from there for this game, I'll stay on the outside, but yeah, man, it's physical. It's an incredible rivalry I watched with Ed Reed and, I mean, yourself, you were in

• 28:14Speaker 04

  it and Ben and growing up, like you just, all those memories of those games is cool. So it was awesome.

• 28:21Channing Crowder?

  And what's the biggest difference? Because it's funny you talk about it, we love talking ball too. But when I got to the league as a linebacker, I just saw how damn athletic the offensive linemen were.

• 28:28Speaker 04

  Yeah.

• 28:28Channing Crowder?

  Like he's 350 and I do a little stutter step and he laughs at me and does the same move.

• 28:32Speaker 04

  Yeah.

• 28:33Channing Crowder?

  You spoke about the DBs, the jumps, the schemes, the hits. Like what was, what was the moment that you said, damn, that's different than college?

• 28:41Speaker 04

  Quinnen Williams laying me out the first game. That was one of the hits and I was like, okay, like I got up laughing, but inside, like, you know, when you're hurt where you're like, I can't, I can't show it. So you get up smiling, but like, you're like, damn, all right, he got me on that one. But yeah, I think, I think the front, man, the edge rushers, those guys are different. Like TJ's different, Cam's massive, he's different. And like schematically how that has to tie into your game plan, that changes a lot of things too. So I think edge rushers for me. For sure, something that that that kind of was like, ah, this is different.

• 29:12Fred Taylor?

  And the the North, RC talked about the North, the competition level in the North, talked about rivalries. And, you know, each and every week for the Steelers, like, I made the Steelers my rivalry. You know, we were in different divisions after a while, but college in Pittsburgh, now pro in Pittsburgh. You know, what what's your ticket request count like on a weekly for home games?

• 29:34Speaker 04

  I'm a Jersey guy, so I'm Jersey first, Pittsburgh second for sure. But, um, dude, because that's a five and a half hour drive, man. My parents got the got a like a mini, like a big van that fits like 20 people in it. So I had to get a suite for all my family and friends. So that's like 16 or 18 tickets there a week, plus like the two you get. And then if I have to get some more, I'll get some more. But it's they, we we traveled deep for the for the home games. But like I said, like, it's all the people that are at my draft night, you know, that are like old high school coaches, old teammates, like guys that I played with in high school, like, hey, man, I really want to come out. And of course, like, you know, it's just, it's great to have it close to home where I could see everybody and kind of enjoy this journey with with everyone I came up with.

• 30:13Ryan Clark?

  KP, Chan works in Miami media. This is where we are now as well. And so he had to watch everything happen with Tua throughout the season. You mentioned being knocked out of the first Ravens game. I think it was Roquan gets in on you, your head hits the ground. I want to say there was another incident you had of being in protocol. For you, with the game being more physical, you talking about the way a Quinnen Williams can get to you. You don't run away from those guys for 58 yards with the fake slide in the league like you were able to do against a Wake Forest. For you in trying to protect yourself, how concerned are you about maybe adjusting style of play?

• 30:56Ryan Clark?

  So you don't miss that time being as valuable as you are to the team, as we saw Tua, even you in concussion protocol this year?

• 31:03Speaker 04

  Yeah, that's the that's the thing. When my concussions, it was the back of my head hitting the ground. So as tough as a quarterback, like, I'm going back to like how I trained in college. Like, I used to train my neck a lot more than I did when I was getting ready for the draft. Because like, all right, I got to focus on these drills, I got to run this. And like, I didn't train my neck as hard as I Should have in the like, I think, coming up into the season. So I don't, I think my next strength, so I could hold my head up and not hit the ground is something that I want to focus on. But in terms of style of play, like, I think I get down, like, I could slide, I kind of, you know, you know how to get hit without taking the brunt of the hit and like, just those, those kind of things, just being a football player, like, I think you can always improve, improve at, but sometimes, like, you just got to stand in the pocket and take a hit, it just comes with the job. So just doing stuff training wise to kind

• 31:48Speaker 04

  of help myself is something I'm going to focus on.

• 31:50Ryan Clark?

  So my son plays DB at Arizona State.

• 31:53Speaker 04

  Awesome.

• 31:53Ryan Clark?

  And I think it's always, I always like to talk to other players whose fathers played football. Because I, bro, some of the rides me and my son had driving home from some of his high school games, I know, like, in his little heart, because at the time, he was like 150, he was like, man, if I could whip dad, I'd put heads on him, like, straight up. And I've gotten better because now I could see in him all the things I wanted him to be, as the way I wanted him to care, he does. So I don't have to force that upon him. Your pops coached you in flag, all the way to high school, you've even said, you know, he talks, okay, did you see Tom do this, and all those things. Now that you are

• 32:36Ryan Clark?

  a pro, and you have a real relationship with your father, it's not like, oh, it's all about Kenny Pickett, the pro, he's always been there. What are those post-game talks like now?

• 32:47Speaker 04

  Lot different than when I was growing up, than Peewee, man. I was driving home, and I had plenty of the same kind of, but that's, I think that's where, that's why your son, where is it, where he's at, like, I think I'm where I'm at, because my dad was just, like, he knew how bad I wanted it to, to be where I was, like, he saw that I had the drive. So he's like, listen, if that's where you want to go, like, this is what you have to do. And he was very, you know, very honest about it, you know, would pay for any camps, would do anything to help me get there. Like, was a coach and like, best friend, but, you know, now that you're in the NFL, it's kind, it's just a different ballgame, you know, he's being dad more than being like a coach, you know, so I think, like, that switch got like flipped probably like college, like, middle college, freshman year of college, to where he's like, okay, he's dealing with, he's got so

• 33:30Speaker 04

  He's got so many people that are trying to get him right on football like I need to be, you know, his dad now and make sure he's right as a person and just kind of be like a sounding board for me, you know, after games and everything. But everyone like he's a defensive guy. He watches our defense and he's just like, you know, you know, so and so made this play. Like I saw this, I saw that. So he's still very in tune to what's going on football wise and but still being dad at the same time.

• 33:52Channing Crowder?

  What about off the field? Like do your parents, because they're very involved, honestly. Like off the field, like I want to buy this car. You ain't getting that car, Kenny. Okay, mom. Like, because it's a big transition.

• 34:03Speaker 04

  It is a, it is a big transition and like I have a really good financial advisor and he monitors everything and my fiance works in finance. So she monitors. I have a lot of people watching the finances, man. So there's nothing that I really have done that's been like crazy yet that that they were like, what are you doing? So I think I'm doing a good job so far. Yeah, but I got a lot of people, you know, making sure I'm doing the right thing.

• 34:27Channing Crowder?

  But I had to have the I'm a grown man conversation with my people at some point. Have you had that or do you think you have to have that?

• 34:33Speaker 04

  No, I mean, I think they, I think they've done a really good job of keeping an arm's distance and letting me grow up and letting me be, you know, my own person. But at the same time, like if I need guidance, I'm like, hey, I'm looking at this house or I'm looking at this like, I don't know what I'm looking at. I'm just, you know, my fiance, my mom and dad, they went looking for, for a house while I was in rookie mini camp. And we had a number set and I'm like, okay, that's a good number to be at. Like, we probably won't go over that. I get done with rookie mini camp. They're like, hey, we got a house. Like, we love it. I'm like, okay, like I got another day. Like I got another day here. Like, can I wait and see it? They're like, no, you know, we got to get it now. Turned out being twice the number that I had set. So they actually had the craziest purchase than I, than I had. But so I bought a house, signed the papers and everything. I didn't even see

• 35:17Speaker 04

  it. So that's how much trust I have with my fiance and my parents. But after I saw them, like they did, they did a really good job. So I got no clue what I'm looking at in that area. But yes, that, that was my first big time purchase. That was crazy and I didn't even really make it. So that was it. Did y'all have a rookie dinner this year? We did. And luckily I'm in a small position group, man. I had, I had the three Qs. I had DC.

• 35:40Speaker 04

  Our like support staff guy, you know, helping us out and Coach Sully. So we had a small group. It probably racked up towards like three, three grand and that was it. So I got out easy. I think the O-line, the, I've heard some horror stories for the D-line. I've heard DBs, you know, gets a little wild. So I got, I got lucky.

• 35:57Fred Taylor?

  The receivers typically the wild pack. They're the wild group.

• 36:01Speaker 04

  That is true.

• 36:02Fred Taylor?

  And since you guys are down here in beautiful Miami training, there's a little establishment down the road.

• 36:07Speaker 04

  Yeah.

• 36:07Fred Taylor?

  That if you want to celebrate with them. You probably heard it in Drake's song, "Upstairs at Tussie's and Shoulder Up."

• 36:14Speaker 04

  Sure, yep.

• 36:15Fred Taylor?

  So if you happen to want to do something nice for your guys.

• 36:18Speaker 04

  Fifteen minutes.

• 36:19Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, take care of it.

• 36:21Speaker 04

  I'll let, I'll let the boys know.

• 36:22Channing Crowder?

  Fiance is on the mountain.

• 36:24Fred Taylor?

  For the boys. He's the leader. He's giving back. Right.

• 36:28Channing Crowder?

  Let somebody go to Tussie's without you?

• 36:32Fred Taylor?

  Hey, man.

• 36:33Channing Crowder?

  I don't even know that concept.

• 36:34Fred Taylor?

  You know, he can be the designated driver.

• 36:37Speaker 04

  There you go.

• 36:38Ryan Clark?

  Speaking of your, your guys, so many quarterbacks are tied to a receiver. Obviously, it's the total receiver group, but as great as Joe Burrow has been and the skill group he has, it's Jamar Chase. And, you know, you hear the same thing. It's Stafford, but it's Cooper Cup and all those different things. For you, you kind of had the, the fortunate happenstance of coming in with George Pickens, who you know, I know, everybody in the world knows should have been a first round pick. He's a first round talent. Do you ever, how much do you sit around and think, man, we could do some great things here? We can have that Big Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown sort of run here?

• 37:23Speaker 04

  Uh, yeah, I think, I mean, like you said, he's shown how athletically gifted he is. But I think what I saw today, just kind of working his routes, like he wants to become a route runner and he wants to have all those routes in his arsenal where it's, it's not just one or two routes where guys really have to worry about. So I think when he, once we put that together in this spring, man, along with Deontay on the other side and Pat working the middle of the field, Najee in the backfield, like, like you said, I mean, there's a lot of pieces that are young that we could really build around. So, um, but like I said before, man, it sounds good on paper, you know, talking about it sounds awesome. We got to go out there and do it. Uh, but I'm, I'm really, you know, encouraged what I've seen early on from, from everyone.

• 38:01Ryan Clark?

  I don't know how this happens this early. You have your own field back at the crib, right? Kenny Pickett Field. And if you go to the field, there's...

• 38:10Channing Crowder?

  What?

• 38:11Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, he had his own field.

• 38:13Channing Crowder?

  He just got to the league.

• 38:15Ryan Clark?

  The man won the award that says you gonna get to the league.

• 38:19Channing Crowder?

  I heard you, Steve Pilapompon.

• 38:24Channing Crowder?

  They named the field after you already?

• 38:26Speaker 04

  Yeah, yeah, not the high school field. Like a field I grew up playing Pop Warner at. That was a field that got named after me.

• 38:32Channing Crowder?

  Damn.

• 38:32Ryan Clark?

  And it says, and your quote is, "One day I want to say I've made it."

• 38:36Speaker 04

  Yep.

• 38:37Ryan Clark?

  Do you feel like you've made it, though?

• 38:40Speaker 04

  I think it changes. I think it like when I got drafted, I was like, that was the first thing. And I posted on my Instagram, I want to say like 2014. Like back when I was like a freshman or in eighth grade. That was the moment that I had in my head of that, you know, saying I made it. And then as soon as I got drafted, there's one of me holding the trophy. That's the next image in my head of saying I made it. So I think a championship on that stage with everyone that I worked to get there with, like then I'll say I made it and then it'll be doing it again. So that's the next stage.

• 39:10Channing Crowder?

  What's the last image?

• 39:13Speaker 05

  Every game day, you show up for your team. Now it's your time.

• 39:23Speaker 00

  Ask your prescriber about Wegovy. Some maglutide injection, 2.4 milligrams a GLP-1. Call 1-833-4-WEGOVIE or visit wegovie.com to view the medication guide and to learn more about Wegovy. Why wait?

• 39:42Channing Crowder?

  I'm assuming it's the Lombardi.

• 39:44Speaker 04

  Yep.

• 39:44Channing Crowder?

  What's the last image?

• 39:45Speaker 04

  What is? Of my football career, football.

• 39:48Channing Crowder?

  What is Kenny the Third? The next Kenny talking about with his daddy?

• 39:53Speaker 04

  That's a great question, man. I haven't gotten that far. It's gotta be putting on the jacket, right? I mean, that's, that's, I think as a player, just talking individually, I think that's just a goal that, you know, it's special when there's only a select few. And I've, you know, blessed to meet a couple of them and they just talk about that moment and it's tough. For them to even put into words of, but they always talk about the teams that they were on. Like that's how special I think this game is and the relationships you build. Like I said, like I was holding a trophy at Pitt with all my best friends that I played college ball with. And now that I'm in the pros, man, I want to be holding a trophy up with some new group of guys that, you know, became best friends and, you know, accomplished all the goals we set out to so. But, you know, personally, individually, I think you can't beat the gold jacket.

• 40:37Ryan Clark?

  Now, we love football on this show, right? This is three football guys, but we also love real life.

• 40:42Speaker 04

  Yep.

• 40:43Ryan Clark?

  And I'm surprised Channing didn't ask this question because this is a very Channing-like question. You think he's, you said he was a good-looking guy. You put him in your tier.

• 40:52Speaker 04

  I'm a tier down, you remember that. I'm a step below.

• 40:56Channing Crowder?

  Everybody thinks I'm attractive.

• 41:00Channing Crowder?

  The whole world.

• 41:01Ryan Clark?

  You know, and, and you're, you're a very young man, even though, you know, you got that extra year of college. You know, you're going into your second year and you keep mentioning your fiance and the things and the trust that you have in her and how she's doing things with your parents. Just to have that sort of relationship is big for a young player. Cause a lot of times it's the parents pulling at the young player like, no, it's time for you to do for me. So the fact that they can have that sort of relationship that supports you and says, Kenny, go play quarterback.

• 41:32Speaker 04

  Yeah.

• 41:32Ryan Clark?

  Right? But for you, what was that decision like, man, to, to pop the question and, and say, you know, this is what I want to do, you are who I want to be with for the rest of my life?

• 41:42Speaker 04

  Yeah, man, it was, it was awesome. So it was almost, I think it was January 22nd. We're getting married, uh, June 24th. So we're working kind of, kind of quick, but, uh, it's just kind of that cliche. Like when you know, you know, like I just had no doubt, um, that she's someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. Just, you know, personally, like how we connect on a personal level, like she works in private equity. I think she has longer hours than I did, like during the season, like she's out of the house at eight, back at eight o'clock at night. She's out there working right now. So like, we just kind of connected on that level. And then I think it took off from there. Like her, her family's awesome. Her family's in Naples, uh, right now. My parents are working in the house in Marco Island. So like they're 30 minutes away. We grew up 15 minutes. Away, um, you know, met on a college break. She went to Princeton, you know, I was at Pitt.

• 42:27Speaker 04

  We ended up training at the same place growing up. So she was, uh, shout out to Val Barnaby, my guy Val. That's, that's kind of where we met, like when we were like 10 years old. Never took, never spoke to each other. We're just in the same building. Always had a crush on her, but never said anything. And then when I saw her on a college break, I was like, okay, I think it's time that I say something now. So, um, I'm really glad I did. And, uh, now we're here, man. And I can't say enough great things about Amy and what she means to me.

• 42:51Channing Crowder?

  Well, what, what did you say? I gotta know the line now. You've been chasing her for 10, 15 years.

• 42:55Ryan Clark?

  And you were like Good Will Hunting.

• 42:58Channing Crowder?

  You were stalking her for 13 years.

• 43:02Speaker 04

  I think, I think we were playing, uh, either beer pong or something. And I was like, I need a partner. So I was like, hey, come be my partner. And then it took, it took off from there, man. That, so we were just, uh, we were winning some games and, uh, had a little connection there and then it took off.

• 43:15Channing Crowder?

  Okay, so is it steak and fish on the, on the list? What do I have to choose from at the wedding?

• 43:20Speaker 04

  That's a good question. We, we gotta pick that out.

• 43:22Channing Crowder?

  I want steak. I'm a steak guy.

• 43:23Speaker 04

  You want steak?

• 43:24Channing Crowder?

  Yeah, so.

• 43:24Speaker 04

  All right.

• 43:25Channing Crowder?

  And don't put me at table 19. I want to be at table 3.

• 43:28Ryan Clark?

  But Chad, why would he want you there? He needs to be the most stunning man.

• 43:32Speaker 04

  You're gonna take my shine.

• 43:33Channing Crowder?

  I won't mess up your wedding. I won't mess up your wedding.

• 43:36Fred Taylor?

  Even more than that, he's inviting himself. So the real question is, how do you come up with your guest list?

• 43:42Speaker 04

  Uh, that, that was a.

• 43:44Fred Taylor?

  Lot of people.

• 43:44Speaker 04

  Lot of people, man. Like you said, the draft night and everything and, um, you know, family, friends and stuff. I think we're at like 270. And I think we're gonna cap, like, we're done at 270.

• 43:53Ryan Clark?

  Cause you got pro friends now too, though.

• 43:55Speaker 04

  Pro friends, man, college friends, high school friends, like football. I'm blessed to play football. All my best friends have came pretty much from football. Like, that's just kind of how it goes. So you have these relationships, you're like, man, like, I wish, I, I really want him there. I really want him there, but Amy's like, listen, we're at like 400 people like when we started. So like, that was way over, over the limit, but, um, everyone's been really cool about it. So it's been good.

• 44:17Ryan Clark?

  So this is my last, my last relationship question, and then I'll let Freddie ask the question. It always wraps the show.

• 44:24Ryan Clark?

  You know, one, women are just generally smarter than we are. They just, they just are, right? And they're better debaters and arguers. Bro, your girl went to Ivy League school, though. So when y'all get into like a little heated conversation, does she ever bring up how she's so much more highly educated than you?

• 44:46Speaker 04

  Um, I think it just comes out naturally in the conversation. Like you're hearing me talk and I hear her side, I'm like, damn. Like, you know, like you're just like, it's not even close. But, um, I think she's got the book smarts for sure. Uh, the street smart, like the common sense, I may have, I may have her edged out. Her parents can verify that for me as well. Um, so yeah, I think there's a really good give and take on both sides.

• 45:06Fred Taylor?

  We usually wrap with asking a guest, what's your biggest pivot in life? Hence the, the name of the show, The Pivot. Uh, but for you, you're such a young man and you got so much life ahead of you. A lot of messing up to do. We've all been there and a lot of figuring that part out. So I won't ask you that, but I will ask you, you know, considering, it seems that you've had just this amazing, you know, uh, route, you know, uh, journey to the NFL. It just seems that it's been picture perfect almost and so surreal. But I want to ask you, you know, uh, having an opportunity to have a, a field name after you and you have so many young, young, uh, youth football players that are looking up to you.

• 45:48Fred Taylor?

  Have you for a minute taken a step back to say, man, I can be that damn, you know, you know, that to give these kids something to go after or that Big Ben or the Terry Bradshaw? Have you taken that moment to say, man, I can be next, the one that these kids are looking up to?

• 46:04Speaker 04

  I think, I mean, for sure. And it's not, you know, I feel like I'm in a position now where I feel like a lot of kids are looking up to me, at least in my hometown, you know, for sure. And I would just kind of want to set that example of, you know, I was never the biggest kid. Like we talked about, like I played three sports. I think it's, you know, I think some kids are just like playing one sport now and focusing on it. Like just go be a kid, man. And then when you find out what you want to do in high school and stuff, just go chase after it. And, uh, you know, work hard and you could achieve anything. You know, there's so many naysayers out there, so many negative people on this planet. Um, you know, stick, stick close to the positive ones and you could reach, you know, the dreams that you have set for yourself. So, um, you know, I hope I've set that and I'm going to continue to do that. And like you said, hopefully, you know, land somewhere around those names that you mentioned. And, uh, you know, I think I, you know, had a pretty good run.

• 46:48Ryan Clark?

  Man, listen, we appreciate your time, especially fitting us in. I know you've been working, you gotta take the boys out. Also, we thank your fiance for giving us this space as well. You know, for me, man, I'm a fan, but more than being a fan, I'm rooting for you. I want every Monday morning, when I'm on TV, to get on there and talk about how KP and the Steelers ball, you know, what you get to do in that place is special, though. Chan and Fred met Mike T. They've been around what we have as an organization, the way the older players and the guys who are alums still go back, and you got to watch it being in college. All I could say, man, is never take for granted what the people before you

• 47:30Ryan Clark?

  did and what it's going to mean for the people after you, what you do. Because it is extremely important. We're a family. So I wish you the best. We appreciate you, brother. Cheers. Thank you, guys. Appreciate that, man. Appreciate it. Appreciate that.

• 47:42Channing Crowder?

  Tell Mike T. I love him.

• 47:44Ryan Clark?

  No.

• 47:44Channing Crowder?

  Well, dude, fell in love with Mike T. I appreciate it. Yes, sir.

• 48:14Speaker 05

  Every game day, you show up for your team. Now, it's your time.

• 48:24Speaker 00

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