Nik Bonitto: NFL All Pro, Denver Broncos Linee Backer, talks Patrick Mahomes, college teammate Jalen Hurts, Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Surtain II winning Defensive Player of the Year & Super Bowl Preview match up

“At the end of the day, the Pro Bowls and All Pro's are cool and stuff. But you know, I came in the league wanting to have a gold jacket." Nik Bonitto Kicking off Super Bowl Wknd and getting ready for the big game with a player who faces the Chiefs twice a year and played with Philadelphia's quarterback at Oklahoma. In this episode of The Pivot Podcast, Ryan, Channig and Fred sit down with first time All Pro, Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto as he talks about his journey to the NFL, adjusting to life in Denver, facing Patrick Mahomes, playing with Jalen Hurts in college, his support of Broncos teammate Patrick Surtain II winning the Defensive Player of the Year and why people hate the Chiefs! Love them or hate them, you have to respect them says Bonitto about the Chiefs, especially Patrick Mahomes who always seems to find ways to win and is a true leader on and off the field. It's not about magic, cheating or any of that, it's about the formula for a winning DNA that KC has! Bonitto also talks about the same things that made Jalen Hurts great in college are what make him the special leader he is today with the Eagles. Bonitto gives his Super Bowl prediction and also recognizes his own teammate Patrick Surtain for being a technician on the field and winning the league's Defensive Player of the Year award as well as the future for their QB Bo Nix. Switching gears to his own career, Bonitto talks about his time as a Bronco and how adjusting to the altitude in Denver was a brutal reality check—Bonitto jokes that he thought he might get cut after his first rookie minicamp. He also speaks on the Broncos’ disappointing culture in his rookie season the arrival of Sean Payton brought a much-needed cultural shift, as the veteran coach emphasized accountability and championship habits as the Broncos try to compete with a tough AFC West division. Bonitto opens up about his struggles early in his career, particularly the frustration of not getting playing time despite being Denver’s first pick. He credits his faith in God for keeping him focused, knowing that bigger things were planned for him and his hard work ethic of staying ready. He also discusses his personal goals, gives Channing some fashion advice and who his pick is in this year’s Super Bowl LIX matchup between Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. Enjoy this conversation Pivot Fam as we get ready for the Big Game in the Big Easy! 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.

• 0:00Speaker 00

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• 0:30Ryan Clark?

  What these young boys be dressing on accident.

• 0:34Fred Taylor?

  What up, dawg? Broward County.

• 0:36Ryan Clark?

  Young boys be dressing.

• 0:39Fred Taylor?

  What area you stayed at down in, uh, down south?

• 0:43Speaker 03

  Uh, so my mom stayed like in Pembroke, Pansy, Mary Mar.

• 0:47Fred Taylor?

  Right.

• 0:48Speaker 03

  And my dad, he kinda been everywhere like for a lot of the, but now he stay in Miami.

• 0:52Fred Taylor?

  Right, right, right.

• 0:53Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, man, he showed out this year, bro.

• 0:54Speaker 03

  Yeah, I tried, bro, for sure.

• 0:57Ryan Clark?

  Been down there when they played the old Jameis now.

• 1:00Fred Taylor?

  Pick off.

• 1:00Speaker 03

  On Monday night.

• 1:02Ryan Clark?

  Pick Jameis off.

• 1:03Fred Taylor?

  Long ass stride.

• 1:05Ryan Clark?

  Here's the thing though, dawg.

• 1:08Ryan Clark?

  Damn, Jameis ain't even chasing, man.

• 1:11Fred Taylor?

  You know when you get somebody and can't.

• 1:12Ryan Clark?

  Well, you know Jameis, bow leg and knock knee and pigeon toe.

• 1:17Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, they put his legs on the wrong side. You know how the Heat fans?

• 1:19Fred Taylor?

  Yeah.

• 1:19Ryan Clark?

  When you just take the legs off, they put his legs on the wrong side.

• 1:22Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, you know.

• 1:44Ryan Clark?

  All right, guys. Welcome to another Pivot. Pivot fam, thank you for pivoting with us. This is Channing Crowder, Freddie T., I'm RC, Nick Bonitto, Pro Bowler, Denver Broncos. Hey, man, I'm gonna ask a question. So people have nicknames. Why the hell is your nickname Baby Feet?

• 2:00Speaker 03

  Damn, that's crazy you know that, but, uh...

• 2:04Fred Taylor?

  Baby Feet?

• 2:07Speaker 03

  Nah, so basically in little league and stuff, all my coaches called me that because I used to have like a little like, I used to run like this kind of in a way to where I was just like pitter pattering all the time. So everybody just called me baby feet back then. So that's funny that you know that.

• 2:21Ryan Clark?

  Next year on Monday night, I'm gonna be like, Nick, baby feet, believe me.

• 2:26Channing Crowder?

  I want that thing to carry on.

• 2:28Ryan Clark?

  On the set.

• 2:29Channing Crowder?

  Well, now you're a pro bowler though. It's kind of cool to have a little goofiness in your name though.

• 2:34Speaker 03

  Nah, yeah, 100%. I mean, pro bowler, you know, it's been cool and stuff. Just being able to finally get something I always dreamed of. So I mean, that's definitely been cool.

• 2:42Channing Crowder?

  But how did it take off like that? Because you look at the first couple of years and there was, you know, saying you played and got in, but not many games started. And then now this year, was it scheme? Was it something else that took off or just the opportunity?

• 2:55Speaker 03

  Yeah, I feel like it was more opportunity. I mean, I always felt like I was a guy that, you know, can play in this league. And I always had little flashes whenever I would get in. But I feel like this year, like finally getting the opportunity to start and like get more snaps as the season went on, kind of like showed like everything that I knew to be true and like everything I kind of worked for. So.

• 3:15Ryan Clark?

  You called your pops after your top 30 visit to Denver. And he said that you didn't call him with that enthusiasm or talking about a team after any other visit. What was it about going to Denver that put you in the place where you felt like you needed to call your dad and tell him about how the visit went?

• 3:33Speaker 03

  Yeah, just, I mean, kind of everywhere else I've been at, they was kind of like just questioning me, just trying to see who I am and things of all that nature. Where like Denver, like oddly kind of showed like they was like interested in me. It almost felt like an official visit in college in a kind of way. They were just telling me how much they loved me there. They didn't think I'd be there by the time, you know, they pick came around and stuff. So I definitely felt the most love. And then it's just funny how the draft kind of plays out because I ended up getting picked there. So I was grateful to be drafted there for sure.

• 4:04Fred Taylor?

  We know who you are as a pro bowler now. Take us back to like when it all first started, right? Pass St. Thomas Aquinas, which is a powerhouse in Broward County. For everybody that doesn't know, a lot of great players.

• 4:18Ryan Clark?

  Do they cheat Fred? Like do they, are they recruiting?

• 4:20Fred Taylor?

  Nah, they don't cheat.

• 4:21Ryan Clark?

  They cheat.

• 4:22Fred Taylor?

  They don't cheat. They don't cheat.

• 4:24Ryan Clark?

  I know Nick can say.

• 4:25Fred Taylor?

  I mean, but schools do that now.

• 4:26Ryan Clark?

  Do they cheat though Freddie T?

• 4:27Fred Taylor?

  Nah, they don't cheat.

• 4:28Ryan Clark?

  They always, they always got the ESPN top five game.

• 4:32Fred Taylor?

  They, they have a, a gang of dogs, a gang of talent. They've always been that way. But when Swervin Irvin, Michael Irvin came back down, I believe Chris Thomas at some point, uh, Chris Carter.

• 4:45Ryan Clark?

  Yeah.

• 4:45Fred Taylor?

  At some point, the program just started to kind of elevate itself. And then bringing on coaches like, uh, Jason Taylor, Hall of Famer, a few other guys. They just built the program.

• 4:56Channing Crowder?

  And you gotta get a little Twan Russell.

• 4:58Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, Twan, for sure.

• 4:59Channing Crowder?

  Twan Russell, he played for the Dolphins back in the day, the commanders now, whatever. But Twan's the AD over there, good friend.

• 5:05Fred Taylor?

  Right, yeah. So they just really went down and said, all right, we gonna build a program. Take our resources and build a program. Then along came, you know, players like Nick, but take us past that. You know, rumor has it, you started playing ball around five. When did that love, like, even at five, being that young, when did the love for the game take off? And who were some of your early role models that got you into it?

• 5:30Speaker 03

  I feel like, you know, football, like at that young of an age, I kind of was just playing it just to play it. But I ain't really know, I can really do something with football. Probably to like, I don't know if y'all ever know what FBU is, where like, uh, they just bring like the top like guys in the little league and come play together. But just being able to be like in that type of environment with a lot of those good guys and being able to make plays. At that young of age, I was like, all right, like, I think I might really want to do this, you know, for the future and stuff like that. So that's kind of when I, I kind of knew a little bit.

• 6:02Ryan Clark?

  You were in Florida. I went to LSU.

• 6:04Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 6:05Ryan Clark?

  Right? It's SEC country down there.

• 6:08Channing Crowder?

  They both went to Florida. Florida was your dream school. So what happened? How'd you end up at OU?

• 6:14Speaker 03

  Yeah, nah. I was thinking about going to Florida, but last minute, right before signing day, a couple of days, I think Dan Mullen had finally, they had hired Dan Mullen. And he tried to get me to go there last minute, but I'm like, I already made these relationships with other coaches and stuff, so I don't know if I can just, you know, kind of switch up on that last minute. But no, I was definitely wanting to go there for sure until that happened.

• 6:36Channing Crowder?

  Yeah, being at Oklahoma, just a school with a large tradition of winning, but also like great quarterback play. For you, you got an opportunity to see Jalen Hurts before he made it to the league. What were some of the things about him at Oklahoma that could have shown you he'd be a guy that could take two teams to a Super Bowl?

• 6:59Speaker 03

  Yeah, bro, and like, obviously like the stuff that he does in the field, that's just what he does. But I mean, what really separates him for me is his leadership. I feel like the way he can just command a team and the words that he speaks with wisdom. And kind of just, the main thing was, I remember our Baylor game, we were down like 28-7 or something at halftime. Just the leadership and poise that he showed in that game. And him just never wavering from what he's been saying all year. And kind of just being that guy. I feel like that kind of always stuck with me. And it's now just seeing him in the league, it's no surprise what he's doing for real.

• 7:31Channing Crowder?

  And, and bro, I gotta ask you, because we, I was gonna say a little older. We're extremely older than you. I coasted against you when I was at university school. So yeah, I'm a old man. But coming, raised in Florida, went to St. Thomas, like we're speaking about. When you got to play with them dudes from other states in college, it wasn't that different? Because I felt as if when dudes came out of state at UF, I'm like, where you, you from Jersey? You from where? Like, did you, do you see the difference? Because people argue about Texas, California, Florida. That's where, you know, a lot of dogs come from. You could track it, they got all the stats. But did you see that when?

• 8:11Speaker 03

  You gonna say Louisiana?

• 8:12Channing Crowder?

  Louisiana got about four dudes that could play pop. I'm just like.

• 8:17Channing Crowder?

  Is, yeah, you know, well, RC, be honest. You, y'all are sneaking up. Historically, it's Cali with the offensive players. And then you want some dogs that's gonna choke you to death. You gotta go to Georgia, Florida, Texas to get the big one.

• 8:31Fred Taylor?

  Those are also bigger states too.

• 8:32Ryan Clark?

  Okay, I just wanna say this, cuz I know this is about Nick Bonitto. And we don't need to get into this argument right now. Cuz I want, it's his time. Jamar Chase, Justin Jefferson, Brian Thomas Jr., Malik Neighbors.

• 8:46Speaker 03

  That's valid now.

• 8:47Ryan Clark?

  All those people born 120 miles away from each other.

• 8:51Channing Crowder?

  They in their twenties, we're in our forties.

• 8:55Ryan Clark?

  We talking about.

• 8:55Channing Crowder?

  I know what I'm saying. And that why, bro, I did not say historically.

• 8:58Speaker 03

  Yeah, historically.

• 8:59Channing Crowder?

  Historically, we were going backwards, dogs were coming from different states. I'm saying, I just seen Louisiana sneaking up. But, but did you see that? Cuz it was like, it was really honestly like that when, when I was coming out. It's like, oh, bro, you from, yeah, from Rhode Island.

• 9:15Channing Crowder?

  You ain't taking my job.

• 9:16Speaker 03

  Yeah. Now, I mean, I feel like that's just like, just at Florida, at Broward and mentality, South Florida. We all kinda grew up like we dogs for real, bro. Like, like we just, I don't know, bro, it's just different over here, bro. Like, I understand where everybody be saying about they respective states and stuff, bro. But like, it's just people come out, just breed ball players, bro. Like, we just make plays, we just got a certain mentality when we on the field. Like, nobody can mess with us and stuff like that. So, I be seeing it for sure, whether it's me, like, other players around the league. But no, it's, it's just different mentality down here for sure.

• 9:49Channing Crowder?

  You do that nod when you see, you might not even know him personally, but you see a dude from Florida.

• 9:53Speaker 03

  Oh, yeah, I get a nod for sure. We pretty much, we all played against each other, been at different camps. So, we all pretty much know each other for sure.

• 10:00Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, but being on this level, it really doesn't matter, like, where you from. Everybody's great, right?

• 10:05Speaker 03

  Oh, 100%.

• 10:06Fred Taylor?

  RC mentioned Jalen Hurts, former college teammate.

• 10:10Fred Taylor?

  Why do you hate the Chiefs so much? Because Hertz and Mahomes got to play each other here shortly. Why do you have like a crazy desire to hate the Kansas City Chiefs? Which means I'm sure you hate their quarterback too.

• 10:23Speaker 03

  I mean, I just don't like them because they in the division. I don't like seeing them go to the championship every year. Because me personally, as a competitor, like I'm trying to get there. And they in the way every year with them being in the division. So really, it's just not even the Chiefs. It's anybody in the division. I don't really mess with like that. I'm just trying to, you know, beat them and get to where I'm trying to be, which is the championship at the end of the day, so.

• 10:45Ryan Clark?

  Von Miller was a player you admired growing up. What was it about Von's game that you loved so much? And how surreal is it now that you're doing things? And your name is synonymous with him for 10-plus sacks, pick six in one year? As the only two players to complete that task for the Denver Broncos?

• 11:07Speaker 03

  Yeah, I mean, yeah, like you said, Von, my goat, bro. I've been watching him since I was a kid. I still remember like just watching the AFC Championship game against the Winklin, when he was playing against Tom Brady. He picked him off, had like three sacks in that game, bro. And I'm just like, bro, I'm trying to get to that type of level one day. So I mean, just the band that he plays with, I always could see that myself, having that. And just the, you know, kind of his motor that he plays with. I always seen that in me too. So that's kind of why I've always looked at him. He just played the game the right way.

• 11:39Ryan Clark?

  Were you upset that the, who were you playing? The, they recorded it as a fumble. I thought you had two pick sixes. The coach, right, the coach tried to throw back.

• 11:49Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 11:50Ryan Clark?

  You catch it in the air. And I was like, okay, that's two pick sixes. So it would have put you on a different level. When'd you find out that it was a backwards pass?

• 11:58Speaker 03

  Bro, they literally told me after the game, like a bunch of the stat people that do the stats, that came up to me after the game, it's like, damn, they counted it as a fumble, which... I mean, I wasn't too mad because I know at the end there was a touchdown. But I'm like, damn, two pick sixes would have looked good for sure.

• 12:13Fred Taylor?

  Even with that, you know, we talk about your upbringing a little bit. Talk about your nickname, which I think is amazing. You've had to experience some sort of adversity along the way. Can you share any adverse moments that sort of made you say, you know what? This is happening, but I gotta get myself in the gear so I can get to where I want to be?

• 12:34Speaker 03

  I feel like, I mean, as good as like, everything sounded, I feel like it was adversity everywhere I went. You know, even going back to St. Thomas. You know, there's gonna be guys in front of you every year, so you just like, kinda gotta wait your term, or outwork somebody, so me, personally, I didn't get to start until my senior year, so. It was just always a battle having to just keep working, just keep proving yourself, knowing you may not get that starting spot, but eventually, when your time comes, you do gotta be ready, and same thing at OU. I wasn't top of the depth chart when I first got there either. And I feel like all that kind of molded me and kind of sharpened me. To have that type of mindset when I got to the NFL, because it was the same thing. Having to prove myself, having to keep getting better, and just wait for my opportunity.

• 13:18Speaker 03

  And I feel like all that type of stuff, just high school, college, kind of prepared me for that type of NFL.

• 13:22Fred Taylor?

  And Baby Feet, what is it?

• 13:26Channing Crowder?

  I was gonna say it, seriously?

• 13:30Speaker 03

  I'm mad at whoever told you that, bro.

• 13:34Channing Crowder?

  They gonna, when we make the promo, they gonna be like, Baby?

• 13:38Fred Taylor?

  Your mom gave you that nickname?

• 13:39Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 13:41Channing Crowder?

  You were there with NIL, right?

• 13:42Speaker 03

  I was like, the first year, yeah.

• 13:44Channing Crowder?

  First year, how much bread you leave college with?

• 13:47Speaker 03

  Bro, I ain't even getting no bread. The only thing, the only thing I ended up doing was like a little car, some car contract type of thing, where like, they gave me like a little SRT, and I just gotta like, take pictures with it and stuff, and I just have it for the whole season, but I ain't getting no money.

• 14:02Fred Taylor?

  Like a leisure one yours, you just could, you just drove it?

• 14:04Speaker 03

  Yeah, I just drove it.

• 14:05Channing Crowder?

  The money, the money different now, though.

• 14:07Speaker 03

  Oh, man.

• 14:08Channing Crowder?

  Bro, that boy, what, Beck, Carson Beck, just got phoned. Far from the Hurricanes.

• 14:14Speaker 03

  To go hang out with his girlfriend.

• 14:16Channing Crowder?

  The Cavendish Twins, I know about them. But how do you think, because you young, how you think that's changing sports, the NIL stuff? How you think it's changing those kids?

• 14:25Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 14:25Channing Crowder?

  When you came straight out of St. Thomas, somebody shot you a milli.

• 14:29Speaker 03

  No, it definitely changed kind of like the college landscape. Me personally, I kind of like it just because knowing like how some of my teammates were coming out of high school, knowing their situation, I know that could have helped them out coming out of high school and just them having some type of money because I know when I was in college, boy, I was living check to check, bro. Like struggling to get groceries in the crib. Like, once I paid the rent, I'm just trying to find ways to just save money and stuff like that. So, these young kids, man, I mean, I couldn't imagine without doing that type of money. But no, it's definitely good that they got it though.

• 15:00Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, you have extremely supportive parents. When you got an opportunity to tour the facility, your mother said that you being drafted was the best Mother's Day present she could have ever gotten. Your parents, you know, I love reading it, were married for a very long time, no longer married. But they said on different occasions that they're still best friends. What has it been like to still have their support while they dealt with their things as adults? But the way that they love and care and support one another stays strong, but also same for you.

• 15:35Speaker 03

  And that's probably just like one of the hardest things I can only imagine that they probably had to go through is like divorce and stuff like that. But I mean, one thing they always told me when it happened, you know, was they gonna keep me and my brother first, no matter what stuff they had to deal with, whatever they had to go through. And they kept their word on that. You know, they never really fought in front of us, they never really had that type of time in front of us. And they always did whatever they could and sacrificed whatever they could for me and my brother. So, I'll forever be grateful for both of them, man, because I mean, nobody told them that they had to keep, you know, a good relationship with each other. And, you know, they doing that and they doing it for me and my brother, so.

• 16:13Ryan Clark?

  Chan talks about that all the time, like he dealt with some, some stuff like that. And so I just, I just found that very, not, you know, obviously you don't ever, you don't know what goes on in a relationship, but the children are first. But for two people to truly say that publicly, conduct themselves that way privately, and now they could see the fruits and your success, that they get to share that with you as well, I think that's amazing.

• 16:37Channing Crowder?

  My people broke up. They were cussing each other out every day.

• 16:39Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 16:40Channing Crowder?

  Yeah, yeah, he ain't shit, she ain't shit, all that. So, and as a kid, I didn't know. But now, as a grown man, I look back and it's like, damn, now both, there ain't nobody shit. So, you gotta kind of look at, you know what I'm saying? It's like, yeah, so I make jokes about it, but I do tell people if that does happen, like, don't, you know what I'm saying? You gotta think about the kids first.

• 16:57Speaker 03

  No, 100%.

• 16:58Channing Crowder?

  That's awesome. Your parents, how do you, you talking about like that grown up problems almost?

• 17:02Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 17:03Channing Crowder?

  It's interesting to me to ask people about like when you overnight become the highest earning person in your entire family. You know, it all happened to us too.

• 17:11Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 17:12Channing Crowder?

  Yeah, how was that like for you to, they draft you and now, shit, I'm sitting on 20 million. You know what I'm saying? Like, how was that transition? How was that? How did you deal with it? You know, I always joke, I messed off a bunch in my first contract. You know, how did you deal with becoming it? It almost, it shouldn't, but it almost makes you the patriarch of the family because of the fact that you can provide for so many kids.

• 17:32Ryan Clark?

  You buy them shoes for them baby feet.

• 17:35Channing Crowder?

  Little bitty shoes. Boy, shawty. Kids footwear.

• 17:43Channing Crowder?

  How did you deal with that transition of becoming that? You know, really important, and it's really just off finances?

• 17:49Speaker 03

  It is kind of crazy just, you know, waking up one day and I'm like, damn, I make both like more than my mom and my dad. Like, that's kind of wild knowing, you know, they raised me and stuff like that. But, you know, they've always kind of treated me the same once I did get the type of money. Obviously, there's like friends and like from like high school and like stuff like that. I'll like try to, you know, do a little bit too much with that type of stuff. But, I mean, they've always kept it grounded. And at the end of the day, I kind of know who my inner circle is to where like I can trust with that type of stuff, so.

• 18:16Channing Crowder?

  What's, what's, what's the, one of the dumbest propositions you've been approached with? Because I was supposed to buy you a music studio when I was like, bitch, you can't even sing.

• 18:31Speaker 03

  I was probably ain't getting nothing crazy like that. Like, the most is like, um, helping out with just like starting like people's businesses or stuff like that, that I knew back in the day, or like, they just wanted to get something going, they needed some upfront money or something like that, but besides that, it ain't been nothing crazy.

• 18:46Ryan Clark?

  I'm gonna tell you this, everybody has the perfect way to spend your money.

• 18:50Speaker 03

  Oh, trust me.

• 18:51Ryan Clark?

  You know what I mean? Like, they all, they all have an idea of, oh, if I had this money, I would do this. So let me ask Nick, can I use his money to do this? No, sir. Right? Like, you gotta go out and get your own, man. And I know we all know this, and I'm sure they've told it to you, the most powerful word in the dictionary is no.

• 19:08Speaker 03

  Mm-hmm.

• 19:09Ryan Clark?

  To be able to say no in a respectful and loving way will show you a lot of things. It'll show you your strength, but it'll also show you the intentions of the people around you.

• 19:20Speaker 03

  Hundred percent.

• 19:20Fred Taylor?

  Right, right.

• 19:22Speaker 05

  Here's your report.

• 19:23Speaker 06

  Oh, thanks, Jane. I wish I could hire someone just like you.

• 19:26Speaker 05

  Try LinkedIn Hiring Pro. It's more than a job board. It's like the recruiter you always wished you had. Hiring Pro uses real-time insights to match your role to LinkedIn's unique network of professionals and delivers a shortlist of best-fit candidates. You'll spend less time sorting applicants and more time talking to the right people.

• 19:42Speaker 06

  Let's do it. You're irreplaceable, Jane, but another you would be great.

• 19:46Speaker 05

  Hire right the first time. Post your job for free on LinkedIn today at LinkedIn.com/quality.

• 19:52Fred Taylor?

  Uh, how was it making the transition from Florida to Oklahoma to Denver? It's like that mile high, you know what? Just made me think of something. We, he almost died playing in Denver. Like, that altitude, it gutted my man.

• 20:06Speaker 03

  Yeah, no, trust me.

• 20:08Fred Taylor?

  It really gutted him. He had, he took his spleen was removed, what else they took out?

• 20:13Ryan Clark?

  My gallbladder.

• 20:14Fred Taylor?

  His gallbladder.

• 20:15Ryan Clark?

  This is actually a real thing. They laugh about it, bro. It's actually not even funny, Nick.

• 20:19Fred Taylor?

  It ain't funny.

• 20:20Ryan Clark?

  Like, I was really dying.

• 20:21Speaker 03

  No, trust me.

• 20:22Ryan Clark?

  You know what I'm saying? And like, I was in the hos, like, I was in the hospital, I was sick for two months. I went from 205 to 145.

• 20:30Fred Taylor?

  Damn. They, they, they gutted him.

• 20:32Ryan Clark?

  All right, stop saying it like that.

• 20:35Fred Taylor?

  He landed and his stomach blew up.

• 20:39Speaker 03

  Get him out of here.

• 20:40Fred Taylor?

  When I played, when I played in Denver, like I got hit by Mobley here.

• 20:45Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 20:45Fred Taylor?

  And I didn't remember nothing until the fourth quarter. I had a concussion. My two career concussions both came in Denver. And the altitude, the high altitude played a big part of that. I've had altitude sickness going skiing. I tap out, I sleep with oxygen machine and a humidifier. So I know it takes a toll on, on a lot of athletes. How have you been able to respond to all of that?

• 21:07Speaker 03

  Yeah, I ain't done happening like, like RC or nothing like that. But I remember that, that first rookie mini camp day, bro. I thought they was gonna cut me, bro. Like, I couldn't breathe. Like, I'm over here on the knee every two seconds, bro. And I'm just like, damn, bro. Like, it's a bad look, but that's probably the worst thing that done happened for me.

• 21:26Fred Taylor?

  What is it to do in Denver outside of football?

• 21:30Speaker 03

  Shoot, I mean, it's a lot of stuff. I mean, obviously, like, when it's snowing, you can go to the mountains, like, go ski or something like that, or just go out into a cabin and just chill. The city's straight, too, but I mean, for the most part, like, I'm just inside dude. I be wanting to just chill, be on the game with my dogs and stuff like that, so.

• 21:46Fred Taylor?

  What's, what's the game of choice?

• 21:47Speaker 03

  Oh, college football 25. I be on there every day.

• 21:50Fred Taylor?

  For sure. Have you been to the part where you see the pivot, the, the?

• 21:54Ryan Clark?

  It's college football. We on, we on Madden.

• 21:56Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, we are on Madden.

• 21:57Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, we on Madden.

• 21:58Fred Taylor?

  I'm tripping.

• 21:59Ryan Clark?

  So they couldn't let us on college football 'cause your NIL quota was up. You played too long for them to be able to choose.

• 22:08Fred Taylor?

  Everybody on this show gonna get it.

• 22:09Ryan Clark?

  Hey, they didn't have enough pixels to do Fred Lightness from his pictures back in the day.

• 22:15Fred Taylor?

  I do be having a problem with my headshot. I don't know if they wanted to.

• 22:23Fred Taylor?

  Why, why are y'all going down these, these roads?

• 22:25Ryan Clark?

  It's a good day, man. Fred mentioned transitions, right? And there is that, that step up sometimes you feel from high school to college or college to pros. For you, you were traditionally in very winning programs. St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the top high schools. Oklahoma, always one of the top universities. But, bro, when you get to Denver, you got Nathaniel Hackett in there. And old Russell Wilson in that first year.

• 22:52Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 22:52Ryan Clark?

  You know, that year goes rough. Nathaniel Hackett gets fired. How did that play into your transition into the league? And what was that year like for you?

• 23:01Speaker 03

  It was tough, bro, because like you said, like that was my first losing season like Daniel ever. So I'm just like, bro, like, what do we do? Like, you know, I'm just kind of looking around, you know, everybody, you know, it's, it's kind of weird. I don't know if y'all ever been in it, but it's like, it's tough to kind of want to keep motivating and pushing yourself. Because like, some dudes in there are just like trying to collect the check in there, bro. And it's like, bro, we don't got no dogs for real. But at the same time, I'm like realizing like, you know, that's kind of why they drafted like guys like me, guys that come from winning programs to kind of like change the culture of what's going on. That's why they brought in Russ at the time. You know, he's been to Super Bowls, he's been around winning, winning teams. So, I mean, just kind of going through that year, it kind of showed me a lot about myself, bro.

• 23:43Speaker 03

  And at the same time, and you know, we got guys now that are trying to come in and just change the culture in there. So, no, it's been really cool since then.

• 23:50Ryan Clark?

  What was it like to have that revelation, right? Remember, because I remember in high school, in high school, every game was important. You know what I'm saying? Cats will cry sometimes after you lose because you're like, man, I can't win state. Or I won't, we won't be number one. And then it's the same in college, right? It's that pressure every single week because you feel like if we don't win, we don't get to the college football playoffs, we don't get to the Big 12 championship. And then you get to the league and if you losing by enough in the fourth quarter, cats making plans. Right? Like, like they're talking about what they're going to be doing that night. Or it gets late in the season and you can see, oh, we ain't going to the playoffs. I'm gonna start shipping my stuff.

• 24:30Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 24:31Ryan Clark?

  What was it like to have that revelation or realization that, hey, man, they not tripping about the wins and losses every week like I thought it would be?

• 24:41Speaker 03

  Yeah, and like that's something I just noticed like my rookie year, like halfway through the season, like dudes talking about Cancun on three, bro. I'm like, bro, what are we doing, bro? Like, but that's at the same time, it's like, that's the kind of losing culture like we kind of came into in Denver. So, I mean, yeah, it was really tough, bro. Because like I came in, I wanted to win the chip year one. I've never kind of lost in any, any way, you know, sort of fashion like either high school and college. So that was definitely new to me, but you know, it's been better for sure. I know we got guys in the locker room that are trying to win and can do that, so.

• 25:14Channing Crowder?

  Hey, man, y'all might be talking about me. I don't know if you talking about me. I used to have a table. Every night, win, lose, or draw, I had meal tables Sunday nights. Write and live, or forge. Man, mourn or celebrate, it is what it is.

• 25:30Ryan Clark?

  So you do, you having the same party?

• 25:31Channing Crowder?

  Man, I had a table reserved, remember forge?

• 25:35Speaker 03

  Forge was dope.

• 25:36Channing Crowder?

  Forge was dope, I had a table reserved, every, every home guy had a table reserved.

• 25:39Speaker 03

  Win, lose, or draw.

• 25:41Channing Crowder?

  Hey, we won, damn, we lost.

• 25:46Channing Crowder?

  We about to slide though.

• 25:47Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 25:48Channing Crowder?

  Well, man, I always like to ask, I don't know, certain positions when you get drafted in the first round, that fan base expects you.

• 25:53Ryan Clark?

  You were 64, huh?

• 25:55Speaker 03

  Yeah, I was second round last year.

• 25:56Ryan Clark?

  You were, you were the first picked, pick of Denver though?

• 26:00Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 26:00Ryan Clark?

  That year?

• 26:01Channing Crowder?

  I got you. Those high draft picks that aren't skilled positions, and the organization's looking at you because it's the first name called, and like, that pressure being like, turn the organization around. You like, all I can do is get some success. You did, honestly, RC talked about it, you scored some touchdowns this year, so now it's like, whatever. But having that pressure on you, or did you feel any pressure to be like that dude to turn the organization, like you're saying, turn the culture around? And you're one of 22, or really you put special teams in, and it's 30 something people that gotta really play, and you can only do really your job.

• 26:35Speaker 03

  Yeah, man, especially like them first couple of games, because I was inactive for like the first three or four games, bro. And it's like, it was tough on me because I, I ain't never really, besides my red shirt year, it kind of felt like that. On top of that, like you the first pick in the draft, and you see guys that like, kind of got drafted behind you in the same draft, like playing more snaps than you, and getting in all this. And then you go on Twitter, you look like, oh, Nick Bonitto's a bust, and I'm like, damn, bro.

• 27:02Speaker 03

  Ain't nothing going right, but, you know, that's kind of just where I just went back to just high school and college, bro. Like, it was the same thing, just keep my head grounded, grounded, and just keep working, bro. And then it just ended up working out for me kind of the next couple of years, so.

• 27:16Ryan Clark?

  How did you stay motivated, or how did you avoid questioning yourself? Football is such a humbling game. You know, and Freddie T. recently talked about fear of failure on our show. And I think that does drive a lot of us, right? But when you have these expectations of yourself, you're reading what people are saying on the outside of the locker room, how difficult does it get to stay confident in that you're, I'm meant to be here? I know I can do it. I'm talented enough. When everything around you seems like it's on the decline or going downhill early.

• 27:51Speaker 03

  Yeah, I mean, because at the end of the day, God got me, bro. Like, none of them other, whatever they got to say online, like, none of those people matter, bro. Like, at the end of the day, I only care about the opinion of God, man. And I always knew that he has something better for me out there. No matter what I said for myself, it's always going to be bigger for what he has planned for me. So I'm just kind of keeping that relationship with him. And at the end of the day, just knowing the talent that I have and knowing the goals that I have. And I knew it wasn't going to be easy. It never has been, no matter where I've been at. So just continue to have that mindset that nobody's going to outwork me. And then I just got to keep going, bro, like, no matter what. And just, you know, prove whoever I got to prove wrong and just keep going.

• 28:30Ryan Clark?

  Love it.

• 28:30Fred Taylor?

  How, being the first pick of the Broncos that year, you came out. You had to carry the rookie bill at the rookie dinner?

• 28:38Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 28:38Fred Taylor?

  How was that? What was that like?

• 28:40Speaker 03

  Bro, it was actually crazy, bro, because at first, they bought out like a little fake check. And I'm looking at it, bro. I'm like, there ain't no way I'm paying this shit, bro. I'm like, nah, bro, y'all got me [__] up. But then eventually, they bought the second check out, and I was like, alright, that's a little more man.

• 28:54Fred Taylor?

  What was the pump fake check? What was the first one looking like?

• 28:57Speaker 03

  Bro, I want to say it was like 50 bands or something like that. So I'm like, dawg. Me at the time, I don't really drink or nothing like that, so I don't know how much bottles cost. But they had like a bunch of bottles on the table and stuff, so I ain't even like thinking it's fake for real. But yeah, I was going to be sick if I had to pay that first.

• 29:12Fred Taylor?

  Along those lines, right? Same thought. If you can choose to go to dinner with three people, past or present, players, past or present, well, give me two, because I know Von might be one of them.

• 29:22Speaker 03

  Yeah, nah, Von Miller for sure.

• 29:24Fred Taylor?

  Who would the other two be? And why would you invite them? And what would you ask?

• 29:29Speaker 03

  I'd probably say Von for sure, just because like, that's my favorite player. I'd probably go with Peyton Manning or something like that, just because I always see him around the building. He'd be cool.

• 29:40Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, it's cool.

• 29:41Speaker 03

  The third one, it's kind of, it'll be kind of surprising, but I'll probably say Micah, just because he kind of funny, bro. He just be talking all the time and shit. I know he'd be having the table rolling with stories and just talking all the time. So I'd probably put him in there, too.

• 29:54Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, I'll tell you what else he can do. He rushed a damn passer.

• 29:56Speaker 03

  Oh, man. I'm taking game from him for sure.

• 29:59Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, he could rush the passer. Man, we talked about that first year with Nathaniel Hackett and Russ. Tell me a little bit about how Sean Payton has been able to change the culture in Denver. Super intelligent, experienced, ton of wisdom, but changing a culture is a very difficult thing. How did Sean come in there and change it so quickly in year two?

• 30:23Speaker 03

  Yeah, I mean, Sean, like, he just, he know what he wants. Like, I mean, he's been to championships, he's had successful teams, so he knows what it takes. And at the end of the day, you know, there was like, you know, people that weren't trying to do that and their people it was, and he just, you know, he wasn't trying to hear that. So, I mean, he got the right people in the building. Even sometime me and him could still go at it because, you know, I'm a competitor and he is too, but I feel like he lowkey likes that kind of toxicity in the way his players. So, but nah, I mean, he's been cool. Everybody don't see like that cool side of him, too.

• 30:54Ryan Clark?

  Was he gonna whip Bo or was Bo gonna whip him when they was on the sideline arguing?

• 30:59Speaker 03

  He ain't touching Bo. That's his boy, bro. That's his son. Bo is off limits to everybody on the, on the, on the team, bro. Nobody can touch that man. So, nah, Bo definitely had to put hands on him.

• 31:10Channing Crowder?

  I don't want to speak for them, but I watched Bo in college. I didn't know Bo was what I saw last season. Did you know before us, was it camp, was it a point that you looked at like Bo, Bo Knicks did something, you was like, damn?

• 31:24Speaker 03

  I would say the surprising part is just like how fast he is, bro. Because like, you really don't know it until you actually got to play against.

• 31:29Ryan Clark?

  He run a ball.

• 31:30Speaker 03

  Yes, bro. So, I mean, that part of his game is different, and I feel like that's what's kind of going to separate him as like his career goes on and he learns just, you know, how to, you know, continue to be a good passer in the league on, on top of the stuff that he can do with his legs.

• 31:56Speaker 00

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• 32:13Ryan Clark?

  There's like always that ascension, right? And as part of that ascension, you're going to play some of the top dogs. For you guys in Denver this year is the Buffalo Bills. It's Josh Allen. And when the game starts early, bro, it's like back and forth, push and pull. You know, then you get to halftime and they sort of blow you out. What were your thoughts on how Josh Allen and Buffalo were able to pull away in that second half? And what did that teach, you know, you individually and the team?

• 32:41Speaker 03

  Yeah, I mean, that second half, like you definitely kind of seen that that experience that they've been there before. You know, a lot of them guys is vets too. So, I mean, it was no, no phase, you know, nothing phased them. It was 10-7 at halftime. They just like, all right, it's like, it's just a football game where I feel like we kind of looked at it and seeing how like the second half was going and like whenever stuff went bad, like it just kept like spiraling and we didn't really have an answer. So I feel like just the experience part of it, you can see it on their end compared to our end. But I definitely think like it kind of sharpened us a little bit to be better in the future.

• 33:14Ryan Clark?

  I've been pumping the Nick Bonitto Defensive Player of the Year Award campaign, but there is a true campaign for Pat Surtain the second, one of the best football players in the league, not just the corner. What has, you know, just really impressed you about him, the way he goes about his work, the way he performs on game day?

• 33:37Speaker 03

  Yeah, bro, it's like he just a technician in practice, bro. Like he just work, whether it's on the field or he on the side, just working it by himself, bro, like, and even just seeing him, you know, obviously because we played against each other in high school, we grew up with each other and stuff like that, just seeing how he worked in, everything is no surprise to me what he's doing now, bro. I mean, and I'm pretty sure you can appreciate this just as a corner, but like, I mean, him being able to go out and coach says, you know, go guard the best receiver and you don't got to hear about him the rest of the game, bro. Like, that's like special, bro, in its own. So, I mean, he deserves, you know, DPOY for sure, and he definitely got my vote.

• 34:10Fred Taylor?

  American Heritage Plantation, that's where Pat went to school. They beat y'all for the first time ever this year. Did he pop off?

• 34:19Speaker 03

  Nah, I mean, it was just a little slight jab, like talking about, I know he seen the game last night, but I mean, I know, you know, we always talk about it, bro, because like, we ain't never like, go against each other in high school with St. Thomas and Heritage, so we always just be talking about who would want them games and stuff like that, but he definitely be throwing his little jab at me sometimes about that.

• 34:38Fred Taylor?

  Is it a little bit more comfortable and knowing that you have another Florida boy as a teammate? Not just as a teammate, but on that side of the ball, around the same age, you can kind of hang out, conversate, life off the field, on the field, coaches, the whole thing, does it make it a bit better for you?

• 34:56Speaker 03

  Yeah, 100%, especially as a guy that I grew up with him and stuff like that, even with Ju, Jerry Judy.

• 35:02Fred Taylor?

  Right.

• 35:03Speaker 03

  Him, when he was there, he helped me out when I was a youngin', coming in in Denver, and them two just always kind of kept that connection throughout the years and stuff like that, so it was good, like, being able to have them type of relationships.

• 35:13Fred Taylor?

  You said it, I didn't say it, Jerry Judy, boy, he came back and he went crazy. What were y'all thinking?

• 35:22Speaker 03

  Bruh, it's like, but I always seen Ju like do this since he was a jit, so like, it's not like everything he been doing in the league, like, it's not surprising, bruh, so like, and the whole week, it's not like we weren't trying to game plan for him, like, we knew like the man cold, but shoot, sometimes, special players, you can't really do nothing about it, bruh, I mean, they just gonna have their days, and he had one of them against us, so.

• 35:42Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, career day.

• 35:43Speaker 03

  Man, it ain't nothing surprising, bruh.

• 35:45Channing Crowder?

  Hey, speaking of Ju, and then you brought up Russ and all, did it take any time to adjust to the business side of it in that field? Because college is your boys, they there, high school is your boys, y'all, y'all know each other, like you said, since FBU, did it get, did it take time for you to adjust to, yeah, at any moment, my own boy might be done, got traded, left, this, that, did it take time to adjust?

• 36:04Speaker 03

  I mean, I learned kind of quick, because I remember that, that fall camp, it was like one of the leaders in my group, he had got traded to a, I can't believe, I think it was the Steelers or the Dolphins, bruh, and I'm just like, damn, like, this shit cutthroat, bruh, like, y'all like had him as one of the leaders of the team, like, he over here talking in every team meeting and stuff like that, and for them to just let him go like that, it kind of just showed me like, them boys don't care, bruh, like, they want the best product on the field, so, yeah, I got, I got used to it kind of early with that stuff.

• 36:33Channing Crowder?

  Good, I'm glad we all had all these niceties and, you know, Nick's gotten to sit here, he's like one of us, we know baby feet personally, amen.

• 36:43Ryan Clark?

  Oklahoma got that belt to butt all year, didn't it? SEC look different.

• 36:49Speaker 03

  I ain't gonna say all that, bro.

• 36:50Ryan Clark?

  Nick, SEC, Nick. Belt and butt. Hey, you know what I mean.

• 36:55Speaker 03

  Behind the two shit.

• 36:56Ryan Clark?

  Hey, hey, hey. There's a lot of, there was a lot of thunder passed around when Oklahoma walked into these SEC stadiums this year, Nick.

• 37:05Speaker 03

  Listen, bro.

• 37:06Ryan Clark?

  What y'all gonna do?

• 37:07Speaker 03

  We just had a lot of injuries this year, receivers, so I mean, our offense wasn't as good as they wanted it to be, but we're gonna be back this year, as it was.

• 37:14Ryan Clark?

  I just know, you know, year after year in the Big 12, Big 12 champions, Big 12 championships. All of a sudden, we're in the SEC, we're a 500 football team.

• 37:24Ryan Clark?

  Nah, it's so funny though, I'm making fun of it, but I actually got to go there, man, in Fall Camp and speak, bro. And just like the, the tradition, when you walk into the football facility, just all the different pictures, all the different write-ups of the traditionally just historic teams that you guys have had there was amazing. I want to ask, because Fred tapped into it a little bit before about the Kansas City Chiefs and not liking them. And I'm with you, I didn't like anybody who didn't wear my colors, period. And it was hard sometimes in the moment to like sit back and, and recognize the greatness that you got to play against.

• 38:07Ryan Clark?

  But Patrick Mahomes, I think he's the best player in the game. What is it about the, the Kansas City Chiefs, you know, their quarterback, their offense, their team, I guess in general, that just allows them to find ways to win? Hell, down to a blocked field goal versus you guys. What is it about 15 though, man, that continues to keep the lead that team into championships?

• 38:33Speaker 03

  Yeah, bro, I mean, just like seeing him in person and, and the way that he just communicates on the field, you know, even after first downs, he's trying to, you know, he's rallying the guys up, saying like, let's go, like, like just saying stuff to his teammates, bro, like. And you know, no matter what people say, at the end of the day, you can hate him, you can love him, bro, you gotta appreciate his greatness and the team's greatness. I mean, like you said, just finding different ways to win all year and you know, people can say like, they got whatever type of magic going on and they cheating, but at the end of the day, that's, that ain't nothing but just winning formula, winning DNA, bro. Them just finding ways to win every week. So, I personally don't like them, but at the end of the day, I respect how they win, bro. Like, that's tough, especially in the NFL.

• 39:13Fred Taylor?

  From 115 to another, why 15? You were 11 in college?

• 39:18Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 39:19Fred Taylor?

  Why 15?

• 39:19Speaker 03

  15 was actually my high school number. I couldn't get it at OU, so I just ended up with 11, but once I seen 15 was available in Denver, I was kind of like, I gotta go back to the old.

• 39:30Fred Taylor?

  And in the high school, what, like, is there any real significance behind 15? The reason you chose it in high school, or?

• 39:37Speaker 03

  Nah, it wasn't no significance for real. Just, I wanted to just rock 15 and then that's kind of been my number ever since.

• 39:43Ryan Clark?

  You know, once you get it, it's yours.

• 39:44Fred Taylor?

  For sure.

• 39:45Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, no question. I chased number 2 for 3 years in college. I remember we had, I got there, I had a white boy corner, he was cold, Cooper DeJean, before Cooper DeJean, he knew Brandon Dell. He had number 2. He was like a year ahead of me, so I was like, dang, I ain't gonna never get my number. So I got number 5, cause I was like, well, it's like 2, but they just flipped it over. You know what I mean? And I remember him riding down the street one day, he rolled the window down, was walking to the academics and he said, RC, you got 2, I'm gone. I was like, what you mean, you gone? My dog had failed a drug test, so he was quitting.

• 40:19Fred Taylor?

  Oh, wow.

• 40:21Ryan Clark?

  Guess what? I jumped into his grave. I went up, hey, Coach Sanardo, how you doing? I heard number 2 was open.

• 40:28Fred Taylor?

  Nigga, you waste no time.

• 40:30Ryan Clark?

  Hey, Freddie T, I ain't care, nothing about, nothing. I had to go get it. Nick, man, for, for you, you, you had the taste of it now, right? The, the breakout season. I always find it like fun to watch a guy have more statistical success and production in the league than he ever did in college, right? To show that he's continuing to improve. What's the next steps for you? What are some of the things that you like, okay, I gotta work on this, I gotta do this, so the next year, I'm better than I was this?

• 41:03Speaker 03

  Yeah, I mean, that's just kind of the theme I feel like in the league that I've kind of had. Just keep continuing to improve and continuing to get better every year. And I'm gonna keep trying to do that. And obviously, there's things I could work on, whether it's, you know, being more stout in the run game, refining my pass rush tools, getting stronger, getting bigger, and things like that. And at the end of the day, like, you know, the Pro Bowls and All Pros, like, that's cool and stuff. But, you know, I came in the league wanting to, you know, have a gold jacket at the end of the day, bruh. So I know that's just continuous work and continuous production every, each and every season. So, um, yeah, just working hard and continuing to want to be great. That's kind of be the main thing for me.

• 41:38Ryan Clark?

  Your defensive coordinator went to my high school.

• 41:41Speaker 03

  VJ?

• 41:41Ryan Clark?

  VJ, right? I like your high school. I went to Archbishop Shaw. I went to a private school. And so Vance Joseph is royalty at my school because they won the state championship in 1988. And we hadn't won one since until this year.

• 41:55Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 41:55Ryan Clark?

  Same head coach. But when you look at the way your defense has evolved, how he used you in the right way, shoot, Allen in the right way, Coop in the right way, you know, Riley Moss, like, all of these brandages, like, all of these different players seem to play at the top level of their potential this year, which is why the defense was so good. What has Vance done differently to sort of unlock some things in so many players?

• 42:24Speaker 03

  Yeah, man, you got to start off with just like, just kind of how he coaches the game. I mean, the scheme and stuff is all that, but the way he just kind of works us in practice to where it's like a game-like mentality. That way, nothing kind of surprises us off the field, man. He's the ultimate, you know, type of, you know, guy that can prepare you and things like that. But also, the way he kind of motivates you, man, I mean, soon as he came in, I feel like he kind of just like tried to bring out the best in everybody, whether it was trying to tell me, like, Nick, like, you're gonna be a 15 sack guy in this league. And I'm like, I don't even see that for myself. But if he can see it, like, I'm gonna work to go be there. So just that, kind of that motivator, man. He kind of makes you believe in yourself, you know, more than, more than you already do. I feel like that was the main thing with him. And it's no surprise why, like, guys were playing the way they did.

• 43:09Channing Crowder?

  Hey, man, are those pearls?

• 43:12Speaker 03

  Right here?

• 43:13Channing Crowder?

  Yeah.

• 43:13Speaker 03

  Yeah, something like that from, uh, B.

• 43:17Channing Crowder?

  Young boy, did y'all wear pearls?

• 43:19Speaker 03

  No.

• 43:20Channing Crowder?

  We ain't, we ain't wear no pearls.

• 43:22Speaker 03

  Listen, you gotta switch it up a little bit, bro. You can't always just have the gold chains and the bust downs. You know, you gotta, you know, switch it up a little bit.

• 43:29Channing Crowder?

  With the pearls. Oh, is that, is that the LV?

• 43:31Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 43:32Channing Crowder?

  Oh, that, yeah, that thing expensive.

• 43:34Speaker 03

  Yeah, something like that.

• 43:35Ryan Clark?

  You heard him say it out the gate. He said the LV.

• 43:37Channing Crowder?

  Oh, shit, I don't understand something like that.

• 43:39Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, the reason he said it was so you understood and left him alone. Cause you were supposed to be like, oh, that's LV, I get it. But he don't know that you wear the same jeans every day.

• 43:50Channing Crowder?

  Hey, man, these jeans are nice.

• 43:51Speaker 03

  Yeah, I call them out like that for them.

• 43:53Ryan Clark?

  Nah, for real. In a way, we was, no, we was. They stretchy though, they stretch. Nick, Nick, Nick, this man said yesterday that he was driving, and while he was driving, he smelled himself.

• 44:04Channing Crowder?

  You ain't never smelled your crack driving?

• 44:07Speaker 03

  Nah, he thought them jeans were way, right?

• 44:12Speaker 03

  Thought them jeans were way, boy.

• 44:14Ryan Clark?

  Alright, Nick, man, you know, you know, we got to see you at the Pro Bowl hanging around. Is there gonna be like a Mrs. Bonitto in your future anytime soon? You know what I mean?

• 44:23Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 44:24Ryan Clark?

  What's the love life like?

• 44:25Speaker 03

  I got a little something like that right now. It's just like a little sticky situation. But, uh, yeah, she in the background right now, but she gonna make an appearance real soon. So, it's definitely a Mrs. Bonitto.

• 44:36Ryan Clark?

  Oh, so, so what you got? So you, you gonna have to unveil her? Like, is this unveiling, is this gonna be a social, I'm, I'm invested now.

• 44:44Speaker 03

  Yeah, no, yeah.

• 44:45Ryan Clark?

  Cause you gotta, cause when you gotta hide them, that might mean they somebody, nigga. Like, no, we don't just be hiding regular scrums.

• 44:52Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 44:52Ryan Clark?

  You know what I mean? So she might be something.

• 44:54Speaker 03

  No, she definitely something. I mean, I've been with her for a little while now. So, I mean, it's just only like a matter of time for like, you know, things just get out there in the public and stuff like that, so.

• 45:03Fred Taylor?

  So your nationality is Cuban?

• 45:06Speaker 03

  Yeah, Haitian and Cuban.

• 45:07Fred Taylor?

  Haitian, Haitian and Cuban, Jamaican in there too?

• 45:09Speaker 03

  Yeah, a little bit Jamaican.

• 45:11Fred Taylor?

  So the little, uh, baby gonna be like a little bit of all of that, like a little gumbo?

• 45:16Speaker 03

  Yeah, nah, they gonna have like a whole different type of mixes in there. I don't know what type of hair, how the skin color gonna look, none of that. But I know it's gonna be a cute little baby, so.

• 45:24Fred Taylor?

  Put me on game. Your, your top five young players that we might not know about? That you can kinda say, look out for these guys?

• 45:35Speaker 03

  On my team or just in the league?

• 45:36Fred Taylor?

  Just, just in general. You can be number one.

• 45:40Ryan Clark?

  He not, everybody know him.

• 45:42Fred Taylor?

  I mean, he's still building.

• 45:44Ryan Clark?

  No.

• 45:45Fred Taylor?

  I mean, he's in the Pro Bowl, but he's still building. If you don't want to put yourself, don't worry about it.

• 45:50Speaker 03

  I mean, definitely number one, my dog, Chop Robinson.

• 45:55Ryan Clark?

  Yeah.

• 45:55Speaker 03

  He gonna be one of the ones for sure. I'm trying to think, I mean, he kind of known for like, for the special teams part of it. But I know like, as a wide receiver, he gonna break out. So Marvin Man is my teammate.

• 46:06Ryan Clark?

  Monster.

• 46:07Speaker 03

  Another one of my teammates, Jonah Ellis, he on the edge. He, he real nice.

• 46:12Ryan Clark?

  Freddie T act like the man, watch film on every team, every week.

• 46:16Speaker 03

  It's just hard to think of him on the spot.

• 46:18Ryan Clark?

  Cause you gonna, you gonna think of the, you gonna think of the immediate good ones right away.

• 46:22Fred Taylor?

  And that's, that's fine, I just kind of wanted to know who, um, what his thoughts were.

• 46:27Channing Crowder?

  On the opposite side though, cause I remember, I tell the story about Jonathan Ogden. I don't even know, you might not have been even alive when Jonathan Ogden.

• 46:34Ryan Clark?

  He doesn't know who Jonathan.

• 46:34Speaker 03

  Yeah, I was about to say.

• 46:35Channing Crowder?

  But them tackles, like, one of them tackles that done grabbed you, and you was like, oh shit.

• 46:39Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 46:42Ryan Clark?

  Who was that?

• 46:43Speaker 03

  I was actually just telling him about this too, when we was at the little practice just now. But Rashawn Slater from the Chargers. That, that Thursday night game we played against him was like, I couldn't do nothing right that day, bro. Ain't no matter what I tried, but, bruh just locking me up the whole game. So, I'll definitely say he would probably be the best guy I done went against this year.

• 47:01Ryan Clark?

  When, when that's happening, what's the feeling? Like, as a safety, I was never on the offensive. Like, I was never on the attack. Like, you could, you know, make tough tackles, you could try to go get the football, whatever it is. But there was never a time where I felt like I was going at somebody, right? Whereas for you, you get that, right? It's almost, you get a one-on-one, it's, it's almost like one-on-one hoops. Like, you get an opportunity to make a move when you getting strapped, for lack of a better word. What's the thought, like, what's the feeling? Are you like, God, I'm sorry as hell, man?

• 47:34Speaker 03

  Yeah, bro, it's like, everything was just so hard, bro. I mean, like, even when I did win, I'm like, like, finally, bro. Like, it wasn't nothing easy, bro. So, I mean, it's definitely tough, cause you just gotta go at it and at it and knowing that you might not win every one. But you just gotta keep kind of going, bro. You can't get too down on yourself, cause you never know, the next play might be a play to make, so.

• 47:56Ryan Clark?

  All right, so here's putting you on the spot.

• 47:59Ryan Clark?

  Philadelphia versus Kansas City, Super Bowl 59. Who's your pick?

• 48:04Speaker 03

  I'll probably go with KC, bro, just because like, at the end of the day, like, we done learned our lesson too many times, bro. You can't go against them boys, so I would probably say they gonna win for sure.

• 48:14Ryan Clark?

  Man, appreciate you, man. This was fun, dawg. Thank you for your time, fam.

• 48:17Speaker 03

  I appreciate y'all.

• 48:19Ryan Clark?

  Why my dog say, I mean, she in the back, like, you know.

• 48:24Channing Crowder?

  He like, it might get out.

• 48:26Ryan Clark?

  It might get out.

• 48:28Speaker 03

  She know who she is.

• 48:30Fred Taylor?

  What are our t-shirts, though?

• 48:32Speaker 03

  I got y'all, boy. I get y'all.

• 48:34Fred Taylor?

  Dave them say we gotta, you know, we gotta represent for you.

• 48:37Speaker 03

  I'm finna say, I'm finna see what I can do.

• 49:04Speaker 07

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

• 49:14Speaker 08

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