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Making Monsters: Getting to Know Dillon Thieneman · 2nd City Gridiron

• 0:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, welcome back to another episode of Making Monsters.
• 0:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm Taylor Doll and we're continuing on some of our monsters of the week and Dylan Thineman has to be talked about.
• 0:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we have Coach Jake Gilbert joining us.
• 0:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's a head coach now at Wabash College, but used to coach at Westfield.
• 0:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Dylan Thineman went to high school.
• 0:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: So Coach Gilbert, thanks for hopping on and chatting some Thineman with us because various fans are really excited about this young man right now.
• 0:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: They should be.
• 0:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks Taylor for having me.
• 0:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: I've had the pleasure of.
• 0:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: No, and Dylan, since he was a little bit of guy, you football player, so it's been an honor to be a part of his journey.
• 0:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's been really fun early on.
• 0:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: I wanted to play a little clip from you.
• 0:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: So on draft day, we did a live draft reaction throughout.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Dylan Thineman was my number one choice that I wanted to bear as a draft.
• 0:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: So when it happened, I was really excited.
• 0:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I wanted to see the clip, because I thought it was just kind of a cool moment to see that live reaction of us when Dylan Thineman was selected.
• 1:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Three of the five that I'd be happy with are still on the board right now.
• 1:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Including my number one.
• 1:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Who are those real quick?
• 1:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: So Thineman is the top.
• 1:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: Finally, he's the guy, he'll empty him into the Chicago baby, yes, yes, all right, so what's going on?
• 1:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: So really cool moment coach, and I'm sure for you, it was just as a good question.
• 1:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, oh my god.
• 1:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you got to watch somebody that you know very well get drafted.
• 1:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we'll get to that moment in a little bit.
• 1:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I want to talk at first about your first, from what I've heard, you've known Dylan since he was an elementary school.
• 1:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: So a really long time, but chat a little bit about that first, getting to know Dylan first time you saw him and then we'll fast forward to high school after that.
• 1:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, Dylan always had tremendous focus in the game of football.
• 1:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think having older brothers, you know, shapes somebody.
• 1:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think the Thinman household was very competitive.
• 1:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're a lot of type A in the household itself.
• 2:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: Shannon keeps all that testosterone together somehow, prevents them from destroying each other.
• 2:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: But they are a very tight knit family.
• 2:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Cara and the boys are wonderful, you know, sons and daughters, and just a very successful family.
• 2:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Really, highly intelligent people, Dylan's a straight-a student.
• 2:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, this is the anathletic career, obviously, so the national football league you talk about Dylan's
• 2:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: athletic exploits with reality is he's highly intelligent straight age student.
• 2:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: He could have been a doctor.
• 2:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I say that all the time because I don't think people understand how smart he actually is.
• 2:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: But even as a youngster, he just seemed to be advanced in his focus, his understanding of where the ball was going to end up.
• 2:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: He had anticipation skills and two steps ahead of everybody else and just really locked in.
• 2:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: So where he competitive guy who was locked in from the beginning.
• 2:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you see that already.
• 3:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: You see the football knowledge in general with him and the anticipation he has very young and we get into some of those details too.
• 3:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: If him having to step in a really big role because the bears lost the safety they traded for this off season in Kobe Bryant and everyone was like, oh man, we have a rookie safety that's gonna have to kind of lead that room and he's done a really good job coach.
• 3:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so it's been fun to see that.
• 3:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: But let's go back to when you talk about his football life and when that began, how young did he start playing football?
• 3:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, well, he played as soon as they let him play, so he played, you know, all the way down the first grade, six years old, and I'm sure he played in the backyard plenty with with the others, but I think his entire life, he's been a football player pretty much.
• 3:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and two older brothers, both brothers played at Purdue also so that that football watching your brothers, I'm sure had a big impact in that too.
• 3:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: So your experience with him in high school, let's start with that.
• 3:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: How quickly was he, what was that path for him through high school, started right away, how did that story go when it, when it started with him?
• 4:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Dylan intended one of the bigger schools in Indiana.
• 4:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: We played for championships in the state's biggest classification.
• 4:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it was a big time football.
• 4:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, there's a couple of underplayers on that team.
• 4:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it was very rare for a freshman to play varsity.
• 4:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, when you have 200 guys to beat out to be out there.
• 4:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so we have levels of freshman and junior varsity.
• 4:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then kind of an in between and then varsity.
• 4:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: But Dylan actually played varsity for us as a freshman.
• 4:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was little, his jersey was about three sizes too big, I think he had a nasty number like 48 or something because that's, you know, what you get your version.
• 4:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: So take it and like it, but he actually played corner for us as a freshman and sophomore part of that was because we knew.
• 4:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: That we had a senior corner his freshman year who was going to miss a couple weeks on a mission trip in Africa, and so We kind of felt like by the time we get to that point in the season Our best option made a play Dylan and we were right and so Dylan has never ever been a guy that the moment is too big for him
• 5:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: ever that I've ever seen and so no matter what that moment seems to look like right now that's starting for Chicago Bears right away looks like he's comfortable ready to play an NFL but he's always been that way he is risen to whatever the moment demanded and exceeded the expectations of all those around so as soon as we gave him a chance to play varsity he proved he was plenty ready he did great and he excelled quickly.
• 5:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, for people that don't know so far through four weeks, 200 and two defensive snaps, which is most on the team, 30 tackles, which is most on the team, four receptions on 12 targets, which is very high, a low percentage of those receptions allowed only 50 yards allowed in four games, three passes defended most on the team.
• 5:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: One quarterback hit, one intersection, and a 22 point.
• 5:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: seven pastor rating allowed, which is also the best on the team.
• 5:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: So he's he's really out there playing some good football coach and one of the things that I talked about a lot the reason I really wanted the bears to draft film theme and I heard a million good things you can see you can watch the film and see the playmaking ability you can see.
• 6:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: the football knowledge, but the versatility of Dylan Thineman is one of the most fun things, the way that he was used different at her due to Oregon and thrived in both of those systems.
• 6:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so you talk about the versatility now in college and in the NFL, and I'm sure it was even more stream and high school than when these guys are playing all over the place in multiple positions.
• 6:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you know, I had we had a pretty complex defense.
• 6:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'd been a college defense coordinator and took the high school hit coaching job.
• 6:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: We ran the same defense with guys who are smart enough to handle it.
• 6:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then within that you use your guys in the best possible way right to make plays and so.
• 6:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Dylan played corner, he played middle of the field safety, he rolled down, we had multiple ways in which we used him.
• 6:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: We played all kinds of versions of coverage, including mix and match, and we had to make checks.
• 7:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: So,
• 7:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: I do think that we put plenty on his plate, but he mastered that easy, you know, and so where's your spending teaching, spending much of time in high school teaching the game of football.
• 7:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Actually, we were trying to teach a higher level football to Dylan because he could take it, you know, and so he, the versatility piece has never surprised me.
• 7:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: I thought he might end up as a nickel
• 7:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: some day in NFL because I thought I may just get so big as brothers or great lifters and big guys.
• 7:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I honestly felt like as a freshman and sophomore or the ability to play man and get out there and play some press and do some things with help him matriculate and college just having that on film.
• 7:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I do think it helped him.
• 7:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: But then his freshman year Purdue, you know, they played him and really deep in a single high system pretty much every snap he could
• 8:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: enabled him to excel so much as a freshman in college.
• 8:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, just a few months before that, he was at the prom.
• 8:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: And now he's out leading the big tin and take away, so I feel like
• 8:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: The single use maybe was beneficial as a freshman, but then after that, I think, you know, he was able to show, especially at Oregon, all the various ways that he could affect a game and he's an extremely versatile player and usually in an older era football.
• 8:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: You would see safety like a Palomaluer and Ed Reed do so many different things out there.
• 8:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And if it was kind of gotten away with that from that a little bit and trying to defend my homes and company, but I think that Dylan can do anything on a football field.
• 8:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was a great offensive player for the little that we used him on offense in his high school journey, but I mean, he could do anything out there.
• 8:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, was he, did you have a mess of receiver?
• 8:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: What was he used as?
• 8:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's running back and receiver, you know, he was injured as senior year or else he probably would have been the best player in Indiana that year.
• 9:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: But he, he got hurt right for the first game.
• 9:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think he would have had an explosive year on both sides of the ball of not.
• 9:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: So what for you?
• 9:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Was there a moment where you felt like the safety position was best for him?
• 9:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: And did he feel like did he like playing that position group in general when it came to that safety?
• 9:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think we always knew he would play safety.
• 9:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's what he played.
• 9:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's just for him to play varsity football.
• 9:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was a corner first because of a size.
• 9:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then his sophomore year, he was mainly a corner because of our personnel and who he had in order to get the best players on the field.
• 9:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's what we did.
• 9:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: But then his junior and senior year, he got to play safety, which is where I knew his national home would be ultimately.
• 9:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: We just his sophomore year that was what was best for the team and that's what he needed to do.
• 9:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: But it's freshman year that was how he could get out there.
• 9:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: So he was always really a best 11 guy for us pretty quickly.
• 10:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was just a matter of where he could help the team the most.
• 10:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: But safety all knew what ultimately be his home and how he would enter college.
• 10:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was curious about what would happen for him to make the NFL, but I think he's right where he needs to be.
• 10:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: He is.
• 10:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you have this very unique combination.
• 10:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think coach of athleticism.
• 10:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, he's very physical.
• 10:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's all over the field, making every tackle you can possibly make.
• 10:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: But then the speed is there, too.
• 10:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: When you go through and you go back and you watch his combine and the 40 he ran at that point, I was like,
• 10:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Man, this is the perfect combination of what you want on your back end and the defense, especially in the NFL with these receivers, you talk about just the receivers and the NFC North and that's a lot of speed that you're covering and so you have the physicality of the speed and the athleticism plus the knowledge and one player, I think that's like you could write that up and be better at some points in time.
• 10:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, he's elite physically way more than people.
• 10:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: have ever given him credit for.
• 10:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: When he went to Purdue, I remember him telling me the spring of what should have been a spring with senior year.
• 11:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: He enrolled early.
• 11:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: He told me like they did a testing right out of the gate.
• 11:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was like the third pound for pound strongest guy on the entire football team immediately just walking in.
• 11:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: So he's pretty elite physically.
• 11:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: He can obviously really, really run.
• 11:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: But he's so efficient.
• 11:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: His body's efficient.
• 11:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: He lean and
• 11:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's bodies like a machine, very efficient, but he's also efficient in how he thinks.
• 11:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so, you know, people say a game of inches, well, it's also a game of fractions of seconds.
• 11:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: So the difference between a catch and a breakup or an interception, you know, is so my new.
• 11:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I think he is able to think so quickly and then connect that physically to what he needs to do with very little false movement, false step.
• 11:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I just think he's an extremely efficient safety, and so he can cover a lot of ground physically, but he also doesn't have to make up for false movements or delay in reads.
• 11:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I think the combination of all those things means he can blanket the whole field.
• 12:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 12:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'll talk a little bit about his personality.
• 12:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's a big thing too.
• 12:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I first started this podcast making monsters, I like to get to know it's kind of the path of these players from whenever they start football to the NFL and a lot of different paths, a lot of different stories, but Ryan pulls the bears general manager has been very adamant about drafting good players, but good people.
• 12:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, so chat a little bit about that.
• 12:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: Dylan has personality.
• 12:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: What you see, we've seen some things when he got the pick, uh, his first intersection.
• 12:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: He kind of was laughing about it because you definitely knew he wanted to run it back.
• 12:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: But he had a play at smart.
• 12:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was in the end zone.
• 12:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: He knew he had to just hold on to it.
• 12:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: So you see a little bit of that when it comes to just a little bit of goofiness and likes to have fun, but chat about that a little bit.
• 12:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's a regular guy.
• 12:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Highly intelligent, I guess they had impeccable character.
• 12:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, he's not gonna try to stand out and crowd too often, she's a little more introverted in that way.
• 12:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's pretty quiet in some sense, because I don't think he feels like he has to have all that attention.
• 13:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: When people say someone's all ball, I mean, I think Dylan Thineman's all ball.
• 13:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: So like, what's his personality?
• 13:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's like, well, if you could get him to stop working on football for five minutes.
• 13:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: You might say, maybe you could,
• 13:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: find out.
• 13:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: In reality, that's just kind of been his priority.
• 13:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's been very driven about his goals since literally since elementary school, right?
• 13:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so his relationships and personality and all that, it comes out, but you've got to be looking for it because usually he's pretty hyper-focused on the job and what's needed.
• 13:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: training and all of those things.
• 13:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: But when you watch him in a group with his friends, he's just a normal guy over there.
• 13:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: No one thinks any different, you know, he's just a regular guy.
• 13:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: I haven't fun and he can, you know, blend in within any group of guys.
• 13:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pretty regular guy.
• 13:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: He just really loves football and really dedicated to it.
• 13:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: We love that.
• 13:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: We love the all-ball, the head coach of the Chicago Bears Ben Johnson is one of the most obsessed people with football.
• 14:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it's a good thing to have players.
• 14:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, the buy into that too.
• 14:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Coach, when you talk about that recruiting process for him, was it both brothers?
• 14:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: We mentioned that.
• 14:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: Both brothers went to Purdue.
• 14:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Was it always Purdue?
• 14:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like that's just where his mind was set?
• 14:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: Or did he kind of think about some other places?
• 14:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I know he got injured a senior year.
• 14:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Did that affect things also?
• 14:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you know, I mean, most of the offers happen going into your senior year.
• 14:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I feel like a lot of people who are that level are,
• 14:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, in terms of group of four, you know, felt like, well, he's probably going to Purdue.
• 14:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so that probably didn't help.
• 14:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I, you know, I mean, there's not a lot of white DBs getting taken out there.
• 14:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, there was just some things he needed to kind of overcome really prove.
• 14:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: He ran an excellent 40 at Penn State at Open Summese.
• 14:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, I was essentially told by the recruiting service.
• 14:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: If he would have gotten the Penn State offer, then he would have been elevated to a four-star player.
• 15:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: But the offers determine the stars.
• 15:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, then I was told by the Notre Dame coach, hey, he's gonna have to play for us.
• 15:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, seriously, but we can't take a three star.
• 15:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's like, I lose my job.
• 15:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: We can't, we're not allowed to recruit three stars.
• 15:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: So think about that.
• 15:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's the system of recruiting.
• 15:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Whereas the recruiting guy said, he doesn't have enough stars because of the offers.
• 15:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then in college, coach told me, well, he didn't have the offer because of the last guy's pretty ridiculous.
• 15:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is.
• 15:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: But.
• 15:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Either way, they definitely wanted him as a sophomore.
• 15:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, all those schools wanted to come back in and get him to transfer and come after him then after he had put so much quality play on tape.
• 15:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I think that Purdue always had the inside track, you know, with the family and with Dylan, and they were comfortable and grateful for that as an opportunity, however, you know, Purdue was struggling.
• 15:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: They went through a coaching change,
• 16:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: freshman year, you know, so that was a change, you know, so I don't think it was just slam dunk that was going to be pretty no, I don't, but that was probably the best option that he had.
• 16:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and you mentioned putting him in the perfect place, probably as a freshman, too.
• 16:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Did you talk to him when he was making the decision to transfer to Oregon?
• 16:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, a little bit, you know.
• 16:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: I try not to get into his business too all for much, but yeah, I mean, he had good choices.
• 16:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, multiple other suitors that were top five, top programs and you know, I think.
• 16:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was time for him to make that choice.
• 16:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: I feel like a sophomore year in Purdue really took a toll of losing the physicality on his body where he had to make every play.
• 16:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 16:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: He missed a couple of tackles of stuff on him mentally.
• 16:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, it was tough, you know.
• 16:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I felt like
• 16:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: My advice was was more about like well, what is the purpose behind the choice and you know You wanted the development he wanted the challenge and the development and he was more than willing to bet on himself That he could go into any of these programs and start and that's what he did and I I really feel like
• 17:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: the Oregon experience enhanced his ability to prepare from a football player or standpoint, because of all the ways that they used him and all the ways that he had to be up to speed in the game plan and the coaching and all of the things that were available there really helped him.
• 17:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I was a static for him to make that choice and I knew it would pay great dividends and it did.
• 17:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: I believed in him, you know, and he believed in himself.
• 17:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he went up right in and did what he went there to do.
• 17:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's a good bet from home.
• 17:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then now he gets to come back close to home, pretty close to home with getting drafted by the bears.
• 17:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: Did you talk to them during the whole time?
• 17:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Everybody that this kid's made has been the right one.
• 18:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 18:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: He deserves credit for that.
• 18:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: But man, it's mapped out like a wonderful plan.
• 18:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he, uh, I just think guys been in control.
• 18:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm just so happy for him to be Chicago bear.
• 18:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: did you talk to him after he was drafted when he found out he was there.
• 18:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, he had a bump too.
• 18:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know that we saw the family picture of all of them and their bare stuff and that has to be a really cool moment getting drafted in general.
• 18:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: You get to go in the first round, but you're going to a historical organization who feels like they're on the up with Caleb Williams and everything they've done with Ben Johnson and and company.
• 18:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm sure it was a great feeling for him.
• 18:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely.
• 18:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was definitely a static.
• 18:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, the goal is the first round and
• 18:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, there were a few teams and rumors and various thoughts.
• 18:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, if this happens, then this will happen and a lot of guessing, right?
• 18:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: But in the end of the day, we knew that there was definitely a chance that he would go to Chicago and the family and the coaches, any of us, Dylan, you know, you don't.
• 18:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: going into the draft, you don't want to reveal favorites, right?
• 19:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 19:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: You don't want to come across a spoiled and in title, let me talk about getting draft from national football league as a safety.
• 19:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: So to go in the first round, anywhere, what a gift and what a blessing, right?
• 19:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: But so he certainly felt that way.
• 19:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: However, I know deep down inside.
• 19:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, there would be great opportunity if you went to Chicago and just,
• 19:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: for the family.
• 19:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: How happy are we for the family to be able to go and see and play so much and to be close enough to drive there and be at all the games, take family members and friends there and pretty exciting.
• 19:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, it's fun.
• 19:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: And there was a little bit of rumors because the Vikings picked right before us that the Vikings were going to take him.
• 19:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: So in that video, we were all nervous about that.
• 19:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: And when you pass the Vikings, we were like, oh, this is actually what happened.
• 19:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we did the same.
• 19:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: I felt with the whole like the Harrison Smith situation.
• 19:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: We thought I thought he's going to miss it.
• 19:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, happy how it all turned out.
• 20:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: How have you liked how Dennis Allen has used him so far?
• 20:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Do you think he's using him the way he
• 20:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you know, I just feel like, you know, I'm sure Chris Allen has forgotten more about football than I'll ever know.
• 20:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I don't.
• 20:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: He should use him however he thinks he should use him.
• 20:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: But the production right here, who, who,
• 20:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is just the next step in what always happens.
• 20:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: You wouldn't expect this much production from a rookie.
• 20:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Even a first rounder, I mean, you wouldn't necessarily think that this point in the season this guy's gonna lead us in tackles and past break ups and completion percentage QBR against and all those things as a rookie.
• 20:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, there's just so much adjustment
• 20:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: But you know what, Dylan, just does what Dylan does.
• 20:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he's like, well, okay, what is required of me?
• 20:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'll do that plus one.
• 20:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then that leads to a performance that is what is acceptable out of me.
• 20:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, I'll do that plus one.
• 20:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, I'm no longer surprised.
• 21:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Coach Allen, I'm sure knows how to use him and the tools that he has and clearly it's going well.
• 21:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, I like the way we had a lot of discussions in the preseason of how possibly it would look because he's so versatile.
• 21:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it's like, you know, he can play free.
• 21:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: He can play strong.
• 21:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: He can play in the box.
• 21:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: He can play all over the place.
• 21:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I think it's been fun how he's moved him around a little bit.
• 21:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I don't know if there's a defensive play where I don't see Dylan Theneman in the mix in some way.
• 21:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's really fun to see.
• 21:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: But Coach, go about it.
• 21:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: I really appreciate your time.
• 21:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know your cult's fan, but maybe you're rooting for the bears a little bit.
• 21:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: I am.
• 21:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: I absolutely am.
• 21:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, I'm definitely a Dylan fan and a fan of the Thineman family.
• 21:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: They've been tremendous to me.
• 21:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, other than, I guess if the Colts and the Bears play, I'll just have to, you know, just go outside and walk away.
• 21:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I'm always rooting for the Bears now and hope that he wants to support.
• 21:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks so much Coach.
• 21:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: I really appreciate your time.
• 21:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: I hope you have a good rest of your week and good luck to you guys too.
• 22:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks Taylor.
• 22:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: God bless.
• 22:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: See you.