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Fightin' Words: Episode 1 - Jordan Skolnick & Joe Flacco · Fightin' Words: The Official Podcast of the University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: It's time for Fightin' Words, the official podcast of the University of Delaware Fighting Blue Hens.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_03: Here's your host, Ed LaFurge.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_03: That's right, you are tuned into Fighting Words, the official podcast of the University of Delaware Fighting Blue Hens, and I'm your host, Ed Laferge.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_03: We're really excited to bring this podcast to you.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_03: It's gonna go out every other week on our YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find your podcast to bring you a look behind the feathers, if you will, into Delaware Athletics and this new art community and everything special that we have going on here.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_03: Our inaugural episode, we've got a really exciting jam-packed uh time for you.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna have our director of athletics and campus recreation, Jordan Skolnick, join us and talk about everything that's been going on during his tenure, the changes in college athletics right now.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_03: And then we're gonna have the 18th pick from the 2008 NFL draft and Super Bowl 37 MVP Joe Flacco will sit down with us, talk about his journey uh in the league, his his time at Delaware.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_03: So without further ado, let's jump right into it and welcome in our director of athletics and campus recreation, Jordan Skolnick.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_03: Jordan, how are you?
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks for joining us here on the podcast.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_01: I'm doing great.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Ed.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_01: A look behind the feathers.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_01: I like that.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: This has got me really excited to talk about all things Delaware, and it's gonna be a fun, uh, fun episode.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we're looking forward to it.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, you've been serving in this this AD role for over a year now as an interim, then you you get the full-time role.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_03: What's that process kind of been like for you and and what's it been like kind of guiding the Blue Hens into FBS football, our affiliate conferences?
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_03: Um how's it how's how's the process been?
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's been great.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I feel so honored and privileged to be in this role, and uh, and every single day of the 10 plus years that I've been here, you know, I've really tried to immerse myself in all things Delaware and um to be able to lead this incredible department of coaches and student athletes and staff to represent the entire 302, I just couldn't be more honored to be able to do that.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_01: So it's been a lot of fun.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_01: There's been its challenges, but that's what makes, you know, our ability to have the right strategy and figure out how we're gonna move ahead, you know, so exciting.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, the year has been highlighted through some awesome wins and some great competition in this past year.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: And so we've also been able to have, you know, some moments as we've been able to enjoy that as I've gone along this ride, so that um if there is ever a tough day, I can always pull back on watching one of our teams practice or play and and be able to see our student athletes do incredible things and you know, graduating 145 of them last year.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: There's so many moments that make it special that it's uh it's been really great.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_03: So let's talk about this past year, right?
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_03: We've seen a lot of success from the Blue Hens.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_03: You talk about, you know, football wins a bowl game in in their very first season.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_03: You had a number of teams come close to uh competing for conference titles, some NCAA appearances.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_03: What were some of the highlights that kind of stood out to you?
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think um, you know, you started with that.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, being the second team ever to win a bowl game in our first year is something that I am uh I'm so proud of what our student athletes and our coaches did.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, Coach Cardi and that entire staff, you know, for them making this transition from FCS to FBS um was one that I think, you know, you've heard uh it being talked about a lot where we didn't know what it was gonna go like.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, we were really confident in our ability, but um, but to be able to see that come to fruition down there in Mobile on national television, having five million plus people watch us throughout the year, uh, really proud of what that was and gets us really excited for what this next year is gonna be.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_01: But you know, men's soccer was incredible last year, you know, going 12, 2, and 3, and you know, as our women's swimming and diving team won the A-Sun, you know, having our um women's across team win the regular season championship in the A Sun and really tear through everybody as they went through it.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, our men's tennis doubles team going to the NCAA tournament um for the first time ever, you know, with Toby and Ewan.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_01: And so there's been a ton of these really special moments on the field, in the pool, on the court, and um and I think, you know, we're really proud of how they've competed.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_01: But there's no doubt that, you know, graduating the 145 student athletes that we have, having a 3.4 GPA, doing the 302 tour again, and getting our student athletes, you know, throughout the entire community, there's so many things that I feel like when we're doing this on a daily basis that we're representing the blue and gold really well.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_01: And um, and that part, I look back on it as uh as a pretty incredible year overall.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: We got work to do.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_01: There's a lot more opportunity for us, you know, as we think about some of our programs that, you know, are fighting uh like blue hens, but they also we have opportunities for growth.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, we're really looking at this next year as a place where we can see some of these teams take that next step, you know, now that they've kind of risen to that occasion and hopefully be able to translate um, you know, all the work that they've put in to hopefully really being able to, you know, take that next step and and bring some trophies home.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, you talk about uh looking ahead and the work we have to do this year, great segue.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_03: We have a number of fall teams back on campus already um practicing.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_03: Uh we're ten days away from when this episode's gonna come out from our very first fall competition of the 26-27 year with women's soccer at home.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_03: So um what are some of the the the things you're looking forward to as as as we get geared up for this fall season?
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean you talk about women's soccer, I mean I can't wait.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: They're gonna be hosting Conference USA uh championships this fall, which is gonna be great.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um and so, you know, women's track and field will also host uh in the spring.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, just to go backwards one step too, when softball hosted our Conference USA championships, that was something I was really proud of, you know, being able to have one of our teams host in our first year and um, you know, put it on so well for the conference and bring in seven teams from throughout the country into Newark for some real economic impact was great.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: So women's soccer doing that this fall, I'm really excited for, and their team's gonna be really strong.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: They bring back a lot of talent.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, I think defensively they're gonna be, you know, really tough to get past.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_01: And um and so, you know, if we can find the right goal scoring, then I think that team could have a lot of success.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_01: Men's soccer brings back a ton of talent too.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: You know, Denver leaves the summit league, and so I think it really puts us in a position where we feel like it's an opportunity to go out there and find a way to get a get a championship.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but what Coach McMenemy has done um and really building a team that fits his style of play, I think this year we're gonna see that come to fruition in a pretty incredible manner.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, football's got a great schedule ahead of them.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um great asn't tough, but exciting for our fans.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_01: You know, going to, you know, Vanderbilt and Virginia and out of conference games are both two really tough matchups.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when I scheduled those games five years ago, um, you know, before a lot of the changes that happened in college athletics, they are at the bottom of the SEC and the ACC, and now those are two of the best teams in their leagues.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's a big challenge for us, but a huge opportunity um, you know, on national stages.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_01: And um getting Coastal Carolina home will be a lot of fun.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I know it'll be a little different for our fans playing a uh game at 1130, but when you get to be on national TV like we get to, you know, we're gonna be on seven, eight times this year.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, that's huge for us.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: And so I'm I'm excited, you know, football brings back a ton of talent.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we bring back, you know, all but one starter that was eligible to return.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: And I know we've talked about that a lot since December and after the bowl win, but I don't think we can talk about it enough because that's pretty rare in today's world of college football to bring back so much talent.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean there's something to be said about that.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: Big time.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: And it's a lot, you know, the culture, the great academics that we have here, you know, our campus uh environment.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but really the credit goes to, you know, the student athlete leaders out there, our coaching staff, um, this entire community who's behind them, that has really made people want to stay.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_01: And um and I think, you know, we've had to invest into it to make sure that we had the ability to be competitive from an NIL standpoint, but why would you want to leave a place that you love if you're getting better, you know, we're having success.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I think the football team is a great example of that.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_01: And so I'm excited for them to go out and compete for a championship this year.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: And um and it's gonna be tough, but I really believe in what they've built and and what it looks like for them.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean, we've got a a strong field hockey program too, under second year head coach Tara Zollinger.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_03: Track and uh cross country brings back two top ten runners in in program history in the 6K, so it's really gonna be an exciting fall here here in Newark.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_03: Let's talk about field hockey a little bit.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_03: Obviously, uh an exciting announcement came out last week joining the Mid-American Conference for uh field hockey that's an exciting move for them starting in 2027.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_03: Um we've got updates at Rullo Stadium.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_03: Talk to us a little bit about the the process and everything going on with with field hockey.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, field hockey has been one of our most successful programs and and for a long time, right?
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: And when you win a national championship like we did in 2016 and we had won, you know, 10 to 12 conference championships.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, this program is one that um has been the you know the real um bell mark for a lot of our teams.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_01: And um and when we brought in Coach Zollinger, you know, she knew that this was going to be um a a challenging moment of transition for us as we were, you know, leaving the CAA and we joined MPSF, um, which has been a great spot for us.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um excited to compete at that conference again this year.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_01: But the truth is that getting into the Mac and the Mid-American Conference for us, you know, we've been working at that for a long time and the ability to give our student athletes the opportunity to compete for an automatic bid and join a league that frankly like we can get multiple bids out of the Mac in field hockey.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: You know, Miami of Ohio and UMass are some really strong teams, JMU in that league.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, we could not be more excited for our student athletes and coaches.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm so appreciative of our alums, our parents, everyone that's been patient as we went through that process because it has been a journey.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: And um and I've been, you know, front and center, letting them know that, you know, I believe we're gonna get to a conference in which we get this automatic bid.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it took longer than I thought it would, um, not for lack of trying, but I think, you know, we were a little bit of um our success made that challenging.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm so grateful for the Mac for realizing that they're a conference where our ability to be a competitive field hockey program adds value.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_01: And that allows us to hopefully enter into a league in which, you know, we can still compete for championships, but if we don't win a championship and we're real close, we got a real chance at a at large bid because we're gonna continue to have a real tough non-conference schedule.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: And I know that Terra is gonna continue to put us in a position where um, you know, we're gonna be playing tough teams, and that gives us a shot at the end of the year.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, in Rullo um stadium construction, um, you know, we put um, you know, it's a four million dollar renovation for us to get new turf.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_01: And it's been an interesting process because, you know, we need to make sure, for those that don't know, you know, it's a water-based turf, so the field has to drain appropriately for us to be able to make sure that the ball stays flat on the surface and allows our skilled players to do what they want to do.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: And so whenever you have that, um we really had to look at all the drainage when we were gonna put the new turf down.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: And the rocks were a little bit um preventing the water from draining as much as we wanted it to.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: So you can imagine if you pour water on top of sand, the water doesn't get down to the bottom of it, right?
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: But if you pour water on top of pebbles, the water is gonna find its way down.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_01: So we had to put down some different type of rocks to make sure that the water could get down so there wasn't bubbling up on the surface.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_01: As you went through that process, it took a little bit longer to identify how to do that and to pull out some of the rocks that we needed.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_01: So we're gonna end up, you know, playing our first games back at Rulo in October.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um and so it's great that we're able to practice at Tower Hill.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_01: We'll play some games on the road, you know, at Penn State and at um a couple neutral site games at Drexel and at Towson, which, you know, it's great that they were able to figure this out with us.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, we're piecing it together this year.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_01: It won't take away from our ability for this team, which I feel like has really put themselves in a position to get in that large bit if we get the wins that we think we can to be set up for success.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm I'm excited for field hockey.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: I'm grateful for their the team and all everyone around its patience as we went through all this.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: But the Mac is such a fantastic place.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: You know, rowing is in the Mac for us too.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: So now we got two teams there.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_01: So that will start in 27 for the Mac.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: So this year we're going out to win another MPSF championship, which is, you know, again, that that crew has been great.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_01: We're excited to have Queens and UC Davis come play here against us this fall.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and for for our our our listeners that that maybe don't understand a little bit, the MPSF doesn't have an automatic qualifier because it doesn't have six teams.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: Correct.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_03: That's the number the NCA says you need to have in order to receive an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_03: Whereas the Mac does meet that that number.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: That's exactly right.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: And so this is why, you know, the shift is the right one for us at the right time.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but it also is an opportunity for us.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: We want to go win another championship at NPSF this fall.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_01: And um and one of the fun things that we'll get to do as a part of that is we get to celebrate that 2016 national championship team 10-year anniversary.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um and so that's gonna be really fun because that October weekend we should be back playing at Rullo, being able to have, you know, people coming in from all over the world to be able to celebrate them.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: You know, that team, that was my first year here, and it was so much fun watching them, you know, beat UNC in Princeton, and those games were incredible.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_01: And um, and so I'm really excited to be able to, this is a great example of who we are at Delaware.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: We get to celebrate our past, but we gotta look forward to the future and make sure that we can keep, you know, creating new history as we kind of move forward.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it's Hall of Fame weekend too.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_01: That's exactly right.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_01: That's exactly right.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_01: We'll induct some incredible blue hands then as well.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_03: That's gonna be awesome.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I wanna I wanna look ahead to to basketball a little bit.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_03: You talked about earlier how uh you know there's more work that we need to do, right?
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_03: Basketball certainly has been a program where we've had some success, won a pair of championships back in 22.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_03: We've had some competitive years, we've had some less compet some less competitive years.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um What are some of the the things that you can talk about and and and tell us what we're doing a little differently in basketball to get back to those winning ways and and you know eventually bring another championship back here?
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, basketball is the sport in which out of all 22 of our teams, those two teams have probably had to undergo the most amount of change out of anyone.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_01: And um and I think it's a combination of the changes that have gone on in college athletics.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_01: It's a little bit of the nature of the AAU world in which how a lot of our senior athletes are coming from.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um and so both Martin and Sarah have had to adapt to a lot of those changes.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_01: And I think this year, you know, we were really clear coming out of this season that we're gonna have to continue to evolve and change because we have a lot of great foundational pieces, and I believe in what both of them are building, but in order for us to have the success that we need to, because Conference USA is a more physical, demanding league, and so we've got to recruit to be able to have those types of bodies to fit the mold of the competition we're playing against.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_01: And so we've really had to shift in that way, and I give both, you know, Coach Ingallsby and Coach Jenkins a lot of credit for, you know, their ability to say this is what we're gonna do differently moving forward.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_01: So there's a combination of the athletes that we had to recruit in and what they need to do to fit the mold that we're playing against.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um we've also had to be pretty intentional about, you know, we got to combine the evaluation of talent with the valuation of talent now with how we're thinking about NIL.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_01: And I give, you know, Jason Gandhi, who is our general manager a ton of credit, him and Jack Davis, who runs our business analytics and our data analytics, um, they've really worked to figure out how do we give our coaches what they need so that we can really evaluate the talent and think about the valuation so that we can invest our dollars wisely.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_01: And um and I think that the the both of those teams, they brought in a ton of talent.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we've got a little bit more experience that we brought in this year.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so we're trying to find ways to make sure that, you know, we can get old and stay old and make sure that we can have student athletes that have collegiate level experience.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_01: And the other part that we've really had to think about differently is, you know, we they student athletes came back earlier this summer.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_01: They were all here uh a little bit longer duration than they have before.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: That's gonna help us as we think about how to minimize injuries, how to get them more acclimated to the season.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um team chemistry.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: A ton of team chemistry, time for bonding, time for them to figure that out.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_01: When you have that much attrition, right, you're gonna have to be able to figure out quicker how to play together where we don't want that to happen once the season started.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_01: We need it to happen before the season gets going.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_01: And both the teams are challenging themselves with tough non-conference schedules.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, I think what you'll find on the men's side is, you know, we're gonna go and play some power four teams, right?
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_01: We're going to Wisconsin, we're going to UCLA, and so those are going to be some tough matchups.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_01: And then we've got some games against some old, you know, rivals that uh I think where people are going to be excited about.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: Our fans are going to be excited for us playing William and Mary again and JMU and being able to have some teams like that coming into the Bob is going to be great.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, the changes that we've had to make, you know, we also will have a few more non-D1 games, which, you know, I know our fans um would rather us play all D1 games, but we have to think about the rhythm of the season in a way where we need momentum so that when we get into conference play, you know, the truth is as last year on the men's side, you know, it took us a while to really adjust to the conference play that we needed to.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I think this year the schedule allows us to have a combination of tougher games and some games that we expect to go in there and be able to then get the rhythm that we need.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: So come conference USA season that we're ready to go.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: And um and I think all those adjustments, it's not any one thing, it's a collection of all these that we really needed to do.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_01: And um and I know our staves and our coaches and our student athletes have really embraced that challenge because we've got to be able to, you know, both these programs I believe are gonna have a lot more success this year is what we need.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and and we've been intentional as as a department to invest in the the resources from a staffing standpoint and everything and the support areas around basketball to help give them that extra level that they need to be successful.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we have.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: We've been um really thoughtful about that.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_01: And um and I think it's a combination.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: Like we have to show um, you know, our fans, our alums that we're willing to invest and that we're willing to, you know, give our programs what they need to win, and then we're gonna ask for their support, right?
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, that's uh that's the win-win here is that if we're able to show that we're able to have success, we need our fans to keep showing up to games and packing the bob and making it a a real advantage for us in terms of our home atmosphere and continue to help us, you know, have the resources we need to win and be successful.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but we know that we need to be able to give them things to be excited about and um you know I think they're gonna see that um that is is a priority for us and will come to fruition on the court this year.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and I think one of the things that we did this summer too is we invested in in the Bob Carpenter Center, right?
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_03: The the light project and um can you can you tell us a little bit about what that's gonna look like and how we might be able to do some different things.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well I mean when our first game when the lights go off during introducing lineups, don't think that there's a glitch right there.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_01: That's intentional, right?
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_01: So we're trying to create an atmosphere and put the spotlight on our student athletes and and get some enthusiasm and energy going into Bob so that once we tip off that our team feels like they've got the momentum behind them.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: And so um so that'll be a fun thing.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we did it with energized Delaware, and so in addition to making a better atmosphere, it's better for the environment, you know.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_01: So these LED lights you can turn on and off and it's sustainable.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, if we can, you know, um achieve both of those at the same time, that's a good thing.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think uh I think my staff will be excited.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_03: It'll it'll look a lot better from from taking photos and and everything that we do for social media.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_03: So we're appreciative of that.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, too.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: Well just like this studio, right?
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, like look how awesome this looks.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_01: Like our team that put this together, like kudos to them because you know, we're trying to keep things fresh.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_01: And so if the photos can come out and look great, and uh hopefully this, you know, uh makes me look good on this show too.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like, you know, we're gonna keep making sure that we've got the right um the right things for our staff to be able to highlight our student athletes in a way that gives them the ability to, you know, we're we're a content-driven business now, right?
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't say that to diminish how important it is for the student athletes and their academic experience, because that's really important, but you know, people are gonna see what we're putting out on Instagram and on X.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_01: And so for us to be able to have spaces like this or do things like the Light Project within the Bob, um, to be able to take some cool photos and have our student athletes um be able to enjoy that, that stuff's important for us and a good way to market ourselves.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, 100%.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_03: I wanna I wanna jump back.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_03: We you you talked a little bit about football scheduling earlier.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um what does that process kind of look like, right?
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_03: We we just announced a home and home with Western Michigan uh coming up in in in 28.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_03: What uh how does that process kind of work for you and and and how do you land these games?
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, it's fun.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_01: I really enjoy it.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um but I gotta imagine it's like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_01: It is, it is a puzzle.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_01: And um and I think you know, I can boil it down though pretty simply for for people because I think our formula is one that um we're pretty clear on right now.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: So take this year out of the equation for a second.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_01: Let's go to 2027 and beyond.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_01: Our plan is to have one Power 4 game that is what we consider a guarantee game that we'll get seven figures plus from.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_01: That is a great opportunity for national visibility, you know, get a chance to go compete against the best teams in the country, and helps have us have the resources that we need to invest into the program.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_01: So that's one game out of our four non-conference games.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: One will be an FCS team at home that gives us the ability to make sure we'll typically have that game early in the season, make sure that you know we're bringing, you know, there'll be some teams that are pretty recognizable that we used to play against, and there'll be some new teams in that mix.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_01: And then the other two games are both going to be group of six teams.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_01: One will be home, one will be away.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_01: That gets us a six home games a year, because there'll be four conference games at home, and then one group of six in the FCS game at home.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_01: And those games we really try to find great matchups for.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_01: And so we started with how many teams could we schedule that we've played in the past, right?
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_01: So that's why we started with UConn.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we've got Temple coming up in a few years.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_01: We've got Buffalo on the docket.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_01: We've got JMU.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_01: And so those are the games we tried to do.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_01: And then we kind of um add in some exciting ones that we haven't played before, but we think are great competition.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_01: That's where you get your coastal Carolina this year.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_01: So then in a couple years when we go back there, people can hopefully enjoy a trip down to Myrtle Beach.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_01: And then Western Michigan, you know, was the best team in the Mac last year.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_01: And so we want to be able to, I think our Conference USA peers, as we all talk about this, we want to go and schedule teams in the Mac, in the Sunbelt, you know, to be able to then show that like, you know, Conference USA, we believe that we can be, you know, one of the best group of six conferences from a competitive standpoint.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_01: And last year, obviously beating UConn, who went nine and three and you know, was one of the best teams at the group of six level was a great opportunity for us.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_01: And um and then beating Louisiana in the bowl game and beating a Sunbelt team.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um so this year we get a chance at another Sunbelt team and um and so that's the strategy.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's pretty simple in terms of those four games.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_01: Where it gets a little bit complicated is when is everyone available, right?
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_01: And so I know uh our fans would love us to play UMass, we want to play them too, but they were just an independent for a lot of years.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_01: So they were scheduling twelve games a year that they now have to unwind.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_01: And so eventually we're gonna get them on the schedule, but they've got to take care of the teams that are on their schedule first, similar to Army, right?
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_01: They were independent before, they've had to do that.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_01: You know, Navy was a team that was a lot of fun to schedule and play against a few years back, but Navy, they've got four non-conference games just like us.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_01: One of them is Army right now, even though they're in the American with them, that's gonna be a non-conference game at the moment.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_01: They play Notre Dame and they play Air Force.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_01: So that means they only have one non-conference game a year, and right now they're playing an FCS team.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_01: That's why we got them previously.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_01: So until their philosophy changes, that's probably not one we're gonna get back on the docket, but we're gonna keep talking with them because it's such an awesome place.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_01: Our fans love going to Napolis, and we'd love to have them here.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_01: I know everyone remembers fondly some of the games that we played against Navy here when you know our next guest, Joe Flacco's, comes on.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I hear about that game all the time.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I can only imagine.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I we appreciate you sharing sharing that stuff about about scheduling.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_03: Um I I gotta imagine it's it's it's something really um exciting for you to do.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_03: Um I want to pivot a little bit and you know, for a long time we've been talking about um a facility project um that that we really wanted to do and kick off and kind of enclose Delaware Stadium.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_03: Can can you give us any updates on that and and and what's going on there?
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so you know, for a long time um facilities has been, you know, the place in which teams would and schools would compete against each other in terms of you know how they were recruiting and what they needed to be able to bring in uh talent.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_01: And the thing that I feel like from a facility standpoint, I mean, we're so fortunate to have the Whitney Athletic Center.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_01: I can't thank the donors and everyone that stepped up to make that project a reality.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_01: You know, our university stepping in and making a big difference.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_01: That facility is incredible for us.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_01: And it's really philosophical in terms of we have every single one of our teams, all 22 of our teams, all 600 plus student athletes, they all get to use that space.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, for us, that we got to combine, there was three priorities for us.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_01: We got to combine the fan experience with the student athlete experience and our ability to generate more revenue.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_01: And that's how we've always looked at facility projects, is how we can do those three things.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, as you kind of move ahead, you know, we've had plans and we still do have plans for what we can do in the north end zone, but the thing that's changed with all this is, you know, now we have the ability through the house settlement and through NIL to be able to now provide dollars and invest into our student athletes in a way that's different than ever before.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_01: If you ask our coaches, you know, would they rather have a new locker room or would they rather have a player that's gonna help them win, they're gonna pick that student athlete every single time.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_01: And so we've had to pivot and adapt ourselves to making sure that the priority is, do we have the resources to invest into our student athletes in that way?
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's why we had the great, you know, retention that we did in football this year.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_01: It's why we were able to go out and attract some incredible talent in men's women's basketball.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_01: We're doing it in pockets and some sports where we've got some incredible student athletes like in men's soccer and softball.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, we've been really intentional about that, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, to make sure that we can invest into them.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_01: So for now, you know, our our facility plans, we still have them, but we've got to prioritize making sure that we have this investment in people, which is a little different than ever before.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_01: And so um so that's been something that I'm appreciative that our coaches have really been able to adapt and evolve into.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_01: And um and we got to keep thinking about what's next so that we can um, you know, keep having a great student athlete experience, keep thinking about the fan experience and what we're gonna do there, and make sure that we can generate the revenue to be able to invest back in all of our programs.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_01: So hopefully that gives you a little bit of a lens into where we are.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but it doesn't mean that it's not, you know, something that's important to us still.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_01: It's just we got to prioritize.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and certainly capital projects can still happen, right?
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_03: We talked about Rullo and and what's going on at field hockey.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_03: We talked about the lights in in the Bob Carpenter Center.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_03: So it's still something that's important to us as as an institution as we continue to move forward.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_03: Let's let's talk about the new age-based eligibility model, right?
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_03: A lot of people are referring to it as as five and five.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_03: That's been in the news a lot lately in terms of eligibility and and how many years and how many playing seasons.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_03: There's been a lot of court cases.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_03: There's there's just been so much around eligibility.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_03: What what can you share with us and and help educate our listeners around what all that is?
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I'm gonna take you back a little bit in terms of, you know, one of the things that I think um, you know, the NCAA um has tried to do is to create rules that they can enforce.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's been difficult because you mentioned that there's been a lot of court cases in which a student athlete doesn't feel like um the rules should apply to them, and so they then have had a court sue uh they've sued to be able to find a opportunity in court where they can then get an exception.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_01: And so it happened first, I think a West Virginia basketball player sued to get um the ability to go into the portal and go back and play right away.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um and then it happened with Diego Pavia at Vanderbilt, where he didn't want the years in junior college to count against his years of eligibility.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_01: And so every time that that happens, then the NCA has to then react to say, do we need to create a blanket waiver to allow everyone under the same thing to be able to participate?
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_01: Or is this a one-off exception?
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_01: And that's made it pretty tumultuous.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_01: It's made a lot of changes and some of them are better for the whole, but how it's happened and played out has made it pretty challenging for schools to be able to react to.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_01: So it's been messy.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_01: It has been very messy.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_01: And so what's happened is this most recent one, the NCA has finally said, okay, we're gonna create a new eligibility model.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_01: And that eligibility is age-based, and so you get five years to play once you leave high school to be able to then come and play in college for five consecutive seasons.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_01: And what's happened for us is that now there is a class of 2022 student athletes who that didn't apply to.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_01: If they have only played four seasons, they wanted their fifth season, basically.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's what's happening right now in the courts is that's kind of playing out.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_01: The good news is that I think after this year it'll find its level and we'll be at this place that you get five years to play, five seasons.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: And the part for us that's really important about that is it is gonna make it a lot less likely that someone would not want to play and sit out a year because there's no waivers anymore, there's no added clock, you can't get a sixth year.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_01: If you're hurt, you don't get that year back.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_01: There are some disadvantages to that.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_01: No more redshirts.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_01: It's just you get five years to play five seasons.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_01: And so hopefully the outcome of this is that our student athletes, they can get some master's degrees and they can go on and they can, you know, um get that next level of education while at the same time we're not worried about are they gonna want to play or not this year.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think it's gonna give a lot of stability to college athletics.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_01: We're still waiting for, you know, however it's gonna play out with the Protect College Sports Act that's going on right now in Congress.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_01: And so we'll see what happens there.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um by the time this airs, you know, there might have been some changes.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_01: Every day we get something new.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_01: But I think the five for five, which is really the age-based eligibility model, is a great, great step in the right direction for college athletics.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_01: And I think for Delaware it's gonna make a big difference for us to have the continuity we need for our student athletes.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_03: Well, it's great.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's it's nice.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_03: I'm sure fans will appreciate just things kind of leveling out and and everybody being able to understand what are the rules, what aren't the rules, how are things changing.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_03: So thanks for for filling us in on that.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they're not alone.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes I wonder about what's happening exactly too, and so every single day we're learning and going through it.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_01: But what I would tell everyone is like, you know, I think it's important that um no matter what, this is how media works today, right?
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_01: It's gonna get portrayed in a negative light.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's our job with our coaches, our student athletes, our fans to help them understand what it means for Delaware and to find the ways that we're gonna use this in a positive manner for ourselves.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_01: And I think we can do that.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_01: I do believe the age of age eligibility model will really be that positive thing for us.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_01: And so don't get bogged down and all the negativity with it and know that there's some things that we can find that can be a real positive in it.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_02: Delaware football is coming back loaded.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_02: You be one, Nick in the coochie, Joe's delivered getting to more and more and back season tickets, partial plans, and single game features and your tickets at blue hands.com.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_02: Go ahead.
• 31:55
  SPEAKER_03: All right, Jamai, thanks so much for joining us.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_03: Really appreciate having you here on the podcast.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, glad to be here.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_03: Talk to us about your journey to Delaware, right?
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_03: Obviously, you started at Pitt, found your way here to Newark.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_03: What was that process like for you?
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_00: It was a little bit different than it is these days, uh, transferring.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, Delaware is one of these schools that was somewhat local to where I grew up, and you know, remember coming down here for a junior day and being, you know, recruited by these guys.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um I probably by the time I was getting recruited by these guys had an idea that I was gonna go to a little bit of a bigger school, but um, you know, would would would come down here and had a little connection here.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh went to Pitt for a couple years.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um just, you know, I I I I wanted to go play football.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_00: I I I wasn't playing out there and um you know, wanted to go play football.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_00: So back then there was no transfer portal or anything like that.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_00: And you really weren't, you know, I don't think coaches were allowed to reach out to you.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_00: Now I wasn't a huge recruit, so it wasn't like anybody really knew that I was transferring.
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um but my high school coach and Casey Keeler had a little bit of a connection and you know I found out there was some interest there.
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_00: So uh kind of late in the summer decided to transfer here and showed up on campus like I don't even know if I came to training camp.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think I could come to training camp that year.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_00: I had to wait because I I wasn't released for my scholarship at Pitt and I think I had to wait until school started to show up on campus.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_00: And then and and I so I I got here in the uh I think the summer of 2005, so for that fall season of 05, but uh I was in ineligible that year.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um so basically treated that as a learning year and another red shirt year, and then ended up uh competing with our now head coach Ryan Cardi, my junior year, and uh and played those following two seasons.
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it was it was a little bit more interesting in terms of uh transferring than it is these days.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_00: It wasn't a super easy process, but um, you know, I'm I'm and I think it was it was I don't know if I don't want to say it was random that I ended up coming here, um, but I'm definitely lucky to have I was lucky to have a little bit of a connection and and glad this ended up being the place for sure.
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_03: Is it interesting now that Ryan's the head coach and so when you come back you guys can can kind of it's cool because yeah, it is neat.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, our lockers were right next to each other and you know it's cool to have a connection, you know, besides just the fact that I went here.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's cool to have a a person uh that you had a connection with while while I was here and um and now to look at the program and it it it gives it a a little bit more sense of meaning that that I shared a locker room with the guy that's kinda leading the football team.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_03: I mean you've always been a guy who has has really come back and and been involved and uh w what for you is it uh to to want to come back and be a part of you know the place that you know.
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_00: Well listen, I think ultimately this place was able to give me an opportunity and and and give me a lot in terms of what I wanted to to accomplish on a football field.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I'm super grateful for that.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um and then just the people, the people that are in this building and um uh Jerry Rabbit has kind of been here forever and he's that contact and um you know I I I I do I do a lot for Jar, so uh when when when he gets on the phone and and kinda uh asks you to come be a part of something, you want to do it.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_03: Is there a a moment that that kind of stands out to you from your Delaware career that you go back to as like, yeah, that that that was probably my all-time favorite?
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, when we went when we go when we were making a playoff run my senior year, I can just still put myself back in those crappy hotel rooms, like hanging out with like twelve of the guys, just packing that hotel room as much as we possibly could and the night before a game.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um Yeah.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_00: Or going to uh Tony's Pizza and getting tomato pie and stuff like that on on on a Friday night before a game with a handful of those same guys.
• 36:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh that's that's ultimately what I I probably think back to.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_03: Are there anything is there anything that you learned at Delaware that that you still think about and use today as as a reason that's helped you succeed?
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_00: I think I inadvertently learned a lot of things just dealing with adversity and things like that that you're kind of aware of when you're going through it, but not necessarily um truly aware of everything that it can end up kind of teaching you.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um And then like I I feel like when I did come here, you know, I knew how to play football, but I didn't necessarily know the game, the X's and O's, the ins and outs of everything.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I feel like when I came here I was able to be taught that stuff.
• 36:43
  SPEAKER_03: So Yeah.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_03: And you go to the NFL and obviously have an incredible career and you're still going.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_03: I I saw a tweet the other day that said you were the only person from the 2008 draft class that is still active in the NFL.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_03: What does that say about kind of your your ability to to keep your body in the in the right shape and and be able to continue to play for as long as you have?
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I don't know.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um I I I tend to only think about it in these types of settings, you know, when I'm asked.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_00: Uh listen, football's been what I do for a really long time now, for almost 30 years, and I just kind of keep viewing it as that.
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I've se myself as a football player and I've been fortunate enough to continue to be able to play somewhere.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I don't really give the other things too much thought.
• 37:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just I'm just kind of playing like I always have.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_00: So Yeah.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_03: There there there was a moment in Baltimore where it was almost Newark South a little bit.
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_03: You had Geno Gridkowski there, you had Nick Boyle.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_03: What was it like playing with two guys that were also fighting blue hands?
• 37:43
  SPEAKER_03: Did you guys have some It was an it was neat.
• 37:45
  SPEAKER_00: I th I feel like we did probably we did have a a little bit of an immediate connection just because of that, even though I didn't play with those guys.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I knew Gino's brother a little bit and their family a little bit because Gino's brother played in the NFL and he was the quarterback and you know he was one of those like small school guys to kind of look up to that had made it in the NFL and has had had had a good career.
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I you know, uh they were from Pittsburgh.
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_00: Uh there was and and then Nick was from a New Jersey guy that played at Delaware.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, there was it was a cool connection that I made with those two guys, even though we didn't play with each other here and there was a little bit of a difference in age.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um we had a great relationship really from day one.
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_03: Was there a moment for you in your career, whether it be you know leading up to the draft or once you made it into the NFL, where you kind of realized, hey, I've I've made it, I'm I'm doing this, this is real?
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I think it I think even though first of all I wasn't ex I didn't expect to be drafted where I ended up being drafted, so that was a little bit of a that was cool, but you still you still don't know what you're walking into and you're still a little bit nervous about what's ahead.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_00: So you and you and you have to go prove yourself.
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think definitely got kind of going into my third year, like you start to feel pretty comfortable, but at the same time, I think there's probably still a little bit of a feeling in me that isn't quite isn't all the way comfortable.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_00: There's still something to go get or something to prove or whatever it may be.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um but yeah, f listen, the the first year you're in the league, you're just kinda trying to keep your head above the water and be part of the team and um next thing you know, you're five years in and you're just kind of in it.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I think the last few years you you're able to kind of actually see it for what it is a little bit more because you're not just so buried in it.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um that you can enjoy the whole process and and realize kind of how lucky you are to do it.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_03: Is there when you reflect on your career to this point so far, is there a moment that stands out in the NFL?
• 39:49
  SPEAKER_03: You know, probably the Super Bowl, right?
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_03: Is there one of those touchdown passes that's like, you know, you throw for three, you you know, no interceptions, right?
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_03: You have this incredible run in the playoffs.
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean that's the easy one.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_00: And and obviously if I had to pick some uh a moment, like it would be it would be winning the Super Bowl.
• 40:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um but the last few years have been special too.
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um and I think a lot because there was a few years where I really wasn't getting to play that much football.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I know the kind of m state of mind that can put you in.
• 40:21
  SPEAKER_00: So then to kind of the last couple years get a little bit of a different feel and and get back to playing football uh has been very rewarding.
• 40:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um so like playing in Cleveland a few years ago and and getting to play last year, uh uh you know, we're definitely um are definitely right up there in terms of my experience in this game.
• 40:42
  SPEAKER_03: You talk about Cleveland and I I think you really kind of set that city on on fire almost when you come in and you have the comeback player of the year and you kind of just go on this run.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_03: I think it it really invigorated a lot of people, at least here in Newark, being excited for you and stuff.
• 40:57
  SPEAKER_03: What was that experience like as you, you know, kind of went through the day-to-day of this, hey, I kinda I'm at the the the back half of my career, I'm kind of just having some fun.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was it was surreal in a way.
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_00: I mean ultimately it was I was just doing what I've done for a long time, going and playing football.
• 41:13
  SPEAKER_00: So it wasn't like out of the norm.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_00: But like I talked about, I think because I I was out of football for a little bit and and and when I was the previous few years, I wasn't playing as much as I would like to.
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_00: It it it it allowed me to appreciate it probably a little bit more than I normally would.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_00: It it did allow I would normally just kind of be up be out there doing my own thing, but it allowed me to kind of sit back and and see it from a different point of view, I think for the first time ever.
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I was able to actually say, you know what, this is pretty cool.
• 41:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um and therefore I probably enjoyed it a little bit more than I would have in the past.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 41:48
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, last year obviously you have to step in, you get traded, everything kind of goes down the way it does.
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_03: Were you expecting to have to be the next man?
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_03: Right, you're you're you're you're backing up Joe Burrow, somebody who everybody around the league talks about as a potential MVP candidate every year.
• 42:03
  SPEAKER_03: Was that kind of a cool experience as as you've kind of turned the page on on your career?
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it would last year was unique.
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, uh ups and downs.
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you're excited about going and playing, and next thing you know you're not playing, traded.
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_00: You don't know what to make of it.
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I think uh, you know, I was uh uh thankfully I was able to just kind of go with the flow and and and hopefully make the mo make the most of it.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um and you know, at the end of the day, I was given an opportunity to play opportunity to play football and you don't necessarily know what that's gonna bring, but you just gotta take advantage of whatever opportunity it is.
• 42:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I tried to do that the best I could and um had a lot of fun doing it.
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why, you know, that's a big part of me being back in Cincinnati, is I just I feel like the organization, you know, treated me well and I had a good time there.
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it was it was definitely impactful uh you know kind of uh experience, uh even though it was a little bit different.
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_03: That's incredible.
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_03: Well, Joe, thanks so much for taking some time on your visit here to Newark.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_03: Is is there anywhere while you're in town, is there any place you're you're you have to see?
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 43:10
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if anybody I mean July's Monday on a you know Monday, July 6th.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure there's too much going on in the in in town right now, but we'll see.
• 43:18
  SPEAKER_00: All right, cool.
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_00: Well thanks, Joe.
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_00: Appreciate it.
• 43:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you got it.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_03: Well, we thank everybody for joining us here on the inaugural episode of Fighting Words.
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_03: Really excited and grateful uh to have the opportunity to invite you all in, peel back the feathers, and let you see what it's like on the inside here um and everything that we have going on here in Newark.
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks to our director of athletics and campus recreation, Jordan Skolnick.
• 43:41
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks to Joe Flacco for joining us.
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_03: Again, make sure you subscribe on YouTube, subscribe on the the podcast platforms, wherever you listen to them, so that way you can get notifications when you see the newest episode of Fighting Words Is Out.
• 43:55
  SPEAKER_03: For this time, it's been great to talk to you all.
• 43:56
  SPEAKER_03: I'm Ed Laferge.
• 43:58
  SPEAKER_03: See you next time.