Latest / The Heisman Hopefuls Podcast / Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison, Jr.

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Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison, Jr. · The Heisman Hopefuls Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome to the official highly trophy podcast.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_03: The winner is, here's your host, Chris Houston.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_03: Hey everybody, and welcome to episode six of the official Heisman Trophy Podcast.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_03: Woo, was that a great weekend of college football or what?
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_03: Just a bevy of outstanding team and individual performances highlighted by that humdinger of a game on Saturday night in South Bend that saw Ohio State edge the Irish in the final seconds.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_03: A result that could have significant playoff and Heisman implications down the road.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_03: Last week our podcast guest was Sam Hartman, the Irish quarterback who nearly pulled it out from Rotre Dame.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_03: This week our featured guest is another participant in that game, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_03: And he's going to give us an update on how he's doing after that ankle injury that he suffered.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_03: And in our second segment, we have a very cool feature called Unsung Heisman Plays, in which we will discuss the famous 1994 miracle in Michigan involving the Colorado Buffaloes and the Michigan Wolverines.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_03: Finally, the 2008 Heisman Humanitarian Award winner joins us, one of the great American hockey players of all time.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, that's right.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_03: We're talking hockey on a Heisman podcast, Pat Lafontaine.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_03: He's going to tell us about his amazing charitable efforts.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_03: So if you feel like being inspired today, I suggest you stick around for that final segment.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_03: But before we get to Marvin Harrison, it's time to round up what's going on in the Heisman world.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_03: It's the Heisman Realgum, week four.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_03: If you're like us, and face it, if you're listening to this, you probably are.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_03: You watched somewhere between 8 and 10 hours of college football last Saturday on an epic day of action.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe more.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_03: We checked in at about 14 hours ourselves with occasional breaks to walk the dog and get a bit of that first fall sunshine and brisk air.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_03: There were so many impressive games and performances to highlight that we went looking for a few under the radar.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_03: First up, Utah linebacker Jonah Ellis, who played a key role in number 11 Utah's 14-7 win over number 22 UCLA.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_03: Ellis registered three and a half of Utah's seven sacks and had five tackles for loss among a team high 10 tackles.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_03: One and a half of those sacks were pivotal in ending UCLA's final drive in its tracks, including this one on first down.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_03: The Frenchman.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_05: Swung around by Ellis, who has left in the backfield.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_03: Keeping it in the Pac-12 with another battle of ranked teams, number 21 Washington State defeated number 14 Oregon State, 3835, behind Cougar quarterback Cam Ward.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_03: The junior passed for 404 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for a score to help Wazoo move to 4-0.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_03: Ward is now third nationally in passing yards per game and third in TD passes with 13.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_03: Washington State coach Jake Dickert was rightly pumped after the win and had some thoughts on his quarterback's Heisman hopes.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: For us to go out there and cut out a win, pull out all the stops, our guys to go out there and execute.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: And that's a Heisman-worthy type performance from Cameron Ward.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_01: He's not even in that conversation.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know why.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_03: He is now coached.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_03: Transitioning over to the Big 12, running back DJ Giddens posted a career best effort in leading Kansas State to a 44-31 win over Central Florida.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_03: The sophomore rushed for 207 yards, more than the combined total from his first three games this year, and four touchdowns.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_03: He also posted team highs with eight receptions for 86 yards to finish with 293 all-purpose yards.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_03: That total includes this 18-yard scoring burst, his third TD of the first half.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_03: Plummer completed 15 straight passes at one point, the fourth best streak in program history.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_03: Seven of his passes went for 27 yards or more, including this 55-yard bomb for the Cardinals' final score.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_01: Plumber.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_03: Plus, we'll also be honoring the 2023 Heisman Humanitarian Award winner.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_03: Just go to Heisman.com to purchase tickets and witness Heisman history.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_03: Our first guest on the show today, like all of our guests, is one of the best football players in the entire country, arguably the top wide receiver in the entire country.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_03: Last year he was a Belitnikov finalist catching 77 balls for 1,263 yards with 14 touchdowns, and that was as a second-year sophomore.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_03: So far this season, this 6'4, 205-pound ball catcher has 17 catches for 336 yards, averaging just under 20 yards a pop with three touchdowns.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_03: Last year he was a unanimous All-American selection and of course is a highly coveted prospect for next year's NFL draft.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_03: We connected with Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_03: last night just after practice.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_03: He got his ankle rolled up against Notre Dame, but the Buckeyes do have a bye week, so he has some time to heal up.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_03: And here's what he had to say.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, you're coming off a huge win at Notre Dame, and you came back from look what looked to be a bad ankle injury to help the Buckeyes on a late fourth quarter drive with a big 19-yard catch.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_03: So we have to start with asking, how are you feeling right now?
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_08: Uh okay.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_08: Uh trying to get my ankle back to as close to 100% as possible.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_08: Um just get ready for it.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_08: I got a bye week right now, so I'll just do as much rehab as I can for my ankle.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_03: Is it uh is it gonna be a process that's that's an easy process or something you you've gotta just do every day, pretty much?
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, yeah, it's gonna be uh something I gotta you know battle with the whole season.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_08: Right.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_03: So the Buckeye has went 65 yards and 15 plays to win the game, and there were a couple timeouts along the way as you guys drove down the field.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_03: When you took those breaks, what was the energy like with your teammates?
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_08: Um, I mean we knew we were in a good position to win, just keep keeping going.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_08: Um obviously our defense had a good stop, uh, gave us the ball back with a lot of time left.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_08: So um no we just do we work on it in practice every Sunday.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_08: Two minute drill, so uh just do what we do in practice and then we're like the outcome.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_03: On that game winning touchdown, you were lined up slot right.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_03: I assume you knew it was gonna be a run.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_03: Uh what went through your head?
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_03: What went through your head in those final moments of the game?
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_08: Uh new we knew we were running the ball, so let's just get a yard, win a game.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_08: Offensive line gotta do their job.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_08: The game's kinda out of my hands at that point, but um not have faith in my teammates that they're gonna get the job done execute.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_03: But the crowd being so loud and that moment being so dramatic, is is it something where uh do you just block all that out uh when you're at that level?
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, I mean you don't hear nothing when you're on the field, you're just kinda so locked in.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_08: Um you don't really hear the crowd at all.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_03: Miller Dame doubled you a lot, so between that and the ankle was kind of a modest night statistically for you, but your presence out there really opened up opportunities for the rest of the offense.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_03: Meanwhile, the play you got hurt, you made you made a key block to spring that touchdown.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_03: So when the balls aren't coming your way as much, is it hard to stay focused and contribute in other ways?
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_08: Uh I mean, I would say uh as a you know competitor, you want the ball to come to uh like you want to be involved in the offense and in the game.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_08: But like you said, when uh you're getting double coverage most of the time, safety help, uh safety inside the corner, the corner and outside leverage is uh kind of hard to get you the ball.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_08: So just any way that you can uh impact the game and help the team win.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_08: That's what I try to do.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_08: That's what I keep my mindset on.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_03: It's not a bad time for a bye week, like you mentioned, so you can heal up and you guys are four and oh and you're on a high note after Saturday's win.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_03: I know you're gonna be focused on healing, but what's your usual bye-week routine?
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_08: Uh yeah, more that's more so related to what it is, healing as much up uh as much as I can.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_08: Um I'll probably just watch some college football games this this Saturday, enjoy being a fan football instead of playing this week.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_08: Um but yeah, just healing my body as much as I can.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_03: What teams are you thinking about watching?
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_08: Uh I don't know.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_08: I don't even know who's playing this week, to be honest with you.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_08: I'm just gonna turn the TV on whoever's playing is playing.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_03: Going back in time a little bit, growing up with the Hall of Fame wide receivers, your dad, do you think you were always destined to be a receiver, or was there ever a point where you wanted to play a different position or a different sport?
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_08: Uh yeah, growing up I kinda wanna play basketball.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_08: I really enjoyed playing basketball.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_08: Um up until like ninth grade, I got my first offer for football.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_08: And then I got like the offer started piling for football.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_08: I was like, all right, I'm gonna just stick to football.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_08: Um and I definitely have a love for football and uh it's grown over the years.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_08: That's something I really want to do.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_08: And um but I wouldn't really say, Oh, you know, my dad pushed me to you know, you gotta play football, you gotta do this, you gotta do that.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_08: Um kind of gave me the freedom to choose what I wanted to do, so I chose football and that's what I think you know the best step.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, was there a point when you realized that you could really catch the ball?
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_03: Like that was something that you could do like especially well.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_08: Uh no.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_08: Uh I wouldn't think I really and I think over the years, uh since I got to college, my uh ball skills have improved.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_08: Um I don't think they're elite now.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_08: Uh I don't definitely definitely weren't elite in high school, so I'm still working on working on them uh each and every day, just trying to improve as much as I can in that area.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so how often do you and your dad talk about the craft of being a whiteout or does he leave that mostly for the Buckeye staff?
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_08: Uh definitely both, a little bit of both.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_08: Um if he knows that something's gonna feel, he'll let me know.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_08: Uh Sunday, the next day.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_08: And we'll talk about a little bit that.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_08: But um I think he has trust in Coach Hartline and Coach Day.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_08: Uh that's they're gonna look out for me as well.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_03: When you got to Ohio State, the roster was stacked with three future first round picks at wide receiver.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_03: What was that wide receiver room like and what did you pick up from those events to help you as a freshman?
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_08: Uh I mean it was challenging.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_08: You go into a room with so many great receivers.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_08: Um I think the best thing you do for in that situation is just learn from all of them.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_08: Uh learn how you know how they handle themselves on the field and off the field.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_08: Uh just take as much as you can from them.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_08: Uh it's not really a lot of times where you do walk into a room and there's three first round receivers.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_08: I think it's four first round receivers.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_08: I think Jameson Williams is there.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_08: Um as well when I got there.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_08: So uh that's a special, that's a special room.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_08: And you just like I said, just try to take as much as you can from them.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_03: You played with two-time Heisman finalist CJ Stroud for two seasons, and now you're paired with Kyle McCord, who was your quarterback in high school, and the two of you won three straight titles together.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_03: So what's that chemistry like between the two of you?
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_08: Uh I mean it's I it's great.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_08: Um I think obviously high school and college is definitely different, so you still have to get on the same page uh from a college speed of the game standpoint, but that just comes with you know more more and more reps that we have together.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_08: Um I think no, we're great friends off the field as well, so um I think definitely have a good connection.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_03: Who's the toughest corner you've ever gone up against?
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_08: Uh Deontay Banks from Maryland.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_03: Alright.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I talked to Calen King earlier in the year and he told me that you were the toughest receiver he's gone up against.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_08: Nice.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_08: I look forward to it.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_08: I think he's he's definitely up there.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_08: Uh I'm gonna see him early later on this year, so uh he's great.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_08: He's a great player as well.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_03: What's the best part about playing college football?
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_08: Uh the atmosphere.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_08: I mean, I don't think I'll get the atmosphere even at the next level.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_08: Um, just the fan base of college football.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_08: Uh I think you know that's one of a kind.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_08: Um so just the atmosphere and playing in front of, you know, for me to shoot Ohio State, 110,000 fans, you know, every Saturday.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_08: That's awesome.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_03: What's been your favorite moment as a Buckeye so far?
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_08: Uh the Rose Bowl, my freshman year, a first start.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_08: Uh got three touchdowns a game.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_08: Uh just a moment down there and forget.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_03: You're a finance major at Ohio State and made the all big ten academic team.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_03: What's been your favorite class so far?
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_08: Ooh.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_08: Um I took this one like human development class as like an elective.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_08: I just really like that.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_08: Um that and like another psychology class as an elective that I took.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_08: I don't know.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_08: I just really like enjoy the mind and just learning about mindsets and things like that.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_08: So uh that's one of probably my favorite classes.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_03: What did the human development class uh teach you?
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_08: Um just uh how the mind grows from like the adolescent years to well from like teenage years, like adolescence to uh emerging into adulthood.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_08: Um as you get older and other just the experiences that you have in life, um just how those build up and shape you to who you are.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's what age twenty five when the the frontal cortex doesn't fully develop.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_08: Something like that.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_03: Um so you partnered with Ronald McDonald House in Central Ohio.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_03: What was that experience?
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_03: What has that experience meant for you?
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_08: Uh it means a lot for uh one particular just such a good cause.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_08: Um got to go there a couple times um to see all the work that they do for so many families.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_08: Um it's really amazing.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_08: And uh anytime that I come in there, I always get you know so many smiles from the kids and things like that.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_08: So anytime I can put a smile on their face, um and it makes my day better as well.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_03: Have you thought about in the future when when you know your career is more developed and you want to get into some more charitable uh efforts, uh have you thought about those kinds of uh endeavors?
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_08: Yes, yes, definitely more in the future.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_08: Um I guess I just know uh how good of a cause it is, and I also like to um you know put that kind of positivity out, uh have that come from me.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_08: Like I just kind of know the influence that I have.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_08: Um so just to bring awareness to that, it's definitely something I'm gonna do in the future.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, if you were a Heisman voter and you wanted to vote for a receiver, what little things would you be looking for in a player like beyond the catches and yards, what what things do you think really make a receiver stand out?
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_08: Um I would really just the impact that he has on the team, like you said, when you're not getting the ball as much, uh, but you're still out there commanding double teams, uh helping the other receivers get open.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_08: I think you know, when you're one of the best players in the country, which is the Heisman Award, uh, I think you just sometimes command that respect from you know opposing teams and opposing coordinators.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_08: Uh, they kind of have to respect you.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_08: So when you're a receiver, um getting that double coverage, it just shows, like I said, how much respect they have for you as a player.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_08: So I think that's something you have to look for as well.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_08: So maybe you might not get the stats at you uh as much as you know, someone who's not getting double teams, uh things like that.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_08: So I think something when you're voting for the best player has to be taken to account.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_03: Marvin Harrison Jr., thanks for coming on the official Heisman Trophy podcast.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_03: I know you got some healing to do, so we appreciate you taking the time.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_03: We wish you best of health and getting healthy and the best for your team and in the future.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_08: Of course.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_08: Thank you very much.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_08: Appreciate you having me.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: This is Archie Griffin, 1974, 1975's Heisman Trophy winner, and you're listening to the official Heisman Podcast.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_03: Today we debut a segment we call Unsung Heisman Plays.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna dig into a specific moment in a Heisman winner's career that might have been overshadowed by bigger moments, but are certainly worth remembering.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_03: And we're gonna kick it off by diving into the miracle at Michigan, the Cordell Stewart to Michael Westbrook Hail Mary connection that gave the 1994 Colorado Buffaloes a 27-26 win over the Wolverines at the big house.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_03: But you're probably saying, wait, neither Cordell Stewart nor Michael Westbrook won the Heisman.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_03: And that's true, but Rashawn Salam did, and on that fateful early fall play, Salam threw a block, the key block, that bought just enough time for the miracle at Michigan to happen.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_03: Let's roll the tape.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_03: So what exactly did Rashan Salam do?
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_03: Well, basically, his job.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_03: Salaam, who sadly died in 2016, was part of an explosive 1994 Colorado team under head coach Bill McCartney that featured many future NFL players, including Stewart and Westbrook.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_03: Salam's 2,055 rushing yards that year led the nation, as did his 24 touchdowns on a team that finished the season ranked third in the polls.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_03: So Salam was a huge star, but he didn't act like one.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_07: Uh so you know, Rashad was having a great year that year.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_07: He was the most humble guy, never really, you know, never really wanted the spotlight.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_07: And we we were, you know, um he always gave his all the credit to his offensive line.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_07: You know, he he was the most humble, uh caring, he was a great teammate, like as a player you wanted to block for him.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_07: You know, we wanted him to win the Heisman, um, everything about him because he was so selfless.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_03: That was Tony Birdie, Colorado's starting left tackle that year and another future NFL player.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_03: He was forever tied to Salam after the Hail Mary.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_03: More from him later.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_03: Colorado went 11-1 in 1994 and won nine of those games by double digits, but in the third game of the season at the Big House in Ann Arbor, they were in for a fight.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_03: Salam himself had a strong game, rushing for 141 yards and two touchdowns.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_03: Colorado raced to a 14-3 lead midway through the second quarter, but Michigan would score the game's next 23 points and went ahead twenty-six-14 with three minutes left in the third quarter.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_03: The Buffs finally got cooking midway through the fourth and put together a long drive that ended with Salam's second TD of the day, but with only two sixteen left to play.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_04: It was a really weird game because we jumped on them and they got us in the second quarter.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_04: We got then they got us in the third quarter, and we came back and got them in the fourth quarter.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_03: That's Dave Platy, who served as Colorado's sports information director for almost four decades, and who still works in the Buffs Athletic Department.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_03: He was in the press box that game with Colorado's radio team.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_04: So it's 26-14 at one point in the fourth.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_04: We cut it to 26-21.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_04: But before that play with five minutes to go, Cordell fumbled at the goal line.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_04: And had there been instant replay, we were convinced they would have ruled that he actually had scored.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_04: So the miracle of Michigan may never needed to happen.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_03: Alas, replay in college football was still a decade away.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_03: Following Salam's second score, Colorado forced Michigan to punt, but time was taking away and fast.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_04: We did hold him to three and out, but there were a bunch of penalties going back and forth between the two teams, and it was taking time off the clock.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_04: So by the time we got the ball back, you know, Chris Hudson was our punt returner, and uh they punted the ball to him.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_04: He signaled for a fair catch at our 15-yard line.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_03: Colorado had 14 seconds left.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_03: Cordell found Westbrook in the middle of the field for 21 yards for a first down at the 36-yard line.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_03: Then Stewart quickly spiked the ball to stop the clock with six seconds left.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_03: All 105,000 fans in attendance knew what the next play call would be.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_03: In fact, Colorado ran it at the end of the first half.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_03: It didn't go well, as then Colorado offensive coordinator Rick Newheisel explains.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_05: Well, first of all, the one thing people don't realize is we ran the same play at the end of the first half and threw an interception.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_05: Uh the reason being is uh both Michael Westbrook and Ray Carrut tried to get off the line of scrimmage.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_05: They ran into each other and knocked each other down.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_05: And uh so we've made a switch.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_05: I don't recall any time in my career that we ever fixed a Hail Mary play at halftime, but we made a switch that uh basically crossed Caruth and uh and Westbrook on the play, and Westbrook would then take Ray's job, which was to be down the sideline and be the rebounder.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_05: And as it turned out, it was uh a pretty good correction.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_03: Stewart lined up under center on the play with Salam set five yards back and three receivers wide left.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_03: Michigan only rushed three on the play, but one was feature NFL All-Pro Trevor Price, who lined up over Birdie.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_07: Well, so so there's only three men, but the that third guy on my side was this guy named Trevor Price.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_07: I don't know if I've heard about him, played for the Broncos for a big giant monster of a human being.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_07: A pretty good player.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_07: Um the with they were sliding the over the line to the right because Cordell was right-handed, and so they knew he would roll that way.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_07: So, you know, you had your right tackle and your right guard, pick up the guy to center another.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_07: So I knew that I had I knew I had Rashawn helping outside.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_07: Um so I I knew there was help there.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_07: I understood you know, Trevor Love expected a little more ball rush than I got, and uh, you know, fell down at a knee, and then and then uh, you know, Rashon was there to help and and then Cordello had time to throw that ball.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_04: It did seem to take forever, and you're right, because Price had slipped Bertie's block at the start and Rashawn was there to pick him up and he kinda held Price at bay until Tony gathered himself in and then he kicked him.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_03: New Heisel didn't see the block until after the game.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_03: He was too concerned with making sure Cordell threw the ball far enough.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_05: Well, I gotta tell you, I wasn't didn't watch that portion of it as I was just getting ready to watch the trajectory of the pro because Cordell had run over to me after completing the pass previous, and I said, Okay, you've got to heave this thing, but it has to land in the end zone.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_05: It's like a red shot.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_05: You gotta get it down there, and you gotta buy time for them to get there because it's a 65-yard throw from where he was.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_05: I think the line of scrimmage was the 36.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_05: But in watching the film, Rashawn Salam was off the charts in terms of the physicality he provided on that block to get Cordell the ability to crow hop into that throw and launch what I would call the most beautiful wedge shot in the history of college football.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_03: And then Bedlam, Tony Birdie.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_07: I didn't see the catch.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_07: Um, you know, I I saw everybody right now, Phil.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_07: I saw our sideline going crazy.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_07: I saw the 3,000, 4,000 fans that we had there, that section going crazy.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_07: Um, you know, again, that's something you just don't ever expect to happen.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_07: And and then I don't think I actually saw it until it was on the replay screen.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_04: Dave Platy.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_04: I just remember the whole team sprinting down and Cordell's on the ABC highlight, you know, running down there in about four and a half seconds, I think, from our own 40 or wherever we were.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_04: Back to Bertie.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_07: It was amazing.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_07: It was, you know, that that game was such a tough game.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_07: We were in and we were in a battle the whole time.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_07: And, you know, Coach Mac going back to Michigan where he had coached with Beau Champler and uh be at that, you know, Michigan Stadium's uh one of the great college stadiums to play in.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_07: And and to go in there and and you know the 105,000 people.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, Boulder at the time held 55,000, so it was twice our stadium.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_07: It was sh that stadium is gigantic.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_07: So uh just to go into that that that place and and play that game and uh come out with that outcome.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_07: It was it was pretty magical.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_03: A week later, Salaam rushed for a season high 317 yards and a 34-31 win at Texas, rolling up a school record 353 yards in total offense.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_03: While there was some uncertainty early in the year who would become Colorado's main Heisman candidate on a team that was filled with stars, it was the strong and silent Salam who emerged.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_03: And Platy remembers his humility from the night he won the Heisman.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_04: He never wanted any credit.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_04: And when we when he won the Heisman that night, and we went out afterwards, and then you know, we were there for three days because back then you had the players' dinner on uh just a former player's dinner on the Monday and the big banquet on Tuesday.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_04: And he felt so bad when we heard that the offensive line back in Boulder, when his name was announced, they all lit up cigars.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_04: And he said, God, you know, I would have rather have been there than here because he was always a little bit shy, kind of stayed away from the limelight and the hoopla and everything, and really took care of his offensive linemen.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_04: He wanted to be there so bad.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_05: Uncomfortable in the spotlight is the way I guess I would best describe Rashon.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_05: And I and I think that uh, you know, he would have preferred every one of those offensive linemen and quarterback and receivers to have been in New York with him.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_03: And we'll let Tony Birdie have the last word on this remarkable story.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_07: Rashawn's job was uh to help outside and block, and when I got in trouble, man, he was right there for me.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_07: And and we we were able to take care of Trevor, and that gave Cordell the time backside to get that ball off.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_07: So I when we uh I actually spoke about Rashawn at an event one time, and I talked about three or four things, and that play was one of the things I talked about because without Rashawn, you know, I might have fallen down, Cordell might have gotten sacked, and you know, that game ends a whole different way.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_03: Take an even deeper dive into Heisman lore by going to Heisman.com, home to all things Heisman, including news, bios, and the latest on all the winners, plus updates on the Heisman Trophy Trust and its charitable mission.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_03: It's the A to Z for Everything Heisman, from Alan Amici to Danny Worfel.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_03: We really need a Heisman winner whose name begins with Z.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_03: Before we get to our next segment, it's time for our weekly trivia question.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_03: Last week's trivia question was who are the three Heisman winners who were born outside the United States?
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_03: Brady Olenek of Hoshton, Georgia, guessed correctly, Robert Griffin III from Japan, Tim Thibault from the Philippines, and Georgia's Frank Sinquich from Croatia.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_03: We sent him a Heisman hat.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_03: Congratulations, Brady.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_03: This week's trivia question is: Who is the first Heisman Trophy winner to rush for a thousand yards in a season?
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_03: If you know the answer to that one, just email us at pod at Heisman.com.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_03: That's pod at Heisman.com, and if you get the correct answer, we will send you a Heisman hat or a Heisman duffelbag.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_03: Good luck.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_03: For this week's final segment, we're very excited to feature our first Heisman Humanitarian Award winner.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_03: The Heisman Trust began giving out a Heisman Humanitarian Award in 2006 to honor athletes who provide opportunities for those less fortunate in all walks of life.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_03: The Heisman Trust didn't have to look far for its third winner in 2008, turning to hockey legend Pat La Fontaine, who spent his entire NHL career in the state of New York.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_03: Arguably the NHL's greatest American-born player, La Fontaine finished his 15-year NHL career as the all-time leader for American-born players in points per game played.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_03: Toward the end of his Hall of Fame career, La Fontaine started the Companions Encourage Foundation, an organization that provides support, friendship, compassion, and resources for children and families who are overcoming life-threatening obstacles.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_03: Imagine for a moment you're a child who's stuck in the hospital for a period of time dealing with a life-threatening illness.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_03: What Pat has done is provided playrooms and clubhouses filled with video games and other devices that cater to young patients, so kids can go back to being kids for a while and forget that they're in the hospital.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_03: And what Pat and his foundation have discovered over the years is that these rooms often provide a new avenue for physical and emotional recovery in the process.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_03: So we hope this segment inspires you as much as it inspired us.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_03: Pat Lafontaine, thanks for coming on the official Heisman Trophy Podcast.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_02: Great to be on, Chris.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_03: So uh just for the sake of some of our uh listeners who may not be as big of a hockey fan as others, can you tell me a little bit about your background uh growing up in Michigan and growing up as a as a hockey player?
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_02: Sure.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_02: Well, actually, I was I was born in St.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_02: Louis, Missouri.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I learned to skate there in an outdoor rink in Kirkwood, Missouri.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um, my dad worked with Chrysler and was transferred to Michigan, where the rest of the La Fontaine and Lapierre families lived.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_02: And um, that's where I started playing organized hockey on uh uh Lakeland Arena and on Williams Lake.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we we bought a house right on the lake and started skating and playing all my minor hockey in the Michigan area.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um, played um for all the local teams in Waterford there.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um and and just you know, really enjoyed it.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_02: My dad was a coach, my brother was uh a year older, so I always played a year older.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_02: I was uh when I was seven, I played against eight and nine-year-olds and you know, etc.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_02: until I was 16, but played all my minor hockey right in the Michigan area, and then um was fortunate enough to go to Montreal and play for the Verdun Juniors, which were the junior Canadians, um, and and spent my senior year of high school uh playing hockey.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_02: A bunch of my friends were asking me what the heck I was doing back in 1982, 83.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_02: What why would you want to go to Montreal and miss all the football games on Friday nights?
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_02: But um, I followed my passion and love for hockey and um was fortunate enough to join the Olympic team and and then off to pro hockey.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_02: So uh that's a little bit of my my journey into hockey before I became a pro.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_03: You were on the Olympic team four years after that famous Lake Placid uh Olympic team won the gold.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_03: What was it like, your experience uh in '84?
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it was incredible.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_02: Um it was there's a good story.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_02: My, you know, my the night of my 15th birthday, um we had a bunch of friends over uh hockey teammates.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_02: And that was um that was the night the Russians uh played the US team for the, you know, it wasn't actually the gold medal game.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_02: People forget the next day they had to play Finland.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_02: But um but that was the night of my 15th birthday, and I just remember we were all jumping up and down, super excited.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and at that moment I thought, you know, maybe maybe there's a chance I could play an Olympic team because where are where is fun from being an American back then, Chris?
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_02: Not a lot of players had made it to pro hockey.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_02: And so, you know, if you could get a college scholarship, uh, that would be a tremendous accomplishment.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_02: And um, it still is.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but now, you know, obviously the the roads have been paved and wide open.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_02: But um uh that night I said, you know, maybe I could play for an Olympic team.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and sure enough, three and a half years later, I was lucky enough to play in the '84 team and follow the the those that great miracle team of 1980 that paved the road for a lot of us young boys and girls, and I was one of them.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I remember uh when that happened, I think a lot of people went out, and even if you didn't have uh rinks, people were uh getting golf clubs and hitting uh golf balls around, pretending they were playing hockey, uh, even though I was down in Florida.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_03: Um so uh you went on to the NHL and you played for all three New York teams.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, did you ever think you'd have such a uh great connection uh with the state and with the city?
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I didn't know at the time.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I would have never imagined that I ended up playing my whole career.
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um and I'll go I'll go back to when I was 15, three or four months later, after the Olympic gold medal, uh my dad had my brother and I doing spring cleaning, and he called us in, uh, and he said, Hey, they're in overtime.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_02: So my brother and I ran in.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_02: And sure enough, I watched Lauren Henning pass the puck to John Tinelli, Tinelli to Nistrom, and uh we were all jumping up and down, and all of Long Island was jumping up and down.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_02: And then I I grabbed a map and I said, Where the heck is Long Island?
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_02: And I literally grabbed a map and I said, Oh, put my finger.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_02: I said, There it is.
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_02: So the Islanders put Long Island on the map.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_02: And if you would have told me that we would win a gold medal in in February, the Islanders would win a Stanley Cup in May, and I would be playing for an Olympic team three and a half years later, and then four years later, I would be playing in the NHL.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_02: Looking to my right, it's Bobby Nystrom, and looking to my left is John Tanelli.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_02: That was my first game.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and that's how I broke into New York State and uh playing for the Islanders.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_03: Truly uh an amazing journey.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, you must have uh been on the radar of the Heisman around that time.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_03: Did you were you because you know, being in New York City, were you aware of the Heisman?
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, I'm I'm sure uh being an being an American and growing up in Michigan, which is such a big football state as well, uh must have been uh something that you were pretty aware of.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you know, Chris, we we it was always, I believe on a Saturday they made it in New York City.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_02: It was a big event.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so that was one of the days.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, we followed college football, we followed it, you know, the NFL.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so yeah, that that was it was always, I believe, in December on a Saturday.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_02: And so um, yeah, the Heisman has always been, since I was a kid, uh, you know, just this tremendous event and tremendous um, you know, history.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, no, I've I remember when I was growing up as a kid watching the Heisman Trophy winners.
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, walk me through the process.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_03: Once you retired from hockey and you founded your Companions and Courage Foundation, what was what went into your thinking behind that and how did you go about doing it?
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_02: Well, um, you know, I was always told, you know, I think values start at in the home and um school and sports are vehicles to reinforce those values.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_02: And uh, you know, my parents always said, never forget where you came from and always try to help those in need when you can and if you can.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think I always felt like if I was able to develop a platform as a professional athlete, probably my greatest regret would not take advantage of that platform to give back and try to support, you know, those in need.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_02: And so um the New York Islanders, right off the bat, Chris, were heavily involved into the community and then into charities.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_02: So I, you know, it was something that was near and dear.
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_02: My grandmother passed away of leukemia, and um my my wife's grandmother had arthritis.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_02: And so watching the the NHL players and the Islander players, you know, involved in the community, you know, you we just they just really set a good example for a young player when I was 19.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_02: And then having, you know, the upbringing.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so in honoring my grandmother, my wife's grandmother, I got involved with the arthritis foundation and leukemia society um and just followed suit and knew that there was an opportunity to give back and help out.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_02: And that's how that started, and then it it continued to evolve into meeting amazing kids during my playing days.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and then one in particular, uh Chris, his name was Robert Schwegler.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_02: I was traded to Buffalo at the time.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um, in fact, you go back to New York State.
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_02: I think I'm the only athlete who has been traded twice and never changed his license plate.
• 35:26
  SPEAKER_02: That was a big joke because I don't think it's happened to any other person in one state.
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_02: If you really think about it, I think it's New York and California.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_02: That's about the only place it could happen.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_02: And rarely do you get traded in the same state.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but uh at the time I was in Buffalo and I got a letter, and I just was getting through a major knee surgery.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I had my knee reconstructed in '93.
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_02: And my wife said something very profound because I was involved in giving back in charities, and that's what you know was an important part of both uh she and I, we wanted to do and help and give back.
• 36:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um but when I went through this, I got some letters to meet some really special kids, and I mentioned one in particular, Robert Schwegler.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_02: And um, Robert was in isolation at Rousewell Park Cancer Institute.
• 36:15
  SPEAKER_02: He had a rare form of leukemia.
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_02: And I just got off my crutches, and my wife said, you know, you know, this is the first time since I was seven years old that I missed a year of hockey.
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, it was years later.
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_02: And she said, I'm sure there's a reason behind everything.
• 36:32
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we're supposed to learn even through the most difficult times.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_02: There's, I'm sure there's something you're supposed to learn through this whole process as difficult as it is.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_02: And when I met Robert, we would play video games, Chris.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_02: And I was always the Islanders and the Rangers, and he was always the Sabres, and he would be me and McGilney and Annuchuk and Howard Chuck and all the guys.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_02: And and I think I tied him once in like three or four months.
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_02: Those kids are good.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_02: But every every time we played, it was Sega back then, and we would laugh, and you know, I would like, oh, you just scored.
• 37:05
  SPEAKER_02: I tried, you know, and we'd spend a couple hours and then you know, big smile, and I would leave, and um and then became became my buddy and friend, and checked in on him two, three days a week.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_02: And one day I was leaving, and this nurse, um, after I got done playing with Robert and some some games and talking to him, and I said I was taking my cap and gown off, and she just said, Thank you for uh you know playing with Robert.
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_02: And I said, It's the least I could do.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_02: He's he's uh he's my friend.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_02: And uh she grabbed my arm and started to cry, and she said, I don't think you understand.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_02: It's the only time this young boy smiles is when you're here.
• 37:46
  SPEAKER_02: And uh it it hit me like a ton of bricks, and I looked back in the room and I I saw him smiling, and then you know, kind of left, left a little bit.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_02: And I remember going home that night and talking to my wife and saying, We've got to do something.
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um, these kids are in isolation, and I I I see what a visit and a playing a game can do for their spirit and light them up and get them excited and help them laugh.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_02: And um we just started a family foundation that then went into a foundation called Companions and Courage, and I wrote a book uh very similar to kind of chicken soup for the soul.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_02: It's uh it's about 56 short inspirational heroic sport stories um that that uh you know you get knocked down and you get back up, and then very difficult times and all different stories, but these athletes and everyday heroes go on and do amazing things to inspire others.
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_02: And um Robert, Robert inspired me in a way that I said, we've got to figure out a way to build game rooms, we've got to figure out a way to you know help distract and make these kids feel like they're maybe not in a hospital and connect them through technology to the outside world so they don't feel isolated.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_02: And Robert and Jessica and Paul and Eric, and you know, kids I remember that were so inspirational.
• 39:13
  SPEAKER_02: And the Companions Encourage idea was born, and we wrote the book and started the foundation and started building these rooms to give kiss kids to go to that were isolated and allow them to just be kids and play games and uh just just have fun, have special plays.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_02: So it that was a moment that really you know impacted me, Chris, and kind of helped inspire and inspires me to this day.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_02: And I think about Robert, I just heard from his brother here, it's years later.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_02: He and his mom were out in Seattle about a month ago, and I still talked to his family years later.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_02: And um, you know, we lost Robert probably about four or five months after that.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and in many ways, uh those kids, their courage, we're the companions, it's their courage, and we're the companions and courage to kind of help them through the most difficult time and try to put a smile on their face and their family because it does affect the family too.
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_03: Sure.
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_03: Well, that's just a remarkable story.
• 40:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um are these game rooms set up in uh in the hospitals themselves?
• 40:21
  SPEAKER_03: Uh how and how many hospitals uh are they in currently right now?
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_02: We have 20 hospitals.
• 40:27
  SPEAKER_02: We're getting ready to do another one here um in Connecticut.
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um they're all over North America.
• 40:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh as far as Calgary, Montreal, down to St.
• 40:37
  SPEAKER_02: Louis and Florida, Panama City.
• 40:40
  SPEAKER_02: We've got them in Carolina.
• 40:41
  SPEAKER_02: We we did about seven with uh NHL Cities during the All-Star Games, uh winter classics also.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but they're safe havens, all the rooms have these corion panels and walls that curve in, kind of like an igloo.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_02: Uh the walls and the panels light up.
• 41:01
  SPEAKER_02: There's video conferencing pods, there's Xbox 360s, there's um there's there's um you know computers, there's PCs, there's they're very there, the beauty is they're very futuristic, but when a kid goes into the space, um, he does not feel like he's in a children's hospital.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_02: And he's able to connect with his friends, his teachers, his heroes.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_02: And one of the things we're able to do a few years in was we did a special deal with Microsoft where kids like Robert, who were in isolation, we built these kiosks so they could roll in a kiosk.
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_02: They had a monitor, an Xbox 360, and Microsoft did uh the first time ever, a private online gaming network for the kids in the Lion's Den rooms and the kids with the kiosks.
• 41:46
  SPEAKER_02: They could actually play games against each other.
• 41:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and we had 400 of those, and we put them in 80 different children's hospitals.
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_02: So um we're we're continuing to impact and uh try to reach as many kids and families as we can to just make that difficult time in a hot children's hospital maybe a little brighter and put a smile on their face.
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_02: But uh it's been over 20 years now, and I would say we probably impact close to 50,000, 60,000 kids a year now.
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and um, you know, it's really due to the inspiration of some very special kids, courageous kids that I met during my playing days.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_03: And that's really amazing.
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes it just takes a little spark to uh turn in something into something big.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_03: Uh what I really love about this is just how how forward-thinking and proactive it is.
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_03: You know, just it, you know, the kids love playing video games, and when they when they get into the hospital, there's probably very few things that can get them off, get the sickness off their minds.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_03: But I think video games and and interacting with other kids is definitely one of them.
• 42:50
  SPEAKER_02: Well, you just made an awesome point.
• 42:52
  SPEAKER_02: Um 10 years into building these rooms, uh, they did a study.
• 42:57
  SPEAKER_02: Anthropologist anthropologists did the study on on childburn victims that were in pain 24-7.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_02: They had doctors and anthropologists, and they put these kids in a room and they hooked them up to electrodes and put video games in front of them.
• 43:13
  SPEAKER_02: And there was a red light that was off to the left and a blue light that was off to the right, and the red light was on constantly, and then they started playing video games within about 15 minutes.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_02: The red light went to blue, and the anthropologist turned to the doctors and said, at this moment, right now, that child's brain is you know, he is so distracted that he shut down the pain centers and he's actually not in pain.
• 43:41
  SPEAKER_02: And the doctor said it can't be.
• 43:43
  SPEAKER_02: He's he said he's in constant pain.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_02: And the anthropologist said, No.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_02: He said, believe it or not, at this moment, right now, he shut down the pain centers and the pain centers shut down the pain.
• 43:55
  SPEAKER_02: And he said, and it's the best opportunity for healing to take place when you do that.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_02: And the doctors were still, they could not believe it.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_02: And then, you know, Jim Johnson, who's our executive director for the last 20 years and over 20 years, and has been an amazing teammate in all this.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_02: We've had an amazing group of board members.
• 44:14
  SPEAKER_02: We've had amazing, you know, friends of the foundation.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_02: It's a special team.
• 44:20
  SPEAKER_02: And Jimmy and I sat back and we said, we've had rooms now for 10 years.
• 44:26
  SPEAKER_02: And we never thought of these as actual healing centers because when we would go into the rooms, sometimes the kids would be so engrossed into what they were doing, playing games, video conferencing, all of this that you could hear a pin drop.
• 44:40
  SPEAKER_02: And it puts a smile on my face, knowing now, after what the anthropologists did, that in many ways it allowed these kids to distract themselves enough that they could maybe forget what was going on and have a moment of less pain or put a smile on their face.
• 44:56
  SPEAKER_02: And I know there's one other story I'll share with you.
• 44:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um a boy named Connor was going into the hospital.
• 45:02
  SPEAKER_02: His mom was Karen, and uh we just introduced the kiosks.
• 45:07
  SPEAKER_02: And his the Connor was playing on the kiosk, and we were about an hour into introducing the kiosk to all the kids, and we were gonna reel reel them into the rooms, uh the isolation rooms, but we put them in the lion's end room first, and the mom, Karen, came over and grabbed Jimmy and myself and started crying.
• 45:25
  SPEAKER_02: And she said, You know, my son Connor presses his morphine button every eight minutes, eight or nine.
• 45:32
  SPEAKER_02: She says, you know, because I I watch it and I look at my watch.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_02: She said, He's been in there playing now for 52 minutes, and he hasn't pressed his morphine button once.
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_02: And she goes, That's, you know, that's the best hour of my day.
• 45:47
  SPEAKER_02: And we started getting emotional and stuff.
• 45:50
  SPEAKER_02: But we never thought of that.
• 45:52
  SPEAKER_02: And and um, we always wanted to give kids a safe haven, oasis to just be kids.
• 45:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but we found out it would it actually did more than that.
• 46:01
  SPEAKER_02: It created the camaraderie, it created the interaction, got them out of the isolation, made them feel like kids again.
• 46:07
  SPEAKER_02: They were smiling, laughing.
• 46:09
  SPEAKER_02: And I'll tell you, Chris, probably the greatest uh motivation, you know, uh in meeting the kids like Robert and all the kids during my playing days was I've three times a doctor has come up to me and said, um, Pat, there's no medical explanation why this child is alive today.
• 46:26
  SPEAKER_02: We don't know.
• 46:28
  SPEAKER_02: And it puts a smile on my face because if you can create an environment with joy, happiness, interaction, distraction, colors, and you know, allow these kids to just escape for a little while.
• 46:42
  SPEAKER_02: And there's no doctors allowed, no nurses, so it's kind of you know, a free space, a safe space.
• 46:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um and if that can happen and you can inspire the mind and the body to potentially heal, um, uh let's just keep building rooms, let's keep trying to put smiles on kids' faces, let's keep, you know, doing what companions encourage and all of the other foundations are doing to really help kids in children's hospitals.
• 47:08
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's really fascinating to me too, because here you have a medium and video games that are so often criticized uh for healthy kids, you know, healthy kids playing them.
• 47:17
  SPEAKER_03: And and here we we have we found a uh you know a really good benefit for them.
• 47:21
  SPEAKER_03: And I imagine as these games get more sophisticated, as things like virtual reality uh get better and better, this is going to be something that that kids can really, I mean, transport themselves to new to new worlds and actually still experience life in a way, even while their lives are being held up, right?
• 47:38
  SPEAKER_02: Well, Chris, you touched on another thing that I've been talking to Jimmy and our board about.
• 47:43
  SPEAKER_02: I've been dreaming of the day for 10 years of virtual reality when we can put the, I think it's the Oculus when the headsets on, and a child can be at the beach, he could be flying or she or he could be flying a plane.
• 47:56
  SPEAKER_02: You know, they could be having experiences that, and I know because I've done it about five years ago.
• 48:02
  SPEAKER_02: We went out to Google and I did it, and I I was blown away at the um physiological impact that it has on your system.
• 48:10
  SPEAKER_02: You actually, you know, have the heart rate and you can feel yourself falling.
• 48:15
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 48:17
  SPEAKER_02: And that and I would think that would be tremendous.
• 48:19
  SPEAKER_02: And so we're we're actually working on that because to me it's all about the experience, creating a positive, inspiring experience in the lions den room.
• 48:28
  SPEAKER_02: So that's something that we are um we are working on.
• 48:32
  SPEAKER_02: But uh you're I always I try to make a living knowing where the puck was gonna go next.
• 48:36
  SPEAKER_02: And you just uh asked a very good question, question because that's where we're we're headed.
• 48:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 48:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um how can how could I support uh uh companions and courage?
• 48:49
  SPEAKER_03: If I if I'm here at a hospital and I and I wanted to have companions and courage uh install a room at a hospital near me, how would I go about it?
• 49:00
  SPEAKER_02: There's a lot of different ways.
• 49:01
  SPEAKER_02: We we we have uh built rooms a lot of different ways.
• 49:06
  SPEAKER_02: It could be over a a lunch meeting, it could be over a bunch of fundraising.
• 49:10
  SPEAKER_02: We have one in Connecticut where an amazing family started doing a bunch of fundraisers over two, three-year period.
• 49:18
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, sadly, both and it was an honor of both their their grandmother, grandfather, mom, and dad.
• 49:23
  SPEAKER_02: It was a family that um worked with us and um you know did these fundraising events and we helped support.
• 49:30
  SPEAKER_02: And then CIC, obviously, from our fundraising events, that was one way, and it took years, but but now there's this amazing Lion's Den room in Connecticut Children's Hospital um dedicated to the Masada family.
• 49:43
  SPEAKER_02: And it was their entire family and and uh their the their mom and dad, their grandma and grandpa of years of you know doing fundraisers and and wanting to leave a legacy and wanting to help their local community.
• 49:55
  SPEAKER_02: That was one way.
• 49:56
  SPEAKER_02: We've had donors that have come in and just said, hey, I would like to do a room in honor of you know, a friend, a parent, um, you know, family member.
• 50:06
  SPEAKER_02: Um you could go on the CIC, you know, CIC16.org website.
• 50:11
  SPEAKER_02: There's different things of upgrades for rooms.
• 50:14
  SPEAKER_02: We've got Chromebooks, we've got content that we're doing now.
• 50:18
  SPEAKER_02: Uh Jimmy Johnson does an amazing main event, which is an inspiring eight to 15 minute story about uh our companions encourage heroes.
• 50:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um, there's all kinds of different ways um you can help out uh in your community and help out CIC to help leave that legacy for the kids.
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_02: And one of the things I want to add, Chris, is one of our biggest events, we do a Santa connection every year in December.
• 50:44
  SPEAKER_02: And it's one of the most special days of the year.
• 50:47
  SPEAKER_02: The two, it's actually two days where we go around the 20 Lions den rooms and we get lists of kids and their wishes and their names and where they're from and their family members.
• 50:58
  SPEAKER_02: And we have Santa and the North Pole, and we have also a French-speaking Santa, and for two days we go around to every room.
• 51:05
  SPEAKER_02: There's about eight to ten kids, and they actually have a virtual meeting with Santa, who's in the North Pole, and um, and and also in French, and then the next day or that day, they get the gift or a gift card, and they get Santa knows their name, he knows their family, and they get to have an experience because they can't go home most likely for Christmas.
• 51:26
  SPEAKER_02: And then right after that in early December, we do the Heisman Trust.
• 51:32
  SPEAKER_02: We have the Heisman winner after he wins, he comes into the Lions Den room at Mount Sinai and Kravitz Children's Hospital, and we have an interview, a meet and greet, and we beam it out to all the other Lions den rooms, questions and answers.
• 51:48
  SPEAKER_02: And that's been going on for almost 10 years, probably more than 10 years.
• 51:52
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 51:52
  SPEAKER_02: And it's one of the highlights of the year for these kids to meet the Heisman winner the next morning at the children's hospital.
• 51:59
  SPEAKER_03: For sure.
• 51:59
  SPEAKER_03: I've actually been on that trip to the hospital up there with, I was there with uh Baker Merrifield, and I can attest to just the way those those kids' faces uh just lit up.
• 52:09
  SPEAKER_03: Truly amazing stuff.
• 52:10
  SPEAKER_03: Um tell me a little bit about your your latest initiative, Cornerstone, about building sustainable youth sports.
• 52:16
  SPEAKER_03: I'm I'm really curious about that.
• 52:19
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I um I was I'm at the end, I'm still a consultant at the National Hockey League, and and when I was there for five years ago, for about five years, um I worked on development and community affairs, hockey development, community affairs.
• 52:34
  SPEAKER_02: And really, uh it's really about cornerstone is about youth sports and you know what youth sports really gives you um and how it can bring a community together.
• 52:45
  SPEAKER_02: Where we have a a conversation or a narrative now, you know, where kids, if you're not and that one-tenth of one percent playing pro sports or you're not getting a scholarship, which is one percent, you know, then you know, some conversations are well then you haven't made it, you're not valued, et cetera.
• 53:05
  SPEAKER_02: And really, Cornerstone is about is about coaching, and it's about coaching the values of what the game and what sports teaches you.
• 53:13
  SPEAKER_02: I actually started a brand also called Valor Hockey that is under the same principles that we helped with the decoration of principles, but it really, Chris, speaks to the values of the sport.
• 53:25
  SPEAKER_02: So when a parent, you ask a parent at the end of the day, what do you really want for your child?
• 53:30
  SPEAKER_02: And we get the answer, well, I just want my child to be happy, well-rounded, and successful.
• 53:36
  SPEAKER_02: Well, just like values at home, sports and school are vehicles to reinforce those values.
• 53:43
  SPEAKER_02: So in hockey, if the real goal is to learn leadership, teamwork, sacrifice, getting knocked down, getting backed up, the adversity part, the discipline, all of those life skills and character lessons and values that you need to be successful and happy in life, you know, are there and they're available.
• 54:04
  SPEAKER_02: And um, unfortunately, sometimes we focus too much on who's winning, how many wins.
• 54:09
  SPEAKER_02: And if only one team wins, where's the value?
• 54:11
  SPEAKER_02: So um I think it's bigger than winning.
• 54:14
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I think it's better than winning.
• 54:15
  SPEAKER_02: I think winning is great.
• 54:17
  SPEAKER_02: Don't get me wrong.
• 54:18
  SPEAKER_02: I think you know, you do your best.
• 54:20
  SPEAKER_02: But I think it's really important to start the conversation in coaching and with parents and with organizations and families.
• 54:27
  SPEAKER_02: The real value of sports is really the life skills and the character development you learn.
• 54:33
  SPEAKER_02: I can speak, I've stopped, you know, I play here once in a while, but I've stopped playing.
• 54:39
  SPEAKER_02: But the game lives inside me long after I stopped, uh, Chris.
• 54:43
  SPEAKER_02: I there's not a day that goes by that the skills and the values and the character development I learned through the sport of hockey, I use every day, every day of my life.
• 54:54
  SPEAKER_02: And so that game still lives inside of me.
• 54:57
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's the real value.
• 54:58
  SPEAKER_02: Hockey was a stepping stone to purpose and service with companions and courage and what I'm doing today with Valor, Cornerstone.
• 55:06
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's really paying it forward.
• 55:09
  SPEAKER_03: My producer Paul has a couple kids in youth hockey, so he is particularly excited uh about this interview.
• 55:16
  SPEAKER_03: What would what advice would you give him uh as a dad with two kids uh playing youth hockey to to encourage them to you know to do things the right way?
• 55:26
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I think it's important that you find out because you know, all your kids are different, right?
• 55:33
  SPEAKER_02: You love them all, excuse me, you love them all the same, but they're all different.
• 55:38
  SPEAKER_02: You might have a child that wants to play a certain amount, but then has other interests.
• 55:43
  SPEAKER_02: You might have one that's elite and wants to play all the time.
• 55:46
  SPEAKER_02: And I think giving them the platform and the and the environment to to thrive under what is kind of their platform at the time, you know, because everything evolves.
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_02: And and I think we take these kids too quickly and we automatically think, you know, you have to be this good or you're not valued, you have to score this many goals, you have to do all these things by 13.
• 56:14
  SPEAKER_02: And if you don't, well then you're not on the fast track to get a scholarship or play pro.
• 56:19
  SPEAKER_02: And I I honestly believe that it's finding coaches that teach hard work, teamwork, leadership, all those values creates a positive environment, not only for the child, but for the family, the parents, to make it a family, a positive family experience.
• 56:35
  SPEAKER_02: And I think there's nothing wrong with being competitive.
• 56:38
  SPEAKER_02: There's nothing wrong with being in an elite group.
• 56:41
  SPEAKER_02: They're part of the whole family, but it's embracing the true value, the greatest value of sports is truly the values, the character development, and the leadership and the the the um the life skills that you learn that will live with live with you for a lifetime.
• 56:58
  SPEAKER_02: It's no different, too, Chris, than as a parent.
• 57:01
  SPEAKER_02: You choose public school, private school, you send your kids to school to learn all of those values, to learn the education, the curriculum, but also the discipline and everything else to be successful.
• 57:11
  SPEAKER_02: Sports should be no different.
• 57:13
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 57:14
  SPEAKER_03: And finally, you you probably touched on a little bit of this.
• 57:17
  SPEAKER_03: Um you formed something called the Declaration of Principles a few years back, originally applied to hockey, but it's something that can be applied to all sports.
• 57:24
  SPEAKER_03: Can you explain that to our audience?
• 57:27
  SPEAKER_02: So it it to me, it's it's we ended up I ended up hiring a group called Life Life Sports Uh Solutions out of California, and and they went around North America and spoke to coaches, parents, players, rank operators, everybody, administrators, and then also did it at the pro level, the college level, and then even as the highest levels of our commissioner and deputy commissioner and and um of the National Hockey League.
• 57:59
  SPEAKER_02: And we all realized that we love this great game for its artistry, its passion, its excitement, its speed, but also the character development and the character lessons and life lessons that it teaches us.
• 58:12
  SPEAKER_02: And we literally, as a global community, because then the International Hockey Federation came in also.
• 58:19
  SPEAKER_02: So the global, you know, all of every single um group uh was represented from across the globe for hockey at every level, signed on to agree to live to a higher standard of principles.
• 58:34
  SPEAKER_02: And we all crafted, it took you know a number of different iterations, but the commissioner had his fingerprints on it, parents had their fingerprints on it, coaches, administrators, rank operators, everyone had their fingerprints on this document.
• 58:49
  SPEAKER_02: And we had it signed off.
• 58:51
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, 17 organizations from the entire global hockey community, USA Hockey, Hockey Canada, College, Junior Pro, to aspire to live to a higher standard.
• 59:02
  SPEAKER_02: And what I believe is if your brand is your behavior, your behavior is your brand, and you aspire to live to a higher standard, well, you've got an amazing platform there.
• 59:12
  SPEAKER_02: Now just bring it to life in your behavior.
• 59:15
  SPEAKER_02: And so what we did too is Valor Hockey is a brand that's associated with the decoration of principles.
• 59:22
  SPEAKER_02: It's a brand built on the ethos of the decoration of principles, bringing to life all of those principles and through products, programs, technology, and service to allow you to live and bring to life and live those standards and live those principles.
• 59:40
  SPEAKER_02: And to me, that's what everybody asked for.
• 59:43
  SPEAKER_02: That's what everybody wanted.
• 59:44
  SPEAKER_02: That's what everybody agreed to live to and live and aspire to be.
• 59:48
  SPEAKER_02: And that's more important than all of it.
• 59:50
  SPEAKER_02: It's more important than the conversation of trying to become a pro or college.
• 59:53
  SPEAKER_02: Don't get me wrong, that's great.
• 59:55
  SPEAKER_02: But what that's only 1%.
• 59:57
  SPEAKER_02: What about the other 99%?
• 59:59
  SPEAKER_02: What about all the good and the value that they can take out of the sport of hockey and use and aspire to have in the rest of their lives?
• 1:00:07
  SPEAKER_02: And I think, you know, that's something that the decoration of principles is so important and such an amazing opportunity.
• 1:00:16
  SPEAKER_02: And I think we're the only sport to have done it to date at that level.
• 1:00:21
  SPEAKER_02: And hopefully other sports, you know, aspire to and want to bring the entire, you know, entire sport together to uh to create a platform and that now bring it to life.
• 1:00:33
  SPEAKER_02: And that's that's the challenge, but that's what we're doing.
• 1:00:36
  SPEAKER_02: And um it's exciting.
• 1:00:38
  SPEAKER_02: Policy changes, we've seen a lot of things uh evolve, and the game needs to continue to evolve and in towards living those principles um each and every day.
• 1:00:50
  SPEAKER_03: If there's such a thing as a sports visionary, I think we've just talked to him, Pat Lafontaine, one of the great hockey players, 2008 Heisman Humanitarian Award winner, tremendous friend of the Heisman Trust.
• 1:01:02
  SPEAKER_03: We thank you for coming on the official Heisman Trophy Podcast.
• 1:01:05
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you, Chris.
• 1:01:06
  SPEAKER_02: I'm a huge fan of the Heisman Trophy and the Heisman Trust, and you guys are doing amazing work and just honored to be associated with you.
• 1:01:14
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 1:01:16
  SPEAKER_03: The official Heisman Trophy podcast streams every Wednesday during the college football season and is hosted, co-produced, edited, and engineered by Chris Houston.
• 1:01:24
  SPEAKER_03: Paul Goldberg is the executive producer and editor.
• 1:01:26
  SPEAKER_03: Special shout out to Isaac Boencron, and big thanks to the Heisman Trophy Trust and its executive director, Rob Whalen, and Associate Director Tim Henning.
• 1:01:34
  SPEAKER_03: The official Heisman Trophy podcast can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, and anywhere you listen to your favorite podcast.
• 1:01:40
  SPEAKER_03: You can also find clips of our show on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
• 1:01:44
  SPEAKER_03: Just go to Heisman Trophy.