Latest / AFR Saints / EXCLUSIVE: Will Clapp On Returning To Saints & Playing For Kellen Moore And Brandon Staley

Transcript

EXCLUSIVE: Will Clapp On Returning To Saints & Playing For Kellen Moore And Brandon Staley · AFR Saints

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: AFR on Demand is brought to you by Breck Golf.
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Try Beaver Creek today, just twenty minutes from downtown Baton
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: Rouge in the Zachary area. They've got a PGA toward
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: driving range, a short game practice area, thirty to forty
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: yard practice shots. It's a great place to chip and
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: putt and practice. If you don't have time for a
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: full round. Book your tea time today. Golf dot Breck
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: dot org. Golf dot Breck dot org. Best free agent
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: signing of the off season. Former New Orleans Saint again,
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: current New Orleans Saint, former Tiger will collapse coming home?
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: Good enough to jump board with us for a couple
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: of minutes.
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: How are you, dude?
• 0:39
  Speaker 3: What's going on that? Thanks for having me on, dude.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: It's our pleasure.
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: Man. I know a lot of people are fired up
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: to have you back in the Black and Gold.
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: Man. Let's start with the obvious.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: When, man, how did this come together to get you
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: in the Saints here with this reunion?
• 0:50
  Speaker 3: Yeah, man, I was. I was wondering, what you know,
• 0:53
  Speaker 3: with Callen being hired and the staff. When I got
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: put together, I thought there would be an opportunity and
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: about two weeks ago they reached out and came together
• 1:01
  Speaker 3: pretty good.
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: How does something like that, like, how does that work?
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: Right?
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: So you're in Buffalo and you're gonna be a free agent,
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: So is that like your agent having a conversation. When
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: are you made aware like it was directly with you?
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: Would you have interests? Like how does that all come together?
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: You know, I still keep up with some of those
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: coaches and you know, talks and every so often, you know,
• 1:24
  Speaker 3: just you know, throughout the year, you play those guys
• 1:26
  Speaker 3: and see them on the field, so you still keep
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: a relationship up. But my agent did reach out to
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: me probably like I said, two weeks ago, and said, hey,
• 1:34
  Speaker 3: the Saints are interested in bringing you back, and then
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: from there just moved into dialogue until the deal got
• 1:39
  Speaker 3: put together.
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: So whenever you look at the opportunity to come to
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: your hometown again, I mean, was was it an easy decision?
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: Willed? Did you?
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: Did you look around with with other options as well,
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: or when the Saints you know, made you the offers,
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: like don I'm going home?
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: No, it was definitely just like, hey, let's let's get
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: this done. I was excited to be home. Had a
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: fun year in Buffalo, but my family didn't travel with
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: me last year, so I was like, get to stay
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: at home, deal with my kids. I mean, everything about
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: it just lined up to be perfect. You know, well
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: the staff that that's going to be in New Orleans,
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: so there was like no other option for me at
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: that point when they told me they were interested.
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: Yeah, man, and you're a dad now too. For those
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: that haven't been keeping up, which is awesome, congratulations on that.
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: I mean, how like, what's it been like man for
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: you just this phase of life. You've probably been a
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: couple of years since we've talked to you, man, but
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: being a dad and going through that phase of life
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: and getting to come home with your with your kids now, man, it's.
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: An awesome I mean, you know, my daughter loves you know,
• 2:36
  Speaker 3: coming out the practice and running on the field and
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: telling that, so you know, making those types of memories
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: with her. And my son's eight months old, so he's
• 2:43
  Speaker 3: really you know, just along for the ride right now.
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: But you know, we're trying to make as many memories
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: as we can, you know, win as many games as possible,
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: all doing it.
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: That's awesome.
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: Man.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: We'll collapse our guests. What about your family? I would
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: assume that your your folks still live in New Orleans.
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: What was your family's reaction whenever they learned you were
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: coming back?
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: Everybody was just so fired up. I mean, you know
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: those three years I was two in LA, one in Buffalo,
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: and the family loves you know, traveling and going to
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: see me, but you know every every week, you know,
• 3:11
  Speaker 3: being able to have that support system here for me
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: is definitely a game changer, and I'm just excited to
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: be back in town with all of them.
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: We'll collapse, our guest. Uh So you mentioned knowing the staff, right,
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: so that the two years you were in LA. Correct
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: me if I'm wrong on this one. But yet your
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: two years with Staley in one year with Kellen Moore
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: in LA.
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: Is that right?
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: Yeah? Kellen was the semi last year in LA.
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: Okay, tell me a little bit about I'll get to
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: Killamore a second. Let's start with Staley because that's kind
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: of an unknown as well. What was it like playing
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: for Brandon Sale? If you describe him as a coach,
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: what would you say?
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: Brandon is like a great defense of mind, like super smart,
• 3:47
  Speaker 3: you know, getting to do some of the scout team
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: reps over on his side of the field when I
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: was back in up center over there, just hearing how
• 3:54
  Speaker 3: he communicates with the defense. He sees the game at
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: such a high level, and it's kind of crazy how
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: he talks about like mixing in the skis and coverages
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: and blitzes. I mean, I felt like I actually learned
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: like a lot of stuff from him, just about how
• 4:06
  Speaker 3: defenses think. When you know, when you stand by him.
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: On the field, what about Uh what about Kellen Moore?
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: What obviously oh see the the year or the final
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: year there, Uh, what can you tell us about him?
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: It's by far my favorite offense I've ever played in.
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: I mean not just saying that because it's just note,
• 4:23
  Speaker 3: but like, truly is my favorite offense I've played in,
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: through college or pros. Everything is you know, fast, you know,
• 4:33
  Speaker 3: to the point. There's not you know, everything has a meaning.
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: It's not like you know, crazy wordy or you see
• 4:38
  Speaker 3: something like every everything he puts in this offense is
• 4:41
  Speaker 3: like to the point. And you know, we just had
• 4:44
  Speaker 3: a bunch of fun under him. I mean, that's that
• 4:45
  Speaker 3: was my main memory from playing with him in the Chargers,
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: and I'm excited to get back to it.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: Was do you find him Will just being a younger coach, right,
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: he's thirty six, youngest head coach in the NFL.
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: Is there a relatability there? Do you make anything up?
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: Is that good? Good? Bad? Either way?
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: No?
• 5:03
  Speaker 3: I think most of it is just being an effective communicator,
• 5:06
  Speaker 3: which he is, Like he's very good at like laying
• 5:08
  Speaker 3: out like bullepoints everybody, like, hey, these are the expectations
• 5:11
  Speaker 3: of the game plan, Like this is what we're gonna do.
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: You know the games that we didn't have great games,
• 5:15
  Speaker 3: I mean he didn't like nothing went unaddressed. It was like, hey,
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: like this is this is why we didn't perform to
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: our standard, like X, Y and Z is the reason,
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: and this is what we're gonna do to fix it.
• 5:25
  Speaker 3: And when you lay those things out the players, it
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: really sets a clear and defined picture of like how
• 5:30
  Speaker 3: we're going to go about this.
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: A couple more minutes here with Will Clapp, a former Tiger,
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: current Saint of the team that drafted him.
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: Crazy to see this all come full circle.
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: Also, your teammates again now with Davon gotcha with the
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: Saint sign. I'm assumed have you spoke to Devon since
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: since you been back in New Orleans.
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: We played them Week eighteen this past season, so I
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: talked to him on the field after that, but not
• 5:54
  Speaker 3: since then.
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: What what is I mean is there? Uh?
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: I would assume there's a level of excitement there to
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: get to play with your former teammate, man, but just
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: a little bit about that relationship, y'all getting to play together.
• 6:06
  Speaker 3: Yes, funny. I mean he's been a great run defender
• 6:08
  Speaker 3: in the league for you know, we're both going on
• 6:10
  Speaker 3: year eight now, so or he's a year nine actually
• 6:13
  Speaker 3: a bust year before me. So, I mean he's been
• 6:16
  Speaker 3: a great run defender, very respect in the league. I'm
• 6:18
  Speaker 3: excited to get back with him. And I mean I
• 6:20
  Speaker 3: think there's a good bit of Saints LSU players on
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: the Saints now. And when I was first drafted, it
• 6:25
  Speaker 3: was like a big deal that has no LSU guys
• 6:28
  Speaker 3: had been there for a while, and now I think
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: there's like five or six of us.
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: Yeah, So you were the first I believe since Al Woods, Uh,
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: for LSU player to be drafted. Before that, I think
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: it was Debry, like you know, three h two or three. Yeah, man,
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: there's a handful. Foster is another one obviously, like your
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: brother Martin guy. Foster is a Jesuit guy both with
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: the LSU. I mean, have you talked to Foster about uh?
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: I said, you since you've been back.
• 6:50
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I talked to Foster.
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: I did that.
• 6:52
  Speaker 3: He was, you know, a good friend of mine college
• 6:54
  Speaker 3: was a Groouzman in my wedding. So, I mean, you
• 6:56
  Speaker 3: know he I texted him before. If you don't know Foster,
• 7:00
  Speaker 3: he's like awful at picking up the phone. So I
• 7:02
  Speaker 3: called him like a week, like a week before I
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: went into sign. I was like, hey, I got the
• 7:08
  Speaker 3: deal done. I think I should have been like next week.
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: He never he never answered, said I was finally text
• 7:13
  Speaker 3: and I was like, hey, it's happening, and he's like he's,
• 7:15
  Speaker 3: oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I'm so excited. Sorry,
• 7:18
  Speaker 3: mister cal.
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: I'm like, yeah, bud, so so groomsman.
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: You you had the deal done for a week before
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: he knew because he didn't answer the phone.
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: Is that right?
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: Yeah?
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: Oh my god?
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: Well good things those of wait I suppose, hey man,
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: it's uh what one more like? As far as the
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: team itself, obviously, it was a struggle to shows a
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: lot of injuries. You know, there there's a lot of
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: different directions of the team could go this year. But
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: just a thought on being with Derek Carr, the new
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: coaching staff, just the organization now as opposed to what
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: it was when you left three three years ago.
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: Yeah, man, I'm excited to see where this organization's at.
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: I mean we uh, you know that there obviously was
• 8:00
  Speaker 3: high standards set, you know, a couple of years ago,
• 8:04
  Speaker 3: and I think this group is going to be excited
• 8:07
  Speaker 3: to you know, set our own standard in our own
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: way and make it the safe football that people used
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: to stand.
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: A lot of people excited to have you back in Louisiana. Man,
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: congrats on the homecoming. Can't wait to see in the
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: black and goal coming up in the fall.
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: Man, we'll talk soon, all right, Yes, their appreciate it. No,
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: it's our pleasure. Thank you for the time. That's will
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: clap of course.
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: New Orleans native brother Martin Lsu drafted by the Saints
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: Chargers for a couple of years Buffalo last year. Now
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: back in New Orleans, how about that?
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: He said.
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: As soon as he knew this was the possibility, he
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: didn't even want to entertain other offers. And when he
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: had the opportunity to come home, it was like, let's
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: get home married, a couple of young kids. Had his
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: son's eight months old now, and just a man, good dude,
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: I'm fired up for it, and listen on.
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: There's there's a personal side of that.
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: We can all love that signing, like we could all
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: love the same trading for Devin gotcha and so on.
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: But there's there's some free agent moves that the Saints
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: have made that I've not been a fan of. This
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: one I love, but both off the field and on
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: the field, Will Clap as a veteran who is versatile,
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: can play center or either guard spot. He could be
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: a rotational guy for you as a rotational backup or
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: a spot starter, or he could start for you at
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: a spot. He is obviously very cerebral. He knows this
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: coaching staff, he knows Kellen Moore's offense. You just heard
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: him talk about that. He is a free agent, so
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: you didn't have to give up an asset to get him,
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: and you got him on a relatively inexpensive deal like
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: these are the types of deals that, in my contention,
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: the Saints need to be doing. The personal component of
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: Will Clap notwithstanding, that's just a bonus for me. But
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: that's a that's a veteran player, a versatile player, a
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: good locker room guy who is it can play multiple
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: spots for you, and is is affordable.
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: So I love I love that. That's that's in. That's a.
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: It's not the kind of signing that's gonna change your roster, right,
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: It's not like it's not like you went in free
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: agency and yet like the Bengals adding Trayn like where
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: you're you're going to add that massive impact guy, like
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: the key impact position on your defense. But that's the
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: type of signing that you absolutely have to make if
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: you're in New Orld. Let's say the same thing about
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: trading for Devon. Gotscha new new defense, fits the mold
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: of your defense, familiar with the staff, you got him
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: on your for you gave up a future seven to
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: get him. I mean, all those things just check the
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: box of those types of deals.
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: So love it. Happy to have will clap back in
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: the black and goal