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In the Locker Room with Alex Highsmith · In the Locker Room presented by Neighborhood Ford Store (Pittsburgh Steelers)

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: One of the guys that's been getting the job done
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: in the first two games is last year's sack leader
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  Speaker 1: for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Three sacks this year. Chasing down T.J.
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  Speaker 2: Watt.
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  Speaker 1: Probably a little friendly rivalry going on for who has
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  Speaker 1: the most sacks and tackles for losses. But Alex Highsmith
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  Speaker 1: joins us now in the locker room. Off to a
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  Speaker 1: phenomenal start thus far. Alex, how do you feel about
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  Speaker 1: the way things have been going with you and this
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  Speaker 1: defense through the first two games of the season?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I appreciate you guys having me on. Everybody can
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  Speaker 2: hear me okay? Yes, we can.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you.
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  Speaker 2: Awesome. Yeah, I think we've gotten off to a solid start. Obviously,
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  Speaker 2: we want to see 2-0 in the one column, but
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  Speaker 2: I think for us, we've been able to go out
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  Speaker 2: there and get the ball some, get some turnovers, but
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  Speaker 2: I think there's a lot of ways that we can
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  Speaker 2: be better. We obviously know we can stop the run better.
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  Speaker 2: Giving up 100-plus yards in the run game is not
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  Speaker 2: the standard, and So I think for us, it's just
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  Speaker 2: about being the most physical team. And I think we
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  Speaker 2: have the guys in our locker room, on our defense,
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  Speaker 2: who are able to help us stop the run. And
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  Speaker 2: so I think that's just gonna be a big, key,
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  Speaker 2: big focus for us every single game. Obviously, coming up,
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  Speaker 2: we know that the Bengals are primarily a pass offense.
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  Speaker 2: But I think last year, in that first game, they
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  Speaker 2: got away from us. They were able to run the
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  Speaker 2: ball effectively. I think for us it just starts with
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  Speaker 2: stopping the run. And so, like I said, we know
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  Speaker 2: we have the players to be able to do that.
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  Speaker 2: And so we just got to go out there and
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  Speaker 2: execute and be the most physical team.
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  Speaker 4: Alex, you've been in a number of these matchups. And,
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  Speaker 4: you know, there's something different about AFC North football. What
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  Speaker 4: is it that gets you guys particularly motivated when you
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  Speaker 4: play the Bengals? Is there one thing or is it just, hey,
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  Speaker 4: this is the division, it's the next opponent? Or do
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  Speaker 4: you have a sense because I know when I played,
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  Speaker 4: you know, it was the Ravens. The Ravens just got
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  Speaker 4: under my crawl. Just it was a very physical, tough matchup.
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  Speaker 4: You knew it was going to be a bloody affair.
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  Speaker 4: But I feel like the Bengals have kind of been
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  Speaker 4: that team where we've kind of had a lot of
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  Speaker 4: a lot of, you know, mix up said, you know,
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  Speaker 4: what's up is down inside of that game and. I
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  Speaker 4: know you guys get particularly motivated about that game. I
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  Speaker 4: didn't know, is there something particular about that team? Is
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  Speaker 4: that the team that you guys look at and say,
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  Speaker 4: all right, this is a team we have to go
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  Speaker 4: put to sleep as a defense because of what they
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  Speaker 4: have offensively?
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  Speaker 3: Like, what is it.
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  Speaker 2: About the Bengals? Yeah, I mean, I think obviously there's
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  Speaker 2: a lot of history in this rivalry. You know, there's
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  Speaker 2: a lot of history and bad blood between the teams,
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  Speaker 2: but I think it's any AFC North team that we play,
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  Speaker 2: we just know that these games are weighted differently and
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  Speaker 2: that You know, if you want to be in the
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  Speaker 2: playoffs and competing for a Super Bowl at the end
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  Speaker 2: of the year, you know, it starts with winning your
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  Speaker 2: division games. So we know how much more these games mean.
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  Speaker 2: And so, you know, we can't miss out on any
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  Speaker 2: opportunity to be able to win these games. So that's
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  Speaker 2: why these mean so much.
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  Speaker 3: Alex, can you talk about your new defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham,
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  Speaker 3: and his defense thus far? There's been so much talk about,
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  Speaker 3: you know, your unit in particular having maybe– pulling back
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: on some of TJ's snaps and getting her back out
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  Speaker 3: there a little bit more, getting him more snaps and
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  Speaker 3: building up his volume along with yourself and Jack Sawyer. Collectively,
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  Speaker 3: you guys control the game. You guys are high-impact guys, man.
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  Speaker 3: Can you talk about his defense and what you like
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  Speaker 3: about it the most and what do you expect for
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  Speaker 3: the year from an impact standpoint?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been awesome so far. I think, you know,
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  Speaker 2: coming in, you know, the start of OTAs, PG just
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  Speaker 2: really established himself and, you know, what he wanted our
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  Speaker 2: defense to look like. You know, he's someone who, and
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  Speaker 2: he's a former, you know, linebacker, D-line coach, so he
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  Speaker 2: knows that, you know, the defense starts up front and that,
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  Speaker 2: you know, if we want to be a great defense,
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  Speaker 2: we've got to be physical. We've got to beat dudes
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  Speaker 2: up up front. So I think it's just been awesome
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  Speaker 2: so far. Like you said, you know, his game has
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  Speaker 2: been putting guys in a lot of positions to be
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  Speaker 2: able to make plays. on the front end and the
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  Speaker 2: back end. So, um, being able to rotate the way
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  Speaker 2: we have been is awesome. You know, all of us are,
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  Speaker 2: you know, fresh throughout the whole game and just, it's
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  Speaker 2: just a testament to our group and, um, you know,
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  Speaker 2: the depth that we have at our group and a
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  Speaker 2: lot of us here, you know, are able to go
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  Speaker 2: out there and make plays for our defense. So, um,
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  Speaker 2: I'm just excited to see how we continue to, um,
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  Speaker 2: you know, gel as a unit and continue to get
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  Speaker 2: better throughout the year. And so I think, you know,
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  Speaker 2: we're all just leaning in and trusting his, his plan. And,
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  Speaker 2: you know, ultimately he knows, um, that we have, we
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  Speaker 2: have a lot of great players in this defense. And so, um, Yes,
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  Speaker 2: he draws up the schemes and puts us in positions
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  Speaker 2: to make great plays, but in some instances he gives
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  Speaker 2: us the keys because he knows we have a lot
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  Speaker 2: of bettering guys on our defense. So I'm just excited
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  Speaker 2: to continue to work with him throughout this year.
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  Speaker 1: It's wonderful to hear. Alex Highsmith is our guest. Alex,
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  Speaker 1: you're facing an opponent that's very familiar to you, but
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  Speaker 1: they're also very familiar with you as well on the
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  Speaker 1: other end. Do you feel like there's an edge one
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  Speaker 1: way or the other, offense, defense, when you face the
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  Speaker 1: team as often as you guys have faced Joe Burrow
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  Speaker 1: in this Bengals outfit?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think obviously any division team that you play,
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  Speaker 2: you know, like you said, they know you, we know them.
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  Speaker 2: So I think the thing that separates, you know, the
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  Speaker 2: winner from the loser in these games is, you know,
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  Speaker 2: who's the most physical and who is the most detailed. Ultimately,
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  Speaker 2: I think that's what's really going to matter is, you know,
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  Speaker 2: who can, you know, play fundamental football the best and
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  Speaker 2: who can be on their details the most, I think
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  Speaker 2: is what's most important. And then that physicality as well, man,
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  Speaker 2: like all the games that I've been in, in this
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  Speaker 2: ASU North, um, the most physical team has won. So
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  Speaker 2: we just know that we have to, you know, bring
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  Speaker 2: the juice and really, um, you know, it starts up
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  Speaker 2: front with us, um, just being physical, stopping the run
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  Speaker 2: and getting after them, um, in the past game.
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  Speaker 1: Alex, before we go, I just want to, I wanted
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  Speaker 1: to just go a little off script here for a moment. Um,
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  Speaker 1: and you know, because our buddy Craig Wolfley is going
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  Speaker 1: into the Steelers Hall of Honor and, Wolf was known for,
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  Speaker 1: among other things, the way he gave to the community,
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  Speaker 1: and you and your wife, Alyssa, have made that a big,
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  Speaker 1: big point and a big emphasis.
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  Speaker 3: Of your lives.
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  Speaker 1: Why is that important to you, to give so much
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  Speaker 1: to the community like you do?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's so important. Ever since I got in the league,
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  Speaker 2: I feel like my purpose is gone. It's so beyond
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  Speaker 2: the game of football. I truly believe that God has
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  Speaker 2: given this platform to be a blessing to others and
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  Speaker 2: to bring glory to him and to impact the communities
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  Speaker 2: that I love and that I'm in. So that's just
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  Speaker 2: really something that God has put on my heart to
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  Speaker 2: just make an impact that goes far beyond the game.
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  Speaker 2: And I think a guy like Wolf just really showed
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  Speaker 2: an amazing example of that. And I got to know
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  Speaker 2: Wolf over the years at that. that I've been here, man. Um,
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  Speaker 2: you know, I just, I loved being able to talk
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  Speaker 2: to that dude, you know, all the time, lean on him. Um,
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  Speaker 2: he gave me a lot of wisdom, um, just in
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  Speaker 2: regards to, um, how to get connected in the Pittsburgh community.
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  Speaker 2: And then he was also, um, you know, a strong
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  Speaker 2: man of faith. He was, he was a firm believer, um,
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  Speaker 2: you know, in our Lord Jesus Christ and just to
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  Speaker 2: be able to lean on him, um, and help, he
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  Speaker 2: helped me grow my faith as well. And so, um,
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  Speaker 2: I just have, you know, so much respect for him. Um,
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  Speaker 2: And he meant a lot to me for sure. And so,
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  Speaker 2: like I said, just knowing that the platform that I have,
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  Speaker 2: it goes so much more, so much far beyond football.
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  Speaker 2: So I'm just grateful that God has given me the
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  Speaker 2: platform to be able to do that.
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  Speaker 1: Alex Highsmith has been our guest. Alex, thanks very much.
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  Speaker 1: Good luck on Sunday. Look forward to calling some sacks,
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  Speaker 1: maybe some turnovers in the game, and hopefully a Steelers
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  Speaker 1: victory over the Bengals as well.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, we got to go get it. I appreciate you guys.