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Making Monsters: Getting to Know Jahdae Walker · 2nd City Gridiron

• 0:11
  [SPEAKER_05]: All right, welcome back everybody to another episode of Making Monsters.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_05]: I'm Taylor Dahl and we're here today to talk about one of the fan favorites this off season and hopefully to be continued for the Chicago Bears.
• 0:22
  [SPEAKER_05]: And that's why I received her Jada Walker out of Texas A and then, but we're going to we're going to take it back a little bit and today we're joined by Coach Alex Nicholson.
• 0:29
  [SPEAKER_05]: He's the head coach for Shaker Heights, Chaker Heights High School, the Red Raiders.
• 0:33
  [SPEAKER_05]: So Coach, I really appreciate you helping on it and talking a little bit of Jada with me.
• 0:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, thanks for the invite happy to be here and talk about one of our,
• 0:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: a lot of trees alumni.
• 0:42
  [SPEAKER_05]: I love it.
• 0:43
  [SPEAKER_05]: The high school football around the nation and I know I love Florida so high school football is very
• 0:49
  [SPEAKER_05]: Very big here Friday night lights is a whole ordeal and so I do have a lot of appreciation for you guys and I know I'm sure John A does too you kind of we joked off air that he's been playing since he was five so there's a lot of football and his life but let's start with the high school and you two you said you got hired after that sophomore year so right before his junior season so let's just start about the beginning of that the first time you really saw him on the football field thoughts there and kind of that just the that process of the beginning of John A's high school career.
• 1:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, I first saw him as an athlete on basketball court.
• 1:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, he was basketball at track hit.
• 1:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we got to see him those two venues.
• 1:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: And his that felt as if he jumped off the charts.
• 1:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, we knew right away when I brought my staff in that holy cow this kid, kid, complacent ball.
• 1:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Tall athletic long quick, super energetic.
• 1:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, that kid has a battery for the energizer bunny.
• 1:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: But no, really, we were really happy to see you have him.
• 1:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, you got to play outside of here and play some safety force, play a little bit of a corner, bounced around a little bit, you know, go between his junior and senior year, but always receiver, but yeah, we just do right away that he was he was going to be special.
• 1:56
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, it was fun this off season.
• 1:58
  [SPEAKER_05]: I mentioned kind of a fan favorite already.
• 2:00
  [SPEAKER_05]: You talk about the energy you see that you see that right away with him.
• 2:03
  [SPEAKER_05]: You were hearing about it from practices with the people that were at practice and then the preseason game.
• 2:07
  [SPEAKER_05]: You saw it has little dance, which it doesn't even my mind can't even understand how they do.
• 2:12
  [SPEAKER_05]: I can't remember what the dance is called, but his feet don't touch the ground and it's crazy to watch, but.
• 2:16
  [SPEAKER_05]: He, it's fun to kind of see the progression of kids to number one, and we'll talk a little bit about this.
• 2:22
  [SPEAKER_05]: Going to Grand Valley, hitting the portal, going to Texas A&M, a little bit.
• 2:26
  [SPEAKER_05]: It didn't get invited to the combat and goes undrafted and then makes a 53 main roster in Chicago.
• 2:31
  [SPEAKER_05]: So it's really fun to see those storylines.
• 2:33
  [SPEAKER_05]: And if there's one thing that we can tell early on, it's that he's a hard worker.
• 2:36
  [SPEAKER_05]: Is that, is that a phrase you to attach to Walker?
• 2:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, he can naturally gift the kid.
• 2:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's a hard working kid.
• 2:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I'm a big believer in the weight room.
• 2:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: And at the time when I got the shaker, you know, we only lifted after school and then getting into, you know, the spring of his junior year, we got shut down for COVID.
• 2:53
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
• 2:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: So as the senior year going playing COVID and we got a lot of troubles getting eyes on for college coaches.
• 3:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: The kids are really hard worker.
• 3:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: We found ways to get training in.
• 3:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know we traded with a private trainer a few times.
• 3:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's some video about them.
• 3:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Of him doing fast feet and him just catching playing cards with his hands.
• 3:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: The guys just tossed him playing cards with my daughter seeing that the other day.
• 3:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: But no, he's got a great journey.
• 3:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's got a great story to tell.
• 3:24
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, the COVID time, that was difficult for a lot of people.
• 3:27
  [SPEAKER_05]: I remember when I first started making monsters, I was talking about a lot of the players in college, having to deal with COVID.
• 3:33
  [SPEAKER_05]: And it was very different, different, some conferences didn't play, some conferences played full schedule, some conferences limited that only played a few games.
• 3:41
  [SPEAKER_05]: So there was a lot of different ways to try and navigate for you guys, as coaches, did you still have kind of plans, workout plans and stuff for these players?
• 3:49
  [SPEAKER_05]: How did that work out for that 2020 season?
• 3:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, we actually joked about it the other day just how we how we had to put these kids in a pot, you know, so we we normally go full group full team in the summertime from 8 to 10 30.
• 4:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: We had to take that and actually have each group of kids being groups of 10 to then come in an eight o'clock and then 815 and 830 and then just rotate around the circuit and we really to get to any football.
• 4:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: until, I think, two weeks before our first game so we played Kirtland.
• 4:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we were just training and lifting.
• 4:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: We took our entire weight or mouth size as much as we could, outside and we just stored it back underneath our bleachers.
• 4:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: But it was difficult time, but you know, for the kids that were seniors, kids that needed to go to college camps.
• 4:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: And Jaday was one of the kids who were like, we told him college coaches, you need to see him in person.
• 4:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's tall, he's long, and he's athletic, and that speed doesn't, you know, some of you need to see in person, doesn't really translate to film.
• 4:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we did everything we could to get him looks, you know, you know, code Harris, from from Raw Town, it was a big help in that, too.
• 4:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's in alumni, but it was just really hard for our seniors.
• 4:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we did everything we could to get them, looks just to play at the next level.
• 4:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: At that point, it really didn't matter where, just play at the next level.
• 5:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: And somebody's going to find you.
• 5:03
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, and that's what I guess the positive thing and I know college football's gotten a little crazy, but a part of a positive part of is the portal I think now because it does give kids the opportunity if a place doesn't work it's a little easier to hit you don't have to wait and sit all year if you're having to transfer to start and so there are positives out of it.
• 5:20
  [SPEAKER_05]: I think especially maybe.
• 5:21
  [SPEAKER_05]: If you are at a school that isn't as heavily recruited and there's a lot of, I know, I've talked to a lot of coaches from due co-schools and they talk about how important they kind of know the areas they need to go to to recruit those, but their goal is to recruit those to get these kids to bigger schools, which is an unfortunate part of that, but it's still part of the process I think and
• 5:40
  [SPEAKER_05]: So from the beginning with Jada, obviously Grand Valley State is where he ended up going, was that mindset always like this is kind of a stepping stone to a bigger school for him, was that was that the mindset or is he just happy going to continue to play somewhere else?
• 5:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, because I don't think the portal was a thing at that point yet, we just wanted to get him to the biggest school we could get him to and having you have a lot of respect for Grand Valley and know what they're about and a lot of some history there.
• 6:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're the biggest division one school at division two level like their facilities, you know, the experience that they kids, you know, that they give the kids and that's really what John it was looking for.
• 6:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it wasn't the D1 look, you know, it wasn't the big 10 or the ACC at the ACC.
• 6:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: So let's let's keep them around home a little bit.
• 6:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's get them up to Michigan and he did a great job up there and his personalities take just took them from there.
• 6:30
  [SPEAKER_05]: What about you mentioned earlier, he was playing Wider Seaver and Cornerback in high school.
• 6:35
  [SPEAKER_05]: So it was there.
• 6:36
  [SPEAKER_05]: Was it always mainly Wider Seaver where there ever moments where maybe he felt like that corner position was what he wanted to do?
• 6:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I think he was a receiver.
• 6:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: He just wanted to be a receiver.
• 6:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that is senior year, we play both ways.
• 6:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, we are a lot of our guys, play both sides of the ball even now.
• 6:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we put him back at safety his year or two and he played both sides.
• 6:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: We got to play a lot of covers three with him in the photo.
• 6:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: We got to play a lot of covers three.
• 7:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we got to play some quarters covers with him run the alley too, but he was extremely gifted athlete.
• 7:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's no way you could take that kid off the field.
• 7:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's just no way you could do that.
• 7:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he actually learned both sides of the ball really well and then produced so.
• 7:16
  [SPEAKER_05]: Was there any specific game for you that stood out if you were to tell somebody?
• 7:20
  [SPEAKER_05]: If you want to see what John A Walker is, go back to this specific game?
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: I would go to Garfield Heights his senior year.
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: He runs the alley in the boundary and just sticks the kid for a body yard gain and then the next series, I think he's on the opposite hash and makes a toe tap in herception and that he makes some insane catches down the field and that's always the game that's kind of stuck out to me.
• 7:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you want to see a six foot four athlete being athlete, go watch that game.
• 7:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: He made this place, so like I said, you know, we were in Kobe, we were like two weeks to play for Kirtlin and in Provett, doesn't know Kirtlin is a powerhouse here in Ohio, the small school with a lot of respect for Tiger and everything he's doing for his program.
• 8:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: But, you know, he made a, he high point of bond and everything he could jump that high to high point of football in the post.
• 8:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: There were run first teams, so when they throw the ball, you got to be ready for it because you're all, you're just trying to stop the run.
• 8:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he high point of that ball and I never saw a kid jump that high in my entire life.
• 8:23
  [SPEAKER_05]: I love that but it is it's amazing when you see some of that and this is right now I so I do this podcast for the bears.
• 8:29
  [SPEAKER_05]: I also cover the jaguars and Jacksonville and so obviously they just drafted Travis Hunter and it I'm getting those vibes of like obviously both sides of the ball But there's he made a couple catches during the preseason where I was just like
• 8:42
  [SPEAKER_05]: I feel like he was flying at that point and that's what I'm kind of picturing in that sense.
• 8:47
  [SPEAKER_05]: So when you're talking about John A. Walker as a receiver and obviously this has probably definitely developed and progressed throughout his the rest of high school through college at both of his stops and now he's at the NFL.
• 8:59
  [SPEAKER_05]: What type of receiver would you classify him as?
• 9:02
  [SPEAKER_05]: Is he that 50 50 contested guy?
• 9:05
  [SPEAKER_05]: Is he more that deep threat?
• 9:06
  [SPEAKER_05]: How would you classify him?
• 9:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I don't think you can put a label on him as weird as that sounds, you know, because it was how you think possession, but he's got this to be, to, to, to be a take the top off of defense, you know, however coach Johnson and his staff feel they can get him the ball and what he feels like that's, that's, they feel, I mean, for us and our level it was, let the kid go do everything, let him run by somebody, hey, or if we need a third down catch here with, have him run a comeback around, be that possession guy.
• 9:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, with those catches that that you guys have now seen on, on TV and the things he does today and have those are things that he's
• 9:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, John and I, because of his personality, you know, him and I never really all saw I, I would kind of put it as a few times, because I'm, I'm such a, I'm an old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, old, so I believe in Blocked 1st before he get the rock, and, and that was my big thing for her, she recovers, but the one-handed catch, I'm like, put two hands at the ball, but every time he went up with one hand, that thing would come down with.
• 10:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, it's, it's one of those things where he's got that God given ability, but at the same time, he works really hard at that stuff.
• 10:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's really hard at those things.
• 10:10
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, and I think that's important.
• 10:12
  [SPEAKER_05]: I think that as the players and you see sometimes the players progress, coach, and I'm sure you've seen this and that natural talent, the natural athleticism, comes easy and then what maybe when they get to college, they do have to work a little harder and they're not used to that because they're like, wait, this was easy in high school and now the competition is up, and I'm sure he kind of saw that once, that from each college to Grand Valley Grand Valley to Texas say them and he'll say it again.
• 10:35
  [SPEAKER_05]: and the NFL that's just part of it but what it does show and this is early on.
• 10:39
  [SPEAKER_05]: You saw the catch at Doria versus Kansas City in the preseason.
• 10:43
  [SPEAKER_05]: I know it's preseason but that catch is incredible and that's the type of things.
• 10:46
  [SPEAKER_05]: That's the hands though, awareness, everything when it is especially inside the end zone that you want to see from a rookie player.
• 10:52
  [SPEAKER_05]: And so it's really exciting to kind of get this glimpse and it's a packed room.
• 10:56
  [SPEAKER_05]: It's not like he came into a receiving room that was lacking of talent.
• 11:00
  [SPEAKER_05]: It's got, it has a DJ more in
• 11:05
  [SPEAKER_05]: Zacchaeus in the off season and Tyler Scott, who had been here for a few years now and he beat out Tyler Scott for a spot on the roster for that final receiver spot.
• 11:13
  [SPEAKER_05]: So it's super exciting.
• 11:14
  [SPEAKER_05]: I wanted to read because I saw some of the stats from his senior year, so it said he caught 19 passes for 131 yards five touchdowns as a senior.
• 11:22
  [SPEAKER_05]: He had 55 tackles nine pass break up six force fumbles and two interceptions.
• 11:26
  [SPEAKER_05]: defensively so it's just funny that you're like he's a receiving guy.
• 11:29
  [SPEAKER_05]: I'm like that's defensive never is like pretty good too.
• 11:32
  [SPEAKER_05]: But he was named all Lake Erie League all district or third team all Ohio honors as a senior and was a three year starter on varsity.
• 11:39
  [SPEAKER_05]: So all those numbers add up to a player that probably should have had some more recruits looking at him.
• 11:44
  [SPEAKER_05]: But sometimes the path that happens I think you kind of learn is maybe what is best and he's tweeted a lot about it, you know,
• 11:54
  [SPEAKER_05]: And each step, he's earned it, and I think it's really fun to watch that for him.
• 11:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you know, he came, he came to see me before the draft, and I was shocked that he came in, because, you know, I, I really don't want to bug these guys that are going on to do to things like if they want to come and talk to me, I'm always here for them.
• 12:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we sat down and he talked about, you know, his journey and his path, and he really came to his realization that like, every step he took, every opportunity took was, got him to where he's at now.
• 12:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, and I truly believe that, you know, from, you know, COVID happening, going into a senior year to go into Grand Valley, um, to the opportunity to go and put yourself in the portal where you know you're wanted.
• 12:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, and then to go to and I'm and play down there.
• 12:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, for Coach Fisher, and then for Coach Alco, and then to be, you know, when you're on draft, you get to pick your team, you get to pick your team, and he talks to you about a little bit, and you know, I said, you pick the team, where you have to bet shots to make the roster.
• 12:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you make the roster through special teams.
• 12:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: You make the roster through hard work.
• 12:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: You make the roster through having them kick you on the facility, because they're tired.
• 12:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: You sleep in there for the fifth night in a row, and you do all those little things to make the roster.
• 13:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: You've got to make that smart choice.
• 13:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I've heard it the over so many people that get drafted in that fifth, sixth, seventh round that I wish I was on draft, so I can go to certain places.
• 13:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think he took the advantage of every opportunity that I was given to him from Granville and now with the home town bears.
• 13:18
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, I love it.
• 13:19
  [SPEAKER_05]: And obviously coming to, I'm sure, did he mention Ben Johnson being a reason at all also to Heticio Cago?
• 13:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you know, when he talked to me about, you know, his options and teams he was talking to coach Johnson was was definitely one of those when those reasons, you know, we talked about the taxons as well.
• 13:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: And they're often not similar if they were in what they wanted to do, but he did talk about, you know, coach Johnson his creative mind to go to the bears.
• 13:44
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, the, the special teams ability he, he, he, I'm guessing, and this is what it kind of seems like an initially as he will have that will be part of some of his duties.
• 13:53
  [SPEAKER_05]: And so how do you think about that is he at the type of player that you believe will kind of embrace that role, but also be able to do it in the NFL level.
• 14:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, yeah, he did it that day and I'm he embraced every opportunity and get to get on the field.
• 14:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, then when our guys were going to college, you know, one thing I, you know, what of things I tell them is that you do you take every opportunity, whether it's punt kick off kick return, how remedial that job is to get your feet between those white lines.
• 14:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: You take it.
• 14:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I know we played a ton of special teams at A&M, um, and, and I hope he takes those opportunities playing for the bears too, because that's, you get to play, you get to play NFL football.
• 14:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: They get a great get it, man.
• 14:26
  [SPEAKER_05]: I know and I'm sure he's you could just tell by his social media how excited he is and I love that and to your point I don't even think about it when you are in drafted you get to pick so that even should.
• 14:36
  [SPEAKER_05]: make bear's fans feel even better as he wanted to come to Chicago and play with and I'm sure I think there's a lot.
• 14:42
  [SPEAKER_05]: DJ Moore's an incredible person and everything I've heard about DJ Moore and like his leadership when it comes to other wider sievers.
• 14:48
  [SPEAKER_05]: From the doons I talked about talked a lot about it in his rookie season.
• 14:52
  [SPEAKER_05]: It didn't work with Caleb Williams.
• 14:53
  [SPEAKER_05]: I'm sure that probably factored into some things too.
• 14:56
  [SPEAKER_05]: I know people were critical of last year, but
• 14:58
  [SPEAKER_05]: He's one of those guys too.
• 14:59
  [SPEAKER_05]: That's a really good leader.
• 15:00
  [SPEAKER_05]: So I think that's one thing.
• 15:01
  [SPEAKER_05]: The team has the leadership that can help Jada get through that first year and then we'll see what goes on.
• 15:08
  [SPEAKER_05]: But it's really cool.
• 15:09
  [SPEAKER_05]: I love these stories.
• 15:11
  [SPEAKER_05]: So I really appreciate your time coach.
• 15:12
  [SPEAKER_05]: It's I know that you'll be watching Jada rooting for him.
• 15:16
  [SPEAKER_05]: Hopefully Monday night this week.
• 15:17
  [SPEAKER_05]: So that'll be an interesting, I guess he gets to hit the ground running with that one.
• 15:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you know, it's like
• 15:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: But really exciting moment, you know, just selfishly for me being from Chicago originally and being a lifelong bears fan, super excited for him, the family really happy that he got chance to make the NFL and made the most of it and look forward to see what we can do from there.
• 15:42
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, you are a bears fan, how are you feeling?
• 15:45
  [SPEAKER_05]: How are you feeling about Monday night versus the Vikings?
• 15:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm excited, you know, every time you, you get to have an opening game, you know, I'm a nerd and fan too.
• 15:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, I got to watch them play and you're excited to see what the off season, what you got, whatever you did in the off season, the work you put in and go put the, go, make the task, go prove it out there.
• 16:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, yeah.
• 16:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: And for the bears excited for them, there's a few of Coach Johnson does.
• 16:07
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, I think that it's going to be a lot on Coach Johnson, a lot on Caleb Williams, but it is fun to with John A. He has another teammate of they drafted offensive tackle, a lot of texts say them too.
• 16:17
  [SPEAKER_05]: So I do think that helps a little bit.
• 16:19
  [SPEAKER_05]: Some of these rookies having somebody that they played with recently and have that familiarity.
• 16:23
  [SPEAKER_05]: But again, Coach, I really appreciate it and good luck with the rest of your guys' season also.
• 16:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: No problem.
• 16:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks for having me in Beardown.
• 16:30
  [SPEAKER_05]: Beardown.
• 16:30
  [SPEAKER_05]: Thank you.
• 16:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yep.
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• 18:44
  [SPEAKER_05]: All right, well, continuing on now, our John A. Walker episode super excited.
• 18:49
  [SPEAKER_05]: He's had a really good preseason, really good camp.
• 18:51
  [SPEAKER_05]: A lot of fans excited.
• 18:52
  [SPEAKER_05]: He made the 53 roster, 53 man roster despite not getting a combine invite despite not getting drafted.
• 18:59
  [SPEAKER_05]: I just saw a tweet that actually showed a text he had with somebody where he showed.
• 19:05
  [SPEAKER_05]: the training camp dates or OTA dates and he sent it to someone saying, even like, drafted or not, I'll be there.
• 19:11
  [SPEAKER_05]: I'm going to make a 53 main roster.
• 19:13
  [SPEAKER_05]: That sounds like a confident player.
• 19:14
  [SPEAKER_05]: So we're doing now.
• 19:15
  [SPEAKER_05]: We're going to continue on this episode Nick Postman.
• 19:17
  [SPEAKER_05]: He's Grand Valley State University.
• 19:19
  [SPEAKER_05]: You do a lot of things over their coach, assistant head coach, secondary coach, a part of the recruiting coordinator.
• 19:26
  [SPEAKER_05]: So I appreciate you hopping on and chatting John A with us.
• 19:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: That'll prompt me time.
• 19:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: Glad to be beyond a touchbook.
• 19:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: My man,
• 19:34
  [SPEAKER_05]: So is that a word you would use to describe him as confident?
• 19:38
  [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, you hit the nail in the head.
• 19:40
  [SPEAKER_03]: He is very confident in his playing, that's for sure.
• 19:46
  [SPEAKER_03]: He pissed me off a lot sometimes in a good way when he did some things to my DBs back in the day when he was here, but in all good goodness, it was good for the team.
• 19:59
  [SPEAKER_03]: But yeah, John A's a hell of a player, that's for sure.
• 20:02
  [SPEAKER_05]: So let's back it up, let's start a little bit that Grand Valley State University about four hours away from where he grew up went to high school.
• 20:10
  [SPEAKER_05]: Chad a little bit about the recruiting process at Grand Valley.
• 20:13
  [SPEAKER_05]: What you guys look for in the off-season is there certain schools you usually try to recruit?
• 20:18
  [SPEAKER_05]: What does that process look like for that university?
• 20:22
  [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, you know, we have our areas that we farm, you know, and from Michigan,
• 20:30
  [SPEAKER_03]: into Ohio, to Indiana, and then to Illinois, which we just dabble in Chicago area, because there's enough schools there to go around for a while, but you know, and then so we go on the road for a couple of weeks in January, and then we get back and then we identify, you know, all the players that we want to kind of take a look at from what high school coaches gather, you know, give us information on, and then we watch film from their junior year, and then, uh,
• 20:57
  [SPEAKER_03]: We fit as a staff and evaluate all those guys by position and then after that kind of we go back in the road for two weeks and May and that's where we do our spring recruiting where it's a big evil for us, we got to see them, you know, in a gym class in a weight room track practice or, you know, anything moving around in shorts and t-shirt basically.
• 21:27
  [SPEAKER_03]: And then after that position coaches take over the recruiting.
• 21:31
  [SPEAKER_03]: So starting based weekly when camps start the summer, you're on your own with your own position as far as that goes right there.
• 21:39
  [SPEAKER_03]: So in I think we have a good plan of how we do things.
• 21:42
  [SPEAKER_03]: I think right now in the class of 26, I believe we have 33 guys committed, which is phenomenal at our level, you know, and
• 21:51
  [SPEAKER_03]: We keep losing guys, good players, we recruit the good players and then they decided to go elsewhere.
• 21:56
  [SPEAKER_03]: Like, Chad, hey, did you know, we got to bring in a big group of freshmen, you know, plaster, we signed 40 kids and I think this year will sign another 40 kids of high school kids that are division one talent, you know, and maybe aren't getting looked for whatever reasons, maybe it's grades, maybe it's, you know, lack of development just quite yet in their senior year.
• 22:21
  [SPEAKER_03]: And, you know, if they turn out to get really good players, you know, hope for they stick around, but, you know, some, some decided to go elsewhere.
• 22:28
  [SPEAKER_03]: So, and that's fine.
• 22:29
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, we'll continue to bring in really good high school kids and develop them.
• 22:33
  [SPEAKER_03]: And then, you know, they'll next, you know, the next, the next guy up, mentality, when guys leave, you know, then guys have to step up and in the role and go from there.
• 22:41
  [SPEAKER_03]: So, with Jade, you know, it was like that.
• 22:44
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, he was a division one player.
• 22:46
  [SPEAKER_03]: I think he turned
• 22:51
  [SPEAKER_03]: Remember he serves me correctly, you know, I don't recruit Cleveland and or receivers, but, you know, with me being the recruiting corner, I have a, you know, a big say and everything.
• 22:59
  [SPEAKER_03]: But I remember he serves me correctly.
• 23:02
  [SPEAKER_03]: I think he was getting looked at to go to be a P. W. All to play safety and he really wanted to play wide receiver.
• 23:09
  [SPEAKER_03]: And we obviously offered him and he ended up coming to Grand Valley, you know, at a high school.
• 23:14
  [SPEAKER_05]: So let's talk about that because I know in high school he was playing what you see a lot of high school players doing that playing both sides of the ball But him specifically he has good numbers in high school at both quarterback.
• 23:24
  [SPEAKER_05]: I know he played safety a little bit.
• 23:26
  [SPEAKER_05]: He also played wide receiver obviously so What when you're making that decision.
• 23:30
  [SPEAKER_05]: Did you guys see him more as a as a wide receiver than you did the defensive back.
• 23:39
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, we brought him in in the summertime and we worked him out and we just thought his skills that was a little bit better at water seever, but I also said, yeah, if he can't catch the ball, we'll bring more of my side.
• 23:52
  [SPEAKER_03]: We'll we'll play him as a safety and he can run downhill and hit people and then even when he got here.
• 23:57
  [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I joked about him all the time because he was always making my deemies look bad on my dude come on my side of the ball, so you can make me look good I love that and I think it's cool.
• 24:07
  [SPEAKER_05]: Number one, his story is cool in general when you go from the high school to Grand Valley 2 Texas A&M you're undrafted and then you make a 53 man roster in Chicago.
• 24:17
  [SPEAKER_05]: I think
• 24:18
  [SPEAKER_05]: It's a good story.
• 24:19
  [SPEAKER_05]: It's a cool path to kind of see.
• 24:20
  [SPEAKER_05]: It shows he hasn't given up.
• 24:21
  [SPEAKER_05]: He's kept pushing and he obviously had goals and he feels like he can accomplish them.
• 24:26
  [SPEAKER_05]: So when you're talking about when you first do you remember when you first saw John A. Whether that was in person on film what was what was the first time you remember seeing him and what stood out.
• 24:37
  [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, the first time I saw him was the film, you know, but obviously that's not in person.
• 24:41
  [SPEAKER_03]: And I, you could tell that he was, you know, he was a quote unquote dog, a competitor, you know, and really truly love the game of football.
• 24:50
  [SPEAKER_03]: You could see that off a highlight tape.
• 24:51
  [SPEAKER_03]: And then, you know, when we went and visited him at the school, and, you know, the coaches came back and we looked at the notes, you know, it's said like what we just talked about the very
• 25:06
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, when you get a kid that has confidence in his ability, but has humility and wants to work hard.
• 25:13
  [SPEAKER_03]: Well, then you have somebody there, you know what I mean?
• 25:16
  [SPEAKER_03]: And I really think that was what we saw on him out of high school.
• 25:20
  [SPEAKER_03]: And then we got him on the campus and did the workout and he competed there too.
• 25:24
  [SPEAKER_03]: And then continue to get to know him, you could tell like he has competitors in this system.
• 25:30
  [SPEAKER_03]: Like he wants to win, he wants to be successful.
• 25:33
  [SPEAKER_03]: But he's also the type of kid that, you know, he'll talk his game, but then he'll back it up to by his work ethic and, you know,
• 25:41
  [SPEAKER_03]: I don't remember actually the very first time, but I remember like his freshman year, you know, another good story is like, we wanted to register them, but he kind of forced us not to register them.
• 25:53
  [SPEAKER_03]: And what I mean by that is like, he was making so many plays than making us look, I don't know say bad, but like, okay, this guy's ready as a freshman, you know, like some guys come in and just aren't ready mentally or physically, but he came in and learned the playbook
• 26:11
  [SPEAKER_03]: Was making plays and we're just like, well, shit, let's play this.
• 26:14
  [SPEAKER_03]: We have to do it.
• 26:15
  [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, he's that good.
• 26:17
  [SPEAKER_03]: Like, why, why, why, why wait.
• 26:18
  [SPEAKER_03]: Let's play him now.
• 26:19
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, and I think the biggest thing with your days, just as competitive nature, he's such a competitor that loves football.
• 26:28
  [SPEAKER_03]: And it's awesome that he has such good confidence in his ability.
• 26:31
  [SPEAKER_03]: And like I said, you know, he doesn't reach of arrogance whatsoever to.
• 26:36
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, I feel like one of the more difficult things probably you've had to deal with and players had to deal with during that time COVID hit.
• 26:42
  [SPEAKER_05]: I believe it was his junior year in high school and COVID hit.
• 26:44
  [SPEAKER_05]: So yeah, the the difficulties and that of really trying to be able to recruit players.
• 26:49
  [SPEAKER_05]: I don't know where you're squeezing looked like conference conference.
• 26:51
  [SPEAKER_05]: It was a little bit different.
• 26:52
  [SPEAKER_05]: I've had did you guys play that season?
• 26:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: No, we're just practiced.
• 26:56
  [SPEAKER_05]: Okay, so what was the process in recruiting and that a lot more just film study and virtual stuff?
• 27:03
  [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, man.
• 27:03
  [SPEAKER_03]: But no, it's going to work.
• 27:05
  [SPEAKER_03]: We can.
• 27:05
  [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
• 27:07
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, I think that year, we were, we were able to go out and watch more high school games because we did not play.
• 27:18
  [SPEAKER_03]: We kind of like switched our season to the championship segment to the second semester so we could practice more because that first semester, um,
• 27:28
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, a lot of a lot of things weren't going on, you know, and even high school football.
• 27:32
  [SPEAKER_03]: So I can't exactly remember when they were planned, but I do remember us getting out to a lot of games.
• 27:39
  [SPEAKER_03]: And, you know, the other part of that too is with COVID.
• 27:43
  [SPEAKER_03]: I think a lot of, a lot of D1 guys missed on a lot of players, and that, you know, and that time too for whatever reason, and we were able to
• 27:55
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, obviously snag a really good class because A, we weren't playing B. We could, you know, do a little more evaluating, do a little more digging.
• 28:05
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, because obviously we didn't, we weren't prepping for a game or doing anything that way.
• 28:08
  [SPEAKER_03]: So, you know, I don't know exactly, you know, how it all unfolded, but
• 28:14
  [SPEAKER_03]: I do know our former coach, I was here that had that area.
• 28:17
  [SPEAKER_03]: I did a phenomenal job.
• 28:18
  [SPEAKER_03]: And we did have them to battle some other schools.
• 28:21
  [SPEAKER_03]: And I'd cleave them four or five hours away long or drive to get them here.
• 28:26
  [SPEAKER_03]: And we ended up getting here.
• 28:27
  [SPEAKER_03]: And a lot of kids that come here that never been a Grand Valley, they fall in love with Grand Valley, because it is such a beautiful campus.
• 28:34
  [SPEAKER_03]: And our facilities are like a division one program.
• 28:37
  [SPEAKER_03]: And so then it's just for us, like I talked about, just to get to know the kids.
• 28:44
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, we don't care what high school you came from, what record you're was.
• 28:47
  [SPEAKER_03]: We want competitive guys here that love football.
• 28:50
  [SPEAKER_03]: And that's why Johnny was such a right fit for us and for him too.
• 28:54
  [SPEAKER_05]: So let's talk about those couple seasons.
• 28:56
  [SPEAKER_05]: The two seasons he was there.
• 28:57
  [SPEAKER_05]: You just mentioned he kind of forced you guys to start how much I think is a really cool story, because that's probably similar to what the Bears did.
• 29:05
  [SPEAKER_05]: I feel like the Bears were looking.
• 29:06
  [SPEAKER_05]: They're like he made too many plays in the preseason.
• 29:08
  [SPEAKER_05]: We can't have this kid not on the roster at this point, but what do you think in that time in those couple years at Grand Valley, did you see kind of develop the most or stick out the most when it comes to his receiving game?
• 29:21
  [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, you know, I'd say his maturity.
• 29:23
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, when he was younger, again, you know, he come out of high school, you come here, you go to college, like you are, you know, you're the top dog and you're high school, you know, you're the one of the best players on a high school, then you come, you know, to Grand Valley and you know, it's, it's not like that.
• 29:42
  [SPEAKER_03]: For him right away, it wasn't, but then, you know, he was a little bit different now and he picked it up a little bit quicker,
• 29:49
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, I would just say his maturity, you know, and, you know, there was times to where, you know, my DBs, they were, they were locked at him down, and he had to figure out and take coaching and learn how to get off, press man, you know, and, you know, like that was the number one weakness that he had is, you know, getting off a press there, you know, and zone, you know, you have easier, you know, easy access to easier routes, and, you know, getting to where you got to get to, but in man, you know, you have to have a plan,
• 30:17
  [SPEAKER_03]: And I think that's where he learned the most from coaching and to just maturing and watching tape to have a plan of what and how to get off releases, especially for us because we do play a lot of press man here.
• 30:28
  [SPEAKER_03]: And I think that's what helped him get on the field so quick, obviously make him plays, but just understanding the big picture of things, you know, the things of splits and how to line up and what routes and all that stuff that you have to be able to do.
• 30:44
  [SPEAKER_03]: to be able to play as such young age as the freshman.
• 30:48
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, when I was talking to Coach Nicholson, he was kind of saying, and this is obviously at the high school level, and then what he's watched through his college career, and he asked what type of receiver he thinks he would describe him as, and he pretty much said he could do a little bit of everything, you know, his size, he can do, he can do the contest at 50, 50 stuff if you need him, he can be the deep part if you need him.
• 31:07
  [SPEAKER_05]: How would you describe him if you were to play some in a spot on an NFL roster, ready to think he would fit best?
• 31:13
  [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I mean, I'd probably say on the outside, you know, I don't know necessarily in that level inside you got to be a little quicker, you know, I'm not saying he's not quicker slow, but, you know, those guys a little bit different, but outside guys that can stretch your fields, but I also think outside guys that can, you know, the, the contested catches, you know, I mean he's a bigger body that, you know, catches a ball well in traffic and or as he's getting hit, you know, so his strength.
• 31:39
  [SPEAKER_03]: And his length, I think, is, you know, something that he has don't form, you know, at that level, everyone's faster and bigger.
• 31:45
  [SPEAKER_03]: And I think he has that, you know, ability to be able to do that.
• 31:49
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, fun fact, he was, he actually was that our game on set last Saturday.
• 31:53
  [SPEAKER_03]: This past Saturday, he was on the sideline, everything.
• 31:56
  [SPEAKER_03]: And I was bullshit with him for a little bit.
• 31:59
  [SPEAKER_03]: I just see them again, I haven't seen them since a long time ago, and he's gotten bigger, and I think that frame has only helped him, and will continue to help him at that level.
• 32:11
  [SPEAKER_03]: And again, too, it doesn't matter where you come from.
• 32:14
  [SPEAKER_03]: There's one division, two, if you have a work ethic, and you have a chip on your shoulder, and that can pet it in this, you can beat people out for sure at any level.
• 32:24
  [SPEAKER_03]: It doesn't matter what level this, and I think he has that goal for him.
• 32:28
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, he definitely has the personality and that obviously drive to be able to do it.
• 32:32
  [SPEAKER_05]: So it's been really fun to watch and just the short time.
• 32:34
  [SPEAKER_05]: A couple more for your coach before I let you go.
• 32:36
  [SPEAKER_05]: That portal, we talk about it.
• 32:38
  [SPEAKER_05]: You talk about the difficulties at your level and I can imagine when the bigger schools, the D1 schools try and come in and swipe the guys that you guys have worked hard to get.
• 32:46
  [SPEAKER_05]: And then the portal and coach football right now is a little wild in general.
• 32:50
  [SPEAKER_05]: You're seeing guys everywhere flip flop.
• 32:52
  [SPEAKER_05]: My brother coach baseball at Western Kentucky for a while, and we've talked a lot about the difficulties that he's had there when it comes to the recruiting and the portal and all of that.
• 33:01
  [SPEAKER_05]: But when it came to Texas A&M, do you remember conversations of what kind of said, was it an easy choice for him?
• 33:07
  [SPEAKER_05]: Did he feel like maybe he wanted to stay at Grand Valley?
• 33:09
  [SPEAKER_05]: What did that look like at that time?
• 33:12
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, the good thing with our guys is,
• 33:16
  [SPEAKER_03]: Um, we're always honest enough front with our guys and we ask them to be the same that way, you know, and so a lot of our guys, when they do decide or want to go in the portal, um, they come to us and they can they reach out to our head, they talk to position coaches, coordinators, whatever or, uh, and then they at the day they get to the head coach and that coach does a great job talking through some things, you know what I mean, we can show them kind of what they're rating is, we can show them all these things, um,
• 33:42
  [SPEAKER_03]: But you know, if they're going to go, they're going to go.
• 33:44
  [SPEAKER_03]: But I think the biggest thing is for us is that our guys, they won't go to a G five school.
• 33:52
  [SPEAKER_03]: Okay.
• 33:53
  [SPEAKER_03]: I'm talking to the good ones.
• 33:55
  [SPEAKER_03]: Okay.
• 33:56
  [SPEAKER_03]: They'll want to say coach all.
• 33:59
  [SPEAKER_03]: I want to test the waters out or whatever and then if a P4 school is interested in me and shows me some some dollar signs or whatever that may be You know if they don't then then I definitely want to come back here because you know we're just as good as as a lot of G five schools go in that regard that way and we have that kind of going for us, which is freaking awesome.
• 34:22
  [SPEAKER_03]: But you know we can't stop kid from from going wherever that that's for sure and
• 34:27
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, when he went in, I knew that he wasn't, he was going to get some P4 offers.
• 34:32
  [SPEAKER_03]: You know, we had a lot of phone calls on his behalf, and that's another thing how, you know, how the world works is, is coaches are, they're sharks, and the portal is is full blood, you know, and so a lot of coaches call us and ask about some references of a kid how he is in this mat.
• 34:49
  [SPEAKER_03]: And, you know, we're going to be honest with people, and with John A.
• 34:52
  [SPEAKER_03]: And in a lot of our guys like, you know, we're going to be honest with them and what Judd A was easy like everything we just talked about, all of everything, you know, it was a no brainer for him to go there because he does have A the measurables and B the competitiveness to play at that level, you know, and obviously he went there and
• 35:09
  [SPEAKER_03]: improve that he could do that in the SEC, which is a very, very good football conference, obviously, and then, you know, he got a shot, he got his opportunity to play in go to camp and then he, you know, proved people wrong there too and now he's there and he's going to continue doing those things that I think will keep him in NFL for a long time.
• 35:28
  [SPEAKER_03]: And you know, and I think that's special teams with that body type and the things he can do, he'll be on some special teams, and then you know, he'll finally eventually get him find himself on the field as a wider
• 35:39
  [SPEAKER_03]: when he's time comes, he'll make plays and he'll stock or only continue to go up.
• 35:43
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, it's funny.
• 35:44
  [SPEAKER_05]: You use that shark word.
• 35:45
  [SPEAKER_05]: We have conversations all the time about the portal.
• 35:47
  [SPEAKER_05]: And I remember this last off season when Lenora Sellers, obviously out of South Carolina, came out and who's talking about the money he got offered.
• 35:54
  [SPEAKER_05]: I was like, that's interesting.
• 35:55
  [SPEAKER_05]: He never even hit the portal and he knows what people were offering him.
• 35:58
  [SPEAKER_05]: But
• 36:00
  [SPEAKER_05]: Not a shot on him, I'm a shot on the people that are in the portal, but so final one, you just said he came to the game this last weekend, so you who are having some conversations giving him a hard time.
• 36:10
  [SPEAKER_05]: Did he talk at all about Chicago, how it's been, Ben Johnson, and he's that stuff with you?
• 36:15
  [SPEAKER_03]: I just asked him, you find a place to live, and he said, yeah, I've got a condo and everything and then he, I just kind of asked him like, you know, how it was, and
• 36:25
  [SPEAKER_03]: He's like, you know, hey, I just show up every day and I work hard and I know I can't work a lot of people.
• 36:30
  [SPEAKER_03]: And I was like, well, exactly, that's how you probably made the team, you know, and, you know, that's, again, that's who he is.
• 36:38
  [SPEAKER_03]: He's going to continue doing that stuff.
• 36:39
  [SPEAKER_03]: But I mean, we didn't talk about any coaches or any of that stuff that way.
• 36:43
  [SPEAKER_03]: No.
• 36:44
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, it's funny because every person coach Nicholson you, and then now I just saw an interview today with Ryan Poles talking about him and he mentioned also like the he's there at 5 a.m.
• 36:54
  [SPEAKER_05]: and he's the last one leaving that's just the type of guy is that work ethic so.
• 36:58
  [SPEAKER_05]: It's something that it keeps you there to your point.
• 37:00
  [SPEAKER_05]: That's the guys that last in the NFL.
• 37:02
  [SPEAKER_05]: So I really appreciate your time coach.
• 37:04
  [SPEAKER_05]: It'll be fun watching Jada.
• 37:05
  [SPEAKER_05]: Obviously Monday night football this week against the Viking.
• 37:07
  [SPEAKER_05]: So he gets to be under the lights right away.
• 37:10
  [SPEAKER_03]: No, no, no, no good job.
• 37:12
  [SPEAKER_03]: He's not afraid of the moment.
• 37:13
  [SPEAKER_03]: That's for sure.
• 37:14
  [SPEAKER_05]: I love it.
• 37:15
  [SPEAKER_05]: All right.
• 37:15
  [SPEAKER_05]: Well, I appreciate your time.
• 37:16
  [SPEAKER_05]: And you have a good rest of your day.
• 37:18
  [SPEAKER_05]: Good luck this season.
• 37:19
  [SPEAKER_05]: Thanks, Taylor.
• 37:19
  [SPEAKER_05]: Appreciate you.
• 37:20
  [SPEAKER_05]: Thanks.
• 37:20
  [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.