February 12, 2025 • 30 mins
On the latest NFL Players: Second Acts podcast, former Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Cassel joins Roman and Peanut. Matt explains how he made it to the NFL after being a backup quarterback at USC and what it took to lead the New England Patriots to an 11-5 record after Tom Brady tore his ACL. He discusses what an NFL player has to deal with when they get traded, one thing he would have done differently in his career, and plays a word association game based on some of his famous teammates and coaches. He also explains why he went in broadcasting after his playing days and how he ended up as the cohost for the Lots to Say Podcast with Bobby Bones.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Are you ready? I'm ready?
Speaker 2 (00:02):
All right, three.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
You just scared that person?
Speaker 3 (00:06):
I know, security security.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
What's up, everybody.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
I'm Peanut Tuman and this is the NFL Player's Second
Act podcast with me, as always my trust to co
host mister one Roman Haupa.
Speaker 5 (00:27):
Oh, thank you soior. Okay, thank you so much. Wherever
you figure a podcast at. I'm really excited about this.
Next guests played against this guy quite a few times.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Go ahead.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
He's a pro bowler. Fourteen year vet, fourteen years, fourteen years.
That's that's a lot less blessed. Fourteen year NFL VET.
He's an analyst for NBC Sports and he has his
own podcast called Lots to Say. Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome
to the pod, Matt Cast. Yes, hey, great to.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Be here with you guys. Great to be here with you, guy,
appreciate it. I like you. Jays. Yeah, you know what,
I just had to stand my shoe game up.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I mean this, as you can tell with kids and
stuff like that, you're walking around, I need to you know,
I need.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
To get a little paulished up.
Speaker 5 (01:06):
But can't we just talk about that, like how mad
does it make you as a parent when your kids
step on your shoes.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Bro, this is a real thing. It is a real thing.
And I've got five.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Yeah, in any given moment, that kid will walk in
it's muddy outside, and all of a sudden just not
care where their feet go and step right on your
white shoe. And I'm just like, ah, especially if it's
not the leather where you can just wipe it off,
you know, where it just sticks and you got to
put it actually in the wash.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah, it drives me crazy.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
How old are your kids?
Speaker 1 (01:35):
So I've got fourteen, thirteen, eleven, nine and seven. Man,
we knocked it out. Yeah, but we got a lot.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
So, I mean I got four, you got five, I
got four, he got four.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
It's a blessing, man, it's a blessing. It's crazy because
we've got you know, we've got three girls. The two
oldest to the youngest are girls. And my boys are
the eleven year old in the middle of number four.
So they all have different personalities. The girls now, you know,
they're thirteen fourteen, So those sweet little darlings from one
day to the next, just based on what stage of
life they're in. You're like, what happened to you today?
(02:07):
You know, like they're at that stage where you're like,
oh my gosh, so but it's great, man. It's been
fun watching after being done with football, watching them grow
and be present and get to go to sports and
be there as a dad.
Speaker 5 (02:20):
What is the sports that is keeping you busy right now?
Because I know I'm like a very low paid uber.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Driving that's one hundred percent what I feel like.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
And you know, you get that little reprieve during the
day where you drop the kids off at school. Yeah,
and then you're like, Okay, got to get my work
out in. I got to get some of my work done.
And then that two thirty three o'clock whistle hits and
you're picking up. Yeah, the grind, and then you're going
to this practice drop off here, you know, you might
have a game, and then it's just all day long
til you get home for maybe some dinner.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
It gets easier when they start driving.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Though, right I'm not there yet.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I got two they're driving, so oh that's nice. Yeah,
it makes it a lot easier.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
So I got nineteen, seventeen, fifteen and twelve teams in college,
so I'm seventeen, can drop the fifteen around all that,
and sometimes I just got to make sure the twelve
year old gets to where she has.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
To go to.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
I can't wait to get there. I know, I'm please goals.
My daughter's gonna turn fifteen this year. She's a freshman
in high school, so she'll get her permit. But next
year she'll she'll be driving for the first time, and
I'm like, man, that's gonna be nice. It's gonna be nice.
It's a little bit scary, but at the same time
it'll be nice. So when they can help out a.
Speaker 5 (03:26):
Little bit, well, Matt, how are you enjoying the podcast space?
Speaker 3 (03:29):
When I got done among those people that I need purpose? Right,
And when you get done, I think everybody has to
kind of reinvent how they look at themselves because forever
everybody's like, oh, you're Matt Castle, the football player, right,
and there's part of you that does that. But then
at the same time, you have goals and if you're
ambitious and you want to do something else, you've got
to get into it. And so I was sitting around
after that first off season where I'm not playing, I'm
(03:50):
going what do I want to do? And I thought
the media space might be something that I wanted to
go out and try, and so I work for NBC
Sports Boston. I covered the Patriots for a little while
and got a little bit of the taste of that
being on the show like we did to our pregame,
and so I loved it because you're still talking ball,
you have your relationships. And then NBC approached me two
years ago to do college football. I never thought that
(04:11):
was a space that I'd go back into, and it
was intimidating, right. You go from thirty two teams, which
with a bunch of familiar faces to one hundred and
thirty one teams with a revolving door with the transfer portal,
the team's changed consistently, and then it was also it
was with the Big ten. So I'm sitting there going man,
I was in the Pac twelve, right, and so I
had to learn traditions and all that. So it was
(04:32):
just a new challenge. But I stepped up and did
that the last two seasons and that's been so much
fun because I'm the guy that gets to go to
the stadium do the coverage from there, and there's nothing
quite like college football and the passant tree, the energy
and the just the fans. Man, they are passionate and testimate,
intense human being.
Speaker 5 (04:51):
Where's the funnest place you've been to so far that like,
you know, being a Pac twelve guy, you're a West
Coast guy.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
We did a Colorado Nebraska game this year that was
it was lit man.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
They were because they they felt like they had a
good team.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
The young quarterback Dylan Ryola came in and gave him
some hope. And the crazy part about them is they
hadn't been to a bowl like since twenty sixteen, and
they sold out every game.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Yeah, they do.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
And then we had the Ohio State Oregon game, which
was I mean, Eugene, I played there and I know
it's a special place. But just because of the intensity
of that game and the two of the top teams
in the country going back and forth, and it lived
up to the hype. You know, sometimes those games don't
live up to the hype, but it did. It was
back and forth, great game. So there was a lot
of great, great games this year, but those were two
(05:37):
that really stuck out to me.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
So since you've had your own your your podcast, lots
to say, who's been one of your favorite guests?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Gosh, you know, I played with Jared Allen and I
was happy for him. Congratulations to him. He just got
inducted into the Hall of Fame. So he's a teammate
of mine, and you know those relationships that you have
on the podcast when you you can tell old stories
locker room this, and Jared, you just have to dangle
a little carrot out front him and he'll take it right.
So he's telling a story about you know, what's an
(06:06):
injury that you had that you didn't want to.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Report and he's of course big in the honey.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
He was telling how he was trying to go over
this barbed wire fence and pour his hand up and
he tried to go in and tell him something else happened.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
It's just funny stories like that that when you you're
not just talking about XS and go, but you're talking
about lifestyle and people and they open up in a
way that you just And that's the fun part for
me on the podcast in this space in general, is
you learn more about the individual and people. And the
cool part about lots to say with Bobby is he's
in that Bobby Bones and he's in that entertainment space,
(06:37):
so he's got a lot of crossover.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
So we had Luke.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Bryan on the other day, another entertaining dude. Yeah, like
just yeah, he's funny. He is funny and he's Country's
so country big dude too. He is a big dude.
And then Tim McGraw came on and he had an
interesting story. He's telling us all about like when he
was in high school, he's a baller in basketball, average
like thirty five points a game. Yeah, he said. His
(07:01):
senior year he scorts like fifty nine sixty points in
one game.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
I was like, no, I would have known that never. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
So it's cool to hear these guys because everybody has
their connection to sports and they all have their own
backstory and stuff, and so to listen to some of
these guys comment on their experiences in sports and what
it's done for them in terms of their drive and
their commitment level, it's always fun.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
How did you connect with your co host Bobby Bones?
You know, it was really through the NFL Media group.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
They reached out through an email said that they're looking
to do a podcast with Bobby Bones and he's in Nashville,
so it was super convenient for me, and so I
went and met Bobby, and I thought I was going
in for like a cup of coffee, sit down and
get to know you. He was he's got so much
going on in that multimedia space that he deals with
with the radio, and he's got his own podcast. So
I walk in, he's doing his pod. He's like put
(07:49):
on the headphones. I was like, oh, I'm getting interviewed basically.
So I sat down not prepared, but it was great
because that's what I knew we could connect on a
different level because it just felt like you're talking to
a friend. And that's that's I think what makes the
best podcast when you're not trying too hard, it's just conversational.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
That's kind of what we've tried to do with these
podcasts for our shows. I think one of the best
ones we had was war Moon year today.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
War Moon just a.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
Little while ago, we had m Smith, very very conversation,
you love war Moon because war Moon loved Peanut.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
I'm telling you what some of these legends that walk
around like we had war Moon on yesterday too, and
I mean I just loved watching him growing up and
his story too undrafted and I was asking about.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Okay, Canadian Football League that transition, how hard was that?
And then he's explaining that you forget like there's twelve
guys on the field, the dimensions are different, the emotions
and all this stuff. And he's like, but it made
me a better football player because it was a run
and shoot. Not a lot of teams were doing like
the spread offense. But when I was able to go
into Houston and like start to play in that capacity,
(08:56):
he already had a high level of passing the acumen
because he was able to do it all the time
in the Canadian Football League. But incredible human. I've known
him for a long time.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
So so Matt, let's talk about your football career a
little bit. All right, So you did you were never
a starter in college?
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Never started. Pete Carroll really screwed me, just kidding, that's crazy.
Speaker 6 (09:17):
I mean, you're behind greats. You took a shot at
him right there. No, no, I was. It might be
a truth sy, but it was just like, so you
never started, I didn't know. I think it's amazing.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
I think that is a part of your journey that
more people need to hear about that. Like, this guy
never started in college, but he still went to the
NFL and played fourteen years. Not allly that, but I
want to know your emotions about the two thousand and
eight season, which, in my opinion, probably changed your whole life.
It did, all right, Tom Brady gets hurt in week
one he turns as acl where now we have the
(09:51):
you can't go low on quarterbacks anymore? He created that rule.
But what was born out at is Matt Castle. Right,
all right, you came in. You guys won eleven and
five tie for the best wreck in the AMC East,
but did not make the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Oh, it's so hurt some kind of way.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
You two for three thousand, six hundred and ninety three yards,
twenty one uds and ten and five as have started,
and you guys didn't make the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
How do you not make the playoffs with that record?
Speaker 3 (10:17):
You know, it was like the first time in since
the merger or something like that of the team when
I went eleven and five and it was of course
they say ten and five and I'm like ready went down.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
The score was zero to zero in the first quarter. Oh,
they don't give you that. They don't give you you know.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Like if you leave the game as a starter adventure,
you don't get the credit for the win.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
If you get it like that the guy that comes in.
They didn't give me this, they gave him the win.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
I was like, this's messed up. Yeah we had it
was zero zero. When he left the game, I was like,
what's going on here? No, but uh, that season was
crazy because again I mean going back to even college.
You know, I was behind Carson Palmer, Matt Liner and
I battled it out. But it was going in my
junior year and back then you transfer, you guys said
out a here. I kind of was in that catch
twenty two. So I even played some tight end. I
(10:59):
was on special team. I was in the wedge getting
blown up.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
By the way.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
I respect the hell out of everybody that plays special team.
I got a different perspective. Come on, give me something,
Come on.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Up right there.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Because Dud never played special teams. He's never played.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
That's when you know you're in alpha. You're too precious
to be on special teams. And I wasn't that.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Quarterbacks were playing special teams and you're not.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
And that was out of just necessity. I want to
get on the field. And so I'm sitting there, I'm like,
what am I doing right now? I'm sitting there with
my hand in the three point stance. You know, Pete
comes up midway through my junior year and goes, hey, yes, uh,
we we've got we've got.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
A few injuries. Could you help us out of tight end?
Speaker 3 (11:40):
And I played a little bit earlier in my career,
so I did that and uh, And then my senior year,
I went back and said, coach, I just want to
end how I came in, I'm done with this. Ricky Manning.
I came over and separated my AC joint and special teams.
But I was like, what am I doing right? But nonetheless,
I just said I'm gonna give myself a shot. You know,
we had a lot of great players coming out, you
(12:02):
guys did, and so I knew that there was going
to be eyes on that pro day basically, and I said,
this was an opportunity for me to go out and
maybe showcase my skill a little bit. And at that
point I got a lot of interest. So I got calls,
but it was all free agency. And then the next
thing I know, on Draft Day, I got a phone
call from New England Patriots and it's Bill Belichick saying
they're going to take me next on the draft. I
(12:22):
thought he was messing with me. I was like, who's
messing with me right now? And it was Bill and
He's like, no, this is Bill Belichie. And so that
got my foot in the door and I'm forever grateful
for that. And then I had to go earn it,
you know, and getting the preseason, get that opportunity in preseason,
work my way up the depth chart and became the
number two quarterback for Brady for the second third season.
Flutie was there our first season, so he was really
(12:43):
the primary, but they gave me an opportunity to play late.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
So then it was the waiting game. You know.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Brady was one of those dude, he was an iron
man and all that stuff. And then I'll never forget
to play. I was watching it and he threw a
ball down the sideline to Randy Raandy I think caught it,
but then fumbled the ball. So we're I'm watching this
all transpire, and next thing I know, this hush was
over the crowd and I look back and there's Brady
on the ground. Yeah, and I was like, he's probably
going to get up, you know, because he always would
(13:08):
get up eventually, but this time he didn't. And then
he's hobbling off the field, and all of a sudden,
you know, you start to hear that.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
They finally get him off the field.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Tom goes in back in the locker room and Bill
goes Castle, grab your helmet, You're going in.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
That's it, like, not like, hey, are you ready for this?
Speaker 3 (13:27):
So I'm firing the ball a side, and of course
they punt it down to the one yard line. We're
backed up, and I'm like, man, this is my opportunity, right,
I've been waiting for Everybody always says you're a play
away here there as the backup quarterback, But realistically it
took a long time, right, So I'm sitting there for
what eight years before this opportunity came. But I was
ready for it. But at the same time, you just
got your nerves and all that. And the first throw
(13:49):
is interesting. We tried to run the ball, get nothing.
We called like a little pop pass and Patrick's retained savvy.
Vett was anticipating something coming out quick. He jumps inside.
Randy Will typical Randy just smart player, man. He sees
it and he just takes off and runs a go
down the sideline and I come up off off the
play action expecting the skinny post, hands up, goes up
and I.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Tossed it down there. Somehow I hit it.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
I was like blacked out at that point. He catches it,
go for fifty five yards and gets tackled, but we
go down score and at that point I was like,
I mean, we're going And from there it was just
the evolution of the season.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
I think that they held me back a little bit
early on.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
I threw a lot of slip screens, a lot of
slip screens for confidence those first few games, and then
they're like, look, Castle does a play, but we got
to open it up.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
And at that point we started a roll.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
After that eight season, I know how to make the playoffs.
Did it make up for it? Like what you did
the next season? Because the contract that you signed.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Well, that sound pretty good. I'm not gonna lie, I mean.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
And at the same time it was something that I
was just kind of fighting for survival. At that point,
I was in my fourth year, my rookie deal. Yeah,
I didn't have any film to go off of. And
then that year hit and I was able to prove
not only to myself but the other organizations that hey,
I belong here. I always believed in myself, but until
you actually go out and do it, Yeah, it's a
(15:04):
whole different, you know, mindset. And so then New England,
because there's some complications with Brady, they franchised me. So
I was like, well, I'm signing this immediately, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
And then the next thing way more and I was
just like, wow, this is crazy. But I didn't think
I was actually going to be there. I was like,
it's just a matter of time, and then sure enough
I got traded to Kansas City. Nice part for me,
I had a bargaining chip in my back pocket to
go set up my next contract. So it changed my
life and the outlook of where I was as a
football player forever.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
But at the same time, it was there's something to
be said about having some financial stability, but I never
looked at it that way. It was just one of
those things that I went out and performed when I
needed to perform and was rewarded with the contract and
very very lucky for it.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
We're going to take a short break and we'll be
back in a minute.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
You know.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
You bring up a couple of different things I think
that are very intriguing. First of all, Timing, Timing is
everything everything, especially for you and your case where we're
talking about.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
But then also maybe go back to you.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
You talked about mentality, your mentality of not being a starter,
doing whatever it takes to get on the field in college.
How did those type things, those situations maybe prepare you
mentally or emotionally for what you were going to have
to deal with as far as your NFL career, where
you went from being in somebody else's organization so now
you're the face of one organization.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
Yeah, you know, it's interesting because I think all those
different moments throughout college that you get told no, or
we're going to go with this guy. You got to
go through that mental anguish, you know, and deal with
it and how you respond. And we've all been around
players that they get they go into their shell, they
get pissed off, they start pointing the finger, they do this.
(16:53):
But my mentality was always like, I'm going to be
the best team that can be. I'm going to go
out work as hard as I can do. And even
the sense that I even went out and tried out
for the NFL, it was funny because I go into
that pro day and they're like.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Who are you.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
I know I shouldn't be here, but I'm gonna try
out nonetheless. And so I just always had this chip
on my shoulder a little bit, and I took my punches.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
And then I think it was a breath of fresh
air when.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
I got a call from Bill Belichick and they said,
we're going to give you an opportunity, because that's all
I was looking for. And sometimes it's just that opportunity
of somebody believing in you, even though you might not
believe in yourself, to give you that opportunity. And so
I had a lot of confidence once that took place,
and it just pushed me even harder.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
And then throughout the time. I mean, it's a masterclass.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
You learned behind Tom Brady how to be a professional,
how to work, how to interact with your teammates, and
do all that because not everybody you treat the same.
As a quarterback Randy Moss, You're gonna pull talk to
him at his locker. You're not gonna show him up
on the field because Randy might get pissed, right, Wes Welger.
You could yell at him, you could dog custom do
all that. He's gonna keep running back a labrador puppy
and tell me what next.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Right.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
So it was just all those different interactions and the
different people that had had an impact and influenced me.
And then when you get that opportunity, I'm not going
to say it's not stressful, but the more that I
could put out of my mind like it's make or
break and just concentrate on the process and be process oriented.
And so every day I just was like, look, I
know everybody's gonna be talking about Brady going down. We
(18:25):
were eighteen and one the year before. I mean, the
media coverage was out out of control. But I just said,
you know what, I'm going to go and do my routine.
And that was a big, big byproduct I think of
staying the course.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Talk about you making your first Pro Bowl. What's the
journey that you had? You know, how cool was it
when you got that first phone call?
Speaker 1 (18:46):
It was unbelievable. Man.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
I was sitting there and you know, my journey is
unique and all that stuff. But when you get put
into that caliber player, Yeah, and you get recognized amongst
your peers, there's something so self fulfilling and just like, hey,
you've been You've been through this grind you've gone through
all this different adversity, but then when you get recognized
(19:09):
among your peers.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
I think that's one.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Of those things that you take a lot of pride
in is when you're sitting there going, okay, they they
see you, right. You might believe it yourself, but until
you actually get that call and they tell you, hey,
you made the Pro Bowl and you're like, man, there's
something special about that.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
And then to go out, you know, Hawaiian.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
I know everything's changed now, but to go out to
Hawaiian and be sitting there and talk to Ray Lewis
and Ed Reid and all these guys that you have
these relationships with now, and it's just that brotherhood is
so uniquely special.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
Do you like the new setup with the flag football
versus going out to Hawaii?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
I loved Hawaii.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Hawaii was dope, amazing, right, I agree, always loved.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
I love you always.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
You always had that one dude like Adrian Peterson who
is a teammate of mine in Minnesota, but he was
there that year on the opposite side.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
He's trying to run through dude's faces.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
And you know, there's a lot of dudes out there
like we had Matt Light one of my offensive tackles
in New England. He's sitting there and him and Suggs
are like doing a deal at the bar, like, hey,
if you don't rush hard, I'm a block you hard.
At one play, Matt Light's doing this well, Sugs is
doing like this. You know, it's all temperament of how
you're gonna go. But it's hard to play in that game,
(20:17):
and not just from a health standpoint and not go.
But Adrian was at a different level, right he's going.
So it's just an interesting game too, because practice is
a joke, right. You go out there, try to learn
a new offense or whatever you're doing defensively, You can't splitz,
you can't do this at in the other and then
you're having fun all week long and you're enjoying the moment.
So I think the game now is more set for
(20:41):
what it's really about is to have fun versus putting
maybe the guy's bodies in jeopardy butt.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
In your career, if there's any one thing that you
could go back and change, what would it be.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Gosh, that's a great question.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
When I was with Minnesota my second year and I
finished up that season, I had a bad injury. I
was in the third game of the year, broke my foot,
and Teddy Bridgewater was there, and you know, I had
these conversations with my agent and they're like, look, Teddy's
probably going to be the guy there and we should
look for a trade. I love Minnesota, I love my teammates,
I love all that. And sometimes you're sitting there listening
(21:19):
to the advice and going, well, I can go get
another bag and do that and maybe go compete. But
I knew that there was something probably a little bit off,
because I probably should have stayed in Minnesota, did my rehab,
been there for Teddy or whatever the case might be,
but still be in that situation that I was comfortable with,
versus going to another organization, rehabbing with a new organization
(21:41):
while trying to compete for a job. You talk about instability, right,
You're going from ten years with only three organizations and
you get traded to Buffalo and Dallas in the same year.
And looking back, if I was smart about it, I
probably would have stayed in Minnesota and done my rehab
and just I know I was still in a backup position.
But I think I put my myself in a more
difficult situation when I went to Buffalo still while trying
(22:05):
to rehab with a new organization.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
So I look back, I say, that's something that I wish.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
I would have probably stayed in Minnesota longer and tried
to push the envelope and try to go out and
compete right away after the foot injury.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Now, I've never has never happened to your eye, what's
it like.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
To be traded? You've never been training to see? That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Yeah, it's I just want to know, like, because.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
You've been traded multiple times.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Yeah, So when I was in New England, there was
an anticipation right, like they franchised. Let's be honest, Tom
Brady's going to come back at some point. So I
understood the dynamics there. Now, when I was in Minnesota
and all of a sudden, I knew that Teddy was there,
and then kind of we put agent wise, we've kind
of pushed the envelope a little bit to get me
(22:49):
into a situation where I might be a starter again.
But then I go to Buffalo and we're in week
two and so I'm sitting there and I go out
to practice.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
I get back in from practice.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Next thing I know, my phone's got like ten call
miscalls from my agent and I'm sitting there, going, what
the hell is going on here? Get in my car
call him and he's like, Matt, you're sitting down. I
was like, yes, what are you calling me for? He's like,
you just got traded to the Dallas Cowboys. Well that's
a trip when you're in the middle of a season. Yeah,
my wife's thirty four weeks pregnant, my kids just started
schooling Buffalo. I just rantedto you know, six month lease
(23:22):
on the house, all that stuff, and you're like, hey,
you're on the first thing smoking tomorrow to go to Dallas,
and you're like, you got to figure out now, relocate
the family, get doctors, do all that. There's just so
much from a lifestyle standpoint that is just overwhelming. We
lived in a hotel for two and a half weeks,
finally found a place. All of a sudden they told
me I'm going to start. Like it was three weeks
(23:43):
and I'm trying to learn a new playbook riding away
and then they told me I'm going to start next week.
My wife gives birth to our fourth kid. I mean,
it was just a lot it's a lot to take in.
People don't realize they know, like they see this figure
on the field, they don't know all the chaos going
on outside the field. So yeah, chaotic is the best
way to describe it. Not even organized chaos, organized chaos.
(24:04):
It's just it's wild. All right, we got time. I'm
gonna asks this last one.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
We want to do a.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Quick word association.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Oh boy, So I'm gonna give you a name, yep,
and just say the first word that comes to mind.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
All right, Rick Ryan, I just get one word. How
do you brash? Tom Brady? Tom Brady fashionable, no doubt,
isn't it. He is like he's always got cologna. You know,
(24:37):
it was good in practice. I mean every day he's
coming in the meetings and I'm like, what did you
put on today? He just had to have it going on.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
Okay, Sorry, Pete. Charismatic, all right, Matt Stepford tough. That
dude is one of the toughest guys I've ever played
I've seen.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Yes, I mean, the dude had a broken back when
I was there, and right, and I mean talented, great leader,
all those things. But they told him to shut it down,
and he's like no, I'm gonna play. I couldn't even
practice during the week, but go out and ball on Sundays.
I mean, tough as nails. Bill Belichick, Bill Belichick, Let's see,
let's see bell Man genius with that. Okay, Derrick Henry Beast.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
I'll never forget his rookie year.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
He comes in. You know, they lined the rookies up.
I knew who Derek was, but all of a sudden,
I was like, who is that? And They're like, that's
therek here. I thought he was a d n I
mean he's he is a massive dude, and I mean
he's put together, and he did.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Not look like a running back.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
The funny thing is that the first time I met
Derek Hemray, he was a true freshman at the University
of Alabama. I'm in the locker room and I see
me and Mark Ingram were there visiting from New Orleans
and Mark's over there with the running backs, and I'm like, dude,
who is that.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Lie back.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Six inches taller than everybody else over there?
Speaker 1 (26:05):
How is he over there?
Speaker 5 (26:06):
I was like, Mark's like, dude, he's some freshman rout
from Florida's supposed to be legit.
Speaker 7 (26:10):
I'm like he's supposed to be. Like, this guy's a
massive like he's losing massively. He doesn't make biological sense. Yes,
like what they've produced with that young man. Brian Dable,
Brian daball emotional.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Yeah, I love love Brian day Ball and but he's
definitely he wears his emotions on sleeve and let you
know how he feels.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
And I appreciate that too. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
I talked to him about gaining weight one time and
he literally showed me a picture from college when he
was ripped up playing football at Alabama like that. Yeah,
he was like, well you should see this, and he
pulled it up with it's phone, Like he.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Has this just raping all the time.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
The best person watch like the EBB and flow of
his weight gain and weight loss, Like throughout the course
of the season, we're just steady growth horizontally and then
as soon as you get to off season comes in,
he's shredded up.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
But then it's just like.
Speaker 5 (27:06):
Right back, this is a real thing, a real thing.
Adrian Peterson, Oh man, gosh, freak man.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
He is an absolute freak of nature, that dude. And
the way he worked too. Man, I'll never forget it
was like, uh, we had a preseason game and he
wasn't playing in it hot a hot day up there
in Minnesota, which it doesn't get too hot, but it
was it was human come out from meetings. He's out
there running gassers by himself with a chew in his mouth.
By the way, for sure, good country. But I'll tell
(27:38):
you what, that dude would run circles around people. But
great teammate, go to human but just uh, he was
a freaking nature man.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
You ever shake his hand?
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Oh my gosh. The first time I came out, I
was like, I think he just broke my hand. And
then then you got it like blow up when he's
because when he meets you and he just got to
granted he's not doing it like it's just what he does.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
He doesn't love you every minute of it. I was like, man,
if you if you're not ready for it, oh it,
kiss you off.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Oh o god. Yeah, yeah, he's real. L Rabel. I
love Rabes but arrogant.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
I'll tell you what he believes in himself. He lives
in the process, but I love it. He does not
hold any punches. You know exactly where you stand, there's
no gray area.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
It's black or white.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
And that's what I've always loved about Braves as a player,
as a coach on it.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
He's got the same mentality. I respect Tony Romo. I
like Tony. He loves him some Tony. Uh, no doubt
about it. He loves he loves him some Tony. Let's see.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
Uh. I don't even know a great word word association.
What's one that you could say, loves some some Tony.
What's a good word that you say.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
I think that's it, Yeah, I think yeah, just wrap
that up into a ball.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
Tony loves him Tony love it.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Hey man, we appreciate you coming on. Look at one
of these camera. I think it's that camera right there.
How can people listen to your podcast?
Speaker 3 (29:04):
I guess you can go on any podcast where you
get your normal podcasts NFL iHeartRadio, lots to say, Bobby Bums,
Matt Castle, please subscribe.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
That'd be awesome. There it is. That's good, Thanks fellas.
I appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (29:18):
App appreciate you'all tuning in to the NFL Players Second
X podcast.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Rome close us out.
Speaker 5 (29:24):
I will all right, so thank you as always for
all of our viewers listeners, Wherever you pick up your
podcast was Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio app. Continue to give us
a five stars ratings review, click subscribe, leave a.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Couple of comments.
Speaker 5 (29:39):
You can also check us out on the NFL pay
YouTube channel as well wherever you pick up your podcast at,
so thank you as always for tuning in the NFL players.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Second x podcasts were Out of Here the Dust by
Laxica Bus The Doctor
Are you ready? I'm ready?
Speaker 2 (00:02):
All right, three.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
You just scared that person?
Speaker 3 (00:06):
I know, security security.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
What's up, everybody.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
I'm Peanut Tuman and this is the NFL Player's Second
Act podcast with me, as always my trust to co
host mister one Roman Haupa.
Speaker 5 (00:27):
Oh, thank you soior. Okay, thank you so much. Wherever
you figure a podcast at. I'm really excited about this.
Next guests played against this guy quite a few times.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Go ahead.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
He's a pro bowler. Fourteen year vet, fourteen years, fourteen years.
That's that's a lot less blessed. Fourteen year NFL VET.
He's an analyst for NBC Sports and he has his
own podcast called Lots to Say. Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome
to the pod, Matt Cast. Yes, hey, great to.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Be here with you guys. Great to be here with you, guy,
appreciate it. I like you. Jays. Yeah, you know what,
I just had to stand my shoe game up.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I mean this, as you can tell with kids and
stuff like that, you're walking around, I need to you know,
I need.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
To get a little paulished up.
Speaker 5 (01:06):
But can't we just talk about that, like how mad
does it make you as a parent when your kids
step on your shoes.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Bro, this is a real thing. It is a real thing.
And I've got five.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Yeah, in any given moment, that kid will walk in
it's muddy outside, and all of a sudden just not
care where their feet go and step right on your
white shoe. And I'm just like, ah, especially if it's
not the leather where you can just wipe it off,
you know, where it just sticks and you got to
put it actually in the wash.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah, it drives me crazy.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
How old are your kids?
Speaker 1 (01:35):
So I've got fourteen, thirteen, eleven, nine and seven. Man,
we knocked it out. Yeah, but we got a lot.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
So, I mean I got four, you got five, I
got four, he got four.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
It's a blessing, man, it's a blessing. It's crazy because
we've got you know, we've got three girls. The two
oldest to the youngest are girls. And my boys are
the eleven year old in the middle of number four.
So they all have different personalities. The girls now, you know,
they're thirteen fourteen, So those sweet little darlings from one
day to the next, just based on what stage of
life they're in. You're like, what happened to you today?
(02:07):
You know, like they're at that stage where you're like,
oh my gosh, so but it's great, man. It's been
fun watching after being done with football, watching them grow
and be present and get to go to sports and
be there as a dad.
Speaker 5 (02:20):
What is the sports that is keeping you busy right now?
Because I know I'm like a very low paid uber.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Driving that's one hundred percent what I feel like.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
And you know, you get that little reprieve during the
day where you drop the kids off at school. Yeah,
and then you're like, Okay, got to get my work
out in. I got to get some of my work done.
And then that two thirty three o'clock whistle hits and
you're picking up. Yeah, the grind, and then you're going
to this practice drop off here, you know, you might
have a game, and then it's just all day long
til you get home for maybe some dinner.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
It gets easier when they start driving.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Though, right I'm not there yet.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I got two they're driving, so oh that's nice. Yeah,
it makes it a lot easier.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
So I got nineteen, seventeen, fifteen and twelve teams in college,
so I'm seventeen, can drop the fifteen around all that,
and sometimes I just got to make sure the twelve
year old gets to where she has.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
To go to.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
I can't wait to get there. I know, I'm please goals.
My daughter's gonna turn fifteen this year. She's a freshman
in high school, so she'll get her permit. But next
year she'll she'll be driving for the first time, and
I'm like, man, that's gonna be nice. It's gonna be nice.
It's a little bit scary, but at the same time
it'll be nice. So when they can help out a.
Speaker 5 (03:26):
Little bit, well, Matt, how are you enjoying the podcast space?
Speaker 3 (03:29):
When I got done among those people that I need purpose? Right,
And when you get done, I think everybody has to
kind of reinvent how they look at themselves because forever
everybody's like, oh, you're Matt Castle, the football player, right,
and there's part of you that does that. But then
at the same time, you have goals and if you're
ambitious and you want to do something else, you've got
to get into it. And so I was sitting around
after that first off season where I'm not playing, I'm
(03:50):
going what do I want to do? And I thought
the media space might be something that I wanted to
go out and try, and so I work for NBC
Sports Boston. I covered the Patriots for a little while
and got a little bit of the taste of that
being on the show like we did to our pregame,
and so I loved it because you're still talking ball,
you have your relationships. And then NBC approached me two
years ago to do college football. I never thought that
(04:11):
was a space that I'd go back into, and it
was intimidating, right. You go from thirty two teams, which
with a bunch of familiar faces to one hundred and
thirty one teams with a revolving door with the transfer portal,
the team's changed consistently, and then it was also it
was with the Big ten. So I'm sitting there going man,
I was in the Pac twelve, right, and so I
had to learn traditions and all that. So it was
(04:32):
just a new challenge. But I stepped up and did
that the last two seasons and that's been so much
fun because I'm the guy that gets to go to
the stadium do the coverage from there, and there's nothing
quite like college football and the passant tree, the energy
and the just the fans. Man, they are passionate and testimate,
intense human being.
Speaker 5 (04:51):
Where's the funnest place you've been to so far that like,
you know, being a Pac twelve guy, you're a West
Coast guy.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
We did a Colorado Nebraska game this year that was
it was lit man.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
They were because they they felt like they had a
good team.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
The young quarterback Dylan Ryola came in and gave him
some hope. And the crazy part about them is they
hadn't been to a bowl like since twenty sixteen, and
they sold out every game.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Yeah, they do.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
And then we had the Ohio State Oregon game, which
was I mean, Eugene, I played there and I know
it's a special place. But just because of the intensity
of that game and the two of the top teams
in the country going back and forth, and it lived
up to the hype. You know, sometimes those games don't
live up to the hype, but it did. It was
back and forth, great game. So there was a lot
of great, great games this year, but those were two
(05:37):
that really stuck out to me.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
So since you've had your own your your podcast, lots
to say, who's been one of your favorite guests?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Gosh, you know, I played with Jared Allen and I
was happy for him. Congratulations to him. He just got
inducted into the Hall of Fame. So he's a teammate
of mine, and you know those relationships that you have
on the podcast when you you can tell old stories
locker room this, and Jared, you just have to dangle
a little carrot out front him and he'll take it right.
So he's telling a story about you know, what's an
(06:06):
injury that you had that you didn't want to.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Report and he's of course big in the honey.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
He was telling how he was trying to go over
this barbed wire fence and pour his hand up and
he tried to go in and tell him something else happened.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
It's just funny stories like that that when you you're
not just talking about XS and go, but you're talking
about lifestyle and people and they open up in a
way that you just And that's the fun part for
me on the podcast in this space in general, is
you learn more about the individual and people. And the
cool part about lots to say with Bobby is he's
in that Bobby Bones and he's in that entertainment space,
(06:37):
so he's got a lot of crossover.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
So we had Luke.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Bryan on the other day, another entertaining dude. Yeah, like
just yeah, he's funny. He is funny and he's Country's
so country big dude too. He is a big dude.
And then Tim McGraw came on and he had an
interesting story. He's telling us all about like when he
was in high school, he's a baller in basketball, average
like thirty five points a game. Yeah, he said. His
(07:01):
senior year he scorts like fifty nine sixty points in
one game.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
I was like, no, I would have known that never. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
So it's cool to hear these guys because everybody has
their connection to sports and they all have their own
backstory and stuff, and so to listen to some of
these guys comment on their experiences in sports and what
it's done for them in terms of their drive and
their commitment level, it's always fun.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
How did you connect with your co host Bobby Bones?
You know, it was really through the NFL Media group.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
They reached out through an email said that they're looking
to do a podcast with Bobby Bones and he's in Nashville,
so it was super convenient for me, and so I
went and met Bobby, and I thought I was going
in for like a cup of coffee, sit down and
get to know you. He was he's got so much
going on in that multimedia space that he deals with
with the radio, and he's got his own podcast. So
I walk in, he's doing his pod. He's like put
(07:49):
on the headphones. I was like, oh, I'm getting interviewed basically.
So I sat down not prepared, but it was great
because that's what I knew we could connect on a
different level because it just felt like you're talking to
a friend. And that's that's I think what makes the
best podcast when you're not trying too hard, it's just conversational.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
That's kind of what we've tried to do with these
podcasts for our shows. I think one of the best
ones we had was war Moon year today.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
War Moon just a.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
Little while ago, we had m Smith, very very conversation,
you love war Moon because war Moon loved Peanut.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
I'm telling you what some of these legends that walk
around like we had war Moon on yesterday too, and
I mean I just loved watching him growing up and
his story too undrafted and I was asking about.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Okay, Canadian Football League that transition, how hard was that?
And then he's explaining that you forget like there's twelve
guys on the field, the dimensions are different, the emotions
and all this stuff. And he's like, but it made
me a better football player because it was a run
and shoot. Not a lot of teams were doing like
the spread offense. But when I was able to go
into Houston and like start to play in that capacity,
(08:56):
he already had a high level of passing the acumen
because he was able to do it all the time
in the Canadian Football League. But incredible human. I've known
him for a long time.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
So so Matt, let's talk about your football career a
little bit. All right, So you did you were never
a starter in college?
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Never started. Pete Carroll really screwed me, just kidding, that's crazy.
Speaker 6 (09:17):
I mean, you're behind greats. You took a shot at
him right there. No, no, I was. It might be
a truth sy, but it was just like, so you
never started, I didn't know. I think it's amazing.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
I think that is a part of your journey that
more people need to hear about that. Like, this guy
never started in college, but he still went to the
NFL and played fourteen years. Not allly that, but I
want to know your emotions about the two thousand and
eight season, which, in my opinion, probably changed your whole life.
It did, all right, Tom Brady gets hurt in week
one he turns as acl where now we have the
(09:51):
you can't go low on quarterbacks anymore? He created that rule.
But what was born out at is Matt Castle. Right,
all right, you came in. You guys won eleven and
five tie for the best wreck in the AMC East,
but did not make the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Oh, it's so hurt some kind of way.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
You two for three thousand, six hundred and ninety three yards,
twenty one uds and ten and five as have started,
and you guys didn't make the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
How do you not make the playoffs with that record?
Speaker 3 (10:17):
You know, it was like the first time in since
the merger or something like that of the team when
I went eleven and five and it was of course
they say ten and five and I'm like ready went down.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
The score was zero to zero in the first quarter. Oh,
they don't give you that. They don't give you you know.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Like if you leave the game as a starter adventure,
you don't get the credit for the win.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
If you get it like that the guy that comes in.
They didn't give me this, they gave him the win.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
I was like, this's messed up. Yeah we had it
was zero zero. When he left the game, I was like,
what's going on here? No, but uh, that season was
crazy because again I mean going back to even college.
You know, I was behind Carson Palmer, Matt Liner and
I battled it out. But it was going in my
junior year and back then you transfer, you guys said
out a here. I kind of was in that catch
twenty two. So I even played some tight end. I
(10:59):
was on special team. I was in the wedge getting
blown up.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
By the way.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
I respect the hell out of everybody that plays special team.
I got a different perspective. Come on, give me something,
Come on.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Up right there.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Because Dud never played special teams. He's never played.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
That's when you know you're in alpha. You're too precious
to be on special teams. And I wasn't that.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Quarterbacks were playing special teams and you're not.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
And that was out of just necessity. I want to
get on the field. And so I'm sitting there, I'm like,
what am I doing right now? I'm sitting there with
my hand in the three point stance. You know, Pete
comes up midway through my junior year and goes, hey, yes, uh,
we we've got we've got.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
A few injuries. Could you help us out of tight end?
Speaker 3 (11:40):
And I played a little bit earlier in my career,
so I did that and uh, And then my senior year,
I went back and said, coach, I just want to
end how I came in, I'm done with this. Ricky Manning.
I came over and separated my AC joint and special teams.
But I was like, what am I doing right? But nonetheless,
I just said I'm gonna give myself a shot. You know,
we had a lot of great players coming out, you
(12:02):
guys did, and so I knew that there was going
to be eyes on that pro day basically, and I said,
this was an opportunity for me to go out and
maybe showcase my skill a little bit. And at that
point I got a lot of interest. So I got calls,
but it was all free agency. And then the next
thing I know, on Draft Day, I got a phone
call from New England Patriots and it's Bill Belichick saying
they're going to take me next on the draft. I
(12:22):
thought he was messing with me. I was like, who's
messing with me right now? And it was Bill and
He's like, no, this is Bill Belichie. And so that
got my foot in the door and I'm forever grateful
for that. And then I had to go earn it,
you know, and getting the preseason, get that opportunity in preseason,
work my way up the depth chart and became the
number two quarterback for Brady for the second third season.
Flutie was there our first season, so he was really
(12:43):
the primary, but they gave me an opportunity to play late.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
So then it was the waiting game. You know.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Brady was one of those dude, he was an iron
man and all that stuff. And then I'll never forget
to play. I was watching it and he threw a
ball down the sideline to Randy Raandy I think caught it,
but then fumbled the ball. So we're I'm watching this
all transpire, and next thing I know, this hush was
over the crowd and I look back and there's Brady
on the ground. Yeah, and I was like, he's probably
going to get up, you know, because he always would
(13:08):
get up eventually, but this time he didn't. And then
he's hobbling off the field, and all of a sudden,
you know, you start to hear that.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
They finally get him off the field.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Tom goes in back in the locker room and Bill
goes Castle, grab your helmet, You're going in.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
That's it, like, not like, hey, are you ready for this?
Speaker 3 (13:27):
So I'm firing the ball a side, and of course
they punt it down to the one yard line. We're
backed up, and I'm like, man, this is my opportunity, right,
I've been waiting for Everybody always says you're a play
away here there as the backup quarterback, But realistically it
took a long time, right, So I'm sitting there for
what eight years before this opportunity came. But I was
ready for it. But at the same time, you just
got your nerves and all that. And the first throw
(13:49):
is interesting. We tried to run the ball, get nothing.
We called like a little pop pass and Patrick's retained savvy.
Vett was anticipating something coming out quick. He jumps inside.
Randy Will typical Randy just smart player, man. He sees
it and he just takes off and runs a go
down the sideline and I come up off off the
play action expecting the skinny post, hands up, goes up
and I.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Tossed it down there. Somehow I hit it.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
I was like blacked out at that point. He catches it,
go for fifty five yards and gets tackled, but we
go down score and at that point I was like,
I mean, we're going And from there it was just
the evolution of the season.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
I think that they held me back a little bit
early on.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
I threw a lot of slip screens, a lot of
slip screens for confidence those first few games, and then
they're like, look, Castle does a play, but we got
to open it up.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
And at that point we started a roll.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
After that eight season, I know how to make the playoffs.
Did it make up for it? Like what you did
the next season? Because the contract that you signed.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Well, that sound pretty good. I'm not gonna lie, I mean.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
And at the same time it was something that I
was just kind of fighting for survival. At that point,
I was in my fourth year, my rookie deal. Yeah,
I didn't have any film to go off of. And
then that year hit and I was able to prove
not only to myself but the other organizations that hey,
I belong here. I always believed in myself, but until
you actually go out and do it, Yeah, it's a
(15:04):
whole different, you know, mindset. And so then New England,
because there's some complications with Brady, they franchised me. So
I was like, well, I'm signing this immediately, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
And then the next thing way more and I was
just like, wow, this is crazy. But I didn't think
I was actually going to be there. I was like,
it's just a matter of time, and then sure enough
I got traded to Kansas City. Nice part for me,
I had a bargaining chip in my back pocket to
go set up my next contract. So it changed my
life and the outlook of where I was as a
football player forever.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
But at the same time, it was there's something to
be said about having some financial stability, but I never
looked at it that way. It was just one of
those things that I went out and performed when I
needed to perform and was rewarded with the contract and
very very lucky for it.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
We're going to take a short break and we'll be
back in a minute.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
You know.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
You bring up a couple of different things I think
that are very intriguing. First of all, Timing, Timing is
everything everything, especially for you and your case where we're
talking about.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
But then also maybe go back to you.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
You talked about mentality, your mentality of not being a starter,
doing whatever it takes to get on the field in college.
How did those type things, those situations maybe prepare you
mentally or emotionally for what you were going to have
to deal with as far as your NFL career, where
you went from being in somebody else's organization so now
you're the face of one organization.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
Yeah, you know, it's interesting because I think all those
different moments throughout college that you get told no, or
we're going to go with this guy. You got to
go through that mental anguish, you know, and deal with
it and how you respond. And we've all been around
players that they get they go into their shell, they
get pissed off, they start pointing the finger, they do this.
(16:53):
But my mentality was always like, I'm going to be
the best team that can be. I'm going to go
out work as hard as I can do. And even
the sense that I even went out and tried out
for the NFL, it was funny because I go into
that pro day and they're like.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Who are you.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
I know I shouldn't be here, but I'm gonna try
out nonetheless. And so I just always had this chip
on my shoulder a little bit, and I took my punches.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
And then I think it was a breath of fresh
air when.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
I got a call from Bill Belichick and they said,
we're going to give you an opportunity, because that's all
I was looking for. And sometimes it's just that opportunity
of somebody believing in you, even though you might not
believe in yourself, to give you that opportunity. And so
I had a lot of confidence once that took place,
and it just pushed me even harder.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
And then throughout the time. I mean, it's a masterclass.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
You learned behind Tom Brady how to be a professional,
how to work, how to interact with your teammates, and
do all that because not everybody you treat the same.
As a quarterback Randy Moss, You're gonna pull talk to
him at his locker. You're not gonna show him up
on the field because Randy might get pissed, right, Wes Welger.
You could yell at him, you could dog custom do
all that. He's gonna keep running back a labrador puppy
and tell me what next.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Right.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
So it was just all those different interactions and the
different people that had had an impact and influenced me.
And then when you get that opportunity, I'm not going
to say it's not stressful, but the more that I
could put out of my mind like it's make or
break and just concentrate on the process and be process oriented.
And so every day I just was like, look, I
know everybody's gonna be talking about Brady going down. We
(18:25):
were eighteen and one the year before. I mean, the
media coverage was out out of control. But I just said,
you know what, I'm going to go and do my routine.
And that was a big, big byproduct I think of
staying the course.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Talk about you making your first Pro Bowl. What's the
journey that you had? You know, how cool was it
when you got that first phone call?
Speaker 1 (18:46):
It was unbelievable. Man.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
I was sitting there and you know, my journey is
unique and all that stuff. But when you get put
into that caliber player, Yeah, and you get recognized amongst
your peers, there's something so self fulfilling and just like, hey,
you've been You've been through this grind you've gone through
all this different adversity, but then when you get recognized
(19:09):
among your peers.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
I think that's one.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Of those things that you take a lot of pride
in is when you're sitting there going, okay, they they
see you, right. You might believe it yourself, but until
you actually get that call and they tell you, hey,
you made the Pro Bowl and you're like, man, there's
something special about that.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
And then to go out, you know, Hawaiian.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
I know everything's changed now, but to go out to
Hawaiian and be sitting there and talk to Ray Lewis
and Ed Reid and all these guys that you have
these relationships with now, and it's just that brotherhood is
so uniquely special.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
Do you like the new setup with the flag football
versus going out to Hawaii?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
I loved Hawaii.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Hawaii was dope, amazing, right, I agree, always loved.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
I love you always.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
You always had that one dude like Adrian Peterson who
is a teammate of mine in Minnesota, but he was
there that year on the opposite side.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
He's trying to run through dude's faces.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
And you know, there's a lot of dudes out there
like we had Matt Light one of my offensive tackles
in New England. He's sitting there and him and Suggs
are like doing a deal at the bar, like, hey,
if you don't rush hard, I'm a block you hard.
At one play, Matt Light's doing this well, Sugs is
doing like this. You know, it's all temperament of how
you're gonna go. But it's hard to play in that game,
(20:17):
and not just from a health standpoint and not go.
But Adrian was at a different level, right he's going.
So it's just an interesting game too, because practice is
a joke, right. You go out there, try to learn
a new offense or whatever you're doing defensively, You can't splitz,
you can't do this at in the other and then
you're having fun all week long and you're enjoying the moment.
So I think the game now is more set for
(20:41):
what it's really about is to have fun versus putting
maybe the guy's bodies in jeopardy butt.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
In your career, if there's any one thing that you
could go back and change, what would it be.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Gosh, that's a great question.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
When I was with Minnesota my second year and I
finished up that season, I had a bad injury. I
was in the third game of the year, broke my foot,
and Teddy Bridgewater was there, and you know, I had
these conversations with my agent and they're like, look, Teddy's
probably going to be the guy there and we should
look for a trade. I love Minnesota, I love my teammates,
I love all that. And sometimes you're sitting there listening
(21:19):
to the advice and going, well, I can go get
another bag and do that and maybe go compete. But
I knew that there was something probably a little bit off,
because I probably should have stayed in Minnesota, did my rehab,
been there for Teddy or whatever the case might be,
but still be in that situation that I was comfortable with,
versus going to another organization, rehabbing with a new organization
(21:41):
while trying to compete for a job. You talk about instability, right,
You're going from ten years with only three organizations and
you get traded to Buffalo and Dallas in the same year.
And looking back, if I was smart about it, I
probably would have stayed in Minnesota and done my rehab
and just I know I was still in a backup position.
But I think I put my myself in a more
difficult situation when I went to Buffalo still while trying
(22:05):
to rehab with a new organization.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
So I look back, I say, that's something that I wish.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
I would have probably stayed in Minnesota longer and tried
to push the envelope and try to go out and
compete right away after the foot injury.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Now, I've never has never happened to your eye, what's
it like.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
To be traded? You've never been training to see? That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Yeah, it's I just want to know, like, because.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
You've been traded multiple times.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Yeah, So when I was in New England, there was
an anticipation right, like they franchised. Let's be honest, Tom
Brady's going to come back at some point. So I
understood the dynamics there. Now, when I was in Minnesota
and all of a sudden, I knew that Teddy was there,
and then kind of we put agent wise, we've kind
of pushed the envelope a little bit to get me
(22:49):
into a situation where I might be a starter again.
But then I go to Buffalo and we're in week
two and so I'm sitting there and I go out
to practice.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
I get back in from practice.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Next thing I know, my phone's got like ten call
miscalls from my agent and I'm sitting there, going, what
the hell is going on here? Get in my car
call him and he's like, Matt, you're sitting down. I
was like, yes, what are you calling me for? He's like,
you just got traded to the Dallas Cowboys. Well that's
a trip when you're in the middle of a season. Yeah,
my wife's thirty four weeks pregnant, my kids just started
schooling Buffalo. I just rantedto you know, six month lease
(23:22):
on the house, all that stuff, and you're like, hey,
you're on the first thing smoking tomorrow to go to Dallas,
and you're like, you got to figure out now, relocate
the family, get doctors, do all that. There's just so
much from a lifestyle standpoint that is just overwhelming. We
lived in a hotel for two and a half weeks,
finally found a place. All of a sudden they told
me I'm going to start. Like it was three weeks
(23:43):
and I'm trying to learn a new playbook riding away
and then they told me I'm going to start next week.
My wife gives birth to our fourth kid. I mean,
it was just a lot it's a lot to take in.
People don't realize they know, like they see this figure
on the field, they don't know all the chaos going
on outside the field. So yeah, chaotic is the best
way to describe it. Not even organized chaos, organized chaos.
(24:04):
It's just it's wild. All right, we got time. I'm
gonna asks this last one.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
We want to do a.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Quick word association.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Oh boy, So I'm gonna give you a name, yep,
and just say the first word that comes to mind.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
All right, Rick Ryan, I just get one word. How
do you brash? Tom Brady? Tom Brady fashionable, no doubt,
isn't it. He is like he's always got cologna. You know,
(24:37):
it was good in practice. I mean every day he's
coming in the meetings and I'm like, what did you
put on today? He just had to have it going on.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
Okay, Sorry, Pete. Charismatic, all right, Matt Stepford tough. That
dude is one of the toughest guys I've ever played
I've seen.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Yes, I mean, the dude had a broken back when
I was there, and right, and I mean talented, great leader,
all those things. But they told him to shut it down,
and he's like no, I'm gonna play. I couldn't even
practice during the week, but go out and ball on Sundays.
I mean, tough as nails. Bill Belichick, Bill Belichick, Let's see,
let's see bell Man genius with that. Okay, Derrick Henry Beast.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
I'll never forget his rookie year.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
He comes in. You know, they lined the rookies up.
I knew who Derek was, but all of a sudden,
I was like, who is that? And They're like, that's
therek here. I thought he was a d n I
mean he's he is a massive dude, and I mean
he's put together, and he did.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Not look like a running back.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
The funny thing is that the first time I met
Derek Hemray, he was a true freshman at the University
of Alabama. I'm in the locker room and I see
me and Mark Ingram were there visiting from New Orleans
and Mark's over there with the running backs, and I'm like, dude,
who is that.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Lie back.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Six inches taller than everybody else over there?
Speaker 1 (26:05):
How is he over there?
Speaker 5 (26:06):
I was like, Mark's like, dude, he's some freshman rout
from Florida's supposed to be legit.
Speaker 7 (26:10):
I'm like he's supposed to be. Like, this guy's a
massive like he's losing massively. He doesn't make biological sense. Yes,
like what they've produced with that young man. Brian Dable,
Brian daball emotional.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Yeah, I love love Brian day Ball and but he's
definitely he wears his emotions on sleeve and let you
know how he feels.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
And I appreciate that too. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
I talked to him about gaining weight one time and
he literally showed me a picture from college when he
was ripped up playing football at Alabama like that. Yeah,
he was like, well you should see this, and he
pulled it up with it's phone, Like he.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Has this just raping all the time.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
The best person watch like the EBB and flow of
his weight gain and weight loss, Like throughout the course
of the season, we're just steady growth horizontally and then
as soon as you get to off season comes in,
he's shredded up.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
But then it's just like.
Speaker 5 (27:06):
Right back, this is a real thing, a real thing.
Adrian Peterson, Oh man, gosh, freak man.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
He is an absolute freak of nature, that dude. And
the way he worked too. Man, I'll never forget it
was like, uh, we had a preseason game and he
wasn't playing in it hot a hot day up there
in Minnesota, which it doesn't get too hot, but it
was it was human come out from meetings. He's out
there running gassers by himself with a chew in his mouth.
By the way, for sure, good country. But I'll tell
(27:38):
you what, that dude would run circles around people. But
great teammate, go to human but just uh, he was
a freaking nature man.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
You ever shake his hand?
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Oh my gosh. The first time I came out, I
was like, I think he just broke my hand. And
then then you got it like blow up when he's
because when he meets you and he just got to
granted he's not doing it like it's just what he does.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
He doesn't love you every minute of it. I was like, man,
if you if you're not ready for it, oh it,
kiss you off.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Oh o god. Yeah, yeah, he's real. L Rabel. I
love Rabes but arrogant.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
I'll tell you what he believes in himself. He lives
in the process, but I love it. He does not
hold any punches. You know exactly where you stand, there's
no gray area.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
It's black or white.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
And that's what I've always loved about Braves as a player,
as a coach on it.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
He's got the same mentality. I respect Tony Romo. I
like Tony. He loves him some Tony. Uh, no doubt
about it. He loves he loves him some Tony. Let's see.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
Uh. I don't even know a great word word association.
What's one that you could say, loves some some Tony.
What's a good word that you say.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
I think that's it, Yeah, I think yeah, just wrap
that up into a ball.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
Tony loves him Tony love it.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Hey man, we appreciate you coming on. Look at one
of these camera. I think it's that camera right there.
How can people listen to your podcast?
Speaker 3 (29:04):
I guess you can go on any podcast where you
get your normal podcasts NFL iHeartRadio, lots to say, Bobby Bums,
Matt Castle, please subscribe.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
That'd be awesome. There it is. That's good, Thanks fellas.
I appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (29:18):
App appreciate you'all tuning in to the NFL Players Second
X podcast.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Rome close us out.
Speaker 5 (29:24):
I will all right, so thank you as always for
all of our viewers listeners, Wherever you pick up your
podcast was Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio app. Continue to give us
a five stars ratings review, click subscribe, leave a.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Couple of comments.
Speaker 5 (29:39):
You can also check us out on the NFL pay
YouTube channel as well wherever you pick up your podcast at,
so thank you as always for tuning in the NFL players.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Second x podcasts were Out of Here the Dust by
Laxica Bus The Doctor
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