April 17, 2025 • 47 mins
We'll be immersed in the 2025 NFL Draft one week from NOW! The Texans Radio Crew welcomed Pro Football Hall of Fame writer John McClain to the show to discuss what Houston might do at 25 and beyond.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello Texans, Welcome to the show. One week from tonight,
it begins the NFL Draft, So let's talk John Harris
with us, John McLain with us.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Mark Vandermere, and we.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Are ready for the draft to begin tonight, but it's
not going to. So let's get into some elements of this,
and gentlemen, I'm going to start right here, right now,
general will begin with you. Is it as simple as
you'll take an offensive lineman in the first round because
you're more likely to get a great offensive lineman there,
and you can still get a really good wide receiver
(00:34):
potentially down the line.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Your thoughts good evening well.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
As I prepare for my forty ninth draft, I'm always
very fired up at this time of the year. I
wish it were earlier so it wouldn't be the paralys
by over analysis, but that's what it is. And I
still see a lot of mock drafts having takes, some
taking a defensive tackle or a wide receiver. And I
(00:59):
still believe what I've said all along. I think he'll
be an offensive Linemannick Sario said, they never draft for need.
They always draft best player at a need position, and
that's what all teams do, but the GMS will never
use the word need in their pick, and they need
another offensive lineman even though they brought in four, and
(01:22):
so I think they'll get one. I think where they
pick in that area there are going to be some
good ones. I would love Kelvin Banks Junior down there,
but I don't think he'll be down there. I would
love to have Josh Simmons, the offensive tackle from Ohio State,
if the medicals are where they believe they should be
(01:44):
after he went down for the season in October with
a torne attendant, and even if he had to sit
out this season, he would have been the first first
offensive lineman taken. So I'd like to see him. Get him.
But there's others Tyler Booker, Gray Zabel. I wouldn't mind
either one of those guys. I just want to get
(02:04):
somebody's physical and nasty and wants to kick some serious.
But on every play.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
General, what would be a bigger surprise Texan's taking a
defensive lineman into your defensive lineman or wide receiver at
twenty five, which would be a bigger surprise to you?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Uh? I think, boy, they have so much depth in
their defensive line they've got ends, they've got tackles at
Demiko Ryans the last two years has gotten things out
of tackles that other teams have not. And they brought
back Sheldon Rankins, They've brought back Mario Edwards. Folly Photocosis
(02:45):
still out there isn't he Yes, I haven't seen that
East sign with anybody. But they have depth inside. I
like they brought back Derek Barnett. They have more depth
there than they have a wide receiver right now. Now.
Their wide receiver is Nico Collins, who missed five games
(03:05):
last year in his miss games each of his first
three seasons. So they have a bigger need at wide
receiver than defensive tackle.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Absolutely, general. Look, and John, I'll answer your question. I
think that it's not much of a surprise if they
take a receiver, because what if Booker Banks is abled?
Speaker 2 (03:25):
What if these guys are all gone?
Speaker 1 (03:26):
I mean, John, you tell me, what's the potential of
those guys all god?
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Yeah, it's I don't want to say high, but yeah,
there's a likely there's a likely potential that one of
those guys is there, and it may not be the
guy that you've really fallen in love with. So yeah,
I think when I when I did my mock draft,
I really I had one of them. I had Zabel left,
and I was like, I'm taking Zabel. I like Zabel
a lot, and that's the way I went. So I
think there's a high potential that those offensive linemen are
(03:53):
off the board. I mean, look, the Texans aren't the
only team in the NFL that has struggled with their
offensive line the last year or two.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
So there're gonna be a number of teams that are looking.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
There's a high there's a high demand, and I don't
know that there's really a high supply.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
So I think it's gonna be interesting.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Mark, for sure, general you have Josh Connerly gone the
organ of its Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
In fact, I had the Chiefs trading up to the
pick right in front of the Texans. And that's one
of the things about you know about this draft is
that you know, people surmise the Texans are gonna draft
an offensive linement. So if you're gonna trade from you know,
below the Texans, you know, with the Rams at twenty
six all the way through the Eagles at thirty two,
if you're thinking about offensive line, you're like, I got
to get in front of the Texans. Well, the Vikings
(04:34):
make a lot of sense because they've only got four
picks in this draft.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
They need they need picks.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
And so I can imagine they maybe want to trade
down so that they could recruit some some draft capital.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
And so that's what I had. I did.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
I had the Chiefs moving up, taking Josh Connery at
twenty four, and that left me with Gray's Abel at
twenty five. So yeah, that's the one thing that you
don't know when it's gonna happen. But because people and
team no, the Texans are looking at the offensive line,
it would make a lot of sense for teams to
go up. So I had Connory off the board at
twenty four, and Zabel and Donovan Jackson were the only
(05:09):
two offensive line that I had left at twenty five,
only top second round and a half on the NFL.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
DoD con Bunkie Brooks, who's been doing this forever, and
of course he's not the be all end all, but
he thinks Donovan Jackson is gonna be a perennial All
Pro guard. And since Nick Serio always takes the guys
from the big schools and not the North Dakota States.
Would he take Donovan Jackson. They did a great job
(05:37):
bouncing out the left tackle last year after Simmons was hurt.
Would he take him over grayz Abel?
Speaker 4 (05:43):
I mean, I think that's a consideration for sure, and
I considered it as well. I just think Zabel is
a bit better athlete. I think he's wound the way
that they want a guy to be on the offensive line.
And here's the other thing. Zabel might play center. And
that's one thing we haven't considered a whole lot. But
(06:04):
but if Zabel ends up, you know, being a twelve
year starter at center, and you when I was on
the shot set this morning, I said that, you know,
look at gram Barton. Graham Barton at Duke played left
tackle his whole career. And then the Bucks are like, nah,
we're gonna draft your number twenty two overall and you're
gonna play center, and you're gonna be our center for
the next decade.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
And I think that's gonna work on Tampa Bay.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
So that's the other thing about Zabel, and it gives
him some consideration that he could potentially play center and
be a really good center. I don't know if that
really kind of triggers the meter at twenty five, but
it at least gives his options.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Of course, all.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Right, like need a really good center who could start
for ten years, because Jared Patterson hasn't shown he can
do that and Jesus Scruggs is not shown he can
do that.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Well, in the Football is Weird department, check this out.
The second best season regular season in Texans history record
wise is what twenty eighteen. They won eleven games, They
had a nine game winning streak, best in franchise history,
and the starting tackles most of the time were Julie
On Davenport and Kendall Lamb. Weird, right, they went eleven
(07:14):
games like that? Now, I know it wasn't an offensive
juggernaut that year. They had a lot of takeaways, they
played great defensive ball, they were opportunistic, et cetera. But
they go into the next year's draft and that was
the tightest Howard draft, and what happened. The Eagles jumped
in front of the Texans took Andre Dillard. A lot
of people thought the Texans wanted Dillard. They were clear
that they wanted Titus Howard all along. But the point
(07:34):
is this general Nick Cassario's got to play sort of
a game of Chicken Russian Roulette.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I don't know what the metaphorical game would be here.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
It's just the NFL draft and he's got to decide
do I jump up if there is a player that
he loves that's dropping and they're getting close to twenty
five and Johnny's machiad the Chiefs jumping in front of
the Texans. So what's the percentage chance in your mind
of a trade that Nick moves up or back, but
move anywhere off twenty five? What do you think the likelihood.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Is of that?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Sixty five to seventy five percent? Just because Nick likes
to make trades.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
That's a lot, that's the majority. So which one would
you pick? General? Is it just all based on players
whether they would go up?
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Like if Banks is there at nineteen twenty twenty one
or even sixteen seventeen eighteen, would Banks be a player
move up for? Is Booker a player you'd move up for?
Is there a player in mind that you might think
about moving up for? Or do you think moving down
ends up getting you into that fourth round where they
don't have a selection right now?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
If Gray's able and Donvan Jackson were going to be
available at twenty five, I would not move and I wouldn't.
I wouldn't. What do they have for the.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Top ninety, for the top eighty nine, yes, eighty nine.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
When you're talking about picking at the bottom of the
first round, I wouldn't give up one of those picks.
I'd look to give up the pick next year, then
this year. But I think they're going to get a
really good offensive lineman they tackle or guard if they
stay right where they are.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yep, I like it. You know, get one of those guys.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I think that'll keep the draft party happy, which is
what I'm concerned about one week from tonight.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Just call this weird. Guys. Usually you take an offensive
lineman and the fans like, oh, got an offensive lineman.
Now fans are gonna cheer like crazy for an offensive
lineman because they know that is what hurt the offense
so much last year, and they know how good CJ.
(09:34):
Stroud can be if he gets time to throw. I
think they would be more inclined to boo another position
and cheer an offensive lineman for the first time in history.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
John, It was pretty interesting listening to Shawn had seth
the other day set their poll and he asked that
question on Twitter X whatever you call it, and it
was I think it was like sixty five thirty five
in favor of fans wanting an offensive lineman versus that
think he said receiver, and he really, yeah, he said
sixty five percent in favor of drafting and offensive lineman.
(10:08):
And my fans, yeah, And I think that's really you know,
fans here pretty smart.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
You know, they can they can go watch a game.
There's so many different ways to go watch a game.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Now.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
You can go watch and see what a guy looks
like and think, okay, man, I know all about that guy,
but you can look and see that guy could play
or not.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
So yeah, I think fans are really informed.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
I was on with with Landry and Stuts last night
for like two hours, and fans are like, man, I
like Ursery, No, I like really like Conlin No, I
don't like connorly No.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
I think this guy is the right fit.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
And I was like, wow, there were years where I
would talk about offensive linemen and people were like, whoo,
who's that?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Now?
Speaker 4 (10:45):
I think fans are so dialed in, which I think
is great. I think it's absolutely fantastic, So I really
wouldn't be I wouldn't be surprised if we end up
drafting a receiver that's not Matthew Golden and the fans
are like, I don't know, I would rather have.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
An offensive lineman.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
I don't think the boo but I think there will
be some unease about what they would do with the
offensive line going forward.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
If they booed in twenty eleven and they didn't want
that no camp defensive end Yeap from Wisconsin. De'll boot anybody.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Yep, they will, and they should wait till Friday night
and Saturday, but especially Friday night, because, like you said,
with four in the top eighty nine, it's like Jonah
Hill and Moneyball Billy. I believe that with the four
picks that we have in the first eighty nine, we
can get four football players who could really help this team.
I mean, there are four football players in that top
(11:36):
eighty nine where the Texans are picking currently that can
help this football team.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
You just got to get it right.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
You and Drew redrafted every draft right twenty eleven. That'll
be Friday night, all right, Friday night twenty eleven. Drew
and Johnny redraft that allotment of players hindsight being perfect.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Yeah, of course you came yeh Aldon Smith going to
the Texans, right.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
It's exactly.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
It's funny because I.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Want to say Wade wanted well.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
I heard Patrick Peterson was also on the board.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
General, What do you remember about that now that we're
there the twenty eleven draft, because Mark mentioned it, there
were some people that booed JJ's selection at the draft party.
There was a apparently there was a radio personality who
was also not real happy with that.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Not me, I was.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
I was actually happy. I just didn't know how the
Texans were going to do it. What do you remember
about that twenty eleven draft?
Speaker 2 (12:29):
General? When the Texans drafted JJ.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
I was open to get Alden Smith, sophomore from Missouri,
because Wade Phillips thought he would be perfect for his
Phillips three to four in which he wanted an outside
linebacker who could rush the passer and he could have
been all one of the all time grades he'd had
his head screwed on right, which he didn't. And then
Wage jumped up on the table because he wanted what
(12:55):
and then the fans, of course booed him at the
facility at the stadium, and I thought JJ always got
a big kick out of that, and that turned out
to be a pretty good draft. And that's what I
remember about is JJ getting booed and we didn't know
what they had, of course till the Cincinnati playoff game
(13:17):
at the end of the season, but that started such
a renaissance with him and Brooks raid Connor Barwin coming
back from a season ending injury and the trade for
I mean the signing of j JO and Daniel Manning
and Wade coming in as the quarterback, that's the Waight
coming in as the defensive coordinator. That is the biggest
(13:37):
one year turnaround I can ever remember on one side
of the ball as they did from the defense in
twenty ten compared to twenty eleven and parked the course
the first division title in playoff victory. Who it's a
good thing, like say it. They needed a quarterback right now,
(13:57):
you know there's one quarterback and Camboard's generational talent. He's
going to Tennessee and sur Sanders could drop down in
the twenties. And I see all this debate. I saw
Mike Tannenbaum, former GM. This is why he's on ESPN.
He called let's see, he called Jackson Dart, Jalen Milroe,
(14:19):
and I think it was Tyler Shuck. He praised the
heck out of him in frontline quarterbacks by their second season,
and I'm like, what does frontline mean? And also if
that's the case, they're all going to be front line,
then they this is going to be a great quarterback
draft or I don't know anybody else that thinks that.
So it's very good that the Texans do not need
(14:42):
a starting quarterback in this draft, because it could turn
out to be pretty bad.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
I remember in twenty eleven, I was thinking Nick Fairley,
get him, or get Robert Quinn one of those guys.
When eleven came around and what was obviously on the board,
everybody knew about what, but they didn't know what was
gonna be WAT. So when they took Wat, yeah, not
everybody booed, but there were some booing because.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
You gotta have an outside passwords.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
We could have had bad Gabbard, Yeah, you could have
had Gabert, could have had Christian Ponder, No, but Gabert
was already gone.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Gabert was already gone to pick.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Before By the way, the big turnaround. That's what Wade
does everywhere he goes. And Wade just took a leave
of absence, by the way from the San Antonio team
in the UFL, and our best goes out to Wade.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Obviously an outstanding.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Did in contact with him, and he's he can't coach
right now, but he's doing pretty well. Expects to be
back saying that's great.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
And he went to the championship game last year. So
obviously you know Wade Coach of the Year. Yeah, he's
always known what he's doing as a head coach coordinator.
Whatever Wade does, Wade does well. There's no question about that,
all right. So cam Ward, I saw this as a headline.
You know, when you're watching the hot take shows, but
you're not really watching because I have them on with
the sound.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Off in my office. That's dangerous.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
I looked up and there was one of those captions,
you know, where they're just talking. Just happens on the
news channels too, if you want to call it news,
but this happens. And it was Ward comparisons to Mahomes
yes or no or something like that, and I thought, oh,
here we go. Wow, But I will say this, I'll
defend them in this And I have no idea what
they were talking about. But cam Ward pre draft, Mahomes
(16:21):
pre draft Mahomes did drop to ten. Ward's gonna get
picked number one overall. And what was the book on
Mahomes before the draft? It was, well, he's a gunslinger,
he's a little wild. He makes plays, but he's a
little wild.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Maybe the air raid system which is not translaightable into
the NFL.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
And then they were showing these Ward highlights. If you
look at the best Ward plays, you're thinking, sign me
up for that. But general, how good will cam Ward
be in this league?
Speaker 3 (16:49):
I used to know a general manager. He wanted to
see low lights. He wanted to tape that showed all
the bad throws, the bad decisions, not just the good ones.
You know, NFL Network and ESPN makes everybody look like
they should be the first overall pick frontline quarterbacks. But
cam Ward, they've been going to take him now for
(17:11):
a long time, only the media didn't know it. A
lot of them, including people in Nashville because their brain
trust there likes the way he's improved every year since
he came out of Columbia High School as a no
star recruit, and he goes to Incarnate Word and plays
for Eric Morris, who now is the head coach at
(17:32):
North Texas and Dustin for bigger things, and then he
goes to Washington State, so he goes with him. And
then after he went to North Texas, Ward State another year.
Night he thought about entering draft last year, told he
wouldn't be a first round pick, he might not be
a second round pick, so he went back, went to Miami,
continued to improve every year he's been in football. He's
(17:54):
improved despite changing head coaches, coordinators, teammates. I think that
Bow's very well. They've tried to beep up their offensive line.
They still need wide receivers, they probably need another running back,
and I don't expect him as a rookie starter to
be Anthony Richardson. But I also don't think he's gonna
(18:15):
be c. J. Stroud or Jayden Daniels and help that
team make a huge late not in the first year.
Speaker 4 (18:23):
I won't take a victory lap on this, but I
had cam Ward in my Harris one hundred back in
twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Two, whoa like before you before you even played.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
A game in Washington State, And I thought I was
kind of off my rocker, but I was like, I
put him at number one hundred because I wanted, like
to recognize the fact that this this kid could be special.
Like I watched the game, I watched games of his
from Incarnate Word.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
I was like, this guy's got something.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
Then I remember talking to Casey Keeler, who was at
SAM Houston at the time, and Casey joke like, John,
why did you tell me this guy was that good?
Speaker 2 (18:56):
And I'm like, I didn't know he was that good.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
I mean, he didn't have any other starter as red
rooting name, and Casey was like, that dude almost single
handedly beat us. And that was a really good SAM
defense that particular year in twenty twenty one, and he
put forty one. They went for two at the end
of the game and they missed it, so they didn't
move on. But Ward was just incredible, and I was like,
you go to Washington State, I think he's gonna show
(19:18):
some people up in the PAC twelve.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
But when he went to Miami, that's when it really exploded.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
I'm I'm curious what he does in the NFL, But
I think people forget Mahomes went to Andy Reid, he
had Travis Kelcey and Tyreek Hill. He also sat for
a year where he could learn the game and got
his feet wet week eighteen or week seventeen or whatever
it was against Denver, and then came back the next year,
and obviously the rest is history is so we'll see.
(19:43):
But I get it stylistically, like there are some stylistic
things that are are pretty similar amongst the two, So
I mean, I kind of get it.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
I kind of see it. So we'll face him twice
a year in a way.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
You go, general, do you think Cleveland and New York
and whatever order, Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, do you think
those are the next two picks or you think there's
some smoke to this fire that Ashton Genty maybe gets
with one of those picks two, three, or potentially even
number four to New England Patriots.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Well, if you look at both of those franchises, they
could both use running backs and the Giants and he
is definitely worth it. He's such a high, highly rated prospect.
If he went to the Giants and he was real good,
he might ease some pain on the Saquon Barkley decision.
And the thing about Abdull Carter. They already have two
number ones at end, Thibodeau and Burns. They traded for
(20:38):
Burns and then Dexter Lawrence was a first round pick.
So they've already got three number ones in their defensive line.
And yes, you can't have too many. But Ashton Jenny,
as you guys knows, he is going to be a star.
He can take pressure off the quarterback in the defense.
I'm more concerned than he would end up in Jacksonville
(20:58):
because they had Tank Bigsby and they don't have ETN
was terrible and they have Bigsby, and I hope they
pass them up and take a defensive player. But their
new coach is an offensive former offensive coordinator John I
know you're shaking your head. Who do you think Jacksonville
is gonna take?
Speaker 2 (21:17):
No, I don't want Genty in Jacksonville.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
I mean, if I'm the jackson should.
Speaker 4 (21:22):
If I'm the Magnificent Gladstone, I am absolutely considering that.
In fact, I have I have genty going six to
the Raiders. I think it's where a lot of people do.
I have Tyler Warren going to the Jacksonville jack Wars.
I don't get that either. I know I don't like
it either, but I'm you know what, here's the thing.
A lot of times in the draft, there's some common
sense that leaves the building. But if you think comments
(21:43):
this is way I look at it. There are three
lead players in this draft, Hunter, Carter, Genty. I think
Warren is near elite, like he if that's your tier one,
my tier two would be Warren, and then everybody else
says tier three. There's a you know, there's a gap
between two and three and there's everybody else. And so
I started thinking about him, like Jacksonville's got to take
(22:03):
one of these near elite players, Like they can't just go, well,
we gotta go drafted off. It's a tackle because that's
a need for us. If they do that, they're gonna
be in trouble. And even Mason Graham, I think is
a really good player, but he's not one of those
elite guys. So I think there's definitely a chance that
Brown's Giants Patriots consider Jenty, and unfortunately, if one of
(22:24):
them considers a quarterback, that could push Abdul Carter or
Tyler Warren right to the Jacksonville Jaguars, where I don't
want them and I want to ask you this, guys,
because at least be the Jaguars. I looked online the
other day, there's a there's a on Twitter. There was
a graphic that popped up and it showed the thirty
visits for teams and the Jacksonville Jaguars just don't do
(22:47):
thirty visits. And that's something that Gladstone said they did
in LA and they they would continue that with the Jaguars.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Why wouldn't you exactly? That's my point general, Why I
don't get it.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
I don't know what you lose by bringing in players
to get a read on them, even if you get
to spend all day with them in dinner, at that point,
it's not just a fifteen minute combiny interview. Why do
you think they've kind of gone that direction with Gladstone
and Jaguars not having players on campus for a thirty visit.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
It makes no sense because even if you have met
with players privately and talked to him, whether it's fifteen
minutes at the combine or after their pro day you
went to dinner, you still get to see him in
your setting. I remember in twenty seventeen, Rick Smit, the
general manager, one of the things that he had to
go to Dan Ruiney's funeral. But everybody reported back to
(23:38):
him that Deshaun Watson, when he was like in the cafeteria,
how nice he was to everybody behind the counter, how
the veteran players who had worked out at the stadium
were there and they went up to him because they
saw he won the national championship. How he interacted with them.
And you can't see those things anywhere else. So because
(24:00):
Sean McVay did it, and I hate that. I remember
when jackieastery took the numbers and the everything off the
rosters and it lasted one day because they got killed
for it. Turned out the Patriots had tried it, and
then the league had to get involved with that, you know,
just because you did it like that somewhere else. I
(24:21):
don't know how you could justify to your owner, shod Con,
why we're not doing this, even if you said, we
don't want other teams know who we're bringing in here.
He may not draft any of those guys. It just
makes no sense. But so much about the Jaguars has
not made since nineteen ninety was it ninety nine or
(24:41):
ninety six? One of those two years.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
It was ninety nine. It was both those years six.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Ninety if they went to the AFC Championship, kip both
those years. All right, general, we look forward to next week.
Thanks so much for being with us tonight.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
As always my pleasure, guys, Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
All right, right back into the flow here Texans ready
to Mark Vandermaer and John Harris with you in the
hun Day Texans Radio Studio and Johnny, we had Seth
Pain on last week. We aired this on Monday night,
the Seth Pain Interview. But what we didn't get to,
what we did not get to in that interview was
(25:17):
Seth talking about Opening Night and we saved this for
tonight throwback Thursday. This was really cool stuff. So I
was getting emotional talking about Opening Night.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Of team history. And we all know Seth.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
You listen to him every morning, you listen to him
on pregame shows, you listen to him all the time.
You've known him as an original Texan. So he was there,
made one of the big plays of this game with
the sack on Quincy Carter late that sealed the deal,
and he talks about that. Let's get right to it
before we discuss Seth Pain as we talked to him
(25:53):
about opening night of team history against the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
I'd keep it in that same theme of man, this
is just big. And I had played in Jacksonville for
five years, but that's a different stadium, different city, different environment,
and I had just never been part of that much
combined and focused energy from the fans down onto the field.
(26:22):
And there was that moment there at the end of
the game when we got the safety and ended up,
you know, stealing the game. It just I it was
almost like an out of body experience. I don't remember
anything about that place specifically because I was so tired,
and I just remember having the feeling of almost like
the energy permeating.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
My body because it was so loud, and I.
Speaker 5 (26:46):
Was completely in that unconscious mode when you're tired and
you're just going on instinct and training and everything, and
it just it felt like the energy is seeping into
you and you're getting like almost pushed along by the
noise in the environment and everything. It was just it
was it was one of the Honestly, it was one
(27:08):
of the most unique experiences in my life. It was
really it's one of the things. I'm fifty years old,
I've been honest for it's fifty years, and I don't
I've never experienced anything like that and I never will again.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
It was just amazing.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
I want to play that for the team.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Yah, the night before they host the AFC Championship game.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
You know what I mean that. But the way you
just said that is so beautiful.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
You know, I'm up in the booth that night and
I've I just called the national Championship game at the
University of Miami and the Rose Bowl. That was my
last football accounted that I called. And then the next
one is this and there's just nothing like it. There's
nothing like that night.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
So that was beautiful.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
It was really really cool, and it's cool that people
remember it, you know this many years later. It's really
it's it's it's cool to be part of it. It's
a very unique. It's one of those things where you're
outside of Houston you just wouldn't get it because, okay,
what it's a regular season game and uh, what's what's
it ultimately matter end of the year. It was just
it was very, very unique.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
It was really cool. All right.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
That's Seth Payne and Johnny. I just love that because
and Seth joked with us after it was over. I
didn't think I was gonna get an estional today, but Jeseus,
I guess I just did.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
The energy that he talks about like flowing through his
body coming down from the stands, giving him that will
extra drive making those plays what a unique experience. If
you're not a Ustonian, you probably don't get it. I
love all that stuff, and I think this is something
that everybody needs to hear who's a Texans fan.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Absolutely, And I think whenever we play that team, there's
always that little extra, you know. And that's why when
we talked about, you know, the great plays at twenty
twenty four, That's why the Derek Barnett strip, sack, Jalen
Peatree forced fumble, Barnett return was such a big play
in my mind because it happens up there.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
We finally beat them up there. We do it on
Monday night.
Speaker 4 (28:59):
That's the kapper on that game, like they're not coming
back from this. And it was Barnett celebrating with all
his fans in the end zone. They're all doing it together.
It was just such a cool woman, and I remembered
finally take it all in.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Look at it and just like take it all in.
And I was like, goly, there's some redness building and
they're celebrating.
Speaker 4 (29:20):
I can imagine what that was like in two thousand
and two, the first one to do it on Sunday
night and just against that team. And of course, you
know Seth has talked before about the scrimmage that was before,
and then you saw the hard knocks and the Cowboys
are very dismissive and all that kind of stuff. So
there was so much going on, which made me think, though,
(29:41):
when you get to talking about the Texans or just
you know, your football life in general, is there a
game that you get emotional kind of like Seth about.
Is there one that you think about maybe that not
sets you off into tears, but that you get emotional
thinking come back and calling it.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
I know what it is. I'm pretty sure, Ikne what
it is. Twenty eighteen.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
In fact, I was talking to some ticketing people yesterday
because we do this, you know, senior members of the
organization talking to new members, and yeah, there are a
few new members of Inside Sales Ticketing, and they asked
me that question or a version of that question, and
I said, there's so many I mentioned twenty fifteen against
the Colts, beating them up there for the first time.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
I've talked about that many times.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Twenty eighteen though, after mister McNair passed away on Friday,
and we're there Monday night and you could not script
it any better. Down ten to nothing, and then you know,
you make a stop at the goal line and it's
first down at the three, at your three and Lamar
Miller ninety seven yards and I just that moment and that.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Game packed so much emotion.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
And it was in the midst of that twenty eighteen
season where you're winning nine in a row, and is
this the night that the streak is stopped? Can't be
because Bob McNair just died. You have to be able
to win that football game and everything to do with him.
So far as far as that game found day, which
we do, it's October sixth, because that celebrates the anniversary
(31:05):
October sixth, nineteen ninety nine when you were awarded the franchise.
But on Founder's Day, never lost, okay, And I mean,
that's just a beautiful thing. And obviously that day in
twenty eighteen, that night, that Monday night football game against
the former Oilers was so special, so that one always
stands out, but there's so many. I was thinking about
(31:25):
this because they were asking me, what are your favorite calls,
like calls that you've done, and I want to do
a show.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Maybe it's it's good for June.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
Get out.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Yeah, get that's my favorites. Three get Out. I forgot
about that one. Fritz came out that year, Johnny. That
was loaded with emotion.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
It was three very much loaded with emotion because because
think about this, you had the Tank Dell last second
touchdown against the Buccaneers and Andre going nuts with me
on that one, and then you had the I mean,
you had others, but you had the field goal to
beat the former Oilers up there wearing the former Oiler
uniforms and Andre put thrun.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
We had a lot of emotion that there was a lot.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
I mean, how about the fact that we've followed up
Tampa Bay with Cincinnati back to back weeks. I'll tell
you this, though, to your point, there have been I
mean a lot off seasons, a lot of time where
we've you know, talked about different topics and you know,
brought us back to that Monday night game. It's really
difficult to just think back to that night and everything
(32:37):
that went with that night without like starting to tear up, Like, man,
there's so there's so much, And obviously you're caught through
Lamar Miller's touchdown run. And I remember during a break,
I remember saying distinctly to you guys, because the week before,
do you remember what happened The week before was against
Washington week justin he'd won one hundred and one yards
(33:01):
on an interception, and I remember saying during a break, dang, man,
I wish I wish we could add to Justin readin
interception here to go the rest of the way. Instead,
it ended up being fourth down stop ninety seven yard run, which,
in a sense I guess was probably a little bit
more romantic.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
And the fact that it was that team and.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
That guy who got run down from behind a few
times exactly too from his team page.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
I mean, it was very very cool to have that
that moment he just turns on the gas and runs
away from Kenny Vacaro. But I the one other thing
I remember about that night, which makes it even more
emotional and sad, is that was the first game that
Damarius Thomas played here. Oh yeah, and he ends up
having two touchdowns in that game, and so I get
to interview him after the game.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
It is the first time I get to meet Demarius
and just.
Speaker 4 (33:47):
A super super guy, got a sweetheart of a man.
And to see him, you know, lose his life so early,
it was just, I mean unbelievable, so emotional to think
about that particular. But that was right in the middle
of that run, you know, in twenty eighteen, it was
like we were fighting ways to win games. The Broncos
McManus pushes the kick right when they could have beat us.
(34:08):
All everything that happened there, you know, kind of through
that run, starting with the game against a cult But
that's you're right, that's the one that I think about,
and whenever I hear your call after Lamar scores, I'm
just like, I'm a blubbering mess. So I wasn't here
for the opener against the Cowboys, but I know twenty
(34:30):
eighteen we beat the Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
That was pretty special. It was so special.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
From that that perspective, you know, hop spins, you know
that the just kept spinning and spinning and spinning. I
was like, this is awesome, you know, being him up
there at twenty four up at their place. We'd never
done that before, you know, knocking them off was you know,
and doing it the way that we did, blowout fashion,
blowout fashion, defense, making statements.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Look, could have had him in twenty two also could
have what should have that game?
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Could it?
Speaker 1 (34:55):
What should have been twenty fourteen? Yeah, it is special
to beat them. It's funny because I was just talking
to somebody in marketing about certain stores that have Cowboy
gear for sale in the Houston area along with Texans gear,
because amongst us, I get it, no corporate buyers. It's like,
and I think some of it is sent from the
national office and they're like, oh Texas, they want the
(35:18):
Cowboys in Texas. No, we don't. We don't want the
Cowboys stuff. Get rid of it. We're Texans here in Houston.
Let's go each town. That's what we want. I don't know,
I got a lot to say.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
No, I'd get you.
Speaker 4 (35:30):
I mean, this last weekend, we had somebody that was
staying in the house across from us and they had
a wheel cover it said Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
I had to keep looking at it all weekend.
Speaker 4 (35:40):
Too expensive, I wanted your right, eggs are too expensive,
But I thought about throwing some peeps, and I didn't
know how much that would accomplish, so I just kind
of stared at it and made bad faces and said
bad words and they then they left and all was good.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
But it's becoming almost sad for them though.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
It is because look, I am in the minority of
saying and I'm I'm not saying that Brian Schottenhammer things
going to work for them, but I'm if I was
a Cowboy fan, you have no choice. But they'll let
it play out. But you know, they've tried a lot
of different things. If you're not going to hire a
big name guy with a proven track record, you know,
like Pete Carroll would have been good in Dallas, I think, wow,
(36:15):
but yeah, right, that would have been pretty good. Interesting
because pe would have said, yeah, you go ahead, get
the players, Jerry, you know, I'll have something put but
I'll go ahead. And maybe Pete behind the scenes is
very very directive on what he wants. Who knows, but
that is a coach of the proven track record instead
of go with Brian Schottenhammer. Maybe he's a great delegator,
Maybe he's gonna get it all done. Who knows. Another thing,
(36:37):
things that are getting me fired up. Next week is
off season conditioning, the start of the nine week program
starting one.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
And the players we've been mentioning this a lot.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
They've been in the building, a lot of guys, a
lot three dozen guys or so regularly in the building.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
And I saw Z's today.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Yeah, for a longer time than maybe I should have been.
I wasn't holding them up. But we're just talking.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
But a lot of it.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
He's just such a great conversationalist. You know, he's like,
what are you up to? Oh, you're coaching kids? Your kid?
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Tell me?
Speaker 1 (37:05):
You know, he wants to know things. He Johnny, He's incredible.
It's just an incredible human. As he's al Shire. We
all know this. I just love having him on this
football team. I've said it so many times. I've said
it before that I don't want him ever leaving this building.
Give him a lifetime contract. You know that doesn't always
go according to my plan, because I kind of felt
(37:26):
similarly about Case Keenum.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Don't let him leave the building. He goes to Chicago.
Speaker 1 (37:30):
But you know what, I can't fault Case for wanting
one more chance to be a player, right and if
he feels like he could be a player up there.
He's not gonna start with Caleb Williams there, but who knows,
if there's an injury, he might start right. They might
have a situation like we had a couple of years ago,
and maybe he's the guy and he gonna have an
input on Caleb Williams's career, some influence there.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
But maybe Case makes his way back at some point.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
I'm not gonna, you know, discount possibility, but I'd love
to see his ease here for ever.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
Saw Pe Tree. A bunch of the guys, they're getting ready.
They know that.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
It's funny because we used to say you got to
hit training camp in shape. You better be in shape
for training camp because you can't get in shape during
training camp. Now it's you better hit off season conditioning
in shape because you don't want to be out of shape.
When they start off season conditioning, they will wear you
out because that's their job. So you want to hit
this next week in shape. And not only that, I
(38:26):
think there are a couple of other things that go with it.
You just get the sense that these guys like being
around one another. Yeah, and it's look, it's not going
to be ninety guys across the board and love each
other at all times.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
Like it's just that's not human like behavior. It doesn't,
But you.
Speaker 4 (38:40):
Get the feeling that these guys do like being around
each other, they do like being around the strength conditioning staff,
they do like being around the coaches and such, and I.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
I think that's that's awesome.
Speaker 4 (38:51):
That's that's that's a team that wants to do more
than just get to the divisional playoff round. That's a
team that wants and knows that you to have a
level of chemistry to be able to in the fourth quarter. Like, man,
I'm not giving them, Like I got CJ. And I
got Nico over there on the sidelines watching us, and
we got to come up with one stop. I'm coming
(39:13):
up with that one stop because I want us all
to experience that.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
So I love that aspect of it.
Speaker 4 (39:19):
Really curious to see, you know, how many guys are
here during the conditioning period, which again is voluntary. OTAs
are voluntary mini camp that's the required one for everybody
to be here. But I feel like I've seen so
many guys in the building already before conditioning even starts
next week. So I'm curious to see what they are
(39:40):
able to bring in during condition. But either way, just
the way that they have done this. And that goes
back to kind of what I said yesterday and when
we were talking about what Nick had to say, like
there's a different standard that applies here. Yeah, and I
remember hearing this about the Eagles. There was a guy
that was traded to the Eagles. I can't remember who
was this guys traded the Eagles if it's a lineman
(40:00):
And we walked in, Fletcher Cox kind of grabbed him
and said, we don't do that bleep here. Oh yeah,
there's a certain way that we do things here in Philadelphia,
So get in line or get lost. And I mean
he said it in a more positive manner, especially when
a player can say it, not a coach.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
And when it comes from a player and you hear it,
you're like, okay, I got it understood. And you know,
a player like Fletcher Cox, I obviously had some gravitas.
But you know here you probably hear it or see
it from some younger guys. But you're gonna you're gonna
mess with Nico Collins, Derek Stingley junior. Hell no, But
you know, I think that. That part of it to
(40:37):
me is it's cool when you see these guys around
a building, but you know, we've been here.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
We've been here. Yeah, I've been here since twenty fifteen.
I've been in a building.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
We've seen so many times where we went periods and
stretches without seeing guys like there would be some that
were rehabbing, but you know, and look, it's good to
get away. Like I talked to X one day. I
saw him, I think probably a couple of weeks ago.
He got away for a couple of quick and then
he got back here. He's like, man, I gotta be ready.
I gotta be ready for conditioning. And I was just like, yeah,
(41:05):
you know, you you come in for you come in
for conditioning and you haven't been.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
You're gonna be in. You're gonna be in a world
of hurt.
Speaker 4 (41:12):
When it was the strength and conditioning staff is gonna
push them.
Speaker 1 (41:15):
I wonder what they're gonna do with eighteen games and
maybe it's just a couple of weeks shaving off of
off season. Conditioning gets seven weeks instead of nine. I
think that'd be okay.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
You know, it'll be interesting to see how they handle
training when do you think we go to eighteen games?
Speaker 1 (41:29):
Uh, after twenty six because I think that's when the
opt out is on the TV team contract. So they'll say, listen,
let's redo these you guys want this stuff. You got
an extra game, you want this entertainment, You're gonna word
to you exactly, pay up and we'll give you an
eighteenth game. And the players get more. Everybody gets more money.
Everybody gets more. But I know it's more work and
(41:50):
that's tough for them. All right, Coming up the weekly
flag Football Report and some other kidbits from around the
NFL and college football. No historic broadcast note coming up
next on Texans Radio. Final Lap around the Track tonight
on Texans Radio, and some notes after. We talk about
(42:11):
flag football a bit because, as we mentioned last week,
girls flag football heavy emphasis in the state to get
this a sanctioned UIL sport in our beloved lone star state,
Well in Austin, the Texans are making strides too round
Rock High School coach Ashley Castro. I caught up with
her and found out more about her inaugural program, a
(42:32):
pilot program to get girls flag football going.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
How did she get involved?
Speaker 6 (42:36):
Well, I've always let my admin know here, I'm already
a coach at Round Rock Eye coach basketball and softball,
and so I myself played flag football, and I've kind
of shared with my colleagues that I was interested in
getting this going for our school district, and so went
to a couple of coaches conferences, saw that it was
going to start happening about two years ago. As when
(42:56):
I started hearing that, you know, there was rumors at
NFL teams wanted to be a part of bringing girls
flag football to the forefront, and so just kind of
keeping in contact with the Texans and letting them know
that we as a central Texas area were interested. And
you know, early in February, we got the call from
the Houston Texans that you know, they wanted to start
a pilot program in central Austin area, and we were
(43:18):
one of the first schools that they had contacted. And
so our athletic head coach, our athletic administrator coach, Cody
Moore reached out kind of let us know who was
interested in taking this on. And I was one of
the first to raise my hands and I was like, man,
I've been asking for this, let's go, Let's get it going,
and so I've been designated to get that going and
get it started up for around our high school.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
So, Ashley, what's the first thing you do? You have tryouts?
People are interested? How did that all go down? Tell
us about that.
Speaker 6 (43:47):
Well, you know, with the social media, right, the amount
of people that it can reach in a short amount
of time, I think that was the most important thing.
So I immediately got on Instagram, started a Instagram for
around our high school girls Flack football, try to promote,
try to get the word out there. And the amount
of followers, questions, emails I received and just one or
(44:08):
two days was really mind blowing, and I was really
really happy to see that there were so many girls interested.
So got that going, started getting a parent meeting scheduled,
kind of get girls that were involved and that we're
interested to come and hear what the program was going
to be about. We had over forty five girls and
their families come out to our first parent meeting back
in February, and then shortly after that we've had tryouts.
(44:32):
I had about thirty or so kids come and try out,
and you know, we're kind of limited on the amount
of girls that we could have. At the very beginning
so having to tell girls that were interested, hey, not
right now, but come back next year was really hard
for me. But I hope the program just continues to
grow and grow and grow and that we're able to have,
you know, like a junior varsity varsity team in the future.
(44:53):
But obviously word of mouth is important, word of mouth,
social media. We also sent like a dragon blast, what
we call parent emails to everyone in our school. And
if you don't know anything about around our high school,
we have over thirty nine hundred kids, So that was
a big widespread email sent out there. And yeah, I
just got the word out and so I was really
(45:14):
really surprised with the outcome that we had, and it
goes to show that girls flag football is here and
people are ready for it.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Ashlely, as somebody who has played different sports and coached
multiple sports, what do you make of all this? Because
this can be and will be at some point a
sanctioned high school sport. You see more universities picking it up.
That's got to be exciting as you look at it
from a thirty thousand foot perspective.
Speaker 6 (45:39):
Yeah, absolutely, you know, for me, I'm just happy to
be a part of it. When we talk about girls
flag football inaugural season, whether it be pilot or not. Right,
it's just fun to be able to get girls to
compete in flag football. And I think the most important
thing for me is this allows girls more opportunities in college,
right to get scholarships to go and get their college
paid for. And I'm just super super excited that they
(46:02):
have that opportunity now. And I said this in one
of my interviews earlier, but it's no longer. For so
long we wanted it to be a movement, right like,
let's get this going, let's get the ball rolling, And
it's no longer a movement anymore. Like it's here, and
I think it's important that these girls, their parents and
communities that support them come together and show you, I
(46:23):
l and show those that we are ready for it
to be a sport and we are ready to be
competitive in that sense. And if they're doing it in college,
why not in high school?
Speaker 2 (46:31):
Right?
Speaker 6 (46:31):
So again, I'm just happy to be a part of it.
It's fun, it's exciting, and I'm ready to get the
ball rolling with these girls for sure.
Speaker 2 (46:40):
Coach, thanks a lot for joining us, good luck.
Speaker 6 (46:42):
I appreciate it, Thank you so much, and Thank you
again to the Houston Texans for their support. We really
appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
There's Ashley Castro, our coach of the Week for Girls
Flag Football Houston Texans, a big supporter of girls flag football.
Leek Corso, big supporter of college football. His final broadcast
will be Labor Day weekend. How you and I are
going to hit on this tomorrow. Historic achievements in the
world of broadcasting as it relates to college football, There's
(47:07):
no question about that. I remember when he coached in
the USFL for the Orlando Renegades. I go back that far.
We'll have a full show for you tomorrow within the
Lab and some other stuff. Draft next week, of course,
one week from tonight. It's on Area forty five coming
up next. Have a great night, Go Texans.
Hello Texans, Welcome to the show. One week from tonight,
it begins the NFL Draft, So let's talk John Harris
with us, John McLain with us.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Mark Vandermere, and we.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Are ready for the draft to begin tonight, but it's
not going to. So let's get into some elements of this,
and gentlemen, I'm going to start right here, right now,
general will begin with you. Is it as simple as
you'll take an offensive lineman in the first round because
you're more likely to get a great offensive lineman there,
and you can still get a really good wide receiver
(00:34):
potentially down the line.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Your thoughts good evening well.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
As I prepare for my forty ninth draft, I'm always
very fired up at this time of the year. I
wish it were earlier so it wouldn't be the paralys
by over analysis, but that's what it is. And I
still see a lot of mock drafts having takes, some
taking a defensive tackle or a wide receiver. And I
(00:59):
still believe what I've said all along. I think he'll
be an offensive Linemannick Sario said, they never draft for need.
They always draft best player at a need position, and
that's what all teams do, but the GMS will never
use the word need in their pick, and they need
another offensive lineman even though they brought in four, and
(01:22):
so I think they'll get one. I think where they
pick in that area there are going to be some
good ones. I would love Kelvin Banks Junior down there,
but I don't think he'll be down there. I would
love to have Josh Simmons, the offensive tackle from Ohio State,
if the medicals are where they believe they should be
(01:44):
after he went down for the season in October with
a torne attendant, and even if he had to sit
out this season, he would have been the first first
offensive lineman taken. So I'd like to see him. Get him.
But there's others Tyler Booker, Gray Zabel. I wouldn't mind
either one of those guys. I just want to get
(02:04):
somebody's physical and nasty and wants to kick some serious.
But on every play.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
General, what would be a bigger surprise Texan's taking a
defensive lineman into your defensive lineman or wide receiver at
twenty five, which would be a bigger surprise to you?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Uh? I think, boy, they have so much depth in
their defensive line they've got ends, they've got tackles at
Demiko Ryans the last two years has gotten things out
of tackles that other teams have not. And they brought
back Sheldon Rankins, They've brought back Mario Edwards. Folly Photocosis
(02:45):
still out there isn't he Yes, I haven't seen that
East sign with anybody. But they have depth inside. I
like they brought back Derek Barnett. They have more depth
there than they have a wide receiver right now. Now.
Their wide receiver is Nico Collins, who missed five games
(03:05):
last year in his miss games each of his first
three seasons. So they have a bigger need at wide
receiver than defensive tackle.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Absolutely, general. Look, and John, I'll answer your question. I
think that it's not much of a surprise if they
take a receiver, because what if Booker Banks is abled?
Speaker 2 (03:25):
What if these guys are all gone?
Speaker 1 (03:26):
I mean, John, you tell me, what's the potential of
those guys all god?
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Yeah, it's I don't want to say high, but yeah,
there's a likely there's a likely potential that one of
those guys is there, and it may not be the
guy that you've really fallen in love with. So yeah,
I think when I when I did my mock draft,
I really I had one of them. I had Zabel left,
and I was like, I'm taking Zabel. I like Zabel
a lot, and that's the way I went. So I
think there's a high potential that those offensive linemen are
(03:53):
off the board. I mean, look, the Texans aren't the
only team in the NFL that has struggled with their
offensive line the last year or two.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
So there're gonna be a number of teams that are looking.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
There's a high there's a high demand, and I don't
know that there's really a high supply.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
So I think it's gonna be interesting.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Mark, for sure, general you have Josh Connerly gone the
organ of its Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
In fact, I had the Chiefs trading up to the
pick right in front of the Texans. And that's one
of the things about you know about this draft is
that you know, people surmise the Texans are gonna draft
an offensive linement. So if you're gonna trade from you know,
below the Texans, you know, with the Rams at twenty
six all the way through the Eagles at thirty two,
if you're thinking about offensive line, you're like, I got
to get in front of the Texans. Well, the Vikings
(04:34):
make a lot of sense because they've only got four
picks in this draft.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
They need they need picks.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
And so I can imagine they maybe want to trade
down so that they could recruit some some draft capital.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
And so that's what I had. I did.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
I had the Chiefs moving up, taking Josh Connery at
twenty four, and that left me with Gray's Abel at
twenty five. So yeah, that's the one thing that you
don't know when it's gonna happen. But because people and
team no, the Texans are looking at the offensive line,
it would make a lot of sense for teams to
go up. So I had Connory off the board at
twenty four, and Zabel and Donovan Jackson were the only
(05:09):
two offensive line that I had left at twenty five,
only top second round and a half on the NFL.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
DoD con Bunkie Brooks, who's been doing this forever, and
of course he's not the be all end all, but
he thinks Donovan Jackson is gonna be a perennial All
Pro guard. And since Nick Serio always takes the guys
from the big schools and not the North Dakota States.
Would he take Donovan Jackson. They did a great job
(05:37):
bouncing out the left tackle last year after Simmons was hurt.
Would he take him over grayz Abel?
Speaker 4 (05:43):
I mean, I think that's a consideration for sure, and
I considered it as well. I just think Zabel is
a bit better athlete. I think he's wound the way
that they want a guy to be on the offensive line.
And here's the other thing. Zabel might play center. And
that's one thing we haven't considered a whole lot. But
(06:04):
but if Zabel ends up, you know, being a twelve
year starter at center, and you when I was on
the shot set this morning, I said that, you know,
look at gram Barton. Graham Barton at Duke played left
tackle his whole career. And then the Bucks are like, nah,
we're gonna draft your number twenty two overall and you're
gonna play center, and you're gonna be our center for
the next decade.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
And I think that's gonna work on Tampa Bay.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
So that's the other thing about Zabel, and it gives
him some consideration that he could potentially play center and
be a really good center. I don't know if that
really kind of triggers the meter at twenty five, but
it at least gives his options.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Of course, all.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Right, like need a really good center who could start
for ten years, because Jared Patterson hasn't shown he can
do that and Jesus Scruggs is not shown he can
do that.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Well, in the Football is Weird department, check this out.
The second best season regular season in Texans history record
wise is what twenty eighteen. They won eleven games, They
had a nine game winning streak, best in franchise history,
and the starting tackles most of the time were Julie
On Davenport and Kendall Lamb. Weird, right, they went eleven
(07:14):
games like that? Now, I know it wasn't an offensive
juggernaut that year. They had a lot of takeaways, they
played great defensive ball, they were opportunistic, et cetera. But
they go into the next year's draft and that was
the tightest Howard draft, and what happened. The Eagles jumped
in front of the Texans took Andre Dillard. A lot
of people thought the Texans wanted Dillard. They were clear
that they wanted Titus Howard all along. But the point
(07:34):
is this general Nick Cassario's got to play sort of
a game of Chicken Russian Roulette.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I don't know what the metaphorical game would be here.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
It's just the NFL draft and he's got to decide
do I jump up if there is a player that
he loves that's dropping and they're getting close to twenty
five and Johnny's machiad the Chiefs jumping in front of
the Texans. So what's the percentage chance in your mind
of a trade that Nick moves up or back, but
move anywhere off twenty five? What do you think the likelihood.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Is of that?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Sixty five to seventy five percent? Just because Nick likes
to make trades.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
That's a lot, that's the majority. So which one would
you pick? General? Is it just all based on players
whether they would go up?
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Like if Banks is there at nineteen twenty twenty one
or even sixteen seventeen eighteen, would Banks be a player
move up for? Is Booker a player you'd move up for?
Is there a player in mind that you might think
about moving up for? Or do you think moving down
ends up getting you into that fourth round where they
don't have a selection right now?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
If Gray's able and Donvan Jackson were going to be
available at twenty five, I would not move and I wouldn't.
I wouldn't. What do they have for the.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Top ninety, for the top eighty nine, yes, eighty nine.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
When you're talking about picking at the bottom of the
first round, I wouldn't give up one of those picks.
I'd look to give up the pick next year, then
this year. But I think they're going to get a
really good offensive lineman they tackle or guard if they
stay right where they are.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yep, I like it. You know, get one of those guys.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I think that'll keep the draft party happy, which is
what I'm concerned about one week from tonight.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Just call this weird. Guys. Usually you take an offensive
lineman and the fans like, oh, got an offensive lineman.
Now fans are gonna cheer like crazy for an offensive
lineman because they know that is what hurt the offense
so much last year, and they know how good CJ.
(09:34):
Stroud can be if he gets time to throw. I
think they would be more inclined to boo another position
and cheer an offensive lineman for the first time in history.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
John, It was pretty interesting listening to Shawn had seth
the other day set their poll and he asked that
question on Twitter X whatever you call it, and it
was I think it was like sixty five thirty five
in favor of fans wanting an offensive lineman versus that
think he said receiver, and he really, yeah, he said
sixty five percent in favor of drafting and offensive lineman.
(10:08):
And my fans, yeah, And I think that's really you know,
fans here pretty smart.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
You know, they can they can go watch a game.
There's so many different ways to go watch a game.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Now.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
You can go watch and see what a guy looks
like and think, okay, man, I know all about that guy,
but you can look and see that guy could play
or not.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
So yeah, I think fans are really informed.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
I was on with with Landry and Stuts last night
for like two hours, and fans are like, man, I
like Ursery, No, I like really like Conlin No, I
don't like connorly No.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
I think this guy is the right fit.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
And I was like, wow, there were years where I
would talk about offensive linemen and people were like, whoo,
who's that?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Now?
Speaker 4 (10:45):
I think fans are so dialed in, which I think
is great. I think it's absolutely fantastic, So I really
wouldn't be I wouldn't be surprised if we end up
drafting a receiver that's not Matthew Golden and the fans
are like, I don't know, I would rather have.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
An offensive lineman.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
I don't think the boo but I think there will
be some unease about what they would do with the
offensive line going forward.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
If they booed in twenty eleven and they didn't want
that no camp defensive end Yeap from Wisconsin. De'll boot anybody.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Yep, they will, and they should wait till Friday night
and Saturday, but especially Friday night, because, like you said,
with four in the top eighty nine, it's like Jonah
Hill and Moneyball Billy. I believe that with the four
picks that we have in the first eighty nine, we
can get four football players who could really help this team.
I mean, there are four football players in that top
(11:36):
eighty nine where the Texans are picking currently that can
help this football team.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
You just got to get it right.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
You and Drew redrafted every draft right twenty eleven. That'll
be Friday night, all right, Friday night twenty eleven. Drew
and Johnny redraft that allotment of players hindsight being perfect.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Yeah, of course you came yeh Aldon Smith going to
the Texans, right.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
It's exactly.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
It's funny because I.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Want to say Wade wanted well.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
I heard Patrick Peterson was also on the board.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
General, What do you remember about that now that we're
there the twenty eleven draft, because Mark mentioned it, there
were some people that booed JJ's selection at the draft party.
There was a apparently there was a radio personality who
was also not real happy with that.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Not me, I was.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
I was actually happy. I just didn't know how the
Texans were going to do it. What do you remember
about that twenty eleven draft?
Speaker 2 (12:29):
General? When the Texans drafted JJ.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
I was open to get Alden Smith, sophomore from Missouri,
because Wade Phillips thought he would be perfect for his
Phillips three to four in which he wanted an outside
linebacker who could rush the passer and he could have
been all one of the all time grades he'd had
his head screwed on right, which he didn't. And then
Wage jumped up on the table because he wanted what
(12:55):
and then the fans, of course booed him at the
facility at the stadium, and I thought JJ always got
a big kick out of that, and that turned out
to be a pretty good draft. And that's what I
remember about is JJ getting booed and we didn't know
what they had, of course till the Cincinnati playoff game
(13:17):
at the end of the season, but that started such
a renaissance with him and Brooks raid Connor Barwin coming
back from a season ending injury and the trade for
I mean the signing of j JO and Daniel Manning
and Wade coming in as the quarterback, that's the Waight
coming in as the defensive coordinator. That is the biggest
(13:37):
one year turnaround I can ever remember on one side
of the ball as they did from the defense in
twenty ten compared to twenty eleven and parked the course
the first division title in playoff victory. Who it's a
good thing, like say it. They needed a quarterback right now,
(13:57):
you know there's one quarterback and Camboard's generational talent. He's
going to Tennessee and sur Sanders could drop down in
the twenties. And I see all this debate. I saw
Mike Tannenbaum, former GM. This is why he's on ESPN.
He called let's see, he called Jackson Dart, Jalen Milroe,
(14:19):
and I think it was Tyler Shuck. He praised the
heck out of him in frontline quarterbacks by their second season,
and I'm like, what does frontline mean? And also if
that's the case, they're all going to be front line,
then they this is going to be a great quarterback
draft or I don't know anybody else that thinks that.
So it's very good that the Texans do not need
(14:42):
a starting quarterback in this draft, because it could turn
out to be pretty bad.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
I remember in twenty eleven, I was thinking Nick Fairley,
get him, or get Robert Quinn one of those guys.
When eleven came around and what was obviously on the board,
everybody knew about what, but they didn't know what was
gonna be WAT. So when they took Wat, yeah, not
everybody booed, but there were some booing because.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
You gotta have an outside passwords.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
We could have had bad Gabbard, Yeah, you could have
had Gabert, could have had Christian Ponder, No, but Gabert
was already gone.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Gabert was already gone to pick.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Before By the way, the big turnaround. That's what Wade
does everywhere he goes. And Wade just took a leave
of absence, by the way from the San Antonio team
in the UFL, and our best goes out to Wade.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Obviously an outstanding.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Did in contact with him, and he's he can't coach
right now, but he's doing pretty well. Expects to be
back saying that's great.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
And he went to the championship game last year. So
obviously you know Wade Coach of the Year. Yeah, he's
always known what he's doing as a head coach coordinator.
Whatever Wade does, Wade does well. There's no question about that,
all right. So cam Ward, I saw this as a headline.
You know, when you're watching the hot take shows, but
you're not really watching because I have them on with
the sound.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Off in my office. That's dangerous.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
I looked up and there was one of those captions,
you know, where they're just talking. Just happens on the
news channels too, if you want to call it news,
but this happens. And it was Ward comparisons to Mahomes
yes or no or something like that, and I thought, oh,
here we go. Wow, But I will say this, I'll
defend them in this And I have no idea what
they were talking about. But cam Ward pre draft, Mahomes
(16:21):
pre draft Mahomes did drop to ten. Ward's gonna get
picked number one overall. And what was the book on
Mahomes before the draft? It was, well, he's a gunslinger,
he's a little wild. He makes plays, but he's a
little wild.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Maybe the air raid system which is not translaightable into
the NFL.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
And then they were showing these Ward highlights. If you
look at the best Ward plays, you're thinking, sign me
up for that. But general, how good will cam Ward
be in this league?
Speaker 3 (16:49):
I used to know a general manager. He wanted to
see low lights. He wanted to tape that showed all
the bad throws, the bad decisions, not just the good ones.
You know, NFL Network and ESPN makes everybody look like
they should be the first overall pick frontline quarterbacks. But
cam Ward, they've been going to take him now for
(17:11):
a long time, only the media didn't know it. A
lot of them, including people in Nashville because their brain
trust there likes the way he's improved every year since
he came out of Columbia High School as a no
star recruit, and he goes to Incarnate Word and plays
for Eric Morris, who now is the head coach at
(17:32):
North Texas and Dustin for bigger things, and then he
goes to Washington State, so he goes with him. And
then after he went to North Texas, Ward State another year.
Night he thought about entering draft last year, told he
wouldn't be a first round pick, he might not be
a second round pick, so he went back, went to Miami,
continued to improve every year he's been in football. He's
(17:54):
improved despite changing head coaches, coordinators, teammates. I think that
Bow's very well. They've tried to beep up their offensive line.
They still need wide receivers, they probably need another running back,
and I don't expect him as a rookie starter to
be Anthony Richardson. But I also don't think he's gonna
(18:15):
be c. J. Stroud or Jayden Daniels and help that
team make a huge late not in the first year.
Speaker 4 (18:23):
I won't take a victory lap on this, but I
had cam Ward in my Harris one hundred back in
twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Two, whoa like before you before you even played.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
A game in Washington State, And I thought I was
kind of off my rocker, but I was like, I
put him at number one hundred because I wanted, like
to recognize the fact that this this kid could be special.
Like I watched the game, I watched games of his
from Incarnate Word.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
I was like, this guy's got something.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
Then I remember talking to Casey Keeler, who was at
SAM Houston at the time, and Casey joke like, John,
why did you tell me this guy was that good?
Speaker 2 (18:56):
And I'm like, I didn't know he was that good.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
I mean, he didn't have any other starter as red
rooting name, and Casey was like, that dude almost single
handedly beat us. And that was a really good SAM
defense that particular year in twenty twenty one, and he
put forty one. They went for two at the end
of the game and they missed it, so they didn't
move on. But Ward was just incredible, and I was like,
you go to Washington State, I think he's gonna show
(19:18):
some people up in the PAC twelve.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
But when he went to Miami, that's when it really exploded.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
I'm I'm curious what he does in the NFL, But
I think people forget Mahomes went to Andy Reid, he
had Travis Kelcey and Tyreek Hill. He also sat for
a year where he could learn the game and got
his feet wet week eighteen or week seventeen or whatever
it was against Denver, and then came back the next year,
and obviously the rest is history is so we'll see.
(19:43):
But I get it stylistically, like there are some stylistic
things that are are pretty similar amongst the two, So
I mean, I kind of get it.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
I kind of see it. So we'll face him twice
a year in a way.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
You go, general, do you think Cleveland and New York
and whatever order, Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, do you think
those are the next two picks or you think there's
some smoke to this fire that Ashton Genty maybe gets
with one of those picks two, three, or potentially even
number four to New England Patriots.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Well, if you look at both of those franchises, they
could both use running backs and the Giants and he
is definitely worth it. He's such a high, highly rated prospect.
If he went to the Giants and he was real good,
he might ease some pain on the Saquon Barkley decision.
And the thing about Abdull Carter. They already have two
number ones at end, Thibodeau and Burns. They traded for
(20:38):
Burns and then Dexter Lawrence was a first round pick.
So they've already got three number ones in their defensive line.
And yes, you can't have too many. But Ashton Jenny,
as you guys knows, he is going to be a star.
He can take pressure off the quarterback in the defense.
I'm more concerned than he would end up in Jacksonville
(20:58):
because they had Tank Bigsby and they don't have ETN
was terrible and they have Bigsby, and I hope they
pass them up and take a defensive player. But their
new coach is an offensive former offensive coordinator John I
know you're shaking your head. Who do you think Jacksonville
is gonna take?
Speaker 2 (21:17):
No, I don't want Genty in Jacksonville.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
I mean, if I'm the jackson should.
Speaker 4 (21:22):
If I'm the Magnificent Gladstone, I am absolutely considering that.
In fact, I have I have genty going six to
the Raiders. I think it's where a lot of people do.
I have Tyler Warren going to the Jacksonville jack Wars.
I don't get that either. I know I don't like
it either, but I'm you know what, here's the thing.
A lot of times in the draft, there's some common
sense that leaves the building. But if you think comments
(21:43):
this is way I look at it. There are three
lead players in this draft, Hunter, Carter, Genty. I think
Warren is near elite, like he if that's your tier one,
my tier two would be Warren, and then everybody else
says tier three. There's a you know, there's a gap
between two and three and there's everybody else. And so
I started thinking about him, like Jacksonville's got to take
(22:03):
one of these near elite players, Like they can't just go, well,
we gotta go drafted off. It's a tackle because that's
a need for us. If they do that, they're gonna
be in trouble. And even Mason Graham, I think is
a really good player, but he's not one of those
elite guys. So I think there's definitely a chance that
Brown's Giants Patriots consider Jenty, and unfortunately, if one of
(22:24):
them considers a quarterback, that could push Abdul Carter or
Tyler Warren right to the Jacksonville Jaguars, where I don't
want them and I want to ask you this, guys,
because at least be the Jaguars. I looked online the
other day, there's a there's a on Twitter. There was
a graphic that popped up and it showed the thirty
visits for teams and the Jacksonville Jaguars just don't do
(22:47):
thirty visits. And that's something that Gladstone said they did
in LA and they they would continue that with the Jaguars.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Why wouldn't you exactly? That's my point general, Why I
don't get it.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
I don't know what you lose by bringing in players
to get a read on them, even if you get
to spend all day with them in dinner, at that point,
it's not just a fifteen minute combiny interview. Why do
you think they've kind of gone that direction with Gladstone
and Jaguars not having players on campus for a thirty visit.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
It makes no sense because even if you have met
with players privately and talked to him, whether it's fifteen
minutes at the combine or after their pro day you
went to dinner, you still get to see him in
your setting. I remember in twenty seventeen, Rick Smit, the
general manager, one of the things that he had to
go to Dan Ruiney's funeral. But everybody reported back to
(23:38):
him that Deshaun Watson, when he was like in the cafeteria,
how nice he was to everybody behind the counter, how
the veteran players who had worked out at the stadium
were there and they went up to him because they
saw he won the national championship. How he interacted with them.
And you can't see those things anywhere else. So because
(24:00):
Sean McVay did it, and I hate that. I remember
when jackieastery took the numbers and the everything off the
rosters and it lasted one day because they got killed
for it. Turned out the Patriots had tried it, and
then the league had to get involved with that, you know,
just because you did it like that somewhere else. I
(24:21):
don't know how you could justify to your owner, shod Con,
why we're not doing this, even if you said, we
don't want other teams know who we're bringing in here.
He may not draft any of those guys. It just
makes no sense. But so much about the Jaguars has
not made since nineteen ninety was it ninety nine or
(24:41):
ninety six? One of those two years.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
It was ninety nine. It was both those years six.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Ninety if they went to the AFC Championship, kip both
those years. All right, general, we look forward to next week.
Thanks so much for being with us tonight.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
As always my pleasure, guys, Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
All right, right back into the flow here Texans ready
to Mark Vandermaer and John Harris with you in the
hun Day Texans Radio Studio and Johnny, we had Seth
Pain on last week. We aired this on Monday night,
the Seth Pain Interview. But what we didn't get to,
what we did not get to in that interview was
(25:17):
Seth talking about Opening Night and we saved this for
tonight throwback Thursday. This was really cool stuff. So I
was getting emotional talking about Opening Night.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Of team history. And we all know Seth.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
You listen to him every morning, you listen to him
on pregame shows, you listen to him all the time.
You've known him as an original Texan. So he was there,
made one of the big plays of this game with
the sack on Quincy Carter late that sealed the deal,
and he talks about that. Let's get right to it
before we discuss Seth Pain as we talked to him
(25:53):
about opening night of team history against the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
I'd keep it in that same theme of man, this
is just big. And I had played in Jacksonville for
five years, but that's a different stadium, different city, different environment,
and I had just never been part of that much
combined and focused energy from the fans down onto the field.
(26:22):
And there was that moment there at the end of
the game when we got the safety and ended up,
you know, stealing the game. It just I it was
almost like an out of body experience. I don't remember
anything about that place specifically because I was so tired,
and I just remember having the feeling of almost like
the energy permeating.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
My body because it was so loud, and I.
Speaker 5 (26:46):
Was completely in that unconscious mode when you're tired and
you're just going on instinct and training and everything, and
it just it felt like the energy is seeping into
you and you're getting like almost pushed along by the
noise in the environment and everything. It was just it
was it was one of the Honestly, it was one
(27:08):
of the most unique experiences in my life. It was
really it's one of the things. I'm fifty years old,
I've been honest for it's fifty years, and I don't
I've never experienced anything like that and I never will again.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
It was just amazing.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
I want to play that for the team.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Yah, the night before they host the AFC Championship game.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
You know what I mean that. But the way you
just said that is so beautiful.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
You know, I'm up in the booth that night and
I've I just called the national Championship game at the
University of Miami and the Rose Bowl. That was my
last football accounted that I called. And then the next
one is this and there's just nothing like it. There's
nothing like that night.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
So that was beautiful.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
It was really really cool, and it's cool that people
remember it, you know this many years later. It's really
it's it's it's cool to be part of it. It's
a very unique. It's one of those things where you're
outside of Houston you just wouldn't get it because, okay,
what it's a regular season game and uh, what's what's
it ultimately matter end of the year. It was just
it was very, very unique.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
It was really cool. All right.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
That's Seth Payne and Johnny. I just love that because
and Seth joked with us after it was over. I
didn't think I was gonna get an estional today, but Jeseus,
I guess I just did.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
The energy that he talks about like flowing through his
body coming down from the stands, giving him that will
extra drive making those plays what a unique experience. If
you're not a Ustonian, you probably don't get it. I
love all that stuff, and I think this is something
that everybody needs to hear who's a Texans fan.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Absolutely, And I think whenever we play that team, there's
always that little extra, you know. And that's why when
we talked about, you know, the great plays at twenty
twenty four, That's why the Derek Barnett strip, sack, Jalen
Peatree forced fumble, Barnett return was such a big play
in my mind because it happens up there.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
We finally beat them up there. We do it on
Monday night.
Speaker 4 (28:59):
That's the kapper on that game, like they're not coming
back from this. And it was Barnett celebrating with all
his fans in the end zone. They're all doing it together.
It was just such a cool woman, and I remembered
finally take it all in.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Look at it and just like take it all in.
And I was like, goly, there's some redness building and
they're celebrating.
Speaker 4 (29:20):
I can imagine what that was like in two thousand
and two, the first one to do it on Sunday
night and just against that team. And of course, you
know Seth has talked before about the scrimmage that was before,
and then you saw the hard knocks and the Cowboys
are very dismissive and all that kind of stuff. So
there was so much going on, which made me think, though,
(29:41):
when you get to talking about the Texans or just
you know, your football life in general, is there a
game that you get emotional kind of like Seth about.
Is there one that you think about maybe that not
sets you off into tears, but that you get emotional
thinking come back and calling it.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
I know what it is. I'm pretty sure, Ikne what
it is. Twenty eighteen.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
In fact, I was talking to some ticketing people yesterday
because we do this, you know, senior members of the
organization talking to new members, and yeah, there are a
few new members of Inside Sales Ticketing, and they asked
me that question or a version of that question, and
I said, there's so many I mentioned twenty fifteen against
the Colts, beating them up there for the first time.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
I've talked about that many times.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Twenty eighteen though, after mister McNair passed away on Friday,
and we're there Monday night and you could not script
it any better. Down ten to nothing, and then you know,
you make a stop at the goal line and it's
first down at the three, at your three and Lamar
Miller ninety seven yards and I just that moment and that.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Game packed so much emotion.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
And it was in the midst of that twenty eighteen
season where you're winning nine in a row, and is
this the night that the streak is stopped? Can't be
because Bob McNair just died. You have to be able
to win that football game and everything to do with him.
So far as far as that game found day, which
we do, it's October sixth, because that celebrates the anniversary
(31:05):
October sixth, nineteen ninety nine when you were awarded the franchise.
But on Founder's Day, never lost, okay, And I mean,
that's just a beautiful thing. And obviously that day in
twenty eighteen, that night, that Monday night football game against
the former Oilers was so special, so that one always
stands out, but there's so many. I was thinking about
(31:25):
this because they were asking me, what are your favorite calls,
like calls that you've done, and I want to do
a show.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Maybe it's it's good for June.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
Get out.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Yeah, get that's my favorites. Three get Out. I forgot
about that one. Fritz came out that year, Johnny. That
was loaded with emotion.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
It was three very much loaded with emotion because because
think about this, you had the Tank Dell last second
touchdown against the Buccaneers and Andre going nuts with me
on that one, and then you had the I mean,
you had others, but you had the field goal to
beat the former Oilers up there wearing the former Oiler
uniforms and Andre put thrun.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
We had a lot of emotion that there was a lot.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
I mean, how about the fact that we've followed up
Tampa Bay with Cincinnati back to back weeks. I'll tell
you this, though, to your point, there have been I
mean a lot off seasons, a lot of time where
we've you know, talked about different topics and you know,
brought us back to that Monday night game. It's really
difficult to just think back to that night and everything
(32:37):
that went with that night without like starting to tear up, Like, man,
there's so there's so much, And obviously you're caught through
Lamar Miller's touchdown run. And I remember during a break,
I remember saying distinctly to you guys, because the week before,
do you remember what happened The week before was against
Washington week justin he'd won one hundred and one yards
(33:01):
on an interception, and I remember saying during a break, dang, man,
I wish I wish we could add to Justin readin
interception here to go the rest of the way. Instead,
it ended up being fourth down stop ninety seven yard run, which,
in a sense I guess was probably a little bit
more romantic.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
And the fact that it was that team and.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
That guy who got run down from behind a few
times exactly too from his team page.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
I mean, it was very very cool to have that
that moment he just turns on the gas and runs
away from Kenny Vacaro. But I the one other thing
I remember about that night, which makes it even more
emotional and sad, is that was the first game that
Damarius Thomas played here. Oh yeah, and he ends up
having two touchdowns in that game, and so I get
to interview him after the game.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
It is the first time I get to meet Demarius
and just.
Speaker 4 (33:47):
A super super guy, got a sweetheart of a man.
And to see him, you know, lose his life so early,
it was just, I mean unbelievable, so emotional to think
about that particular. But that was right in the middle
of that run, you know, in twenty eighteen, it was
like we were fighting ways to win games. The Broncos
McManus pushes the kick right when they could have beat us.
(34:08):
All everything that happened there, you know, kind of through
that run, starting with the game against a cult But
that's you're right, that's the one that I think about,
and whenever I hear your call after Lamar scores, I'm
just like, I'm a blubbering mess. So I wasn't here
for the opener against the Cowboys, but I know twenty
(34:30):
eighteen we beat the Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
That was pretty special. It was so special.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
From that that perspective, you know, hop spins, you know
that the just kept spinning and spinning and spinning. I
was like, this is awesome, you know, being him up
there at twenty four up at their place. We'd never
done that before, you know, knocking them off was you know,
and doing it the way that we did, blowout fashion,
blowout fashion, defense, making statements.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Look, could have had him in twenty two also could
have what should have that game?
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Could it?
Speaker 1 (34:55):
What should have been twenty fourteen? Yeah, it is special
to beat them. It's funny because I was just talking
to somebody in marketing about certain stores that have Cowboy
gear for sale in the Houston area along with Texans gear,
because amongst us, I get it, no corporate buyers. It's like,
and I think some of it is sent from the
national office and they're like, oh Texas, they want the
(35:18):
Cowboys in Texas. No, we don't. We don't want the
Cowboys stuff. Get rid of it. We're Texans here in Houston.
Let's go each town. That's what we want. I don't know,
I got a lot to say.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
No, I'd get you.
Speaker 4 (35:30):
I mean, this last weekend, we had somebody that was
staying in the house across from us and they had
a wheel cover it said Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
I had to keep looking at it all weekend.
Speaker 4 (35:40):
Too expensive, I wanted your right, eggs are too expensive,
But I thought about throwing some peeps, and I didn't
know how much that would accomplish, so I just kind
of stared at it and made bad faces and said
bad words and they then they left and all was good.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
But it's becoming almost sad for them though.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
It is because look, I am in the minority of
saying and I'm I'm not saying that Brian Schottenhammer things
going to work for them, but I'm if I was
a Cowboy fan, you have no choice. But they'll let
it play out. But you know, they've tried a lot
of different things. If you're not going to hire a
big name guy with a proven track record, you know,
like Pete Carroll would have been good in Dallas, I think, wow,
(36:15):
but yeah, right, that would have been pretty good. Interesting
because pe would have said, yeah, you go ahead, get
the players, Jerry, you know, I'll have something put but
I'll go ahead. And maybe Pete behind the scenes is
very very directive on what he wants. Who knows, but
that is a coach of the proven track record instead
of go with Brian Schottenhammer. Maybe he's a great delegator,
Maybe he's gonna get it all done. Who knows. Another thing,
(36:37):
things that are getting me fired up. Next week is
off season conditioning, the start of the nine week program
starting one.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
And the players we've been mentioning this a lot.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
They've been in the building, a lot of guys, a
lot three dozen guys or so regularly in the building.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
And I saw Z's today.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Yeah, for a longer time than maybe I should have been.
I wasn't holding them up. But we're just talking.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
But a lot of it.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
He's just such a great conversationalist. You know, he's like,
what are you up to? Oh, you're coaching kids? Your kid?
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Tell me?
Speaker 1 (37:05):
You know, he wants to know things. He Johnny, He's incredible.
It's just an incredible human. As he's al Shire. We
all know this. I just love having him on this
football team. I've said it so many times. I've said
it before that I don't want him ever leaving this building.
Give him a lifetime contract. You know that doesn't always
go according to my plan, because I kind of felt
(37:26):
similarly about Case Keenum.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Don't let him leave the building. He goes to Chicago.
Speaker 1 (37:30):
But you know what, I can't fault Case for wanting
one more chance to be a player, right and if
he feels like he could be a player up there.
He's not gonna start with Caleb Williams there, but who knows,
if there's an injury, he might start right. They might
have a situation like we had a couple of years ago,
and maybe he's the guy and he gonna have an
input on Caleb Williams's career, some influence there.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
But maybe Case makes his way back at some point.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
I'm not gonna, you know, discount possibility, but I'd love
to see his ease here for ever.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
Saw Pe Tree. A bunch of the guys, they're getting ready.
They know that.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
It's funny because we used to say you got to
hit training camp in shape. You better be in shape
for training camp because you can't get in shape during
training camp. Now it's you better hit off season conditioning
in shape because you don't want to be out of shape.
When they start off season conditioning, they will wear you
out because that's their job. So you want to hit
this next week in shape. And not only that, I
(38:26):
think there are a couple of other things that go with it.
You just get the sense that these guys like being
around one another. Yeah, and it's look, it's not going
to be ninety guys across the board and love each
other at all times.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
Like it's just that's not human like behavior. It doesn't,
But you.
Speaker 4 (38:40):
Get the feeling that these guys do like being around
each other, they do like being around the strength conditioning staff,
they do like being around the coaches and such, and I.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
I think that's that's awesome.
Speaker 4 (38:51):
That's that's that's a team that wants to do more
than just get to the divisional playoff round. That's a
team that wants and knows that you to have a
level of chemistry to be able to in the fourth quarter. Like, man,
I'm not giving them, Like I got CJ. And I
got Nico over there on the sidelines watching us, and
we got to come up with one stop. I'm coming
(39:13):
up with that one stop because I want us all
to experience that.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
So I love that aspect of it.
Speaker 4 (39:19):
Really curious to see, you know, how many guys are
here during the conditioning period, which again is voluntary. OTAs
are voluntary mini camp that's the required one for everybody
to be here. But I feel like I've seen so
many guys in the building already before conditioning even starts
next week. So I'm curious to see what they are
(39:40):
able to bring in during condition. But either way, just
the way that they have done this. And that goes
back to kind of what I said yesterday and when
we were talking about what Nick had to say, like
there's a different standard that applies here. Yeah, and I
remember hearing this about the Eagles. There was a guy
that was traded to the Eagles. I can't remember who
was this guys traded the Eagles if it's a lineman
(40:00):
And we walked in, Fletcher Cox kind of grabbed him
and said, we don't do that bleep here. Oh yeah,
there's a certain way that we do things here in Philadelphia,
So get in line or get lost. And I mean
he said it in a more positive manner, especially when
a player can say it, not a coach.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
And when it comes from a player and you hear it,
you're like, okay, I got it understood. And you know,
a player like Fletcher Cox, I obviously had some gravitas.
But you know here you probably hear it or see
it from some younger guys. But you're gonna you're gonna
mess with Nico Collins, Derek Stingley junior. Hell no, But
you know, I think that. That part of it to
(40:37):
me is it's cool when you see these guys around
a building, but you know, we've been here.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
We've been here. Yeah, I've been here since twenty fifteen.
I've been in a building.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
We've seen so many times where we went periods and
stretches without seeing guys like there would be some that
were rehabbing, but you know, and look, it's good to
get away. Like I talked to X one day. I
saw him, I think probably a couple of weeks ago.
He got away for a couple of quick and then
he got back here. He's like, man, I gotta be ready.
I gotta be ready for conditioning. And I was just like, yeah,
(41:05):
you know, you you come in for you come in
for conditioning and you haven't been.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
You're gonna be in. You're gonna be in a world
of hurt.
Speaker 4 (41:12):
When it was the strength and conditioning staff is gonna
push them.
Speaker 1 (41:15):
I wonder what they're gonna do with eighteen games and
maybe it's just a couple of weeks shaving off of
off season. Conditioning gets seven weeks instead of nine. I
think that'd be okay.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
You know, it'll be interesting to see how they handle
training when do you think we go to eighteen games?
Speaker 1 (41:29):
Uh, after twenty six because I think that's when the
opt out is on the TV team contract. So they'll say, listen,
let's redo these you guys want this stuff. You got
an extra game, you want this entertainment, You're gonna word
to you exactly, pay up and we'll give you an
eighteenth game. And the players get more. Everybody gets more money.
Everybody gets more. But I know it's more work and
(41:50):
that's tough for them. All right, Coming up the weekly
flag Football Report and some other kidbits from around the
NFL and college football. No historic broadcast note coming up
next on Texans Radio. Final Lap around the Track tonight
on Texans Radio, and some notes after. We talk about
(42:11):
flag football a bit because, as we mentioned last week,
girls flag football heavy emphasis in the state to get
this a sanctioned UIL sport in our beloved lone star state,
Well in Austin, the Texans are making strides too round
Rock High School coach Ashley Castro. I caught up with
her and found out more about her inaugural program, a
(42:32):
pilot program to get girls flag football going.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
How did she get involved?
Speaker 6 (42:36):
Well, I've always let my admin know here, I'm already
a coach at Round Rock Eye coach basketball and softball,
and so I myself played flag football, and I've kind
of shared with my colleagues that I was interested in
getting this going for our school district, and so went
to a couple of coaches conferences, saw that it was
going to start happening about two years ago. As when
(42:56):
I started hearing that, you know, there was rumors at
NFL teams wanted to be a part of bringing girls
flag football to the forefront, and so just kind of
keeping in contact with the Texans and letting them know
that we as a central Texas area were interested. And
you know, early in February, we got the call from
the Houston Texans that you know, they wanted to start
a pilot program in central Austin area, and we were
(43:18):
one of the first schools that they had contacted. And
so our athletic head coach, our athletic administrator coach, Cody
Moore reached out kind of let us know who was
interested in taking this on. And I was one of
the first to raise my hands and I was like, man,
I've been asking for this, let's go, Let's get it going,
and so I've been designated to get that going and
get it started up for around our high school.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
So, Ashley, what's the first thing you do? You have tryouts?
People are interested? How did that all go down? Tell
us about that.
Speaker 6 (43:47):
Well, you know, with the social media, right, the amount
of people that it can reach in a short amount
of time, I think that was the most important thing.
So I immediately got on Instagram, started a Instagram for
around our high school girls Flack football, try to promote,
try to get the word out there. And the amount
of followers, questions, emails I received and just one or
(44:08):
two days was really mind blowing, and I was really
really happy to see that there were so many girls interested.
So got that going, started getting a parent meeting scheduled,
kind of get girls that were involved and that we're
interested to come and hear what the program was going
to be about. We had over forty five girls and
their families come out to our first parent meeting back
in February, and then shortly after that we've had tryouts.
(44:32):
I had about thirty or so kids come and try out,
and you know, we're kind of limited on the amount
of girls that we could have. At the very beginning
so having to tell girls that were interested, hey, not
right now, but come back next year was really hard
for me. But I hope the program just continues to
grow and grow and grow and that we're able to have,
you know, like a junior varsity varsity team in the future.
(44:53):
But obviously word of mouth is important, word of mouth,
social media. We also sent like a dragon blast, what
we call parent emails to everyone in our school. And
if you don't know anything about around our high school,
we have over thirty nine hundred kids, So that was
a big widespread email sent out there. And yeah, I
just got the word out and so I was really
(45:14):
really surprised with the outcome that we had, and it
goes to show that girls flag football is here and
people are ready for it.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Ashlely, as somebody who has played different sports and coached
multiple sports, what do you make of all this? Because
this can be and will be at some point a
sanctioned high school sport. You see more universities picking it up.
That's got to be exciting as you look at it
from a thirty thousand foot perspective.
Speaker 6 (45:39):
Yeah, absolutely, you know, for me, I'm just happy to
be a part of it. When we talk about girls
flag football inaugural season, whether it be pilot or not. Right,
it's just fun to be able to get girls to
compete in flag football. And I think the most important
thing for me is this allows girls more opportunities in college,
right to get scholarships to go and get their college
paid for. And I'm just super super excited that they
(46:02):
have that opportunity now. And I said this in one
of my interviews earlier, but it's no longer. For so
long we wanted it to be a movement, right like,
let's get this going, let's get the ball rolling, And
it's no longer a movement anymore. Like it's here, and
I think it's important that these girls, their parents and
communities that support them come together and show you, I
(46:23):
l and show those that we are ready for it
to be a sport and we are ready to be
competitive in that sense. And if they're doing it in college,
why not in high school?
Speaker 2 (46:31):
Right?
Speaker 6 (46:31):
So again, I'm just happy to be a part of it.
It's fun, it's exciting, and I'm ready to get the
ball rolling with these girls for sure.
Speaker 2 (46:40):
Coach, thanks a lot for joining us, good luck.
Speaker 6 (46:42):
I appreciate it, Thank you so much, and Thank you
again to the Houston Texans for their support. We really
appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
There's Ashley Castro, our coach of the Week for Girls
Flag Football Houston Texans, a big supporter of girls flag football.
Leek Corso, big supporter of college football. His final broadcast
will be Labor Day weekend. How you and I are
going to hit on this tomorrow. Historic achievements in the
world of broadcasting as it relates to college football, There's
(47:07):
no question about that. I remember when he coached in
the USFL for the Orlando Renegades. I go back that far.
We'll have a full show for you tomorrow within the
Lab and some other stuff. Draft next week, of course,
one week from tonight. It's on Area forty five coming
up next. Have a great night, Go Texans.
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