on the day of NFL honors. Right to be joined by Future Hall of
Famer. Three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Walter, Payton Man of the Year,
one of the greatest players of all time jjy. Congratulations,
man. Thank you. Graduation is, guys have me. It's so good to
see you, man. Are we got a lot to talk to you about fatherhood
primarily? Yeah, that's our favorite subject. That is that
club? Thank you. Glad about the only thing we got in common
with you glad to be here
because we had nowhere near the best of what we do the way you
are mad. But I actually first thing Let's get you in
a prediction business, shall we?
You have had. You have been honored three times as
Defensive Player of the Year. Yes. Who's your pick for
defensive player? Who do you think should be defensive
player to you?
If you'd only one voting? I think thing Bosa, I think he's
had a great year. I think what he's been able to accomplish
his great. Obviously he's a part of a great defense
D'Amico Ryan's, as the coordinator now with us down in
Houston which is great but I think both has had a great year
and what is it?
As Mike said you've done it three times so there's
a Insight special in
I did you have that? We don't?
What is it difficult part of being that guy? A being that
Target where offensive coordinators are saying up.
Okay, they're going to watch out for him. What's that?
What's the part? That is difficult that we don't
necessarily realize it was about enough. The most
difficult part is that every single protection is going to
slide your way and if they don't know, they're going to
slide
your way just because that's what you're going to do. So
you're going to get the double teams. You're going to get
the chips. You're going to get the running back coming and giving
you a rib shot.
Their goal is to not let let you touch their quarterback. So
when you still accomplish that goal, despite everything that
they've given you, that's
that's when it's, I have the
utmost respect for guys, because everybody knows that
you're the man, yet you still are them in. Despite all that,
dude, I remember this the timeout time, flying.
I remember when the Texans, Drafted you decide,
who's this dude? On Wisconsin,
you raised a few. Eyebrows are raised when they took you in
round one and it's like you're such a self-made success story.
Appreciate what was the secret that
I was just? Key to you becoming the player that she became and
getting better and better and just becoming a dominant force
in the league. Well, I think, first of all,
I was self made by a whole lot of good people. Help me out.
I was self-made with a ton of people coaches parents
teammates, mentors, help me out along the way.
But then, I think it was just Daily Commitment. I mean, it
was just, I'm a big believer, and if you have a huge goal,
break it down into digestible chunks, and then, just eat one
chunk at a time. And every single day I try and eat
a little chunk of that
and try and get one step. Closer to my goal
and over the course of 12 years, it turned out to be
an alright, career. Speaking of that Village man,
what they feed you all in the white house.
We go through a gallon of milk a day. We would eat a whole lot
of PB & J sandwiches and our ferent. Our parents made sure
that we knew that you're growing boy put some food in
that body. Awesome.
You know, I got to tell you this,
I sometimes work with former
Ted Johnson. Yeah
Ted said he was did radio in Houston for a while. Yeah
he's a teammate of Tom Brady's. I got to tell you
the best player I've ever seen
is jjy appreciates. How play with Brady
but JJ W best player I've ever seen. So when you hear that
then go back to maybe High School j.j. watt or
you know, first year in college JJ Watt. What was the,
what was your outlook for yourself?
Well, a, I appreciate that from a guy like Ted because I always
appreciate from people who I have played the game and who
have been there know how hard it is? That is the,
that is the comments that mean the most to me.
But I mean if you, if you went back and told High School me
that I'd be sitting here doing this and after a 12-year NFL
career,
I would say,
okay, what's the catch? Like what what? I wouldn't believe
you and so I'm that's why I'm so thankful and I'm so grateful
and I have so much love in my heart and it
you know it doesn't matter to me.
It still stings. I don't have a Super Bowl
but at the end of the day, it's Defy me and I'm thankful for
everything that I've gotten because I lived out a dream
before we go any further. Let's
talk about why you're here. You here on behalf of Verizon, what
do you do with them? So Verizon's the official 5G
partner of the National Football League and what
they've done.
I'm not sure if you ever been on an NFL sideline but
obviously our headsets and everything. It's fascinating.
The kind of like walkie-talkies. They sound like
a little like shaky like walkie-talkies and I've always
wondered like we're the NFL like
so Verizon stepped in. They basically took over all those,
all the coach, the coach Communications and it's all now
Crystal
Clear and everybody can hear everything, clear. So there's
no more excuses like if a Coach doesn't call a timeout, if it's
all Verizon's taking care of it, they've made it Ironclad.
And that coach coach, communication is going to be key. Awesome.
You're going to be joining
about five years,
that exclusive Club get that gold jacket. But we were
talking before the show about the club that you are in with
us. Now, our favorite club, which is a club.
Congratulations. You very much. I three-month-old son now.
Describe what it feels like it. We know the answer but just want
to not be with him right now.
Oh, I mean, you guys know better than anybody like it is.
The moment I walked back in that door and he's now at that
age, three months where he can tell my voice, and he knows
who's in the room, and that smile Pops. I mean,
that's better than anything I could ever have in my entire
life. So it's,
I had him in,
we had him in October, and I played 10 games since he's been
born, I had ten sacks in 10 games and that's no
coincidence. Like it changes your life, it changes her out.
Look at changes everything.
So I can't wait to spend more time with a man out
there was saying to you earlier. Like, you know, you
seem at peace. You seem happy
with your decision as like, a lot of times, you got to make
up for lost time. It's the perfect time for you to walk
away.
And I know a part of your decision because now you can
experience everything with her. Yes, that's the I'm very much
looking forward to that. I now have plenty of time for it.
What tips you guys got? Give me some. What do you guys got oof?
Well, yeah, obviously, the first thing is,
I don't know that there. Our generic Universal pieces of
advice, or wisdom or tips, because every child even in
your own household as different as you know, I mean, right,
your parents raised you and TJ and Derek
raised you guys fairly, but different, right? So it's
the same thing. I got 16, 14 and 10, Michaels,
similar ages, yet rights, like,
nobody can there's no blueprint for it, you know what I mean?
And even
the goal obviously not and you, you'll do this anyway because
it's type of man, you are just get them to adulthood Is few
emotional mental and physical scars as possible. And that's it
one day at a time.
Well, you know, I would say JJ I think about my
you had some time to think they're yeah
thanks. So there are 10 12 and 14
and part of the reason, I'm rushing to get back to keep
getting phone calls about this is what you are. Son. This is
what a son. Yeah.
But I would say Enjoy the process of getting to know
your child. Yeah.
Because we never talk about this, like, oh, Oh
congratulations.
You have a child? This is a child.
The child looks like you
but you don't know the child and the child doesn't know you
so we always assume. Okay. Yeah. It's your kid. Yes, it
is. Yeah. But you don't know anything about this person.
This person doesn't know anything. About you
persons getting to know you, right? But you get to know them
too. Yeah. And it's so much fun because you'll
you'll get the whole. Wow. This is what you like and you're
going to make mistakes. That's the joy of it to me. Yeah,
would make yeah.
If you're going to make mistakes and
you're growing as a person to
while they're growing, you're evolving as a person. And one
thing too is like as much as I appreciate how my parents
raised me and Michael appreciates. His parents
raised, you and yours did a great job. It's like you're
going to want to do some things differently. There's some
things that aren't going to work for you
that you work, you turned out great, but it's not going to
work for you and your child and that relationship
certain things. You may not
incorporate into your parenting style.
My my wife and I were talking about this the other day, it's
pretty wild that you have a child. You're at the hospital
for, you know, day, two days
and then you go home and it's just figured out a lot. Just
figured out, like, there's nobody checking in, right?
I got my parents, I find something
there. If nobody stopped by my parents, didn't come to town or
her parents and come to town,
you're figuring life out on your own. That is a crazy
concept. Somebody just hand your human inside. Go ahead.
Hey, you and your wife, your marriage, I'm sure it's already
changed.
Its pre kids and now it's a completely different
relationship with you too, right? I don't even, I barely
have to say this on camera. Able to remember
because we had our first child
before our first anniversary.
Okay. So we've almost always been parents Rights era and
I since we have been together and so it's
every time frame but it's a beautiful thing that we really
playing social. See your yeah. Yeah.
I'm not ready for the only, man I should. Yeah, but I so like
that's what another beautiful to aspect though is because now
I see my wife as a mother and I see how she loves him and how
she takes care of him. And that makes me love her in a whole
new way. In a whole
different Dynamic than
My just adds to it, it's incredible. Yeah,
yeah, so much fun
here in that hospital. Story is great
because they do a great job, right? Yes
everything. Okay, we'll take your time.
Hey, would you like some sleep?
I will tell you,
and then you again
and then you and then it's it. Like oh
wait a minute where those ice chips again
and all the nights are getting scared like
like he'll miss a breath or skip a breath. You're like
wait, is that normal? Like a coffin? Like, is that normal?
Like in the hospital? You can ask him.
They're like yeah, it's calm down. Yeah.
But then you get home and all of a sudden you're freaking out
about everything. Wait, what why are you still screaming?
It's like oh you haven't pooped in a way. Yes, you do something
like that.
Oh, I forgot. I have to feed you. Your yeah. You need to eat
this idiot right here. I remember one time I was trying
to put my son to sleep at night and why it's like you got all
the lights on
like he's not going to sit because you're watching
television. Right on
of course he's not
desire. So
it's a perfect time for you to because at some point
your child's a minute, wait a minute, you played. Yeah,
I'm not that's why I that's why I retired when I did so that
I can show him my last season and be like your dad had 12 and
a half sacks. He's good. Like I don't want, I don't want to
click on YouTube and be like that. You suck the glasses.
I wanted to be able to see something good. What are some
of you besides Parenthood? What are some of your passions in
the next chapter of your life?
So, I do really love the game. I love the game. I want to be
around the game in some capacity, but coaching is just
such a massive time commitment, and so much. You have to put
into that and
you ain't going to D'Amico's no, stay awesome.
Every now and then but I ain't going there.
Yeah, I do think broadcasting's potentially in them just as
a way to stay around the game and help share the knowledge and
experience that I had.
I really love helping kids out. So I do think that there's some
form of high school coaching and my future at some point.
But other than that, man, I really want to relax and enjoy
myself. I want for my whole life, I've been working here
for the season it. So now I want to,
I want to go golf. I want to travel, I want to spend time
with my wife and son. I want to go watch my brother's games.
I want to
want to see what the month of August is like, I've never Over
there. Any campus? Every August I haven't had month of August.
It's a whole new life. Listen, man, if you got some free time,
come on
every week day Monday through Friday, I appreciate Rita for
Easter Don peacock, there's a cherish it for I love it. Well,
thank you any time
will do that. Talk every week.
We don't have time
three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Man, of the Year,
future Hall of Famer and Hall of Fame dad to make you. Thank
you. Appreciate you brother.