Episode 352: Cameron Rupp Reflects on Baseball Brotherhood, Discipline, and the Game’s Evolution

Imagine stepping onto the field where the crack of the bat is your heartbeat and the cheer of the crowd is your breath – this is the world of Cameron Rupp, former professional baseball player who joined me to share the intimate ties that bind the baseball community. We traversed the diamond of his life, from childhood games influenced by his father's devotion to the sport, to the profound impact of mentorship and fatherhood. Our conversation is a treasure trove of nostalgia, insight, and the perpetuation of a family's love for baseball, as Cameron opens up about the transition from cleats to coaching, and the joy of watching his daughter embrace the game.

With Cameron, we peeled back the layers of what drives players beyond their individual talents, revealing the essence of camaraderie and the relentless work ethic that cements a team's success. Recalling the sage advice of Coach Augie Garrido, we connected the dots between the discipline in baseball and the resilience required in the daily grind. Whether discussing the calm needed in the eye of the storm, or the infectious spirit of a dugout prank, our exchange was a celebration of the lessons learned in the shadows of the stadium lights and how they echo throughout life's innings.

Turning our gaze to the college baseball scene, we dissected the subtle shifts and significant tremors that have reshaped the game. From the transfer portal's ripple effects to the meticulous cultivation of championship-caliber teams by coaches like Coach Pierce, our dialogue tackled the intricacies of the sport's evolution and the challenges faced by players and programs. We capped off with a swing at the lighter anecdotes that stitch together the fabric of baseball, from clubhouse jests to the superstitions that color the sport, reminding us that amid the pursuit of victory, there's always room for a good laugh around the bases.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

I Wake the last time. Take a damn nap and we're the free best friends that anybody could have it's time.

Speaker 2: 0:16

I mean, shawn, you were twerking. That's gonna happen.

Speaker 3: 0:20

Murph, don't be a dick all your life is a one of the more fun podcasts I've ever done. Hey, I'll tell you what. If you've not talked about sports in the man cave, you know. Hey, if you've never met the Cameron Rupp, I mean you've been living in life the wrong way. I mean you got to meet this guy. He's not only a character, good ball player, retired. The first time I met him I actually had hair. I really did. But C-Rupp, from the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Longhorn great catcher, played baseball at the highest level. It's gonna be a conversation about a lot of things. We'll stay focused on baseball, but man is. This is long overdue. Man, I appreciate you Making time and we'll talk about where you are currently here shortly.

Speaker 2: 1:28

Absolutely, man. Thanks for having me on, and I think you know, hey, I'm in the same boat as you, brother In the same boat. We're going to the same deal, man, hey. I think it's a, I think it's a blessing to be ball, be honest with you, you got to have a nice head and that's part of it, man, and you know the big man upstairs knows who's got that and who don't need hair we don't need hair brother follicles are overrated, bro, they really are.

Speaker 3: 1:56

They really are. There is no doubt about it. Before we get rolling, we got to give a shout out. You see, saston insurance comm, jim saston, a Longhorn football legacy. His dad was a Heisman runner-up in the early 60s. The late great James saston and his son, jimmy Westlake og, has carried on the State Farm Insurance Agency legacy as well. So for all of your insurance needs, give Jimmy a call and he'll make you feel like family, old school and this does it right. I you know. I really don't know how to really begin this story about camera up, but you know the family Baseball legacy, beginning with the dad. I mean, he played professionally and I don't know why I didn't put two and two together. Your uncle Was the former head coach at San Jack, right, yes, and he and he played Quite a bit. Now, when growing up the the rough name, did you know it carried the weight that it did or does now.

Speaker 2: 3:02

Yes, you know, I mean I could go on about my dad Growing up. You know, always talk baseball, always baseball. I played football. I played basketball until I couldn't. I probably made the B team in seventh grade. I played and then I was like Same for me, no more. But football was all the way through high school.

Speaker 1: 3:26

But it.

Speaker 2: 3:28

It was always baseball. I always wanted baseball. I love football, love doing the other stuff, loved out there, but it was always baseball. And you know, my dad I think it was like 14 did our teams. He was always one the head coach, but he's always helping Baseball guy loves being around the game, still to this day. You know, I'll never forget. I realized probably how much you love baseball. I Was in my second or third year in the big leagues and I knew, obviously knew we loved it.

Speaker 2: 4:07

But we had Minor league camp. It started and I was over, obviously big the camp. But we would go work out on the backfield some days if, like, if some of the guys weren't playing in the game, we'd go go work out on the backfield and he texts me. It was like, hey, what time? You know, it was like 10, 30, maybe he's all on here. It was like eight, I'm on, you're where, he's like all, I'm on the back. It was like, well, we won't be out there till later. He's like that's okay, I'll just watch the minor league camp go. And he'd be the only one there sitting there just watching Watching baseball. And he had time, he hadn't retired yet, he just I saw him and he's just like. It's better than my word, this is better than my best day at the office. This is where I want to be. You know, you just kind of you realize his love for and then I I wonder where I get it from.

Speaker 2: 5:07

Well, I grew up around him the way he was, the way he wanted. I say he wanted me to play, but that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to play. I always wanted to go to cage. I was one of the catch. You know, even when I was a kid and I started to be a catcher, he pitched to me I mean I don't, he wasn't 100%, but he would get back there. He throws breaking ball, he throws fastball. I just was fun for him To be able to still do it, you know, for as long as you could. And he obviously he didn't play in the big leagues and played. He went to a few big league camps with the ex-coach, but he played until he couldn't. And I got to live out the rest of that dream that he had. And I mean he went, he came to as many games as he could, you know, still to the state, comes the ballpark and just hangs out, loves it, send your blood, man, and it will always be after. You know, like right now.

Speaker 3: 6:12

You're a dad now and you know it's gonna continue, but you're a you're a girl dad, right?

Speaker 1: 6:20

Yep, she's been exposed to softball yet.

Speaker 3: 6:23

Is she even asked? No, not really, she's been.

Speaker 2: 6:28

Last year since she's with her mom up in Oklahoma but we were still water last year she came out to the ballpark and got to run around. Then she came when we were in Fort Worth against TCU, got to run around. So she's been around baseball a little bit. She's got a glove she throws and Hopefully here pretty soon she'll get to Experience the a little bit more baseball life. Well, she's been in some good baseball community.

Speaker 3: 7:03

Falling her dad. And then you mentioned still water for worth. I mean it's just, that's a great, that's a great way to grow up.

Speaker 3: 7:07

Being a Having a baseball dad, that's the best life, the best life so I remember you when you were at Texas a lot of people do and I'm just gonna play this quick clip. You were the power hitter, you were the catcher. You were the catcher, you were one of everybody's favorites, fan favorite, whatnot. But this is C rub back in the college world series in oh no, and that is oh that. You and there were quite a few guys on that oh nine team I mean it was y'all played LSU and championship series. I felt like you and there were a good handful brown belt could send it out of the park at any moment. And no, you like, you guys like playing with two outs a lot.

Speaker 2: 8:14

Yeah, coach was was huge on two out hitting. He thought he was. That is what he believed. One Ball games who can have the most hits with two outs. And so it was worked on. We worked on it all the time it was.

Speaker 2: 8:33

You know, be ready in the moment and when you get that opportunity or you get that pitch, don't miss it. Don't miss it. You got to be ready and and you know that, one that over was hit with one out. But Preston Clark pops out and Connor row first pitch, you see, jumps on it's ballpark. We're going to the national championship and that that I mean. I get chills talking about it. Thinking about it. Just what a special moment. How many people get the opportunity to do that and be in the big moment and be able to stay calm and have the success A lot of guys are. They tense up and the moment's too big for them, and that's one thing that coach was huge on Never let the moment get too big, because we play baseball it's a game of failure. You're gonna fail more than you're gonna succeed. But if you can keep the mindset to be successful, visualize success in the moment, you're gonna give yourself a better chance. And he was so big on that, and I think that's part of the reason we were so good.

Speaker 3: 9:45

Yeah, and you talked about. One thing that Cameron C Rupp and I were talking about before we started rolling on this episode was how this team, that team, the O9 Longhorns you guys were around each other constantly. You live together. You had an apartment complex takeover. For the most part, but I'm not saying every team, modern day teams they don't hang out together, but you just don't hear about it as much. But it requires some dudes that really want to be together, but it showed every time. You guys took the fifth.

Speaker 2: 10:22

Yeah, absolutely Baseball. I mean it's a long year it's played and it gets even longer the longer you play, but we developed a camaraderie that was, I'd say, damn near unbreakable. Still to this day, I have a group message with 12 of them and it literally goes off every day and it may be one or two messages, but every day it goes off and we talk and we shoot the bull and just seeing what everybody's doing. We don't get to see each other near as much as we'd like to, but we were together. It was about the team. It wasn't about one individual, it was always about the team and that's what made us great. We didn't have to worry about social media and video phones and all that mess.

Speaker 2: 11:25

So we went out, we enjoyed our time on Sixth Street, but if you ran into one of us, you were running into the other 25 or 30 guys somewhere around. I mean, everybody was there. We never didn't go out together. It was always calling a cab, as many cabs as we'd get. Some people watch this probably don't even know what a cab is. Oh, they don't have them no more. And the Ubers and the Lyfts? There wasn't any of that. It was a yellow cab and let's go, boys. It was the house and it was always together, and that's so important. When you're building a team, it's like you can't have 25 different personalities and expect success. They can be really great ball players, but if they don't have the camaraderie and want to spend time together off the field, do things together, just go to dinner together.

Speaker 2: 12:23

You're not going to have the success you want, Because at some point you've got to play together and you can't just be 25 different guys doing different things and not be on the same page.

Speaker 3: 12:36

That's what I really like. It was fun to watch from the outside with you guys. That era from literally 01 to 2011. I felt like all those teams were like that and it was like a reflection of Augie.

Speaker 2: 12:56

Well, I mean team, it's always the team and it was, I think in that 10-year span and obviously before he had won championships at Florida team had a lot of success. But you think about all the things that he'd seen in the game and I swear it seemed like every time a big moment came up he had a story or he had something to talk about for that specific moment to be able for us to relate to. And that's, I mean, it's pretty cool. I talk about the World Series game. We were down 6-0 to Arizona State, the third inning to the first rounder, and we come back and beat him 10-6. He said you do this Now, this happened this year. We did this and you just take your bats one at a time, boom, all of a sudden we put a six-bot on him, 6-6. And now we went ahead and went 10-6. Just all these different things that he's seen and experienced in the game he was always able to relate to.

Speaker 3: 14:11

I mean it's so true, I mean that's what I miss. You know that we don't have him on Earth anymore because it was those small things. You'd always say what, inning by inning. Literally take that pitch, but then he would reverse it to how it relates to life, you know. And so when you went to, you made the leap to the Phillies organization. You got the call, did anything? You learned from him, coach Harmon, anybody at Texas did that stay in your head when you were trying to. You were becoming a successful catcher for the Phillies.

Speaker 2: 14:48

I mean it was more about just work. Yeah Well, you know. I mean, obviously the talent is in the room, right, everybody's got the talent, but what's going to be able to get me to the next level? A little bit of luck Got to be in the right place at the right time. But you got to work. It's not just talent only takes you so far in this game.

Speaker 2: 15:11

It'll catch up to you. I've seen guys with less talent that work harder than the guys with more talent and don't work. It's going to catch up, okay, one or the other. You're either going to run out of talent and you better keep working, or those guys that keep working, their talent eventually gets ahead of yours because you don't, you just stay in the same place.

Speaker 2: 15:36

Yeah, but you know it was more just put your head down and go, go play, play the game. You know you always talk about those moments that you're in, the big moments you're in being able to be calm. Coach Carito was big on that. Coach Harmon believed in it. Coach Harmon was just play, play your asset, play hard, yeah, like compete, take, take, take the panic out of everything you know that was. Oh, to this day I say to our kids take the panic out, don't panic.

Speaker 1: 16:14

Whatever?

Speaker 2: 16:14

happens? You boot a ball, don't all of a sudden be trying to grab it. Just panic. Don't just pick it up. Let it go, Don't panic. Take the panic out. And as long as you don't panic, you're going to play, go, play.

Speaker 3: 16:33

Now I didn't, you know, I didn't. A lot of us didn't get the chance to see you too much when you, but whenever you were on a nationally televised game, I felt like Philly really embraced you during those five, six, seven years because you kind of represented who they were. You, you had that blue collar type of mentality. I mean you had the key hits, you hit some bombs, but this is one play that stood out and you don't see that very often anymore. I mean Ruff literally took one for the team here just to get it out.

Speaker 1: 17:08

Look at the rocket thrown by Tyler Goodell to the plate. He gets a you hand your swarovs and a collision at the plate. Cameron Ruff.

Speaker 3: 17:17

Was that a concussion?

Speaker 2: 17:19

No, I mean it's funny because I can still remember to this day, not necessarily what happened, but after the game, our trainers they're kind of mad at me because I didn't know that they came out. I just I was laying there and I just remember get up, just get up, my leg hurts so bad. And if you look watching a couple of times, you see my. I've been backwards but my legs stay in the same place, and so my knee and my ankle. Thank goodness I have terrible ankle. So I take them both every night and I'm pretty sure if I wouldn't have a bit of snap right now because I still sprained it and it swelled up like a balloon.

Speaker 2: 18:12

And after the game I would go to the training room and they're, they're waiting on me to come in. You know I'm hobbling in there and they're like okay, you know, and they go straight from my head. I'm like, guys, I'm fine, he didn't hit me in the head, I'm okay. Well, no, like we need to check, for I was like he hit me right in the chest. My foot and my knee are killing me. Look at it please. I said, well, we can fix that.

Speaker 2: 18:41

Later I said, well, you can't fix this because there ain't nothing wrong with it and everything that's already wrong with it isn't going to change, so let's focus on my knee and my ankle please. And so obviously made the play and everything. But I missed, I think, five or six days with a sprained knee and ankle. And and we had Carlos Ruiz, who's, I think, in his late thirties. At the time it was like he caught and I was like I'm going to fix this. I was catching every day at that point and he was getting to. The point is like, okay, can you play or not, because we need to know. When we put you on the DL and I was like, yeah, I'll play, let's go and hobbled around for a couple games, but I was always. I Never wanted to go on the DL. I was always big on playing and being able to compete, be out there for my guys and I think Part of Philadelphia love that. The other part of them hated me because I was a Calcours fan.

Speaker 3: 19:51

They figured that out real quick, didn't they?

Speaker 2: 19:53

Yeah, they couldn't get it past them that I grew up in Dallas. What do you want me to do? I'm not changing my team because of where my job is. Sorry guys, now I'm hung out with some of the Eagles, met a bunch of them. I'm gonna go ahead and say congratulations my buddy Jason Kelsey today. But I guess been a lot of time with those guys and I. They knew there I was like sorry guys, I'll cheer for you any other time, just Not when you play the Calcours. Sorry.

Speaker 3: 20:30

That's a cat's a sin for any of us who have been devoted and put and put up with it tolerated whatever we call that has happened the last 28 years.

Speaker 2: 20:42

We're loyal, though I had a loyal tooth, teeth man.

Speaker 3: 20:47

I got to settle something. So Been to Philly. Once loved it. There's a lot of great food there, mm-hmm, so the best cheese. So is your best, your favorite Philly food? Is it the cheese steak? And if it is, it's not the, it's not the tourist traps to get the best ones right.

Speaker 2: 21:08

No, charlie manual told me about this one and I, you know I haven't been to Philly since 2018, but I think it was Mamas and it was a little home wall is On the side of it is on the corner of the street, off of Broad Street I believe, and I can't remember what the numbered street was that ran across, but Actually that was one of my favorite place. I didn't have many of them. I ate a bunch of the field. They, they, they took them at the field. They did, they did a pretty good job, but mom, mamas was was my favorite one that I had.

Speaker 3: 21:56

I'm gonna, I'm putting that back on the list, the mental list. I got to go to Mamas the one that I had when I was there, because we didn't want to wait in that line for genos, and no genos in the other one. But we went to an Italian pub rub Down the by world, all the, all the historic square. Mm-hmm, it was an Irish pub and it was the best I. I can't remember the name up, but it was phenomenal. Probably not as good as mama's, though.

Speaker 2: 22:32

I don't know. There's a lot of good ones there and there's a lot of places I didn't get to go have a cheese steak at, but I Mean it's it's hard for those guys to mess them up up there. They do a good job. That's just part of the.

Speaker 3: 22:45

DNA. So after you decided to, I know it's a tough To reach that moment where you say you know what I'm done, playing I'm done, it's, it's. It's hard for everybody Because if, even if you say I'm done, then you're gonna say you know I get that edge the next year. But so now You're coaching college baseball and there's a little bit of a timeline here. I got for you you know this is to your left, this when you're in high school, to the Phillies. You know I didn't purposely leave out you as a longhorn catcher, but you did come back for one year to be a Assistant coach. Yeah, and now you're at the home of the probably the world's best ice cream Bluebell ice cream at a storied junior college baseball program at blend. Did you? Was that ever on your radar, first off and then, now that you're there in Brinum, what are your thoughts about the junior college game?

Speaker 2: 23:48

Man. You know what I it was. I was looking for an opportunity to get in the college game and it didn't matter, it was a I Want an opportunity. I went back to school, graduated new New kind of when I finished playing, that's what I wanted to do. After the 2020 season, I was ready to get away from the game for a little bit. Right, I spent a year or two getting away and knew it was time to get back in. I always promised my mom and dad after I graduated that I would Go after I finished playing, I'd go back and graduate and so I did that and Last year was was incredible being a part of that Texas team and that staff and learning a lot about the college game and it's a lot different from profile.

Speaker 2: 24:42

There's a lot of but rules, a lot of administration. So, again, to see behind the scenes a little bit about the University, like Texas works and being able to learn kind of the behind the scenes of it was was important to me. So you know I look for any opportunity. It didn't matter junior college division one whatever was gonna, whatever's gonna be there and Blaine was was an opportunity. Dusty Hart has been a very successful junior college coach. This is his second year at blend. They finished fourth in the country last year the water returning players and he's given me an opportunity and I'm excited to be a part of him and he's done a great job in his career and and I'm looking and looking forward to being part of it, you know, for years to come.

Speaker 3: 25:39

I mean a one thing that I do know about where you're at, man, they pour, they pour money and resources into that program. There's no doubt. I mean the stadium feels nice. I mean you and I were talking about you said it best. It's, uh, it's better than some, some D1s.

Speaker 2: 25:59

Yeah, they're. I mean, they've got it beautiful. So they just built a brand new clubhouse, did some renovations to the ballpark. They they've done a really nice job here and the junior college game is really evolved even from when I play. You know is not that it was a bad route to go, but a lot of it was for the kind of the guys that hadn't developed yet, still hadn't matured. And now it's it's anybody. We've got guys that are going to LSU next year, texas. We've got guys going to Mississippi State, south Carolina. We got guys that came from at semester, from A&M, from U of H, from Texas. We've got guys from all over coming that want to play, and that's what's so important.

Speaker 2: 26:56

The portal has changed college sports 100%, for the better or for the worse. I you know you've got your goods and your pros and your cons, but Guys, they want experience. Those, if you want to get in there and play and you've less Europe, freakin dude coming out of high school, they're gonna go after the guy that's in the portal that's got 250, 300 college at bats under Right, like, why not, if that's, that's what's gonna help us win? We got to win right now. That's what college baseball is. It's win right now, and that's part of the reason I got into it is that's important. It's it's winning. You learn how to win. Learn how to win as a team. You learn.

Speaker 3: 27:47

In Pro Ball it's not necessary.

Speaker 2: 27:50

It's important to win, but that's not their number one goal. A lot of its development. You see a lot of teams going over. We're gonna rebuild. Screw that man. I want to win right now. I want to reload. I want to get after it every day with these guys and just beat the snot out of her across the diamond.

Speaker 3: 28:07

Yeah, you guys are coming off the sweep and I forgot the name of the college coastal been coastal, been at B Bill, that's right. Yes, well, you, you know all too well, you've been through the ringer, the, the pressure cooker that is, you're on my monitor UT baseball and that's what we're gonna transition the the conversation to. All right, so you know, listen, texas baseball has some loyal great fans. But since the Donning of social media, when the season doesn't start the way that they think it should be, there's a group of people who want to fire everybody and then already throwing the towel, they didn't have a good weekend in Houston. But my point is when is Texas done well in those early season classics and how did they finish the season? Right, that's my fact. Yeah, why they don't perform well in those early? I don't Don't either.

Speaker 2: 29:21

I couldn't figure it out last year when we were there, you know we went to Arlington and you know we played good baseball there. We got beat three to two by Arkansas. Hagan Smith was who, we, who, he's who he is, and we just saw what he did last weekend, friday or a week before we struck out 17 guys. I mean, come on right, we hung in there with him, played a good Missouri team last year that they walked us off. And then, you know, vanderbilt, we made four errors in an inning and we got B-Dakeda, whatever the score was. And then you see where we finish. You finish with literally the sky ball. That just, oh, it's that.

Speaker 2: 30:12

But you know it ain't about how you start, it's how you finish. And baseball is a weird game, man. It can humble you in the fastest ways and it can make you feel like you don't belong, and then you can be on top of the world tomorrow. You know it's weird how that works, and I mean you can't jump off the ship. 12 games there are 12 games into the year.

Speaker 3: 30:45

Seven to four, so 11.

Speaker 2: 30:48

There's nine and eight and four. It's like, yeah, somewhere in that neighborhood, you know and they competed with some of the big dogs and you know it's kind of hey where you're staying. Texas State isn't a bad program. Like they're different. They put together some really good teams. A lot of guys come out of there. They can play man. You can't sleep on them and you know they feel that little brother feeling. I think when they play Texas.

Speaker 2: 31:26

You know, but who doesn't? You know it's one of the most storied programs in college. Baseball been to Omaha as many times, if not more times than the most, so I mean that says something. So when you're playing that kind of program, you know you're going to get that best and you got to be ready for it.

Speaker 3: 31:49

You don't have time to really follow them. And you alluded to the transfer portal. So to your point on that, I kind of feel like the game has changed a lot, because the rosters change drastically every year, just in my opinion. I may be off base on that. It's just different, man, it's just.

Speaker 2: 32:11

Yeah, I think there's a lot of turnover. There's a little more turnover now. Obviously with the portal You're not just losing guys to the draft or graduation, you're losing guys that come in as a freshman, don't get satisfied with the playing time. It's like well, on to the next, right. You know that's part of it. That's what the game's turned into.

Speaker 2: 32:35

You got to deal with it and I think you always wonder why guys leave. Was it relationships where they're not happy with playing time Weren't good enough? Like what are the reasons? You got to figure that out before you bring guys in. You know it's the graduation deal, I think the COVID years they're running out of those, but there's so many different reasons. You got to know what you're getting, why you're getting it, why it didn't work, where. And you see a lot of the guys in the mid majors that developed a little bit and they matured, their body matured and now they're a lot different than they were when they saw them in high school and so it's like, hey, this guy's a dude now. He had a great year at a mid major school and a UTA or wherever it was.

Speaker 2: 33:36

And he wants to go play with the big boys. And here they are.

Speaker 3: 33:42

What do you tell those? I mean, nobody cares what I say or think, but you've coached on Coach Pierce's staff, you've been in that program, you've seen how mid major programs I mean it's just everyone's competitive. It's all about pitching, especially on Tuesdays. What do you tell those who they just use the words all week? They just don't have any faith in Coach Pierce? What do you tell them?

Speaker 2: 34:12

Why I mean look, he's had success.

Speaker 3: 34:14

One-on-one success.

Speaker 2: 34:16

He's had success. Is it the success that everybody wants? No, obviously. National championships are what the expectation at the University of Texas is, but he's taken them to Omaha just as many times as they have it in his time. We were a runaway last year on a team that probably wasn't near as talented as years past. He gets those guys ready to win. He gets them to compete for each other. He's big on team. He's big on team. He wants those guys to compete and go out there, and you're not going to have your best days every day, every night. You step out there, you just not. But you got to compete and if you don't compete, you're going to be in for a runaway man. But he gets those guys to compete and play for each other, and that's important.

Speaker 3: 35:12

I like him because we see out of eye literally that the wise and kind of the same background he had to fight for a lot of it. He literally had to fight for his way through life.

Speaker 1: 35:25

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 35:26

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 35:28

And he knows what it is to compete, not just on the field. He dealt with some adversity growing up as a kid. I know he lost his dad at a young age. So he knows what it takes to get to the hottest level and obviously won a national championship over at Rice with Wayne Graham and he knows what it takes.

Speaker 3: 35:52

Future of Texas baseball. I got to ask you this question Grass or continue with the turf, I mean.

Speaker 2: 36:03

I think it's tough to take the turf away when it's been turf since it opened. Seven-five. You know that's tough. It's tough to take it away. You're mocking. But I've heard rumors, but I don't know if they're true or not, but that's yet to be seen.

Speaker 3: 36:24

Yeah, we can't really speculate. I heard some rumors but I have to see it to believe it.

Speaker 2: 36:29

I really do.

Speaker 1: 36:30

Exactly.

Speaker 2: 36:31

But I'll tell you what fresh cut grass does smell very good in the ball Smells wonderful.

Speaker 3: 36:38

It lifts the spirits. Hey, before we take a quick break because the second segment's very short, there's been some legendary people like Cameron Ruppin here and there's been some legendary man cave stories. Is there any story that you feel safe sharing from the playing days at any level in the clubhouse dug out, or a moment in the game that's as comical now as it was when it happened?

Speaker 2: 37:05

Yeah, so I'm a big prankster, like I love practical jokes and I do them to this day. Like we've got a guy that volunteers here. We play kind of jokes on him. Well, you know, those little packing bags that come in, it's not the bubble wrap, it's like the airbags.

Speaker 3: 37:30

They're like this big.

Speaker 2: 37:32

So we'll hide and we'll call them in and just pop it and watch them jump. But I did it when I was playing and I still do now. I carry around a fake snake With a little fake brown snake and it's cold up and it looks like it's coming up to get you and I mean I put that on places I would tie and I had a couple of other ones that were just like long. I tie them on a. When I was in Cleveland I tied one on the laundry basket and so the club, he's pushing it right, he's pushing it and all of a sudden he catches the little fishing line and it pulls that snake and it lands on his foot and he screams like and he's off running. And I wish I could find the video fast enough and send it to you. But I would love to see it. It was so funny and they knew it. Everybody always knows it's me, everybody, because I mean I do it when they're not expecting it. I do it on the golf course, I do it the golf climbing.

Speaker 2: 38:53

Oh, Ty Harrington, I got him. He threw golf ball at me after. But yeah, I'm a practical joke guy. Love to scare people. Just when they're walking in they just jump at them, whatever, and just watch their reactions. It's just funny. I love to laugh.

Speaker 3: 39:14

And that's.

Speaker 2: 39:16

That is one of my favorite things.

Speaker 3: 39:19

Did you ever play practical jokes at the Haunted Hotel in Oklahoma City for the Big 12 tournament?

Speaker 2: 39:25

No, I wasn't real big on that. No, that wasn't a. I didn't get into the practical jokes until I was a little bit older, but I always wondered about that hotel. And actually there's a Haunted Hotel in the big leagues you stay at in Milwaukee. Wow, wow, it's called the Fister and I've heard some wild stories about that, and they've built a new section of the hotel that the players stayed in, and thank goodness, because I don't want to be messing with any ghosts.

Speaker 3: 40:03

A non-haunted auxiliary wing. Correct, that's smart. That's smart. You got to start over. Burn it down, man. We don't need all that. The Skirvin Hotel that's what I was trying to tell you. Yeah, skirvin. Oh my God, there's been some interesting stories, interesting stories. I'll tell you that. Cameron Rupp man, he's here all night, but we're going to take a quick break. But on the other side, there were some very fast, long horns at the NFL Combine. We'll talk about that on the other side of this break.

Speaker 1: 40:42

For all of your insurance needs, look no further than our primary sponsor, Jim Saxton State Farm Insurance Agency. The ATX OG has been insuring Austin for over three decades. And get this. Jim Saxton is a longhorn legacy. He is the son of the late great Jane Saxton, who was a Heisman finalist. Be sure to give him a call or, better yet, visit his website, SaxtonInsurancecom and tell him that the stories inside the Man-K Boys recommended you. He is flying Whoa 425. That looked different than everybody we watched.

Speaker 2: 41:44

Round of applause. Whoa.

Speaker 3: 41:49

So that that was his slowest one. He set the record, I think it was 421, right, yeah. Yeah, I mean, we all know, here's what I think. I think Texas fans didn't take him for granted, but really didn't appreciate enough the level, world-class speed that guy has.

Speaker 2: 42:14

No, I mean, that's incredible. That's Dion Sanders type stuff right there, man.

Speaker 3: 42:19

That's crazy. He's in a different tax bracket now, Cam.

Speaker 2: 42:24

Yeah, he made himself a little bit of money right there. He's going to be like Tyree Kill. He's going to be a good fantasy player for me one day.

Speaker 3: 42:35

And then 80 Mitchell, another 429. And then, what Big guy? Defensive tackle Rene 5, I think, a 5-2.

Speaker 2: 42:52

Sounds about right. That's fast for a big boy. Big boy moving. Man, that's a big boy moving.

Speaker 3: 42:59

Oh my God, so longhorn takeover not bad for a school, everybody said. Just doesn't develop NFL talent anymore.

Speaker 2: 43:09

I would beg to differ now. I think you've got the right people in there to get that job done and win a lot of football games for a long time. I think you're seeing a new takeover we'll say hopefully in college football. They're going to have their work cut out getting into that SEC, but I think they're a lot more prepared now than I thought they would, don't you feel?

Speaker 3: 43:42

like this is the ideal time, because recruits watch the NFL Combine and they're going to see. I want to go there and be developed, just like all the 11 guys that showed up for the Texas Longhorns.

Speaker 2: 43:57

Yeah, I mean they, you know, obviously can't teach speed Like you can't teach 421, sorry, no, if it was good, everybody would right. But you can see how they utilized how fast he was and how good of a player he was and they built it on that. They took their tools and what they were really good at and put them in the best position to succeed and I thought they did a fantastic job this year. John the Brooks was really good until he got hurt.

Speaker 3: 44:35

Xavier Worthy, obviously had a great… Xavier Sanders.

Speaker 2: 44:40

Gitaevion Sanders. I was really hoping he'd stay another year, but you know they developed these guys and they put them in the best position to succeed. And look what you get. You know you put these guys in a position to do what they're really good at and when you can do that and the players, it creates a winning atmosphere. You're not putting guys in position to fail. That's the one thing that you know is so important, especially as a coach, is how can I get my guys in the best position to succeed. That helps the team. What is it? And I think Sarg did a great job. Obviously, now you know we have a quarterback that's going to be that has a lot of experience that wins. I think that's important. And now we're going to put some more pieces into place and done their job in the portal from what I've heard. Obviously, you have to go out and do it. You know they're putting the right pieces to the puzzle together and I think we're in for a lot of fun over the next few years at DKR.

Speaker 3: 45:58

It's going to be fun, brother, and that's. I would love for anyone in any media outlet to never do a story about archmating transfer.

Speaker 2: 46:10

Yeah, I don't think he's going anywhere. I don't think he's going anywhere. I think he nipped that in the butt pretty quick down there in New Orleans when, in January, before they play, he's like no, I'm staying here, and you know what? That's awesome. You know what? Develop be good. Who knows if yours is here for the next year or two. He's got lots of eligibility left and I'm glad he's back and Arch is just going to learn he's going to get opportunities next year and we'll see what happens.

Speaker 3: 46:51

Are you? I mean, there's plenty of archmaning TikTok videos. There's plenty of from the combine. Are you a TikTok guy?

Speaker 2: 46:59

Nope, you will not find me on TikTok.

Speaker 3: 47:02

I'm proud of you because the thing that you'll see you'll see some humorous stuff like this. This is a. It's the kind of stuff you see more often than not. This was a good Valentine's Day tribute.

Speaker 1: 47:17

Good Lord, janus, I've been saving that for you Fought it right into my butthole.

Speaker 3: 47:23

It's like a fart transplant.

Speaker 2: 47:33

Oh, I don't know what you want me to say about that.

Speaker 1: 47:37

I mean.

Speaker 2: 47:44

I don't know, I don't have anything to say.

Speaker 3: 47:52

Hey, man, tell me something good. From far transplants to positivity, there's only one way to go from that is up. That is a Cameron Rupp. I knew this was going to be a good combo. It's going to be fun. We're going to go all over the place because it's been a while and I always, always enjoy a conversation with DC Rupp. A lot of wisdom here. It's not just baseball, but talking ball with him. Any days a great day. But in the world of negativity and political divide, tell me something good, my brother. That's maybe something that's inspiring in your world, man every day is a good day.

Speaker 2: 48:43

When you're waking up to me, go, go at it with what you got. Do you know what? There's going to be good days. You're going to be bad days, but I'm a glass half full guy, so it doesn't matter, I'm going to make the best out of any situation that I can find, because I mean just negativity, just it doesn't do any good, it takes you down. Never be happy. Be happy man. I'm a happy go, like you always been that way and going to stay that way and moving forward.

Speaker 3: 49:21

I love it, man. More people need to hear that. I guess it's going to sound really strange for me, but you know we always have little moments. That I've learned. I had a little prostate cancer scared recently, but it wasn't cancer.

Speaker 3: 49:36

It's just something that's man we got to go through. You know, figure out what it is that was. That was a good Lord telling me hey, reset, you need it, you need to slow down, reset, let go of all this, these things around us Like taking every reading everything on Twitter. It's not good for you, no, no. So that's my telling me something good.

Speaker 2: 50:03

Man, I'm glad that scares over for you, brother. Thank you, man oh my God, it was.

Speaker 3: 50:10

It got my attention.

Speaker 2: 50:11

I'll say that I mean that's good. You have to take care of yourself. Take care of your body. Got to be gotta be healthy. Sometimes we can't control any of that, whatever happens, but you take care of yourself, you're going to have a better chance 100% and you need to make more trips to Brentum, texas.

Speaker 3: 50:28

I heard that helps. Come on, let's go, brother. I appreciate it. Man, it's fun. I know this is a little bit different vibe on this podcast, but it's uh. You made it fun as expected.

Speaker 2: 50:41

I appreciate you having me on as long time coming and maybe we'll do it again.

Speaker 3: 50:46

There's no doubt We'll have to Venmo some NIL coaching funds to you and Brentum Texas.

Speaker 2: 50:51

Just there we go.

Speaker 3: 50:53

There are fees and some type of something to hydrate with hey for these, do what? Maybe some ice cream Bluebell, we're coming, we need a. We need a new sponsor.

Speaker 2: 51:07

There we go.

Speaker 3: 51:08

So for the, the camera Ruff and the OG man cave boys that being hardball hard, big mic and need coach mo, we are.