Stories Inside the Man Cave
Stories Inside the Man Cave
Ep 396: Kicking Things Off (football season) Texas Longhorns' SEC Transition: Season Predictions and Key Insights
Ever wondered how the Texas Longhorns will fare in their highly anticipated transition to the SEC? Join us live from Boulevard Bar and Grill in Austin, Texas, where Stevie Lee and I, Sean Clinch, break down the excitement of this football season. From capturing the vibrant camaraderie among former Texas Longhorns players to analyzing the team's prospects, we leave no stone unturned. We spotlight standout talents like linebacker Leonga and discuss strategic defensive adjustments that could turn the Longhorns into national title contenders. With the expansion of the college football playoffs on the horizon, this season promises to be one of the most thrilling yet.
Curious about the key players and strategies that will define this season? We dissect the depth of the running back room amidst injuries and the crucial role of coaching in preventing Anthony Hill's potential sophomore slump. Transfers like Isaiah Bond are reshaping the roster, and we speculate on younger receivers like Johntae Cook who could elevate the offense to average over 40 points per game. The importance of game experience for player development is a key theme, making this segment a must-listen for any football enthusiast eager to understand the Longhorns' offensive and defensive outlook.
Excitement is in the air as the Texas Longhorns prepare for their transition to the SEC. Listen to Tess's realistic take on the challenges and opportunities ahead, and hear from former Longhorn and NFL player Alex Okafor as he reflects on his football journey and provides insights into the team's defensive prospects. With key matchups against rivals like Georgia and Oklahoma, the anticipation among Longhorn Nation is palpable. Former players reminisce about memorable moments in the Big 12, while looking forward to a thrilling new chapter in the SEC. From high school football insights to community involvement, this episode is packed with compelling stories and expert analysis.
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no-transcript. First, I feel like I'm Stevie Lee's Stevie Lee's offspring over here. You're about three times the size of me. You're still playing weight. We're here, live at Boulevard Bar and Grill in Austin Texas An Austin Texas original man. Stevie, the best time, this is what we're doing here, kicking things off College, high school pro. We're going to talk about it.
Speaker 2:We've got interviews, some recorded and, stevie, you've got some of your fellow members of the Texas Longhorn football royalty in the house yeah, we had a few guys come over and just hang out before we did this thing and kind of really good to get to know what people are doing after football, right, so we had a good time over here in the corner right there good, this place is awesome, man.
Speaker 2:It's like a cold, dark bar. If you want to get out and uh get out of the heat and uh actually get some um, some adult beverages right right and uh and have a good time. Man, it's really a cold, dark bar.
Speaker 1:I love it no, I do too. So boulevard bar and grill there's. They're like family to us, family to us $3 light beer pints and $3.50 well drink cocktails. I don't even know if you or the Better have Summer have ordered yet, but I highly recommend it. If you're watching this for the first time, we're on top of each other, not literally, but figuratively. A little space here. I am Sean Clinch, that's Stevie Lee. You can catch him every Sunday during the football season with me on the Pass Rush a series of episodes and he played for Mack Brown in the early 2000s, was a defensive tackle and you are a Rose Bowl champion. And one thing we've got to do like follow each of our social media platforms. There's so many of them and of course, you have the honor of naming off all of our sponsors. I have the honor, the honor.
Speaker 2:Well, the big sponsor right now is Hargrove Roofing, my guys out of Shreveport, louisiana, right, our offices all over Louisiana and all over Texas, here in Austin, dallas and Houston, but my guys at Hargrove man, they'll take care of you. Give us a call, hargrove Roofing know who's on your roof and Stevie Lee does it the best as far as that.
Speaker 1:And, of course, big shout-out to Honest Plumbing and Air, where a handshake still means something. Dirty Martin's Place, Old School, Austin a lot of good carbs. I wish they'd bring back the Fruity Pebbles milkshake and Jim Saxon State Farm and Austin, Texas, OG and Boulevard and Boulevard Group. Yeah Well, hopefully we're going to bring them on permanently. But, Stevie, let's get it going. Let's start with the Longhorns College football. We are a little over a week away.
Speaker 4:I mean you don't just wake up one day and say you're hungry for it. You got to prove it every single day. I mean there's only one team out of the whole country that is going to be able to stand up on that stage at the end of the year. And it takes every day to find things to get better at being attentive in meetings, being attentive in practice and just using those things to fill that hunger so that you can be a national champion at the end of the year.
Speaker 1:All right, stevie. Everyone has the dreams of winning a championship, conference title and, in some cases, a division. You were on teams for Mack Brown which had legit national championship hopes. You missed it by one year as a player, but you won the Rose Bowl, the college football playoff expanding to 12 teams, and to now they have an opportunity, not only to just make it, but how legit are the Longhorns as a national title contender this year?
Speaker 2:Absolutely a national title contender. We got just about okay. So we got our quarterback back. Right From my observation, we've replaced the great talent that left on the D line and on the receiver court right. So I think we still got the tools to make some noise in college football playoffs for sure.
Speaker 1:It's going to be fun and you're going to see, with them going to the SEC, which we'll talk about later you're going to have maybe two, three, possibly four from the SEC, but I don't know. I don't want to get ahead of myself on that.
Speaker 1:You are, I am ahead of myself because you will have that large burst Now, rebuilding a position that you played on the D-line, and with this young talent you've been to practice. What did you see from those graduate transfers from Arizona? Because when you lose T-Sweat and Byron Murphy, you can't replace those talents.
Speaker 2:So what I observed is we're not trying to replace those two guys. What we're doing as a defensive line, as a front, is kind of replacing those guys, all four across the front, with schemes and different blitzes and different packages. I think that we're going to be perfectly fine in replacing what we lost on just those two guys. I think we're a better defensive line as a whole than just two big defensive tackles.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, and you know, when you ask, a lot of people say that. And in Sarkeesian, when he's talking about young talent, young talent, young talent he mentions one linebacker in particular.
Speaker 6:You know Leonga is such like the do-right player. You know he's always spot on with what he's supposed to do run fits, you know, pass coverage, special teams, the thing that I've been impressed with him. This year, as opposed to his true freshman year, I really feel like he's cutting it loose more. You know he's confident in knowing what he needs to do.
Speaker 1:So I already like Leonia, I believe he wears number 18. Only the chosen wear number 18. Yours truly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, only the chosen wear number 18. Yours truly yeah, only the chosen. Wear number 18?. Yeah, that's right, I got you. Hey man, that's all good man, I get it.
Speaker 1:So when you look at that from a linebacker, the second part of the defense real quick. Did you happen to see him in practice and how do you kind? Of paint the picture of what type of athlete he is.
Speaker 2:So that's what I'm talking about the whole D line as a whole being well good and then filling in on blitzes. So he was running around the field. Okay, yeah, he's going to be really really good at the University of Texas. Pk will put him in the positions to be successful, but it's plugging in where he needs to go.
Speaker 1:Well, another guy that I really am excited to see. His name's Andrew Makuba, and one guy that knows him very well, jaday Barron, who is a great defensive back. We'll be playing some in the nickel, I believe, this year, but you know he and Makuba Makuba's from LBJ, originally with Clemson, and use the graduate or not graduate, but the transfer portal. To finish out, this is your day, talking about his ATX brother, who will now play with him in the secondary.
Speaker 7:Amazing. He's a smart player, well experienced. You know I'm going to speak highly of him, not just because you know that's been my guy for for 10 years, but he's a smart player. He knows the ins and outs of the football. If he's beat somewhere, he knows how to recover and win on the back end. But that's a very smart player and it's good to have him in the back end.
Speaker 1:Makuba, highly regarded DB NFL-type talent. Where do you see him? As far as how he will affect this defense.
Speaker 2:No, he's a very smart player himself, so he seemed like he was a leader back there whenever I saw him. So I think that with the defensive line, the linebackers and the DBs working together, we're going to have a pretty good defense, and I don't know Once we put it all. See, I went early on, so now we're implementing things for what the season is going to be, so it's going to be fun to watch, for sure.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you who's fun to watch this guy from. I believe Anthony Hill's from the Denton area. You could. The thing about him, he could play. Anthony Hill's from the Denton area. The thing about him he can play. He can move them around on the defense utility guy. He's very intelligent, he has a Stevie Lee-like smile and incredibly gifted. How can you improve from the great freshman year? And I want you to answer that. But let's hear from Anthony Hill first about how he will improve from that great freshman season that he had.
Speaker 5:I feel like it's not going to be more. It's going to be more of a simple size of what I was doing last year, because I feel like they had me in a lot of different positions where sometimes I kind of was just learning what's going on. I feel like this year I know what's going on and I know I kind of understand what I'm doing. So I feel like it's just going to be more of a step up from what I had last year.
Speaker 1:OK, so tell me about them. I mean your thoughts on Anthony Hill, will I mean? Would it shock you and I'm not saying I'm wishing him well A lot of great players have a sophomore slump.
Speaker 2:Right and that's that's. That comes from the other team watching film, but it also comes when you think too much on the field. So him just being an athlete last year and getting in where he fits in and using his football instinct, I think that our defensive coaches and PK would do a good job of not letting him overthink things. So continue to play ball like he did last year, knowing a little bit more about football but also being yourself still.
Speaker 1:Do you see them? I say utility. They can utilize him all over, moving him around pre-snap to confuse the quarterback. I mean he may be that quarterback of the defense?
Speaker 2:No question, he also. I don't know if he has the dot on his helmet, because you know they can have listening devices to play call now.
Speaker 2:So, you know, I think the communication will be better on the field this year anyway, because of that new technology in the helmets where you can actually hear from your coach. So he'll be fine and, being a utility player, just continue to do that. Put him in where he can't fit in. Like I said, these coaches get paid a lot of money to put these kids in the right situation. Let's not put it on the kids all the time, let's get it on some of the coaches too. Well, I agree. Well, let's go on the kids all the time, let's get it on some of the coaches too.
Speaker 1:Well, I agree. Well, let's go on the other side of the ball, where I don't think there's any question, except we have to address something that injuries happen to every program in America. But maybe this is a good sign you get all the injuries taken care of early on and then you have a full, healthy team by the end of the season. I mean you hate to lose anybody, but when you have a running back as Texas has two of them now gone for the year, what's your take on all this? I mean you feel badly for anybody that is lost for the season, much less any injury, for that matter.
Speaker 2:No, yes, we are down. Two running backs very good running backs but we had a stable anyway and that's why we had a packed running back room. You know people go down, things happen, but I think we'll still be fine. Again, it's on the coaches to put these guys in the right position to be successful, right. So we got a great arm quarterback and we got great receivers too, so we can open up the field a little bit more and some of these running backs can go in and catch some balls out in the flat as well.
Speaker 1:Jaden Blue is one of those running backs. He has proven, I mean, he's proved himself time and time again. Now let's talk about the graduate. I keep saying graduate transfer, just transfer portal. Yeah, alabama, you had two guys from Alabama but Isaiah Bond, who caught a touchdown pass against Texas last year. You saw him and you saw him play against Texas last year. It's really weird, I mean for you guys watching and commenting. I mean I'm okay with the portal in IL, but you've got to think it's more like NFL free agency. Now, one year someone's wearing a jersey and all of a sudden he's in your team's jerseys a uniform. But he is perfect for Sarks offense and he continues to lure in the top receivers in the country. Bond you've got Silas Bolden transferred from Houston. Nye Black I think he's a big tight end. I mean, tell me a little bit about what you know about these young receivers.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's what I told you. We just reloaded, we reloaded, we replaced Worthy and Sanders and all those guys that left, so I feel like our offense is just going to be just as powerful, or maybe even better. Now I got a friendly wager that Bond is going to catch the most passes this year. Okay, and I feel really confident about that. So it's going to be fun. They're running all over the place and Ewers just swinging the ball all over the lot, so I think it's going to be a lot of fun. There's going to be no drop-off in the pass offense, okay.
Speaker 1:I agree with you. Now the quarterback. I don't think there's a problem there. You've got to keep him upright. Of course you've got Arch Manning waiting for his turn. But, quinn Ewers, talk about some of the younger receivers, like Jontae Cook, some of the other ones, and maybe how they've grown in just over a year.
Speaker 3:The biggest thing for them is just being more comfortable within the offense and knowing what to do in certain situations. And I think another big thing is they're starting to understand you know why coach Sark is calling this play instead of calling another play and and I think just their understanding of the game has has improved a lot. And you know again, I think they both got to sit behind guys like J Witt and AD and you know Xavier, so they get. They got to see what it looks like.
Speaker 1:Basically what you've kind of said. You learn and naturally you mature with experience. I forgot who it was. Jeff Traylor at UT, san Antonio, said you know what? We can practice all we want, but your kid's not going to learn until he gets into a game. These guys have had some game reps, so real quick, your expectations of this offense. We already talked about the RB room. Is this a team? Are you buying or selling? They will definitely average over 40 plus points again, or 40 plus points 40, average over 40,.
Speaker 2:What you saying Go on over 40. Wait, will they average 40 plus points? 40, average over 40? What are you saying Go?
Speaker 1:on, will they average 40?
Speaker 2:plus points a game. Golly, that's hard to say. Sec always had great defenses. Okay, I don't think I want to get in that game. Okay.
Speaker 1:So you're going to be Switzerland on this deal.
Speaker 2:Exactly, but we do have a really good offense and it can happen. We can put some points on the board with the receiving board that we have. You know the O-line. I think anybody can run behind this O-line. Yeah, so if you made me say it, then yes, okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 1:We'll see it. Yeah, sec, they're already putting taxes on notice. Already they said try me, try me. Hey, a big retirement announcement which happened yesterday.
Speaker 8:Sad it's over, but I'm also really excited about my opportunities with NBC and with Underdog and all the other exciting things that are on the horizon. So hook them horns. God bless and thank all of you.
Speaker 1:All right, your guy. He was a freshman when you were a. What were you?
Speaker 2:doing in 05? Oh no, I was one year out.
Speaker 1:Oh, one year out, I thought maybe you thought about student assistant or something no no, no, no.
Speaker 1:So when you look back at Colt McCoy, people always say he wasn't the highly recruited guy, but all he did was win every level he played at. It's a scholar gym, that his dad was a coach. You know all the Shipleys. We all know who his roommate was. Yeah, we all know that narrative. But the guy is a Texas legend and he will be honored. You have to be 10 years removed into the Longhorn Hall of Honor. He will be inducted. Yeah, your thoughts on him finally not finally, but deciding to hang it up.
Speaker 2:He didn't have anything else to prove Right. The kid did a fantastic job at the University of Texas, did a good job in the NFL In the last few years. I mean, he did a great job of collecting checks as a backup. As a backup, that's what you wanna do is collect as many checks as you can and then go ahead and call it quits.
Speaker 1:Hey, shout out to Cole McCoy Much respect to you and your family. I think he has four children now. Beautiful family Football blessed you. But he will be on NBC broadcasting and I think he'll do a fabulous job.
Speaker 1:So shout out to the McCoy family you have lived life right. There is no doubt about it. All right. So we were going to have Jeff Traylor on the show, the head coach of the UTSA Roadrunners. I want you to think about this. He's going to be on another episode. He had a booster engagement and you know, as a head coach you've got to go to those, especially when they say they're going to change the time. Jeff Traylor is one of the busiest head coaches in FBS I have ever seen and we love Jeff Traylor. He's done a lot for us. He's done a lot for the program. He's done a lot for Texas high school football.
Speaker 1:They play UT September 14th. They are replacing that amazing quarterback, frank Harris, who's now exhausted his eligibility. He's now out of football. Traylor 39-14 in San Antonio as their head coach. First bowl game victory last year, won the Scooters coffee bowl and was had coffee poured on him in the cold weather up in DFW in Frisco. Your thoughts on them as they are replacing players. Do you have any doubt that Traylor will put together another winner?
Speaker 2:He's a great coach, fantastic coach. I've been high on him for a long time. It's tough, though, replacing that many players that he lost. I think he can do it. I'm wishing him all the best until he comes to Austin, right, but I like what he's doing down there at UTSA. This is another place in Texas where these kids can go. When I was playing, there was no program. This is awesome for UTSA, for sure. Jeff Traylor awesome.
Speaker 1:They'd lost one of their defensive ends, trey Moore, to Texas as a portal guy, and he speaks highly of them. Did you get a chance to see Trey out at practice?
Speaker 2:I saw everyone at practice, but you know I wasn't focusing on that person.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I get it yeah.
Speaker 1:I get it, man, but Trey Moore is an incredible, incredible player. So, as far as the horns, they're going to open up against the Colorado State, rams and this familiar face.
Speaker 10:Yes, we got a lot of confidence in our team. We were the young team for two years. We had a bunch of freshmen out here, a bunch of kids that looked like Doogie Howser, you know, and they're growing up now. You know, now we have more experience. You know, I think 17 of our 22 starters have over a thousand snaps, which is a lot, a lot of snaps. And so we've got more experience, we're wiser and we have a better plan.
Speaker 1:All right, third season for Jay Norvell, friend of the program. He's a member of the VIP alumni status of the man Cave. Third year they have gone from 3-9 to 5-7. Do you expect Norvell's group? He called a lot of his players two years ago, said he looked like Doogie Howson. They were that young, yeah. Do you see an improvement for them in the Mountain West Conference? Do they pose any threat for Texas? No, no.
Speaker 2:What kind of question is that, Sean? You never know man, there's no threat.
Speaker 1:You saw Wyoming last year give Texas problems.
Speaker 2:Well, okay, All right, Okay. So one, you know they are not. The talent that's out there at the University of Texas is just the University of Texas caliber talent. That's all I'm going to say. But the other thing is Colorado State got to come in at 2.30 in our stadium. It's a little warm. It's a little warm. I'm not sure they're going to get off the bus. It's that hot out here. So we'll see, man, We'll see.
Speaker 1:I think Jay Norvell gets the job done this year, I mean as far as the season. Oh, okay, I think he'll go from five wins to eight or nine and challenge for the Mountain West Conference. Let's do it.
Speaker 2:I understand, I get it. I'm a big fan of his. I still like the work shirt he wears.
Speaker 1:I love it. Jay Norvell, you guys in Fort Collins, colorado, got to jump on that. Yeah, jump on the buzz. Hey, I got a special surprise for you and you coined her title for Tess Sawyer. We used to have regular episodes with her, but you know corporate life I understand, so we're going to check in with her. She loves her Longhorns.
Speaker 2:So, Tess, is she the first lady of the man cave? Ah yeah. Yeah, I'm a do.
Speaker 12:Only if you're ready, ready, ready, ready, let's go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was our first and only First Lady of the man Cave, tess Sawyer. What she did for everyone watching here in the boulevard or wherever you may be, she could relate, or help viewers relate, who are especially the female demographic. She's a season ticket holder, a two-time UT grad. I think she had her. I don't know how to describe your passion for UT football.
Speaker 13:I think, tess, you might as well go ahead and relay that to everybody Obsession, obsession Over their top obsession is the way I describe it.
Speaker 1:I think that's accurate. Vtes Sawyer, you'll forever carry the first lady of the man cave title and I just want to check did you ever put that on your?
Speaker 13:resume. Yeah, that's how I got my job. All your promotion because of that. No, I, I think it's. It's an honor to have that, uh, to be the first lady. Thank you, stevie lee. And um, yeah, no, I think it's. Yeah, it's definitely one of something I have to be proud of in on my resume.
Speaker 1:Right, right. Speaking of Stevie Lee, give him a shout out right now he's watching this.
Speaker 13:What up, stevie? Let's go, let's go.
Speaker 1:Texas. Bye. Just had a raid party behind you for some random reason I was in a laser light show. Hey, first off, let's get two perspectives from the test. Sawyer, first of all, as the football fan of the Texas Longhorns, what are you thinking about this season?
Speaker 13:What's on your mind?
Speaker 13:I mean, I think it's obviously super exciting, obviously, to be going to a big conference, aka the conference. I think most people would say so and I think there's been a lot of speculation on how Texas would perform moving to the SEC and most of it, unfortunately, has been pretty negative. People thinking we're going to go in there and, you know, get our asses kicked, playing some of the toughest teams you know in in the NCAA. So, but you know, I think I think joining the new conference is huge and the timing couldn't be more perfect because I just I really think this is one of the better teams we've seen in a really long time.
Speaker 1:Tess the realist what do you think? What's your, what's your perspective? Well, I think. I think it's going to be a challenge you know what are you thinking, what's your perspective?
Speaker 13:Well, I think it's going to be a challenge, but again, I think our ammunition could not be any better this year. So, most challenging games obviously, georgia, even though they're playing here at Texas, playing A&M for the first time and forever, the tickets being more than the Cowboy tickets on Thanksgiving right now, which I found to be hilarious, but you know what a cool tradition that came back. Playing Arkansas at home is going to be a challenge. These are all huge rivals, of course, and then the OU game is always a toss-up.
Speaker 13:It doesn't matter who's good, because it's just such a big rivalry. At least it's on neutral ground. So I think we're going to have some challenges. I think we have some games lined up that should be easy wins for us. But yeah, I mean, I'd love to see us play a football game in December, hopefully against Georgia.
Speaker 1:If you were to sum up your pulse of the perspective of the Longhorn Nation since the transition to the SEC became official back in July.
Speaker 13:I think it's just straight hype. I mean, you know, everybody is just so excited. It's such a big deal this year is going to be, so it's just going to be an absolute blast going to some of these other schools and campuses that we haven't got to play at and then them coming here to Austin.
Speaker 1:So if there was one thing you wanted to tell or ask the fine folks at the Boulevard who are sipping on whatever beverage or whatever food great food they have ordered from that Boulevard kitchen, what is a question you want to ask the fine folks here at the bully?
Speaker 13:Are you guys going to bet against the Longhorns at all this year?
Speaker 1:Let's talk. Look at that, Stevie Lee, I got him laughing. Tess saw your longhorn for life herself. But man, she's not wrong. The excitement for this year is at an. I've got to be biased here. For the first time in my life, I am now a season ticket owner. There you go, man. I wouldn't have even broke down and did it, Because you know the SEC is what did it? Man? My seats are horrible. Alex Okafor, he wouldn't sit in them. They're that bad. No, hey, I want to step out of the way. Speaking of Alex Okafor, we have a lot of people who I really think highly of here, who happen to be former Longhorns, and Alex Okafor, who recently retired, was a Longhorn, great defensive end, had a nice career in the NFL and now he's in, I think, what he called one of the trustees of Pflugerville ISD, where he was raised. I'm going to step out of the way because I'm the smallest of the group here. We don't have a lot of space, but I'm going to let Stevie Lee do his first interview by himself.
Speaker 2:I told you I don't know what I'm doing. Yeah, he does. I appreciate you. I don't know what I'm doing.
Speaker 16:Yeah, he does yeah.
Speaker 2:Appreciate you, sir Alex. What's happening, man? What's going on, man, Good man, so give us a little bit about you. Came to the University of Texas, and then what happened afterwards?
Speaker 16:Yep. So got into school, 2009, went to the national championship my freshman year, yep Highest of highs, no question. Right after that went five and seven. Sophomore year had to build the program back up. Yep Senior year left on an Alamo Bowl win. I was an Alamo Bowl MVP, went on, got drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round, played there four years, then signed with the New Orleans Saints for two more seasons and then ended my career with the Kansas City Chiefs for three seasons Wow and won the Super Bowl there in 2019. That's awesome, yes, sir.
Speaker 2:That's awesome man. So what we were just talking about, we were talking about the SEC and us going over into the SEC. So I'm a Big 12 guy. You played under the Big 12 flag. How do you feel about this first year? Or just going into the SEC, playing football now in the SEC? How do you feel about?
Speaker 16:this. I'm excited. I'm excited because we can make some noise. Now, if this was a couple years ago, that answer might be a little different, but the fact that we're equipped this season and we can actually make some noise and are expected to make the playoffs makes it very exciting to be in the SEC.
Speaker 2:So I'm an old defensive guy. You are a little bit younger than me. You're a defensive guy. How do you feel about this defense? Have you gone out to practice? I have. We get the privilege of going out to practice because that's the stadium that we built. You know what I'm saying. So we go out there every now and then. Have you gone out?
Speaker 16:Yes, I was at the scrimmage last weekend. Oh yeah, okay good.
Speaker 2:So what do you feel? Do you feel some kind of? Do you feel any kind of way about the defense?
Speaker 16:right now, I think the honestly. I thought that we had a good defense last year, correct, I thought I was really impressed with how our defense played last season. Yeah, now, going into this season, we lost a ton of production. We know the guys. We lost our two interior D tackles, lost our middle linebacker, lost the corner. We lost a ton of production on defensive side. Surprisingly, we still look good. It might even be better this season.
Speaker 2:That's what I said. My thoughts were, yes, we lost two great first round defensive tackles, but what we gained is a whole defensive line. Now, I agree with that. You know what I mean. Yes, okay, so you agree with that. See, I know what I'm talking about.
Speaker 16:sometimes, y'all I will say yes, and the overall depth on the D-line is huge too. I mean, we were rotating last year, but I felt like there was a little bit of drop off when our main guys was coming out. Yep, this year I feel like we're 8 to 10 deep across the board on the D line, especially on the edges, and I think that's going to show itself this season.
Speaker 2:Yeah, when I was at practice I saw a little bit of push on the O line which gave me a little pause.
Speaker 4:You said a little bit of push, a little bit of push on the O line Like I was like, is our O line going to hold up?
Speaker 2:Because our defensive line was looking actually pretty good, actually pretty good yeah. Yeah, man so man, I really appreciate you coming on and just talking with me. So what's next for you? I always like to ask my friends what's life after football, because I figured out life after football with me was real estate. So what's next for you? What's life after football? I know you're behind microphones right now, so I love that for you, so let us know what you're doing.
Speaker 16:Right. So I'm still figuring things out, taking things slow. I've invested properly, so it's allowed me to have the flexibility to really take things slow and not really jump into anything right away. But I got two main things going for me right now. One I moved back to Pflugerville and I joined the school board this May, so I got sworn in as a trustee for the Pflugerville Independent School District and then also, like you said, I'm behind microphones and cameras. Now I'm doing a little bit of sports media for the long haul.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's good. That's good. So you're going to be on KXAN, I'll be on.
Speaker 16:KXAN this season For the pregame show, the official pregame show, which starts an hour before every game, and then I'll have one weekly segment Not sure what day that's in the next couple weeks.
Speaker 2:That's awesome man, so congratulations on all your success. I was always a big, huge fan of Okafor and the Okafor family.
Speaker 16:Thank you, I would like to say some of my favorite Nigerians. I can imagine that's a short list.
Speaker 2:It's actually not, though I got a few friends that are Nigerians. Some attorneys out in Houston Got to be Houston?
Speaker 16:Yeah, no question.
Speaker 2:No question, man. In fact, I'll share one story. I went to a wedding. It was a friend of mine, he's Nigerian and he married a lady from the Caribbean Islands. It was at a Catholic church, she's Catholic and she started her wedding on time. And you know where I'm going with this.
Speaker 11:I know exactly where you're going with this you said she, she started her wedding on time, okay, and you know where I'm going with this.
Speaker 2:I know exactly where you're going with this. You said she she started her wedding on time as we were leaving the ceremony. His Nigerian people were just now walking up and they were upset at her for starting on time. Do you experience that in your family?
Speaker 16:I do. So, listen, if you're going to a Nigerian wedding one, you're not getting out of there until about two, three no question. And it's not because the party is that long, it's because it don't start it didn't start that's exactly right. That's a little personal for me, that's exactly right, man.
Speaker 2:I appreciate you coming over and just chopping it up with us man? Yes, sir, I appreciate it. Thank you Anytime. Yeah, and we'll pull Sean back in man.
Speaker 1:My brother from you got the height in the family. Yeah.
Speaker 9:Man.
Speaker 1:Okafor man. He is exactly what you get.
Speaker 2:Yep, no question. Saw the earth man and he's giving back to the community Pflugerville.
Speaker 1:That really brought him up. And I love that man.
Speaker 1:He's a great story and we've got a lot of great stories as we are going to try to walk our way through about, let me see seven more minutes. We've got a surprise for you, a surprise interview from the show-me state, the great state of Missouri, got you. So one thing I want to talk to you about Stevie and those of you we'll take comments from you. Right now you go to the private chat, ask us a question. We'll do it that way. And Stevie, you can ask Stevie about his playing career when he played for Mac Brown and Coach Tolleson. Yeah, you know my favorite athletic trainer ever, chip Chip Chip. Yeah, man, he's one of the finest Americans.
Speaker 2:Equipment manager. Equipment manager, not AT equipment manager yeah, yeah, no one.
Speaker 2:At Equipment manager yeah, yeah, yeah, no one. Good story about Chip man. Every Thursday practice, you know, we do just walk-throughs, basically, yeah, and Coach Brown, after practice he pulls us all together and huddle and he gives us his spiel and what's going to happen, and things like that. And so let's say we're playing Texas A&M and so at the end of his spiel he'll go and we got Texas A&M and hey, chip, what are we going to do? And Chip is in the back of the huddle. He goes we're going to kick their ass. Coach, every single week, man, every single week. And we loved it, man that's outstanding.
Speaker 1:You know what we gotta do this, stevie. You always gotta get a good selfie. Look at Stevie Lee Whoa.
Speaker 2:There you go.
Speaker 1:We gotta remember this. We're gonna start trying to do this a little more often. It takes a lot of planning, a lot of logistical planning, but we also gotta remember we have to place more effort into our day jobs.
Speaker 2:Yeah no question, so this took me about two weeks to put together Yep and I appreciate you, sean, for doing that man.
Speaker 1:Boy, you helped too.
Speaker 2:If you look at the rundown sheet, there's a lot going on right now, but also, again, thanking Boulevard for having us out on location. A lot of cool people. Y'all can't see behind us but a lot of cool people. Y'all can't see behind us but a lot of cool people just watching us on the screen above our head, man. So this is pretty neat. I like it, the vibe in here. Again, like I said, it's a cold, dark bar.
Speaker 1:No, it really is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and the food is great.
Speaker 1:I'm trying to figure out, because we're about to have a guest in here and I'm trying to figure out why we can't hear anything. But I'm trying to figure this out. We're about to have a guest from the University of Missouri and I'm trying to figure out why we can't hear it, for some odd reason. Can't hear inside here.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:I can't. We're not going to be able to. We had technical issues that speaker's not hooked up, gotcha For a reason. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to go to our video feed here, because we're going to have a guy which dates back to when I was a student at Stephen F Austin and he was a running back there and then he started his coaching career afterwards. What years were you at Stephen F?
Speaker 1:Austin 93 to 98. Okay, great football player, a lot of talent. He's going to hit in about three minutes. I can't wait.
Speaker 2:Well, hold on. I got a question Speaking of Stephen F Austin. Have you kept up with anything that's going on over there? Oh yeah, Football-wise, yeah, Okay. So what do you think that they're looking about in their conference and things like that?
Speaker 1:Well, they moved back to the Southland Conference. This will be the first year back in the Southland. I say we're looking at an eight-win season.
Speaker 2:Oh that's not bad, not bad.
Speaker 1:You know, they may challenge, maybe nine may challenge for a playoff spot for the FCS playoffs, of course, in the FCS. I'm glad you made that transition. So I want to say South Dakota is the national champion from the FCS, defending national champion from FCS, and they are playing opening in Stillwater against Oklahoma State. Okay, and that's a good little segue right there before we get to the Big 12 part. But hey, keep your eyes on Stillwater, oklahoma when they host FCS defending national champion South Dakota. Even Mike Gundy said hey, they have the interior to compete with us the most FCS defending national champion South Dakota. Even Mike Gundy said hey, they have the interior to compete with us in the Big 12. Okay, so that is upset potential in the first week of college football. Of course, I have to say this this weekend is zero week in college football.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's tough man, I cannot wait for. So we're 10 days away from the first game at DKR and I cannot wait. I'm so excited. I'm trying to get my outfit together because it's going to be hot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's going to be hot. Yeah, it's going to be hot. So, todd, in one minute tell us a little bit about our boy, todd Hunt.
Speaker 2:So if you want to see me, my family and some other guys, come out to the best damn tailgate on the 40 acres it's between LBJ Library and the police station, in that little patch of grass right there we have always-out barbecue, drinks, liquor vendors and all that stuff out there.
Speaker 2:It's a lot of fun. So I guess it's like $40 a person, Something like that, but you stay there, hang out and you walk half a block down to the stadium and you're in the stadium, so it's always a good time. Todd, if you don't have a drink in your hand, he'll put one in your hand. The Todd tour. The Todd tour yes, absolutely. A lot of booze, A lot, yeah.
Speaker 1:A lot of booze you may come sober.
Speaker 2:You won't leave that way, I promise you.
Speaker 1:That's outstanding. Todd Hunt, former UT defensive tackle late 80s, early 90s, good guy. I think he's still a Dell guy, so to speak. He is. He is and he's an event organizer?
Speaker 2:Yeah, he is, absolutely he is. He does the Cole Pittman Golf Tournament every year, organizing that for Sloan and BJ, and so he really gets us together. He actually keeps us old Texas football players together because he keeps us united for sure.
Speaker 1:No, this is awesome. Hey, shout-out to Matty Garcia, lenny and Randy Flores Go Tech. We love the comments. Keep them coming. You know what? Let's roll with it. I've got an interesting soundbite from Norman Oklahoma.
Speaker 18:It's been like the longest wait for Christmas ever. It would have been one thing and it would have been very exciting if we found out on a Tuesday that we're going to the SEC and that Saturday you're playing football, but it was a, you know, a three-year wait. Yeah and uh. Both the Sooners and the Longhorns have sufficiently been called every name in the book by their Big 12 brethren and by the commissioner sometimes and I was ready to I have a lot of fond memories of the Big 12 and the people in the Big 12.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 18:And it's all I've ever known. But by the time these last three years came to an end, I was I was ready to move on.
Speaker 1:I had taken all of the that's Toby Rowland, the voice of the Oklahoma Sooners, essentially saying the anticipation for the SEC is on par with how it's been here in Austin. It's the same, and the Longhorns and Sooners have been called every name of the book because of the divorce with the Big 12.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I was just talking the other day. It was bittersweet to leave the Big 12, the way we did with the Big 12 trophy. Oh, so they can call us anything we want. What you are going to call us are Big 12 champions right now too, yep. And having what's the commissioner's name? Oh my God. I just forgot, yeah Well commissioner talking trash, at the beginning of the season, telling Texas Tech to come in and beat us, and at the end, of the season him having to hand us the.
Speaker 1:Big 12 trophy your mark, your mark.
Speaker 5:Your mark, yeah, having him to hand us the your mark, your mark your mark.
Speaker 2:Yeah, having had having him to hand us the trophy and walk off and and actually the university of texas fans not letting him get a word in, that was funny.
Speaker 1:That was great man, I love that. I love that because, uh, but you know there's no easy way, there's no pretty way of exiting like that. Because, let's face it, ut has been called so many things for running the big 12 to the Longhorn Network, divided the big listen if a major network gives you hundreds of millions of dollars.
Speaker 2:You have to say yes yeah, you got to take it and it is. It's what up the Big 12, the original Big 12. Right, and now we're here where we are and the Longhorn Network is no more and now we're with the SEC. So I always said that it was what broke up the Big 12, but we tried to keep it together. We tried to bring A&M into a network, a Texas network, but that was 10 years ago. That's neither here nor there. We're here now.
Speaker 1:That's right. That's where we are Waiting on a guest from the University of Missouri. We're going to move forward if he pops up and we'll bring him on to talk about. We think the team he coaches is the dark horse. But real quick, who are you picking to play in the SEC championship?
Speaker 2:the University of Texas man, zero objectivity, I get it man yeah, um, I don't know, man, I don't know on the other side, because I'm thinking my dark horse. Remember, we talked about a dark horse, right, and we talked about Missouri. Yep, they can do it right. Yep, they've got it.
Speaker 1:They've got the horses to do it.
Speaker 2:Man, that's hard to predict, dude, I'm sorry, I don't know I'll say Missouri and Georgia.
Speaker 1:Texas has two losses.
Speaker 2:So Georgia would be a loss? Are you thinking Michigan?
Speaker 1:No, I think Texas, no, no, no. Two losses in the SEC, two losses in the SEC.
Speaker 2:So who else? I think Texas beats. Georgia. And then who else then?
Speaker 1:I think the A&M game is going to be so hot. No A&M, yep no, and I think Texas is losing to somebody else.
Speaker 2:Really. Yeah, all right, you guys, y'all heard it. I hope I'm wrong. Y'all heard it, y'all heard it?
Speaker 1:I don't think so. I think a 10-2 season, but I still think Texas makes the CFP.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, with that type of season, yes, you make the playoffs, but that's tough, man, we'll see.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's tough man, but you know what? What do you think about A&M?
Speaker 2:What's your thought on A&M. They got a lot to prove. They got a chip on their shoulders, new coach, and you know they have to live with that taste, that bad taste in their mouth about us beating them at home in the last game. So we'll see, man, I think that they're going to come out on fire against us, but I don't know if they're going to do much else in the SEC.
Speaker 1:No, I do think A&M could be a dark horse and shout out to Shane Flores, the AV guy who helped us create all this. The dude does everything. He has 425 companies. I don't know how he juggles it Father husband, everything. He's a fine American. He does a great job for the Little Trojans program here. So moving on. So you say A&M is, I say eight or nine wins this year, mike elko's first season, no, okay, no, okay, under, I'm taking the under I'll take eight wins.
Speaker 1:All right, man, we've got a legit program in San Marcos, Texas, and you read that right. Cfp hopes. Brett McMurphy, a longtime college sports writer, national writer.
Speaker 2:Longtime college sports writer, national writer, predicts Texas State out of the group of five to make the CFP not Texas. Really, I got to see proof of that. No, no, no, no, that's what he said.
Speaker 1:He predicts Texas State in the CFP, really, yeah, okay. Gj Kinney's first here Led them to their first ever program bowl victory and they're stockpiling a bunch of talent.
Speaker 2:They are, but we're talking about the CFP, right, talking about the CFP. So much love to Texas State and they're doing really well, but the CFP is. You say CFP hopes? Yeah, it's really hopes it's hopes, it's hopes.
Speaker 1:Well, gj Kinney and the Bobcat program, they are legit and I hope Texas State fans step up and be real and act like a Division I major program and show up because that program and consistently every week hey, when we come back we're going to switch to the Austin Texas high school football scene and before that we get to see Stevie Lee act a little bit Hargrove Roofing know who's on your roof.
Speaker 17:Here at Hargrove Roofing we try to think outside the box to kind of get the creative juices flowing. So I brought in my friend Stevie Lee, former defensive here at Hard Grow Roofing. We try to think outside the box to kind of get the creative juices flowing. So I brought in my friend Stevie Lee, former defensive tackle for the Texas Longhorns. He's going to help the team strategize, really motivate them light a fire.
Speaker 2:This guy's going to block down. This guy's going to block down. You put your butt into the guard and that way my Mike Linebacker gets free to do what.
Speaker 17:Not only are they gonna learn a thing or two, but they're gonna also leave with a great attitude and a bunch of smiles on their faces.
Speaker 9:I'm sorry. What does this have to do with roofing exactly? Get out. Right now. I said get out.
Speaker 17:For me, that's what it's all about. It's just having fun making our employees have a great time. Hargrove Roofing Know who's on your roof.
Speaker 1:Honest is a strong word and we all need honesty when it comes to plumbing and HVAC needs, somebody who will take care of the repairs efficiently and with quality. Honest Plumbing and Air is who I trust, and they take pride in that word. Honest Plumbing and Air, where a handshake still means something. All right, stevie Lee, shaking some rust off here. High school football in this great state of Texas is definitely the best in the country. Well, we're not just biased, but we're just telling the truth. You played in the state of Louisiana and you played for a. I jokingly say this, and I would love the guy that we're going to have, a guy who I respect a lot for how he covers high school football. Yeah, you're a product of Shreveport Evangel, great recruiting job y'all used to do every year.
Speaker 2:Well, it wasn't a recruiting job. It was the hard work that we had.
Speaker 1:Great area.
Speaker 2:Yes, we worked very hard. We got up in the morning, 6 am workouts and it's a private Christian school, so we prayed a lot too.
Speaker 1:You prayed a lot. That's good man. You got to pray Because you know people who pray don't recruit. That's right. That's right. That's funny. Hey, I've got a guy that, if you don't already, you need to follow him. Matt Stapp of Dave Campbell's Texas Football. On Matt Stapp of Dave Campbell's Texas Football. First of all, he and Craig Way have incredible knowledge of every place. Alex Okafor you guys thank you man.
Speaker 1:Good to meet you all this is what happens when you do things live in a restaurant, you just be very real about it, Absolutely. And then you got your guy Jackson Jeffcoat here, coming over here. But JJ, the guy we're about to talk to, I'm pretty sure he followed you when you were there. I want to bring him on now. You remember Matt Stepp of Dave Campbell's Texas football? Yes, sir, he's right. Now why?
Speaker 15:can't we have both of us for some reason? Can you hear me, there you go. Can you hear me, there you go.
Speaker 1:Matt Step hey, that is great interior designing.
Speaker 15:Yeah, thank you, thank you, yes, thank you. My wife will kill me because the room is a mess behind me.
Speaker 1:Matt, you've got one of the guys you used to cover. Just wants to say hi, real quick. Jackson Jeffcoat.
Speaker 15:Oh wow, jackson Jeffcoat. What's up, jackson? What's going on, buddy? What's up man? He was a hell of a player man. He enjoyed covering him at Plano.
Speaker 1:West? He sure did. Man Matt, I was joking with Stevie about playing for one of the best programs, who recruited daily, but I, you know Shreveport Evangel, but I just give them a hard time about that. Man. Appreciate you joining us. Are you ready? Because we're about. I think we got the hottest day of the summer behind us and you're ready for the season to start next week.
Speaker 15:Yeah, I mean, you know it's, it's. It hasn't been as bad of a summer as it was last year. Right. So you know it's going to be hot, it's Texas, it doesn't matter what happens. But it hasn't been as bad. But this week has been rough, so hopefully we're on the downhill trajectory.
Speaker 1:Oh, my God.
Speaker 15:There's nothing like a cold October or November evening in Washington, pennsylvania. Woo Lord, have mercy With a good Frito pie. Doesn't like it?
Speaker 1:You know, one thing that you guys have done and you were one of the guys who really took the bull by the horn on this is owning that digital space. Dave Campbell's Texas football. What all does one get for a subscription?
Speaker 15:So I mean, obviously the magazine is the summer magazine. The Bible, as it's called by a lot of people, it's kind of the headliner of the Bible, as it's called by a lot of people is the real. It's kind of the headliner of the subscription and it's the country's largest football magazine and kind of our ode to print media. But we have a lot of great digital products as well. We have access to podcasts, premium podcasts only. So, like Tepp and Steph me and Greg Tepper, we call it a nerd cap. We really nerd out and deep dive into high school football across the state. That's that's for our subscribers. We have some premium content on the website. We have access to our archives so you could go on our website if you're a subscriber and look at the 1960 Dave Campbell's magazine.
Speaker 2:Wow, you want to talk?
Speaker 15:about a culture shock. You look at some of those ads that were in that magazine. Wow, you want to talk about a culture shock. You look at some of those ads that were in that magazine. It was pretty crazy. You see the phone numbers with like four numbers and and you see there's beer and cigarette ads in there. It's crazy, but you can.
Speaker 1:I went.
Speaker 15:I went and pulled up an Earl Campbell senior year and saw what Dave Campbell said about Earl Campbell, his senior year and that's amazing, yeah. So it's a really cool benefit to be able to go and look at all the magazines from 1960 to present. You get access to our computer rankings. And then also the coup de grace you get access to Texan Live, which is our streaming platform. I think we streamed 1,900 games last year on all sports, not just football, football all the way to baseball. We stream all high school sports in the state of Texas, so a lot of games are on Texas Live as well. And then you get the recruiting magazine. All right, so it's not a bad deal. I mean the cost of the two magazines alone basically pays almost pays for the magazine at this point, or pays for the subscription at this point, or pays for the subscription at this point.
Speaker 1:That's well worth it. Well worth it. You know one thing that I have learned from you, craig Way and Colby Carthel, the Stephen F Austin head football coach.
Speaker 15:What a trio that is.
Speaker 1:I plan my dining experiences on the road in Texas according to where you guys go.
Speaker 15:You know that's a compliment between those two guys. I love Colby Carthel because he says if you're not going to be a big-time coach, then be a big coach. And so you know the man knows what a good place to eat. And Craig Way, obviously the man has done Number one. Craig can tell you how to get to pretty much any town in the state of Texas. He'll give you directions and he'll give you some stops along the way. So I'm just trying to learn from the best.
Speaker 2:Basically, good job, hey, matt. One quick question, man, when it comes to high school football in this area, in the central Texas area, what are you seeing? Are you seeing the same top four, five guys, or are you seeing any new teams going to pop up and surprise us? What do you?
Speaker 15:think I think in the Austin area for a long time, especially in 6A, the conversation has really been dominated by late Travis and Wesley rightfully so. The pedigree those two programs have are up there with anyone in the state of Texas. I think the depth in the Austin area in Class 6A has really improved over the years, with Dripping Springs having some great years, vandergrift playing for a state title a couple years ago, having a great year last year Didn't end the way they wanted to but obviously had a great regular season. The depth has improved. Round Rock has put out some good teams consistently as well. So I think that there's more depth than people realize in 6A.
Speaker 15:One team that I'm really interested in this year to see how they do kind of off the radar team is McNeil. I really think Round Rock McNeil is poised to have a really strong year and they kind of turned the corner last year and had a good year. I think the memory serves got into the playoffs kind of as a fourth place team in that really tough District 25 6A. But I think they bring a lot of talent back. Coach Hermes has done a great job there. I think McNeil's kind of really good for like a sleeper hipster kind of team. I like that ground rock McNeil at the 6A level.
Speaker 1:I like that and you know I love hearing that, because I think programs just because of maybe they haven't had the desired outcome over the last three or four years, you not forget about them, but it's good to see resurgence of programs like this under new leadership. Because of the time, I've got to ask you one more question Is there anyone, either a team or a certain athlete from this Austin Texas area that nobody's talking about but should?
Speaker 15:That's a good question. I mean, McNeil is kind of one and I don't know if McNeil's going to like win a state championship or anything, but I think they're a team that's not getting enough credit. They bring back nine stars. They made the area playoffs last year, so a really good team. I love Ed Small from Austin Anderson. At State 7-on-7 this year we couldn't talk about that guy. He was our MVP Friend of the podcast. I think Ed Small, from a player standpoint, is one of those guys that I just I love watching him play and he's committed to TCU, so obviously he's a great player, but I don't know if he gets the statewide love that he should get and I think he's right up there with the best receivers in the state of Texas. He's unbelievable.
Speaker 1:It's unreal. Matt, I want to take you to this food truck called Micklethwaite next time you're here. It's on me and Stevie.
Speaker 15:I won't turn down free barbecue.
Speaker 1:Well, we're going to be there an hour and a half, if he's with us.
Speaker 15:Good food, good company. I'll take it. I'll take it every day, Matt. Great work, man.
Speaker 1:I love following you, man. Keep it up and you guys go follow Matt Stepp on Twitter. It's amazing how much content not only does he generate, but daily, daily, and still has a family and does great work and he eats what he wants, and I respect that about you.
Speaker 15:Yeah, but I got to hit the gym because as I get older, that metabolism starts to slow down. If I want to eat what I want, I've got to go to the gym. Absolutely.
Speaker 2:I've been there, bro.
Speaker 15:Yeah, this year the plan is maybe eat good Monday through Thursday. I know all about that metabolism.
Speaker 1:Yeah, hey, your buddy Jeff Ables from Bowie is over here now. Coach Ables, great guy, great dude. Did you hear that? Coach Ables Matt Stepp?
Speaker 15:Great guy great guy.
Speaker 1:Hey, stepper man. Good job, buddy. I hope to see you soon. Before you come in, stevie and I will take you out.
Speaker 15:All right, appreciate you having me. You guys keep doing great work.
Speaker 1:Hey, thanks, brother. You too, we'll talk to you soon. Matt Stepp, royalty of Texas high school football, does a fantastic job covering the sport, but I want to. We have a new AISD has a new leader and he is the how can I say this? He is the new executive AD and he's a former Aggie and former NFL running back. His name Jason Glenn, former Aggie and former NFL running back. His name Jason Glenn. All right, we've got a guy who really made himself known as a linebacker in the Houston area, then at Texas A&M and the NFL. Jason Glenn, you are now in administration. You were a Texas high school football coach and taking on a tall task of taking on AISD as the executive athletics director. You're not a guy who backs down to challenges from what I know, absolutely not.
Speaker 19:You know. You know I get a lot of that from my dad. To be honest with you, man, you know he, he raised us to be that way never settle for anything man, always want to challenge and always try to climb, uh and reach your full potential, man.
Speaker 1:So I'm excited, I mean I'm extremely excited about this opportunity well, before we get going, I I gotta commit, I gotta give you a shout out because, uh, you may have the best background that anyone has ever had on this podcast.
Speaker 19:Oh, man, I appreciate it. Man, like we talked about before, sean, I'm a very blessed man and you know I don't take anything for granted. I don't think I ever will. So my life story, man, is a testimony for those that believe they can't make it. So I'm a blessed man, brother.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's the way to live life and to know it and live it through how he would want us to. That's a big deal. I want to pull up a picture to remind people that. You know he's in that chapter of his life of leading uh as an executive, uh, a CEO type and building. But this was Jason not too long ago, a couple decades ago, texas A&M linebacker. You know RC Slocum was the head coach. Yep, you know what was life like back then. You know the Big 12 was pretty stout back then.
Speaker 19:Oh, big 12 was stout man. But the thing about it, man, man, it was almost remind me of how high school was. We had a whole bunch of guys in my district in aldine um, it was 21 5a back then. We used to call it the sec of high school football. Yeah, we had seven guys, uh, seven guys drafted within a six year period of time in my district and Big 12 reminded me of that. Man, we had so many guys drafted and so many guys, man, just competing. But the great part about it, just like in high school, afterwards, man, we all met up and we went out to CC's Pizza, you know, we went to hang out, man. You know we tried to knock each other's heads off when we played each other, but as soon as the game was done, we was all friends exchanging numbers. We was all close, man. That's the beautiful part about sports.
Speaker 1:Back, in 2020, I knew about you, but something that caught mine. I knew I was going to try to get you on this podcast four years ago. Tonight, obviously, we're talking about kicking off the football season and you're starting a new era, but when you were at Klein Oak High School, it was during a tough time. That was a tough summer. Oh yeah, oh man. A ton of division and this is from KTRK, the ABC affiliate in Houston.
Speaker 1:Yes, when you were talking to your team, because there wasn't just one division, there were multiple divisions going on at this time and this, right here, what I'm about to show you in our audience man, this was inspiring to me, awesome.
Speaker 9:We're not going to be divided, we're not going to let society tell us who to hate.
Speaker 19:You need to decide that and you decide that by their heart, their character and how they treat others. Well, I'll tell you what, shonda. It actually happened by accident, to be honest with you. You know, news Channel came in and said hey, we wanted to record the type of exercises you're going to be doing during COVID, just so we can get everybody to see. And I was like, no problem, no problem. So they came out and I said, hey, before you guys, you know, start recording me to practice, I need to speak to my team because I ain't seen the kids man. We haven't seen the kids man the whole summer, and you know, and they were like, okay, well, we just take some action shots, some video, just to, you know, get the right angle, whatever else. I said no problem. So, as I started talking, I didn't know it, but they was recording me. And so right after they like, hey, coach, we just recorded, can we use it?
Speaker 19:I'm like, yeah, whatever I didn't really think none of it, because I always speak to my team that way and um. And next, you know, man, they um, they aired it. And next, you know, kelly clarkson show calling me to come. Do you knowGeneres show. I turned those down. The reason why is not because of them. They're great people, great celebrities. I just didn't want my message to get diluted by that phase, because it came from a pure place and from a pure heart. I wanted to keep it that way. As far as the substance of what it can do, I always think, man, sean, if the world was a locker room, it'd be a better place. Yep, I truly believe that if the world was a locker room, it'd be a better place.
Speaker 1:You're taking on a task, and when I say task, I'm an AISD product, yes, but I want to say I think somewhere in the last two 25 years, two decades, 25 years athletics has been lost as far as a priority. What have you noticed? What are your goals and what would you like to see? Because AISD, regardless of what people want to say, it's an inner city school district now.
Speaker 19:Yeah, I'll tell you what I knew, what I was getting into coming here. People want to say it's an inner city school district. Now, yeah, I'll tell you what. Um, I knew what I was getting into, um, coming here. And then again, like you said before, I love a challenge, I truly do. You know, I can't find that competitive edge, as far as you know, hitting somebody or chasing somebody down, so I find other ways, uh, you know, to scratch that itch. And, um, you know. But I will say this um, you know, austin has a lot of talent, has a lot of resources. Uh, but the best thing about it, man, to be honest with you, was, um, you know, I, I knew I, I wanted to go for it. You know, this has been in kind of in the works for a while. But when I met with the superintendent, matias, yeah, uh, when I walked in there, he said no, jason, I know about what you did in the past, I know about the gifts and the talent that you have about creating programs and making it great. Let's just talk. So I'm like OK. So I loosened up my tie, took off my couplings, sat back, crossed my legs and we just talked.
Speaker 19:You know, it wasn't necessarily about athletics. It was more about life. It was more about you know, where do you, where do I see myself in a couple of years? Where is he himself in a couple of years? And you know, it got down to what do we want, to? What do we want to accomplish with athletics? One thing he kept reiterating that he supports and he needs athletics to get back to where it was, and that, right there, made me want to be here even more. You know my son. He's a senior at Lake Travis. He'll be attending UT as a biochemist study and with everything that's in line. Man, god put everything in place for me to be here. And after talking to Matias man, it was like there's no way. You know that I couldn't, I couldn, that I couldn't be here.
Speaker 1:And we're back here with I've got a good story, but I've got to introduce him, as this is the dean of Austin ISD football coaches the Jeff Ables Bowie Bulldogs. What year is this for you as a head coach? 23rd, I believe. 23rd year. You've seen a lot. You've seen a lot. You've seen a lot of good Obviously more good than bad.
Speaker 22:Everything's good.
Speaker 1:Everything's good we're surrounded with good.
Speaker 22:You know, you have some little things, little bumps in the road every now and then, but we're very blessed.
Speaker 1:The thing about Coach Abel. I've got to throw this out there. You don't look a day older than when he was our DB coach at Anderson High School, when you were a young coach. You still look the same to me.
Speaker 22:You're being awfully nice, sean. Awfully nice, I had a little more hair. Then I did too Awfully nice, I had a little more hair.
Speaker 1:Then I did too, and he's also two weeks ago. Is it your first grandchild?
Speaker 22:I have two step-granddaughters and now I have my oldest daughter just had a baby, Okay.
Speaker 1:Congratulations, man. Thank you, grandfather. You don't look like you look like a young grandfather. You don't look like. You look like a young grandfather. So I'm assuming that you'll be investing 40, 50 years into spoiling them.
Speaker 22:I'll slip you a little money later for that.
Speaker 1:Man, that was another Venmo's fine.
Speaker 22:Those granddaughters are something special, man you are.
Speaker 1:And you're perfect for it, great human being. You just heard your new boss, jason Glenn, who I was impressed with because I think both of us watched him when he played at A&M and then, of course, in the NFL.
Speaker 11:Is it?
Speaker 1:simply a breath of fresh air to AISD athletics.
Speaker 22:Yeah, and I think Jason's going to come in with some energy and fight for the things that our kids need in AISD for athletics.
Speaker 1:What has it been for you? Because you have honestly made Bowie very consistent. You've always been a threat. I know from my past in the media. Both Lake Travis West Lake always had tremendous amount of respect for you guys because they knew that they had a plan and they knew that there was a chance that you would be there. I mean it's still the same. But now you're one of those programs where, all right, you go three or four deep. It doesn't shock anybody. Is it still the same? How have you done that?
Speaker 22:Well, first of all, it's not me, it's the kids and Coach Cox, when we opened Bowie, set that standard and built that foundation for us and handed the keys to us. And I'm just trying not to mess it up. And hiring coaches that played for us at Bowie, that place means a lot to them, and having the administration that we have that supports all kids and athletics as well, you know, part of that sure makes it a lot easier.
Speaker 1:What do you expect from your team? And I hate when people ask, hey, predict this, there's nothing you can predict. You have no idea, because I know you've had great teams and you have these freak injuries as part of the game. But what can we expect from this? Injuries as part of the game. But what can we expect from this year's version of the Bowie Bulldogs that you're looking forward to?
Speaker 22:that nobody's talking about A class act that's going to compete every game and play hard, play tough and play with good sportsmanship. But you know, we always like to say we want to be physical. That's what football's all about and I hope that's what we're gonna be. I think that's what we're see for them from these guys. They're really good group of kids 32 seniors, I believe, 38 juniors, seven sophomores. So they're good kids. They're fun to coach. You know they don't say a whole lot. They're kind of a quiet group, which could be a great thing. Yeah, can be something, but sometimes you need.
Speaker 1:So they're good kids, they're fun to coach.
Speaker 22:They don't say a whole lot. They're kind of a quiet group, which could be a great thing. Yeah, it can be but sometimes you need them to talk and you know, when you start trying to talk to them and see how they're doing, you know they don't have a whole lot to say, but they come to work every day and they get after it and they work hard.
Speaker 1:That's the type of coach he is. When I say I've said it many times, a couple of times on this podcast you know life is hard and we all have different backgrounds, but I have leaned on coaches who have been a part of my life since I was 11 years old, and you're one of them.
Speaker 22:Thank you, sean. Appreciate you, man, you've been a big part.
Speaker 1:We've stayed in touch. Jeff Ables, the dean of the AISD football at Bowie, best of luck to you guys and I want to take a. We've got to go hear from your guy. Joe Frank on the south side also shares the south side for the Travis Rebels.
Speaker 22:What's up, Joe?
Speaker 1:All right, here we go. My brother from another how you doing, man? Joe Frank Martinez. You talk about a guy who is devoted to inner city high school football and has done a fantastic job, was an assistant for a long time at Travis and has been the head coach the last few years. And this past season in 2023, joe Frank and the Rebels and correct me if I'm wrong 7-4, went to the playoffs. This past season in 2023, joe Frank and the Rebels and correct me if I'm wrong 7-4 went to the playoffs and a district championship correct.
Speaker 14:Well, I would like the district championship, but no, but 6-4 made the playoffs. Second time in three years we made the playoffs. So we had a little drought in there my first few years, but we finally got through a couple years ago in 21 and then missed it in 22 with this group when they were sophomores Right, and last year they were juniors. We went six and four played belted in the first round. So yes, it's been a ride, man, it's been fun. 11 years as an, 10 years as an assistant, 11 years as a head coach. Travis is the only job that I've had, the only coaching job I've ever had in my life.
Speaker 1:And you're clearly happy with it. And the one thing I love about what he does is really pour into this program which I mentor inner city youth through the rbi austin uh organization, but paint the picture briefly of what it's like to not only coach, develop and and develop young people. Um, what's it like in the inner city school district to paint the picture for people?
Speaker 14:yeah, absolutely well one. It's rewarding. That's number one. A lot of our kids come from, you know, single parent homes may not have much going on at their home, but we know that when they come here we're going to do a couple of things. We're going to make them a better athlete okay, because we're all going to coach them up but the most important thing is we're going to make them a better person, and that is our number one goal and priority is we want to see these kids graduate, but when they graduate, we want them to go out in the world and be a positive and productive citizen out there where they're making a difference. We are big on relationships. We are big on community service. We want to give back to our community. We do a few things within our community. Like right now we're we're doing the peanut butter bowl with Aikens, our week one opponent. Uh, so that goes to um local food bank. Um, every year Um, I don't even know how long it's been, but we've written letters to breast breast cancer survivors.
Speaker 14:Um, I started that as an assistant coach. My linebackers wanted to wear pink and um, you know for for October, and I kind of got into that a little bit, started talking about that, like, why do you want to do that? You know, give me some things. And they said well, you know, they see the NFL players doing it, but I wanted to have a meaning behind it. So I told them. I said, look, I'll tell you what. I'll buy you something pink, but you got to do something for me. You got to find somebody in your family you know that has breast cancer or any kind of cancer. Write them a letter and let them know how much they mean to you.
Speaker 14:So we started that as an assistant and that was probably back in, I want to say, maybe 2011. Then in 2014, I took over as head coach and then we started doing it as a team, so the whole team would do it. We dedicated a game in October and I'm going off here, but there's another story behind this that I don't think you and I have talked about. So we started writing these letters as a team, picking a game in October with a dedicated game to that person. And then in 2017, my sister got breast cancer and that was something that that's been hard. So she's with us right now, but she got through year five, got through the five year window they have there, but then in that fall it came back with a vengeance and it has spread. Never had I imagined that when I started this you know, around 2011, that this would have this kind of impact on my family.
Speaker 1:There seems to be you know we could talk about, you know, building off of that last year, but I do feel like that there's some rejuvenated energy in this school district, this AISD athletics, athletics. It's needed some energy. Yes, with the hiring of Jason Glenn, the former Aggie great linebacker and former NFL linebacker and a former coach, a Texas high school football coach I know it's very early and he's on this show today. What are your thoughts? I mean, I know it's early, but you've got to have some form of positivity as a coach and even being a member of an inner city school district such as aisd, what are your thoughts moving forward with, uh, jason glenn?
Speaker 14:no, I think it's. I think it's a great hire. I was actually on the interview committee so when he came in like just had some energy, you know he brought it and you know, once the decision was made to go forward with him. I've talked to him a few times and I like the energy that he brings, I like the ideas that he has. I just want to make sure and I'm going to be honest here, because what I and I told him this is that our AISD headquarters and higher-ups supports him and gives him the chance to be successful.
Speaker 1:So, frank Martinez, proud to call you a friend. Good luck to the Travis Rebels man and I appreciate you making time for this.
Speaker 14:Thank you Anytime.
Speaker 1:Thanks for all you do for high school sports and athletics. I appreciate that Once it's in you, it's for a lifetime, absolutely. Hey, we all love D Joe. Frank Martinez, great family guy, loves ball and he really pours himself into kids. And another guy who's the same way, donald Hatcher.
Speaker 12:Help me up.
Speaker 1:We're both SFA boys, by the way, and you were. You've got a long history in Texas high school coaching of who your mentors are. Donald Hatcher, the head coach of the Anderson Trojans, is this year three.
Speaker 1:Yes, I was thinking because I have as I've aged. I hit 51 this year and I didn't want to slight you a year because these years go by so quickly. He and I bonded quickly. Tell me a little bit about this Northwest Hills, all of this whole area. I'm not saying it wasn't like this when I was there, but since your arrival to what it is now, is this as good as it gets as far as communities getting behind a program?
Speaker 20:yes, I mean, it reminds me of my hometown in rockdale small community and we're blue and gold. So I'm here, blue and gold, uh, but the community? I told them tonight we had a booster club meeting. Uh, they make it fun. Yeah, I love coming to work because I get so much support. Numbers have grown from 115 to 142 to 188 this year. So the last three years we've seen almost 80% or 80 kids increase in numbers, and that goes to the community buying into what my coaches and myself are doing and they're seeing the progress.
Speaker 1:Anderson has always been a program that would fight, would make their presence known. But now I've got it seems to me like you just need a couple of more offensive and defensive linemen. Has that changed? Has anything changed as far as what this program looks like?
Speaker 20:Our defensive line is deep. We've got maybe two seniors and I've got six juniors, one sophomore, that we're rotating in. I mean all of them are good. I mean all those guys. We've got Calvin River, willie Huddy, evan Sloan. I mean we've got guys that can play. We haven't had that before in the past. Last year we only had 15 seniors, this year we've got 42. Oh my God, yeah, when you look at our offensive line, coach Z's done a great job of just getting guys that want to play offensive line. We think we've got about eight or nine that we can put out there and play with the best of them right now.
Speaker 1:That's impressive. It just doesn't happen that way, especially because we're technically AISD is an inner city school district. When you look at development, it takes buy-in and it goes back to the first question about this community. I want to venture to say you have some of the most guys who are invested not only to the program themselves and holding themselves accountable because there's some great athletes in this program. That's what it seems like. Tell us a little bit about those athletes that we're talking about.
Speaker 20:So when we got here, the freshman class was a big freshman class. We had Coach Holcomb, our strength coach and also our defense coordinator. Now we had 14 guys that squatted over 300 pounds. This spring we had Coach Holcomb, our strength coach and also our defense coordinator. Now we had 14 guys that squatted over 300 pounds. This spring we had 88. So we've developed those guys from their freshman year all the way through right now, where even our kids that weren't here, that are sophomores this year, they're already where the freshmen were at the previous year. So the buy-in's been awesome. The weight room we've spent $90,000 in the weight room the last three years and we've got 22 racks, we've got the turf for the area, we've got medicine balls. We've got the resources now to make sure our kids are successful. Our kids love lifting. We've got a weightlifting program, a powerlifting team. We've got over 40 guys that lift. So they've all bought into working out and lifting and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:Well, I know. I mean, yeah, I'm a Trojan for life, there's no doubt about it and I'm also really good friends with some of the dads. You know there have been tremendous parents. We've talked about that. You guys recently went to the state 707 championship and played against your friend, the head coach of DeSoto for the championship, who's also Claude Mathis stories inside the man cave VIP alumni. Both of you are, I mean, for that. I know that's more of a quarterback receiver game, but what does that do to a program when you play for a championship against a team that literally won it all last year?
Speaker 20:Yeah, the confidence level was through the roof. Our guys. We knew we can go out there and play with anybody and they put it together. They never tried to push anything. They just played one game at a time, one snap at a time. That's something that we all preach One play, one snap, don't look ahead. When we got out there to play College Park first game, won by six points. Next round we played Cy Fair or Cy Falls, who has a lot of phenomenal athletes. We were up 27-0 in the second round on them before they scored. Next game, the Woodlands. Everybody knows where the Woodlands are at. They're the big brother of College Park. We beat the little sister.
Speaker 20:Now we beat the big brother and now our guys are like all right, we can do this. But to get out there against DeSoto and with four minutes left in the game we were only down four points. So going up against Claude, I mean, that's me, you know, he gave me my first job. We were together for 12 years. He's the godfather of my kids. I'm the godfather of his kids. That's beautiful. It was fun so to see. Tell our kids hey, you see that what DeSoto is. And then Claude looks over at our team and he goes they're coached the same way, like they're a replica of what we have, because I mirror what he did and that's what I told him when he gets over there. He almost had a little tear in his eye.
Speaker 1:I bet he did.
Speaker 20:I was like you see that sideline. That's a reflection of your program as well, because I took what you gave me for 13 years and made it over here.
Speaker 1:About to have a moment here. Hey, you have we both agree on this obviously one of the ten best receivers in the state of Texas. Oh yeah, ed Small.
Speaker 20:I'd say top five.
Speaker 1:Top five, top five Going to TCU. As of today, you've got two Division I commitments, or am I? Is there more?
Speaker 20:We've got two committed and Zayden Sharp has an offer from air force right now okay, that's three.
Speaker 1:Your quarterback has an interesting path, started here with the dell valley. Now have you seen him grow as a human being or as a young man?
Speaker 20:he's. He's definitely become a leader. He came in at the end of his sophomore year, max, yes, and he's commanding the ball, demanding receivers do their part, but what's fun is seeing the receivers hold him accountable and as the quarterback, hey, I've got to take this, I have to take that. And he's doing a phenomenal job of leading our guys. Right now, seven on seven. You got to see it. He didn't try to force anything. He took what we did. We never went out there and scored 50 points. We went out there and we scored 20 points, 35 points. We moved the ball, scored points and took care of the clock.
Speaker 1:He is committed to UTSA, One of our favorite coaches.
Speaker 20:Jeff Traylor Yep.
Speaker 1:Wow, hey, that's awesome. In one sentence, how would you sum up what we should expect from the Anderson?
Speaker 20:Trojans this season. No excuses that's our motto. No excuses Third year should be our best year. No excuses for the coaches.
Speaker 1:You called it three years ago.
Speaker 20:No excuses for the coaches, no excuses for the players. We're all in it. We're going to go out there and compete.
Speaker 1:It all starts next week, next Thursday. Yes, sir, taco Shack Bowl against McCallum. Coach Gammerdinger does a great job with McCallum and, being an inner-city school, go to House Park Stadium if you can get a ticket. I mean I may have to use some connections to get a ticket, but that is such one of the best environments in high school football in the state of Texas to open up the week.
Speaker 3:Hatch proud to call you a brother too, man, thank you.
Speaker 1:Hey, let's go to Liberty Hill where they're still running that offense. That is old school but we all love to see because a lot of teams still can't stop it. All right now we bring up. I like to call this guy the CEO of the Slot T Mafia. Yeah, kent Walker, and we've got. I didn't realize we were going to have the honor of speaking to one of the Panthers, kendrick Hicks. They have been developing talent there for quite some time. Fellas, appreciate you guys joining us for the first ever Kicking Things Off and I know this is a live show. We recorded this interview. But tell me, what's going on in Liberty Hill? I mean, this time of year everybody's looking forward to it.
Speaker 11:Well, first off, we appreciate you having us on, but you know it's football, it's football season in Liberty Hill, texas. What more could you ask for? So a lot of excitement, a lot of. You know, just school started up this week, you know. So getting back into a routine, having the guys come up, and you know, it's just a lot of fun, we're excited.
Speaker 1:Kendrick, I know a lot of people say, man, you got it's year-round in Liberty Hill. I mean it's one of those towns and it's no longer a one high school town. I mean you got the, I think, legacy to just open. They won't be playing varsity for what three years Is that?
Speaker 11:right, Two years. Yes, sir, this year. Yes, yes sir, Then they'll play. So yes, on the third year. Yes sir, Okay, Kendrick.
Speaker 1:I mean, I know when Liberty Hill a few years back, a few UIL realignment periods happened, that they thought, well, liberty Hill is going to take a step back going up. That's far from the truth. How do you guys keep doing it, regardless of classification?
Speaker 12:You know, it's just really like what we do outside of school. We've been doing this since we've been little. For the most part it's been like pretty much programmed into our brains how we run the slot T and how we play football. Coach Walker does a great job in the weight room with us and we work hard year throughout along. Once this football season ends, we get like a three-day break and then we're back into the weight room, back into the drawing boards. Coaches are working, we're working, and then you know we come back every season, start off and then we peak in the playoffs and that's how we go.
Speaker 1:I love how he said peaking. I know you guys had I think five losses last year, but it's something special in Liberty Hill Every year when the playoffs hit Kent, you guys turned it up and you went to the state semifinals again. And then P&G they turned their program around. They ended up as state champs and you barely lose to those guys. I mean, what part of that experience right there gives you a lot of hope and optimism to not only do the same but play in that final game in Jerry World.
Speaker 11:Well, you know that's the ultimate goal. You know we obviously want to play in, you know, in December and be a team to remember and all of those things. But you know, we're just so fortunate, you know, from our administration, you know great administration to, you know, an awesome community, the best kids, and then, you know, great, I'm fortunate, I have the best coaching staff I feel in the state of Texas. They do a great job with our kids. So you know, we're just, we're extremely blessed and lucky to be in Liberty Hill, texas, where football is such a big deal and all of our sports are such a big deal here, and it's a great place, great community, great place to raise a family.
Speaker 11:You know, obviously, you know, last year, playing P&G, they, you know, ended up winning it all. We didn't. We, you know we had some things go wrong in the first half and, you know, fought back in the second half. But that's just. Our kids, you know they're resilient, they're going to fight back from anything and I think you know, as Kendrick mentioned, I think a lot of our success can be attributed to the weight room and the work that those guys put into the weight room. You know they just get after it.
Speaker 1:I mean Kendrick, you mentioned it and Coach just did as well. I I mean Kendrick, you mentioned it and Coach just did as well. I mean it's that work that you put in that really not only separates teams in the fourth quarter, but when you look at how you guys have done it and you're entering a new district which you could say, those trips are gone, those long trips you had in district last year, but now you've got Pflugerville, elgin, bastrop and Austin ISD in this 5A Division II district you're in. What do you like most about this? When you think about how hard you guys work and the opportunity you have in this district, if I were to be someone that predicts things, I'm going to go ahead and say that game against Bastrop is going to be a pretty heavy battle.
Speaker 11:It should be. They're loaded with talent. They've got a really good football team, you know, but I'm also going to. You know, pflugerville is going to be a good football team, good test for us. Elgin is going to be a good football team, you know. Gamer Daring does a great job at McCallum, so our district it's not an easy district. Darren does a great job at McCallum. He does, so our district. It's not an easy district. Our kids know that and our pre-district schedule will definitely have us prepared for district. There's no doubt about it.
Speaker 1:Kendrick, tell me about who your guys are playing in non-district.
Speaker 12:So we've got Sibylis still first game of the season. It's going to be a great game. Top 10 team in our respective division and we're also top 10. So it's going to be a battle. Last year, the team that they lost to Summer Creek, I'm pretty sure you know, we talked to some of the kids I did at one point and they said they just got to, came out and they hit them in the mouth and I mean that's what we do best. And so after that we got Rouse. I have a little personal grudge with Rouse right now. So you know I want to win that game more than anything and it's the El Paso team that we've got to face.
Speaker 12:Oh wow, wow, get.
Speaker 11:A little trip, get a little trip. What's?
Speaker 1:about. What is that?
Speaker 11:We're in Midland, so we're not going all the way to.
Speaker 1:El Paso. Oh, I was thinking you're going to have to have a nine-hour yellow dog.
Speaker 11:It's still going to be a trip. We have the best booster club. I didn't mention them earlier, but we have the best booster club in the state of Texas and we're fortunate enough that they're going to provide us with some charters to Midland this year.
Speaker 1:Hey, stevie Lee, he's in deep thought. He was meditating Great interviews on that high school football segment, austin Texas football. I think we both can agree that, especially over the last decade, the amount of talent, the quality of programs has elevated to another level.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no question.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's good insight. Stevie Lee, hey, we're going to wrap things up. We're going to talk about Cowboys and Texans and we've got a special guest who will be joining us, live from SEC country. It may be the dark horse to win it and it's not Texas and it's not Georgia, and Stevie Lee, I think he will agree. Literally. We just talked about it. That's coming up on the other side of this break. The saxton name resonates in austin jim's late father. James saxton is a longhorn legend, a heisman finalist while playing for daryl k royal, and jimmy is a ut football legacy from westlake. He he has been insuring Austin for decades. He and his staff will give you old school hospitality when servicing your insurance needs. Austin Texas is changing every day, but one constant is Dirty Martin's place on Guad. Dirty's recently celebrated 98 years young and the future is solid, and this space in the back is open to host any event, personal or business related.
Speaker 12:Hey everyone, it's Daniel here at Dirty Martin's. We're in the burnt orange room. We are currently booking a lot of parties back here. If you can see, we got a capacity for about people, but we are excited to host any party that you might want to bring.
Speaker 1:Give Daniel Young a call at Dirty's to reserve this space for any event that you can think of Just kind of a testament to all the work I've put in over this offseason.
Speaker 21:One of the things I wanted to do was get a little bit bigger, get a little bit stronger in between the tackles, because in this league that's where the hay is made. Those four-yard runs, those five-yard runs are a little bit powerful. You'll be able to put your offense in a better situation on second and third down.
Speaker 1:All right, Stevie Lee, that's our guy, Deuce Vaughn from Cedar Ridge High School in Round Rock, Texas. The guy's in his second year. Obviously his dad is on the scout. He's on staff there and he scouts talent Cowboys. We'll go to this, regardless if they well, let's just say they have to sign CD Lamb to have any chance for this to happen. What's a successful season for the Dallas Cowboys look like and for McCarthy to return as head coach?
Speaker 2:Super Bowl Win it? No, just get in the game.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'll say they have to make the NFC Championship.
Speaker 2:No, they got to go and play in the game, the big game. Okay, they got to play in it, yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, and so for McCarthy to return, are you saying he has to go to the Super Bowl? Yes, absolutely Okay. I love honesty. Yeah, what do you think? Comment us and I'll put this up on our Twitter page at Stories man Cave Ooh, that's big. Stevie, you've got to remember also Jerry is impatient. Jerry's his plan never works, never works.
Speaker 2:But he's impatient. Now he's getting antsy. He needs to go to the big show.
Speaker 12:All right. Thoughts on the.
Speaker 2:Texans. Oh, cj, cj Stroud. Yeah, stroud, as long as he's out there playing like I know he can, hopefully he doesn't have that sophomore slump, but I know he's a good one man, he's led that offense. But, you know, hopefully the offseason didn't get in his head too much and he's actually come back out and, you know, finish off what he started.
Speaker 1:Man, I think the Texans are the better team in the state of Texas.
Speaker 2:I don't want to say that, but yeah.
Speaker 1:No, the Texans will go to the AFC Championship this year. Yeah, tell you what we're trying to get a guy from the SEC who is a friend of mine. We go very deep trying to get him on because he is one of my highly respected assistant coaches. His name is Curtis Looper. I'll tell you the background for Curtis Looper. He was a running back at Oklahoma State, decided to enter the armed forces. When he left the armed forces he went to Stephen F Austin and finished out his career there and they had one of the best backfields. They call it the Overland Express.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Went to the FCS playoffs in 93. He was done. What's funny, he began a career in college coaching and when I got the job in Oklahoma City he was assistant for Mike Gundy. Actually, when I started second job he was assistant at SFA Recruited. Well, so that's when that happened. So we're waiting on Coach Looper. He's well worth the wait. How about we do this, stevie, before we close things out, we're gonna wait on Coach Looper.
Speaker 20:Hey, man tell me something good Before we close things out. We're going to wait on Coach Luper. Hey man.
Speaker 1:Tell me something good. Hey, my brother, tell me something good. Man, I literally look like your offspring sitting next to you. It's freaking phenomenal.
Speaker 2:Something good, man. What's really really good of this time in Austin, man? I know it's hot guys, but what's really good about? Tell me something good is 10 days y'all 10 days, we got 10 days to Texas football at DKR Memorial Stadium. That's right. 10 days.
Speaker 1:Man, here at the Boulevard of Bully, they agree they're excited, regardless affiliation. Hey, I'm about to introduce you to the guy who I have the utmost respect for, not only because we're both follicly challenged because we look damn good with no hair. But who told you that? I said it, I'm making, I'm back there. It is. There's Curtis Looper running back. Coach of the Missouri Tigers. Man, how are you?
Speaker 9:my friend John. I'm doing great, man. Good to see you, man, you're looking good, if I should say so myself.
Speaker 1:I've been trying to be like you for years and I finally, finally did it put the razor to the head. And now I swear we may be, we're related somehow.
Speaker 9:There's no question about it, we're both lumberjacks, so that makes us brothers Axe and jacks.
Speaker 1:Baby Overland Express, rest for life. Hey, help me tell my good friend here, Stevie Lee, who you may remember he was a DT for Matt Brown in the early 2000s, and all of the boulevard here why I am thinking Missouri can win the SEC this year.
Speaker 9:Well, first of all, we're trying to beat Missouri State on August, the 29th, that is the coach's answer.
Speaker 2:That's coach's speak.
Speaker 1:One game at a time.
Speaker 2:The most important game is the next game I'm in full coach mode 1-0 Murray State August the 29th. Alright, so if you shut your office door, there are no kids watching or listening to you, so give us the other answer.
Speaker 9:Well, with Texas and Oklahoma coming into the SEC, we expect that this SEC is going to be really serious this year, so we're excited about being 1-0. That this SEC is going to be really serious this year, so we're excited about being 1-0. Ha ha.
Speaker 1:Hey man you're giving us memories of.
Speaker 9:Tom Herman, it's all about 1-0, baby, that's it. But we are really excited about the new SEC, the fact that we are not playing divisions this year and obviously the 12-team playoff. We still have an SEC championship. You know it's really good for us. We have a lot of Texans on our football team. You know we have a trip down to Aggieland this year, and so that's exciting for us.
Speaker 1:Hey, I got to ask you this and we'll close it out on this the environment there. I've only been to Columbia once and you guys upset, oh, missouri, upset Oklahoma back in the day, bob Stoop days Yep, it can happen in Columbia. You witnessed it. Yeah, what is? It what if, go ahead. No, I was going to say paint the picture for those of us who have never been what it's like in Columbia and how, because it seems like you've got this great staff you work with.
Speaker 9:Well, let me just say that, being the only school in the state Division I football team in the state, it's the first time in 29 years of coaching that I've had this privilege. I was at Oklahoma. We had Oklahoma State. I was at TCU, we had a plethora of teams. I was at Auburn, there was Alabama, so, being the only show in town, there's 8 million people in this state and we'll get 70,000 of them in here every Saturday and they're excited about two things the Mizzou Tigers on Saturday and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. And that's really it insofar as football is concerned.
Speaker 1:Hey Loop, I want to test and see how good you are at this. If I say M-I-Z, what do you say?
Speaker 9:It's really simple. It's a simple Z-O-U. I didn't know. You knew that, sean. Sean, you know a little bit about M-I-Z Z-O-U. Okay.
Speaker 14:Hey, let me tell you something?
Speaker 9:You got a longhorn sitting next to you. Yeah, absolutely. Well, from what I've heard, this will not be a penalty in the SEC. That's just what I've heard.
Speaker 2:Hey, and that's perfectly fine. You know it's perfectly fine and I get it, you know. But you know y'all inviting us to the SEC and things like that. You know what happened with the old Big 12 and you guys leaving. We're sorry. You know so we're going to come in and be humble, but we're going to play some really good football. So if y'all want to do horns down, go ahead and do it. We'll meet you between the lines. That's it.
Speaker 9:Well, if we meet, then it'll be in the SEC Championship game. That's true. That'll be a great, great.
Speaker 2:Saturday Listen, and I called it? Man, people calling Mizzou the dark horse right now. But hey man, you guys are returning some good quarterback. You all got good receivers. Your whole offense is going to be really good. So from your lips to God's ears, we'll see each other Absolutely.
Speaker 9:So thanks, man, I'm glad I could jump on with you man, me too.
Speaker 1:We made it happen. We just had a few high school coaches. I started feeling that heat, that pressure. Man, I was like, all right, we're gonna figure it out, we're gonna get Lupo on that last segment, even though it's not scheduled, we're going to get him in All right, hey brother.
Speaker 9:good luck to you boys. Thank you, man. Anytime for you, I'm in.
Speaker 1:Hey, you name the favor. I got it for you. Okay, brother. Hey, ask some jacks, baby, All right all right, ask some jacks. Oh my God, he is a man. They were back in his day. Stephen F had tons of NFL talent and I'm trying to figure out why, all of a sudden, I'm incompetent. Yeah, I can't figure this out.
Speaker 2:I'm looking at the button you're supposed to push. Right there, man, come on. Maybe I should run the screen.
Speaker 1:That's right. Hey, we want to thank everyone here who attended here at the Boulevard Bar and Grill. This is one of the OG last remaining Austin original bars. Come support this bar. They have great drinks. They're cold. They just taste better. Here they're cheap. If you're on a budget, if you're balling on a budget, go to Bully. They're great people, one of which a guy named Reeder, who once was a basketball manager. His stories are phenomenal. For the University of Texas men's basketball team. He was phenomenal. Or football, Football Football. I got my stories wrong. You know what? It's a good place to network. Good place to hang out.
Speaker 1:You know, shout out to my golf buddies.
Speaker 2:Your golf buddies. Stevie. Lee's yeah we got Tyler, we got Frank the old guy. My God. And we got my friend Roby. So shout out to my guys coming out and supporting this was a lot of fun man, this was fun I really appreciate you putting this together. Yeah. You did all the heavy lifting for this man. I just showed up, bro.
Speaker 1:Hey, well, shout out, man, you're a brother man. Oh, and my wife was out here, man, where's she at?
Speaker 2:She went home. She got tired of the bar.
Speaker 1:Maybe we'll get a shout out at the bar here. Here we go, look at this, look at that, look at that, let's go. Hey. Shout out to Brandon Canaday and the Northwest Hills Mafia and everybody else.
Speaker 2:The Northwest.
Speaker 1:Hills Mafia yeah, not really a mafia what? And to all the Texas high school football coaches, much respect, good luck. This next week, in zero week, it all begins here in Austin for the most important game, one of the most important games, the Taco Shack Bowl at House Park and Texas Colorado State on the 31st. Absolutely it doesn't matter who you root for College football's here, we're biased toward it. But much respect to all the high school footballers and your parents. And I want to show you and go ahead and like and follow us and don't let this be the only episode that you watch of stories inside the man cave, and especially, especially, the only episode in which Stevie Lee and I are on. So for everyone who took a part of this, and to the OG man cave boys that being Harbaugh Harge and Big Mike and Coach Moe, what do we tell them, stevie Lee, we out, we out. Boys that being Harbaugh Harge and Big Mike and Coach Mo. What do we tell them, stevie Lee, we out. Outro Music.