Tony Dungy FULL EPISODE | EPISODE 14 | CLUB SHAY SHAY

hello welcome to another edition of club. shay shay i am your host also the. proprietor club shay shay. the guy that's stopping by today he's. not going to have a drink. but he is going to have a great. conversation he's one of the few that's. won a super bowl as a player. and as a head coach hall of famer tony. dungy. all my life been grinding all my life. sacrifice. hustle paid the price wanna slice got to. roll the dice that's why. all my life i've been grinding all my. life all my life been running all my.

life. sacrifice plus will pay the price wanna. slice. got to roll it dice that's why all my. life i've been grinding all my life. coach how are you today hey good to be. with you shannon i'm doing. great thank you so coach i know you're. doing your thing on nbc. uh sunday night football in america what. else do. do you have going on right now well i. tell you what they've kind of doubled up. on me this year. shannon uh with with notre dame football.

which got me back into college football. and i also. uh called last sunday night's game with. mike torrico green bay in chicago and. that was a great experience for me so. trying to get my family together and. keep dave rolling and do a few things. football wise it's been a fun fall. coach do you like i mean obviously. you're an analyst do you like calling. games. you know i'm getting used to it and i've. really enjoyed it uh the. college game was something because nfl. you know the players pretty much. you know who's on what team and they. kind of stay in one position in college.

there's a hundred guys they flip-flop. they wear different numbers. you got lyman wearing number zero. it's a trip getting to know everybody uh. but i. i have enjoyed it and mike tarico i have. to tell you is just the best he's. fantastic and made me feel so. comfortable. how how different is it just in your. critique. uh because you're talking about. professionals that get paid that are. they are. professionals as opposed to 17 18 year. old college kids.

i i really had to keep that in mind it's. totally different when a college guy. drops a ball i can't say oh. shannon sharp what is he doing he should. have caught that ball what is he. thinking. right yeah you have to be a little more. uh kid glovish. and and say hey they're out there trying. i know he wants that that ball back he'd. like to make that catch again. coach obviously so has it changed from. the way you analyze the game because. obviously when you're in studio you're. gonna have to talk about a lot of games. as opposed to calling a game you're. talking about a specific team and.

specific players. and you get really uh. specificity so how different is it. calling a specific game as opposed to. watching a lot of tape and having to. analyze a lot of different teams. it's totally different preparation and. you want to really be able to be. proactive when you're calling. a game live you want to know what that. team does what the other team does so. you can kind of anticipate hey i see. them doing this so they might go here to. this guy. uh when you're in the studio you're just. reacting you're actually looking at the.

game. and talking about what they already did. so right it's a lot. easier in the studio coach i totally. agree with you because. i tell people all the time it's a lot. easier to talk about what has happened. or what you think will happen as opposed. to what's actually happening. at that given moment and so you have to. be really really in tune. to what's going on no no question about. it and you do. your your homework you watch a lot of. tape you talk to the coaches say what. are you thinking try to get some. some things where you can anticipate but.

when. in the moment and it happens fast and. you're trying to be. fair something happens was this a blown. coverage well whose fault was it you. don't want to come out and say oh the. safety should have done this and was. really the corner. so it's a lot harder doing it when it's. live for sure. coach you grew up with two two teachers. uh your mom your dad. what were some of the values that they. instilled in you that. helped you become the coach the person.

that we see today. shannon i have to tell you i got two. things from my parents and and i'm glad. that that i did but uh from my dad it. was kind of that work ethic. and that uh that kind of. feeling that they had back there in the. 50s and 60s. we're not going to let anything stop us. don't let anybody else define you. you decide what you want to do work hard. and don't let anybody tell you you can't. do it and then for my mom's side it was.

how you do it and how you do things is. much more important than what you do. put it in the lord's hands work hard be. honest be upfront. and make sure you have integrity in. everything you do. so getting both sides of that hey don't. let anybody stop you. but do things the right way treat people. right and and do it. the right way uh i got that from my. parents and that was great advice. well i want to know who you get the. patients from because you got your. parents had to have attention from job. because you got unbelievable patience.

i tell you shannon that developed as i. got older. my my high school buddies when people. describe me like that they just laugh. now. because i was the king of technical. fouls. i got thrown out of games all of that. guy just blowing up. crazy one to win and my dad would always. tell me. you're not helping your team in the. locker room when you get two technical. fouls and you're on the bench. that didn't help your team right i know. that but. it felt good and that's what i had to.

get off my chest but as i grew. and got with tom moore who was my. quarterback coach in college. and he said hey if you're going to play. quarterback for me you've got to be. under control you've got to be thinking. about the next play. and my dad would always say the same. thing when you. get in that moment where you want to. react and you want to go off. just stop and think what can i do to. make the situation better. and blowing up usually isn't going to. help make the situation better you got. to think about how you're going to. respond going forward it took me a long.

time to learn that but. over the years i got better at it. because your father was. a member of the famed tuskegee airmen. how. what sense of pride do you feel knowing. how they're thought of they're almost. like. mythical figures in the community it has. been a source of pride. and source of honor for me and my dad. never really he didn't brag about that. he didn't talk about it. he would always when i would go and tell. him something wasn't fair.

the teacher gave me a c and i should. have got a b uh the coach won't put me. in the game and he's playing his son. and you know all those kind of things my. dad would just say well you know what. sometimes life isn't fair so when they. didn't want. us to fly we had to teach ourselves how. to fly right. and all when i was growing up i never. understood that i didn't know what he. was. talking about and it kind of i got his. message okay. you know don't let the other people get. to you and just keep working hard. but then at his funeral one of his.

friends stood up and talked and he said. hey one of the proudest moments with. will dungey is when. we knew he went went into tuskegee. airmen. and i was like what my dad was in the. tuskegee airman. and then the light bulb went on that's. what he was talking about we taught. ourselves. to fly and from then on and i i was so. proud of him did so he didn't really. talk about because a lot of times. obviously you know when you accomplish. something of this you know you sit back. and. obviously at the time but when you sit. back and get an opportunity to tell your.

kids or your grandkids something. it was something that he really never. talked about he didn't talk about that. he talked about being in the service he. talked about fighting he talked about. flying planes but he never talked about. being in the airmen and it's funny. last year i got to interview one of the. few living members of the tuskegee. airmen a gentleman named colonel harry. stewart he was just. unbelievable and we're talking and i. sound like i'm talking to my dad he's. told me the same kind of thing so i said. colonel stewart. how much did you go into detail with.

your kids about. how things were and what you did he saw. i never talked about it with my kids. i didn't want them to know what we had. to fight our way through. i just wanted them to look forward and. go ahead and i said wow you sound just. like my dad. so in other words your father was. partaking information to you. just like this gentleman with uh. partaking information. because he didn't want you or his kids. to have an excuse. for why you didn't accomplish something. yeah exactly hey. i don't care what is thrown in front of.

you don't let anybody define you you. make up your decision. where to go what to do you stay at it. and don't. don't allow any excuses and. my dad um you know he was all about that. he ended up getting a phd. in biology he wanted to teach school. after he came back from the airmen. he wanted to teach in washington dc. and he wasn't allowed to teach 1952. wasn't allowed to teach. integrated schools so he said hey i had.

a choice. i could get on the bus but you know what. i couldn't sit in certain places on the. bus. so i walked i walked past that white. school. and i walked to the all black school and. you know what i did i made sure my. students knew. more about science than anybody in that. other school that's what i could do to. make the situation better and those are. the kind of things he would tell me. he said don't don't harp on what's wrong. or what the problem is or what you can't. do figure out a way to make the. situation better.

and that's that's the way he would talk. to us what did tony dungy want to be. growing up. you know i kind of wanted to be like my. dad mom they were teachers and so. i kind of thought that might be my next. track. i became a good athlete i got a. scholarship to the university of. minnesota. and then my dream was to play in the nfl. i was a quarterback. okay and my dream was to play. quarterback in the nfl. coach you were playing the wrong. position at that time at the time.

i was this is 1970s you know. i'll tell you shannon and you you would. find this hard to believe now but. i played a game as a senior in college. quarterbacking university of minnesota. warren moon is quarterbacking the. university of washington. i'm leading the big ten in passing. warren moon's leading the pac-10 in. passing we have a great game they beat. us. i do not get drafted they tell me your. skill set. you need to change position so i become. a defensive back.

warren moon doesn't get drafted they. tell him his skill set might be better. in canada. he goes to canada and wins five grey. cups and comes. back but that's how it was at that time. it's just it was kind of. unbelievable you look at it now and say. what warren moon skill set doesn't. translate into the nfl are you. kidding me but that's how it was then at. the time coach. if you look at it now warren moon might. be of all the black quarterbacks has. ever been he might be the purest of the. drop back quarterback they've ever been. be. prettiest ball i have ever seen.

unbelievable and. and and could do it all and he. i i said i want to play in the nfl so i. said i'm willing to switch positions. when they talk to warren about that he. said no i want to be a quarterback. if i have to go to canada i'll go to. canada and continue to be a quarterback. and then after he just kept winning and. kept winning and kept winning up there. uh then the houston oilers gave him an. opportunity. but it was that that kind of thing and i. tell. my kids now hey what you see russell.

wilson and patrick mahomes doing now and. deshawn watson. we had a bunch of guys like that yeah. just the game. the game wasn't set up that way 25 years. ago coach. how many how many um colleges were. willing to give you the opportunity. because a lot of times there were black. players that were coming out that played. the quarterback position. that had to switch to running back they. had to switch wide receiver as you. mentioned defensive back. how many schools were willing to give. you that opportunity says okay coach i. mean tony if you come here.

you can play quarterback at that time it. was changing but that's what a lot of. people you would go visit a school. and a lot of the black players would. tell you make sure. they tell you you're going to play. quarterback because we got so and so. here he came and they put him at safety. we got so-and-so and they put him at. wide receivers so you make sure. they promise you that you're going to be. a quarterback. and that was one of the reasons i went. to minnesota sandy stevens. had won a national championship. quarterback they had. black quarterbacks all the way through.

and the coach said. you're going to be our quarterback if. you come here and and that. was that's what i wanted to do you go. undrafted they say well if you want an. opportunity to play in the nfl. you're going to have to switch positions. you switch positions. you go undrafted what. why did you settle because obviously. when you're undrafted you get to choose. i mean. pittsburgh probably offer you maybe. another team what made you decide to go. to the steelers. besides they were coming off the super. bowl.

i had a chance i i really did. bill pollin was the general manager in. montreal mara baby was the coach. they had my rights and they said you can. come to canada. play quarterback guaranteed money we're. gonna take care of you. this is the league that will showcase. your talents. i got a call from the steelers and they. said we already have terry bradshaw we. have other quarterbacks. but you come here coach noel likes smart. players he'll find a spot for you. and i thought you know i want to win.

and i want to play with the best so i. can go to pittsburgh now it was foolish. because the wide receivers lin swan and. john stall. with backup receivers at that point they. had. 11 guys on defense that were in the pro. bowl. they had all pro bowl secondary donnie. shell was a backup safety. so people how are you gonna make a team. you know you're gonna switch positions. that's all right. they don't need you and i said you know. what i i don't care. i want to play with the best and i think.

that was just the lord taking care of me. i ended up going there it was. unbelievable guys holding out. guys got hurt about 50 things had to. happen for me to make the team. but i made it switching over to defense. and i began to learn the defensive side. of the ball. and so three years later uh. i'm a coach with the steelers. coach uh you you play with the steelers. and you mentioned. that might have been the most talented. team in nfl history.

when you look at it they got two wide. receivers that's in the pro football. hall of fame. the running back the quarterback the. center you got. mel blount jack hamm jack lambert joe. green. lc greenwood could easily be in the pro. football hall of fame. donnie shell who i know you're very. close with uh. just made the pro football hall of fame. you're talking about nine ten guys. in the pro football hall of fame your. head coach and your owner. is in the pro football hall of fame. unbelievable. team and uh it started you mentioned the.

owner art rooney senior that's where it. started. um he and his son dan rooney put. together an organization this is how. we're going to be. we're going to be first class we're. going to be family atmosphere and we're. going to find good players. 1969 they hired chuck noll but in 1969. they also did something that was kind of. unheard of at the time there was a. sports writer. for the black newspaper the pittsburgh. courier that they hired bill nunn they. hired him as a scout. and so all of a sudden he's going to.

alabama a m and he's going to florida. and he's going to southern and savannah. state again. melanie's to shore but yeah yep and so. all of a sudden we've got these guys. frank lewis. and uh glenn edwards and mel blunt and. donnie shell and john stalwart that. people weren't looking at at the time so. now you get a great coach. and you supply this extra injection of. talent. and coach noel put it together and it.

was a great atmosphere it really was and. i learned a lot about. being a man i learned about football and. i learned about. how to really embrace the city and that. that's what mr rooney said when you came. there hey you're a pittsburgh steeler. but it's not just on the football field. you're a pittsburgher. all the way and you got to embrace the. city and i learned so much in that. organization. coach i i i would be remiss if i didn't. say this. there was a game in which you filled in. for terry bradshaw he broke his wrist.

mike cruz check i think i brought down. that separated his shoulder. so you went in and you played. quarterback you had eight attempts. three completions 43 yards two. interceptions and a fumble. it's safe to say your qbr would have. been pretty bad coach. very bad very bad but i still look back. on that moment sam and. and i'm thinking just what you mentioned. i'm playing safety. i get my first interception in the nfl. in the first quarter. and i said man this is going to be a big. day for me i got one already in the.

first quarter. bradshaw gets hurt breaks his wrist mike. cruze gets hurt. into the third quarter and all of a. sudden it. i'm in the game i'm calling the signals. telling mike webster the snap count. handing the ball off to frank o'hara's. throwing passes to lynn swann and jon. stalworth and i'm like are you kidding. me. but the biggest thing now the next next. day. i'm back at home i had my day off and. relaxing and coach noel's secretary.

calls and she says hey you got to come. in for the quarterback meeting. so i go in and coach no we had drafted. another quarterback. guy named cliff stout drafted him in the. fifth round. and coach noel says bradshaw's getting. x-rayed. if he's got a broken wrist he can't play. mike kruzak is definitely out. if bradshaw can't play you're going to. be the quarterback. and i i'm thinking to myself what now we. drafted somebody. i'm not my skill set doesn't fit but we.

got to win a game and you go. put me in so i'm in the quarterback. meetings all week telling my boys we're. playing on monday night the next week. hey watch my i might be the quarterback. you can't believe this i might be. quarterbacking on monday night. bradshaw makes one of those miracle. recoveries comes back plays the game. but you know what that was enough for me. for coach noel to say i got count you. haven't practiced one minute at. quarterback. but i got confidence to put you in the. game and and do it. that told me you know what if i had had.

a chance i could have done this. coach you only you played one year um. with the steelers you win the super bowl. after they released it did you think. about going somewhere else and playing. or was it. were you driven to be a coach or did. coach no talk you into coaching. no i actually i got traded after our. super bowl year i got traded to the san. francisco 49ers it was bill walsh's. first year and there was just another. way of the lord taking care of me. they were bad though coach oh we're.

terrible we're awful. but that was that was the beauty of it i. started out played offense my whole life. i go to steelers and play with a great. defense and learn from a great defensive. coach. and a championship deal we're already a. good team. now i go and play for another hall of. fame coach. but in his first year trying to put it. together and so i get to see. bill walsh's system and coach knowles. system. get to put the two of them together i. think through things played offense.

playing defense. well now i get traded again by the the. giants or excuse me by the 49ers to the. giants i got traded for ray rhodes. actually. all right yeah so ray goes to. san francisco i go to the giants and i. said you know i'm not going to just keep. bouncing around the league. and you know all of that so then coach. noel calls me and says. you you have communication skills you're. smart i think you could be a good coach. at that time there were only 10. african-american coaches in the whole.

nfl so there was no role models and oh. yes like this. i said really you think i can be a good. coach he said i think you could he put. me on the staff when i was 25 years old. and that's when i got started so that's. when. but it strikes me so how similar or. dissimilar. with coach noel's style compared to. coach. walsh's style very dissimilar. uh coach knowles said you know what. we're gonna line up in one defense.

we're gonna line up in one offensive. formation we're not going to go in. motion we're going to out execute you. we're going to out hit you and we don't. care if you know what we're doing. i go to play for bill walsh and it's all. matchups we're going to do this we're. going to put this guy in he's going to. run these places. disguise this find a weak link and but. the thing about it they were both. fundamentally sound. they both really put a lot on their. players to to handle things. and they both had a great belief in what. they did. coach nell started out 1-13 his first.

year but he didn't let. anybody change his mind about what. they're going to do coach walsh. we were 2 and 14 his first year but i'm. not going to change i believe in it so. when i became the head coach of the. bucks and we started out 1-8. i had that as a background don't change. don't give up on things don't let people. tell you how to do it this way. stay with what you believe in and it was. great lesson that i learned from both of. them. coach are you surprised you got traded. because you led the team in. interceptions i mean six interceptions. most times. will get you to the pro bowl i was.

shocked. yeah really we're coming off a super. bowl i'd led the team in interceptions. we had a lot of chemistry but we just. had so many good players then. and we drafted a couple of corners and. uh. coach noel just felt like you know i can. use some of these corners and and. we'll be better off so it was one of. those things but again i always looked. at it like i think. it was the lord kind of taking me out of. my comfort zone put me in a place where. i could learn a little bit more. because eventually i was going to be a. coach i was never going to be a great.

player. but going to that san francisco. situation and learning how. eddie debarlo built a winning. organization and bill walsh. winning situation it really helped me. down the road. coach you beat i mean there was. something about the match-up between the. steelers and the cowboys. and i it might have been a couple of. years earlier where they say it was the. greatest collection of. talent if i'm not mistaken it was about. 17 16 or 17.

hall of famers on the field at a given. time and there haven't been that many. before or since what was it like to. be on the field and you're playing the. cowboys with that star-studded you got. roger stallback you got tony dorsett. you got all those you know uh tony hill. drew pearson. you i mean they're loaded on offense and. defense as well as you guys are. yeah no we it was one of those just. unbelievable situation where you kind of. know it's going to come down to that. and we're going to play these guys and.

neither side was intimidated. yeah and you knew they were going to be. great games and we. enjoyed playing against them they. enjoyed playing against us. and yeah you're right you're out there. and it's. it's mel blunt covering drew pearson and. it's. you know randy white going against. john cole and it's it's one out yeah one. after another after another and tony. dorsett. running inside against jack lambert and. it was just when i wasn't in the game i.

was just right on. the sidelines just watching what is. happening out there. and it was it was fascinating but it was. two teams that really believed in. themselves. and believed in their style of play and. it was great players. all over the field coach when you got. traded to san francisco. joe montana was the quarterback uh and. also on that roster people might not. know this. uh he's an infamy now but he was an. all-time great player o.j simpson.

yes obviously he wasn't the oj from. buffalo. but what what what do you remember about. that year. it was coach walsh trying to rebuild a. franchise a proud franchise that was. struggling they had traded for oj in his. later years and oj. was the star the aura was there we'd. have police escorts. we had guards at the hotel. i'm not kidding you we were in i was in. a a. hotel room oj's room playing cards with. al collings.

oj and a couple of other guys and a guy. literally broke the window. in the hotel trying to get oj's. autograph. and i'm like what but that's that that's. the star power he had. coach people don't believe because i. think the thing is what transpired. after football people don't realize that. if you played running back. and you played in the 70s you wanted to. be o.j simpson. i came up you wanted to get you wanted. to get 32.

if you got you got 32 there were guys. playing wide receiver offensive lineman. i like bro you not a running back you. can't get 32. everybody wanted 32. speak to what oj. was. in the 70s at that position he was he's. what patrick mahomes what bret. what aaron rodgers he was that he was. and and if not only on the field but off. the field just. kind of that star power coming from usc. he'd been in the movies when i got out. there the first thing. tell me about being in the movies tell.

me about being with elizabeth taylor did. he tell you all the stories. but i you mentioned all those great. players on the pittsburgh defense. that was the only guy i ever saw. intimidate those guys. when we'd have buffalo week they would. be on you as a young guy man you can't. be off your read at all you got to be. right there when i hit this and spill. the ball you better be there because. oj will take it to the house you got to. be on the details and that's the way. they. felt about it and that that's how he was. he was the. best player at that position and he.

could go 80 yards on any play. so you said you know what i'm done. bouncing around i've gotten traded from. the steelers to the 49ers from the 49ers. to the giants. enough of this and you said you know. what i'm going to get into coaching. coach why do you think it's the the good. to the average pl to the average players. that become. great coaches but the great players. can't become great. what is it and you see that in every. sport you see that when it comes to pick.

and talent. why is it that the guy that wasn't that. great. can pick talent can coach better than. say an all-time great kid. i think sometimes it's that guy who's. not super talented that has to work hard. and has to do. everything to to just make it right and. you're used to working and. and doing the little things and trying. to figure out edges. but then i think there's also something. in those great players that. they can't take imperfection. everybody asks me yeah is peyton manning.

is he going to go into coaching. and i said i say this i said you know. what he would be so. frustrated with that quarterback who. can't memorize 60 plays and who can't. check to the right check. you know all the time he he would just. it would kill him to not be able to do. some of the things that he takes for. granted so i think that happens to some. of the great players at times. they get so frustrated that you know. larry bird was in. indiana when when i was coaching the. coals he was.

coaching the the pacers and guys who. wouldn't work hard who didn't understand. basketball he would just. he wouldn't say anything about it you. could see it just driving him crazy when. they mentally wouldn't do the things. that he expected. and what i've told people i said because. things came. not that it came easy they made it look. easy. and so in talking to magic johnson he's. like it was frustrating to him because. he could see things and he was wondering. why that guy couldn't walk yeah. exactly he's not magic so.

but when you look at it culture you look. at some of the guys that. that pick the players like bill nunn he. probably didn't play football. but he knew how to pick joe green and. mel blunt. and jack lambert and. and star wars he knew that you look at. rc. beaufort you look at uh uh bill polian. those guys didn't play but you get guys. that played and won super bowls. and they picked buzz after buff after.

buzz at the bus. nothing can like you and i got coach. bill. bill told me that bill nunn told me that. he said when they asked him about coming. he said hey. i don't even i never played football i'm. a basketball player. you know athletes bring athletes to us. bring guys who are. you know heart you know toughness that's. what we're looking for and that's what. he went out and found. coach you you the youngest defensive.

coordinator in nfl history at 28. what's going through your mind when it. says okay coach you're going to be a d. you're going to be a dc now. i have to tell you that story shed and. it is so funny. i start out at 25 and i'm coaching there. and coach noah makes me the defensive. backfield coach. so two years later the usfl comes into. existence and they're raiding the nfl. they're coming. after our players and coming after our. coaches so we lose three coaches to the. usfl.

and i'm thinking man what is coach noel. going to do now. all our veteran coaches are gone i'm the. only guy left on the staff he's hiring. people but he hasn't hired a defensive. coordinator. and he never does and so i'm thinking. am i the defensive coordinator but he's. never said that. so my wife says well go ask him. just to ask him so we're at the combine. and this year they have it down in new. orleans. uh this is 1984. so we're in new orleans.

and i'm about to ask him and he says hey. i want you to come to preservation hall. with me tonight. i don't know what preservation hall is i. think it's maybe a. an eating place or a restaurant so he's. gonna take me to dinner and tell me i'm. the defensive coordinator so i tell my. wife. i'm gonna find out i'm gonna find out. it's this little. jazz place hole in the wall in new. orleans we go there he's watching this. guy. play the horn. we come back to the hotel he said oh. that was a great night i really enjoyed.

it thanks for coming. i called my wife back she said why are. you the defensive coordinator i said. i don't know he said you didn't ask him. i said i thought he was going to tell me. he didn't say anything so i finally go. back get up the nerve to ask him and he. says. well of course you're the defensive. coordinator you know more about this. defense than anybody why would you. not be and that was just his his mo. that's the way he thought and so he made. me the dc at 28 years old. so why did you decide to leave and go to.

kansas city. i went it was it was time for me to see. a different system. okay and i've been there my whole life. and. everything i knew was pittsburgh steeler. football. so i went and it was again another real. good opportunity for me um marty. schottenheimer bill cower. with a different system 3-4 defense saw. the way marty did things. and i kind of learned and the difference. i saw right away. coach noel believed in being precise and.

being efficient. we went home at nine o'clock every night. never spent a later night there. i get to work with marty the first. tuesday we're there until two in the. morning. my wife said where have you been i said. i've been at the office. and she said no i don't believe that i. said i have been at the office. really and i learned. that that's the way marty was he was. precise on everything he wanted to be on. every detail. and leave no stone unturned so i learned.

that side of it but then. i found out you could mix the two get. the best of both worlds. be efficient like coach know beyond the. details like coach schottenheimer. but trust your coaches and delegate a. little bit. just because you you should work smarter. not harder. if sometimes people work till four. o'clock in the morning. now you just there you just wasted time. fooling people yep. yep yep it's don't mistake time spent. for work done.

coach and then you go you go to. minnesota where you become the d.c. under danny green if i'm not mistaken. yes and that was a blessing shannon. i'll tell you about that one denny. real he wanted me to be a head coach he. wanted me to help. the defense and help them win but he. tutored me. for four years you're going to get a job. and. while you're the defensive coordinator. here you're going to learn i'm going to. teach you about being a head coach. and that was the best four years of my. life in terms of preparation because. he let me in on things hey i'm about to.

make a quarterback change here's why i'm. going to do it. you're going to be in this position. sometimes think about this here's what's. going on in the personnel meeting you. come in and sit even though. you're just an assistant coach you sit. in the meeting with the scouts. i want you to see the dialogue the back. and forth he helped me so much is. unbelievable. is that what you do is that why you paid. it for with jim caldwell mike tomlin and. some. uh uh uh uh some of your other coaches. that's what. absolutely leslie frazier michael hamlin.

herman edwards. he became my assistant head coach and he. was the first guy to leave. lovie smith i wanted to do that with all. of them because then he helped me. so much i wanted to do the same thing i. saw how beneficial it was. hey herm you're going to be a head coach. you're going to be the assistant head. coach here you're going to be in on. these personnel meetings you're going to. be in. on the draft meetings because you're. going to need to know how to do this at. some point. you you coach johnny randall one of the. two or three best defensive tackles.

jack del rio was a linebacker you people. don't realize how talented that. defensive line was. henry thomas uh if i'm not mistaken i. think nova chris doleman. was still on that was on that defensive. line then you were the. you had the number one defense in. football. shannon that was the only time i was. ever discouraged in the whole process. and i had to talk to my dad and he had. to get me out of the tank. 1993 we had some of those guys you. mentioned jack del rio. john randall hall of famer chris doleman.

hall of fame we lead the nfl and defense. give up the least rushing yards in 60. years. there's seven job openings that year i. didn't get one phone call. didn't even get a phone call that hey. we'd like to talk to your interview. and i'm thinking man if seven openings. number one defense and it doesn't happen. this year it may. never happen but i had to go back to my. dad and say you know don't worry about. it make the situation better go out. there and work harder. the chaplain of the vikings told me.

don't worry about the jobs you didn't. get. be the best assistant coach you can be. the lord will have a good spot for you. just look forward don't look back and uh. i had to fight through that 1993 year. and then two years later. uh i ended up getting the buccaneers job. and. lo and behold derrick brooks is sitting. there waiting for me john randall i mean. uh john lynch is waiting for me. warren sapps waiting for me so it was. the right time. right place right situation coach but.

the the thing is that sometimes that. and when i look at black coaches finally. getting jobs. they get job they go to tampa bottom. fields. they go to the jets they go to the. arizona cardinals with the exception of. mike tomlin. going to the steelers that's normally. what happens they don't. inherit teams that that we think of that. are. are normally winners how frustrating was. like. now when i had this great defense and. all these jobs openings some of them.

better than what tampa. i didn't get a call now y'all want me to. go turn around temple. with with they've been terrible for um. since they came into existence. well you kind of had to just expect that. it was 14 straight losing seasons and i. was really the third choice they wanted. jimmy johnson. he went to miami they wanted steve. spurrier he was the head coach in. florida then he said i'm staying at. florida. so now they had to go to the second tier. of coaches but. i said you know what that's all right. with the talent that's here if i can.

change this culture around if we can. start to think like winners. and act like winners we're going to be. okay and people were telling me oh don't. go to tampa. it's a graveyard for coaches you'll ruin. your career. uh but it was the right spot for me at. the right time. what was the toughest obstacle you had. to overcome when you got to tampa. the the mentality the the losing. mentality players thinking hey we're not. going to win anyway so i better just get. my individual stats right i better do. things so. so i can make money but going to them.

and saying you know what. if we turn this around mentally if we. come together. if we work at it um we're gonna be okay. hardy nickerson was our captain he was a. free agent. i had to talk him into staying hey. unfortunately he knew me i had coached. him. in in pittsburgh we're gonna put this. in we're gonna turn it around like the. steelers stay we need you to stay. because if you go. it's just going to keep the revolving. door open let's do something special and. fortunately he took the challenge. and stayed there but convincing people.

we could win. and get in that winning mentality that. was definitely the toughest thing. coach when you look at some of the guys. you had rondae barber. ward done i mean ronda is going to be up. for the hall of fame. you got sal brooks is in the hall of. fame john lynch is coming up. uh for the hall of fame when you look at. and what you were able to do from 97 to. 2001. you you were in the playoffs and you. went to the nfc championship game. what is the reason you think you weren't. quite able to get over the hump. we just needed a little more time and we.

kind of left our blueprint we got. impatient uh when we when i took the job. we talked about let's. let's develop ourselves into a good team. that competes every year that was our. goal. and we got there and we did that and. then i think our ownership well gosh we. have all these players we should have. won a super bowl like winning super. bowls it's easy you know. right we should have won two or three. well we didn't quite get there but if we. hang out. in there and we keep our plan we'll be. okay um. we went i think we got a little spoiled. we went from 14 straight losing seasons.

to oh we're in the playoffs every year. well that's not really good enough. right we got to get over the hump we got. to do this. so uh it was disappointing and then the. very next year they won it john gruden. did a tremendous job. came in reshaped the offense uh they had. a great year and they won it. but didn't have the consistency from. from then on out. and i ended up going to indianapolis and. uh again that was kind of a blessing to. get a. hall of fame quarterback do you believe.

had you had been given. some more time in tampa you would have. won a championship in tampa. i absolutely think we would have we were. close and. we we could have gotten it done we had a. great group there. but that that's not the way it worked. out so like my desk would always tell me. you have to look forward and make the. situation better don't don't look back. don't complain about it. look forward and do better there coach. what were your emotions after watching. john gruden win a title with the team. you had constructed.

it's almost watching it's almost. watching your ex-girlfriend go to the. prom. you supposed to go to the prom with me. and now you're going with that joker. it was definitely bittersweet you have. all those guys that you coached. and you want to see them do well and we. had talked about you know. in my first meeting with warren sapp and. brooks and lynch and. donnie abraham and rhonde barber hey we. want to do this. mike alstott and to see those guys hoist. that trophy it was great but then the. bitterness of not being there.

so it was i was happy for them and i was. sad that i wasn't there with them. a lot of people have compared your your. situation in mark jackson situation. because it's like he laid the groundwork. for what's going on with steph. clay and draymond steve kirk comes in. builds on that wins the championship. win several others once they add kd. um are the sim are the situation similar. i guess you could look at it you know. golden state hadn't been winning uh they.

got. got going and the ownership felt like. well maybe mark's not the guy to take us. to that next level. same thing in tampa but i guess my hope. was. always to make the situation better. leave it. in better shape than when i got there so. i left tampa the next year they went win. a super bowl. i was in indianapolis seven years jim. caldwell took over for me. the next year the cupboard wasn't bare. they go to the super bowl don't win it. but but they get there so i felt like i.

left. two organizations in better shape than. when i inherited them so. that that was my my goal and my. objective. okay you get the call um. head coaching opportunity for the. indianapolis colts what's going through. your mind. when you know what they haven't ended. they got the one position. that in order for you to win you must. have now it was really uh. unbelievable for me jim irsay said hey. we've got. our offense in place we've got a.

franchise quarterback. we need you to come put the defense. together but more than that. lead the team and he he told me he said. i'm looking for that. consistency that pittsburgh had that. that's what i'm looking for. so uh it was really i was excited. and then after talking to peyton and he. said hey i want to be coached i want to. win. i want to help just make this a great. franchise. i just knew we're going to be in good. shape.

how easy or how difficult is it to. coach a player like peyton. it's easy in this way he wants to be. great. and he wants you to tell him how to be. great the difficult part of coaching him. was. his expectation he would come in every. day with a yellow legal pad we need to. do this this this this and this. you'd have to be able to say okay we can. do two of these things the other eight. we can't do just yet because you might. be smart enough to handle it but we've.

got 53 other guys that you know we got. to slow down a little bit. and he always was you know hey we we can. do this we can do this better and. you love that but you had to kind of. temper it at times was it hard coaching. a great player. that's great knows he's great but you. like. uh yeah peyton you're great but i don't. have 10 other peyton manning to go alone. with you. that could be the toughest thing. sometimes he would see especially on. often. he would see something that another team.

ran against our opponent. we ought to put this in this i know. it'll work yeah we could put it in but. everybody's not going to pick it up as. fast as you are so let's let's work on. the plays that we already have. so playing the quarterback position. obviously you were a quarterback you. played in. at a major college being a defensive. coordinator because i think that's where. probably you helped peyton. the most because you get an opportunity. to say well peyton if you came out in. this formation. in this area of the field in this.

situation this is the coverage that i. would probably play against you. and if you did this this would be my. retort to what you're doing. talk talk to talk to us about you. sitting down with peyton. going over game plans on what he wanted. to do and what he. where you were expecting from the. opposing defense yeah we have a lot of. those kind of conversations. and the other unique thing is our. offensive coordinator. tom moore was my offensive coordinator. in college. right we had the same system no huddle.

offense the quarterback ran everything. at the line of scrimmage so i played in. that system. right and i knew it but then i would. come and on fridays i would be the. defensive coordinator for the scout team. right so i would throw up the defenses. and say hey and i and i had the. advantage i knew i had the script i knew. what played. so i could say all right we're gonna do. this we'll see if he can handle this. this uh blitz over here would wreck this. play we'll do this. and i try to keep him sharp that way. they might do these kind of things but. but we would have those conversations.

what do you think the defense will do to. take away marvin today. what are they going to do and i would. say well here's their option based on. their personnel they might try to do. this they might try to do this. well what is the weakness if they do. that well here's where we can hit him. and i used to love to have those kind of. conversations with him. coach you seem so stoic on the sideline. i don't think i've ever in all the years. that i've played against you. i've watched you i don't think i've ever. seen you throw your hat. i don't ever see you throw up your hands. uh i know you don't swear so i've never.

seen you do that. how are you able in a chaotic. environment because you know what the. sidelines. are and you know the swing and the elves. and flows of a ball game. how are you able to stay so calm well. two things that helped me number one. when i played. if i made a mistake i didn't need a. coach to yell at me. and tell me i made a mistake i knew what. i did wrong what i needed was somebody. to. tell me what i should do to do it right. right so i always.

had that in mind players aren't trying. to mess up on purpose. so what can i do to help that guy do it. better the next time. and then the second thing if something. would go wrong with a bad call with a. fumble with a problem. it's already bad what can we do to make. it better let's think about. the next play that was always my. mentality. coach you had some classic battles and. uh for our. younger viewers i don't know if they. realize this. but the indianapolis colts used to be in. the afc.

east along with the new england patriots. so you had that match up. brady belichick and dungey. uh uh payton against. for two games every year and normally it. was going to determine. who got home field advantage throughout. so. what's your mindset knowing that. probably the winner of this division was. probably more time than not gonna have. home field throughout the playoffs. and the road to the super bowl was gonna.

come through the others building. yep no that that started the rivalry and. then by the time i got there. we had they had realigned and we went. into the afc. south so we weren't playing those guys. twice a year we're only playing them. once. but you're exactly right we knew when we. played them whoever won that game. was going to have the home game in the. playoffs so that just. amped it up even more so uh it was. always. that circle game on our schedule here's.

the patriots week four here's the. patriots week 10. here's the patriots. week 12. that's the game we got to zero in on. because if we win that one. that playoff game is going to be there. and we finally got it in 2006 we got the. the home game. in indianapolis and that's the one we. got to the super bowl. you know what happened with spygate that. you know and. and they were stealing signals and the. nfl said well look. you can take signals but you just need. to be from an elevated platform. not field level so did you ever.

fully trust them knowing that they. because i'm not so sure coach had they. been caught they would have ever stopped. well that that was not a well-kept. secret. we knew that for a long time before it. ever came out. players that that had left new england. kind of. tipped people off uh so that was. something that they were doing for a. long time. we had always adjusted and gone to. wristbands and different things because. we you know you didn't want that to. happen but that that was.

well i shouldn't say well documented but. a lot of people knew about that before. it actually came out coach but. if you think about it let's just say you. and i okay i'm. you and i let's just say we do we're in. the cd business we bank robbers. and i said coach you know what coach i. want to go on the straight and narrow. i've been doing this for too long i've. had a an epiphany. that that god want me to do the right. thing now i'm not gonna do any more bank. robbing. now you can go ahead and continue to do. that if you want to. but just don't rob my bank you can rob.

all the other banks and i won't call the. fbi on you. but just don't hit mine you tell me. screw you. i will hit your bank anyway do i have. any other choice then to turn you in. well uh that i think that's what. happened with spygate when. their coaches went to the jets and they. said i'm not going to lose because. you're doing something against the rules. yeah i i think you're right but you know.

and everybody tries to get signals and. and that wasn't. the the the crime in the whole thing i. mean you. watch you watch the other side and if. you can catch a signal. you're going to do that but you couldn't. record them right you got memos every. year you cannot. record with video you can't do that from. the field level. from the field level correct correct you. cannot do it and. and so that that was the thing they were. good at it um. you just had coach i remember when i.

played we would try to get the tv copy. because you quarterback was saying you. wanted to hear what the defense was. saying so if you could pick up certain. things. i remember playing the chargers and they. had certain calls they would go to reno. they would go to vegas which means they. would go to cover two. okay we had heard that so much and every. time they checked. we had the perfect check that i ended up. you know. blitzing them okay i get that but if the. nfl says. you can fish in the blade but just not. on this side. right well don't do it right right right.

absolutely and that's that's what i. think a lot of people didn't understand. well everybody does that. everybody does try to do that we listen. to the tv copies and you. have scouts that just do that and go. over things. but if they say you can't do it this way. you you got to abide by the rules. right coach let's go to super bowl 41. um. you're the first you and lovey lovey was. on your staff you. helped him you uh uh prepare and get to. get a job.

so i i'm help me understand okay it's. gotta be bittersweet because you're like. okay. one of us is gonna be the first black to. win the super bowl that's gonna. i really you know what love it i want. you i'm happy for you love it. but i really want to be the first the. second one is not going to get the. parade he's not going to get the. education that the first guy got so i. just go i. love oh good job love you good luck i'm. trying to beat your eyes in love. no you're absolutely right um i remember.

watching doug williams i was an. assistant coach. in pittsburgh when they won i wanted. doug to win that super bowl. and they won it and you just had so much. pride and you knew the history involved. so here we are in 2006 and you feel like. this is going to be history. yeah i want our guys to be part of it. and i i want to make that history and. love you'll get his next year. coach i want to go back to the afc. championship game you're in your. building. this is what you wanted you beat them. early in the year which forced them to.

come to you come to the rca dome i think. that's the name but. it might have been lucas oil in fact. lucas oil but you force them to come to. you. you're down 21-3 what's going through. your mind. i can't believe this is happening again. how could we be playing so bad against. the patriots. we get a field goal right before the end. of half now it's 21-6. and you'll remember this we're walking. in. to the locker room you guys are doing. the halftime james brown. says no team has ever come back for more.

than 10 points down. in a championship game and it's on our. tv. i'm saying why can't cbs why can't you. guys just wait till we get in the locker. room to say that how could you say that. now. but our guys hung in there and they said. you know what we've just got to start. playing better it's not that they're. outplaying us we're. making mistakes so we get the ball the. second. uh half kickoff if we can score and make. it a one score game i would be back in. that that's exactly what happened but. our guys tremendous. poise and confidence to just fight back.

uh but. at that moment i was thinking how could. we play so bad in the first half. okay you finally get the lead you get. the two points so. now they need a touchdown not a field. goal to beat you or tie you. they need a touchdown so tom brady. you know what he's already done at that. point in time he has three super bowls. on his resume. what's going so what's going through. your mind what's the emotion what are. you feeling at that moment. when when joseph and dyer scored and.

adam kicked that extra point and. put us up four i said we're going to win. this game no way is our defense going to. let them go down in one minute and score. a touchdown i had total confidence at. that point as great as brady is. i just knew time and everything it was. going to be difficult. and they edged it down the field got to. midfield but. it was just he had to try to make a big. play and mars jackson came up with. the game winner now at that moment.

that's when everything broke loose for. me when marvin. marlon intercepted that ball i said man. i cannot believe we're going to the. super bowl. and then you get to the super bowl now. coach i don't know what you were. thinking. did adam vina terry to put this ball in. the air. to devin hester what were you thinking. that was all on me shannon for two weeks. we talked about not letting devin has to. touch the ball we're going to kick it in.

the corners we're going to squib it. we're going to punt it out of bounds. this man is the best threat they have we. can't. let him touch the ball our chapel. speaker. before the game gives the chapel message. on david and goliath. and he says you know how david beat. goliath because he wasn't afraid of him. he was one of the few. that went right at him i started. thinking and we can't be afraid of devin. hester we got to be like david we got to. go right. if we're going to kick the ball right to. him when we pound him goliath's going to. go down they're going to know we mean.

business. so i changed up right then i said i hope. we lose the toss we're going to kick off. the damn you guys pound devin hester. that'll set the tone. 12 seconds later he's in the other end. zone everybody's looking at me like. what is wrong with our coach coach you. let the chapel. chaplain gash you up to kick that ball. to david health. after two weeks of saying he is not. touching the football he's not gonna. impact this ball game. and after i told him the story he said. oh you got the wrong message from it the. message was you gotta know where the.

weak spot is. so i said i wish you'd explain the. message a little better to me. coach as time is winding down on the. clock and you realize. man we're gonna do this i'm gonna we're. gonna win the super bowl. and i'm gonna be this this. is gonna be one of the more memorable. super bowls in nfl history. just like when doug won now. you've won what's going through your.

mind as. time is running down the confetti starts. to rain uh. come down it's been raining basically. the whole the whole day. what's going through your mind at that. moment i'm thinking about my dad. and walking and not taking the bus and. teaching at a segregated school i'm. thinking about. those 10 african-american assistant. coaches who never had a chance. to become the head coach i'm thinking. about my mom and dad. just telling me don't let anybody else. define you don't give up.

and i i felt like i was representing all. of them. and then i thought about jim irsay he. gave me a chance. he wanted me to coach his team and i was. just so grateful at that moment. and i just all the emotion came out. and it was just it was a great moment. and and i said man. these guys did it they did it because in. 2008 you became the first coach to. defeat all 32 teams. why'd you walk away after the season.

i i started coaching when i was 25 so. i'd had a 28-year career. my wife and my family had made all the. sacrifices. that coaches families have to make yeah. i just felt like. i owed them some time and i wanted gym. call while i knew i was going to step. down at some point i knew jim caldwell. was going to replace me i wanted jim to. have a team. that was still in the prime i didn't.

want him to come in. when we were on the downhill side so i. just felt like it was the proper time. i did what i wanted my family felt good. about it jim took. him to the super bowl the next year so i. really felt it was. proper timing you mentioned jim caldwell. and obviously peyton gets the injury. things don't go according to plan uh jim. irsay cleans house he removes him. uh bill polian brings in a new staff jim. gets a job at detroit.

and somehow uncertain honestly he loses. the job after fourth season goes to. tucson both he's nine and seven. do you think he was released unfairly. and do you think he deserves a second. chance. absolutely uh i heard mrs ford's press. conference when. she made a switch in detroit and she. said we've had the best three-year. record. in the last 50 years of any lions team. and our community is different our. locker room is different he's made an. impact we've got better young men. uh we've got all this but we're going to.

go in another direction. this doesn't make sense well they did go. in another direction down. right and that yeah and so it didn't. make sense sometimes that happens. but it kind of reminded me of when i was. in in tampa. and jim had taken them to the playoffs. once. on the cusp of the playoffs and they're. saying well it's just not quite good. enough. um sometimes you have to stay the course. and and i wish they would have.

i wish they had a coach when i when i. talk about your coaching tree. when i talk about lovey who is your. linebacker coach in tampa. what's the first thing that goes through. your mind when i mention lovey smith. cool calm and collected mike tomlin. uh unbelievable uh. demeanor he came to me as 29 year old. he's in the room he's coaching john. lynch. and rondae barber and he's got total. control of the room very confident.

without being cocky i knew he was going. to be a superstar. jim caldwell whose demeanor reminds me. most of you. yeah tremendous quarterback coach uh. people don't always want to look at this. peyton manning was a 500 player. and a very good quarterback. when jim caldwell got there he turned. into a. 50 touchdown 9 interception hall of fame.

quarterback after jim caldwell got there. he did the same thing with matthew. stafford. he develops quarterbacks herm edwards. uh energy. unbelievable energy never give up um. miracle in the meadowlands that's him. every day it doesn't matter if we're. down with one second left we still got a. chance and uh he was just. just tremendous of all the guys that. i've mentioned.

mike tomlin seems to be the most. opposite of you. very matter of fact all the although uh. herm is very animated love it and jim. kind of their personality kind of. reminds me most of you. where mike is totally opposite of you. and herm is just. herm is a ball of energy. yeah all the guys are a little bit. different but that's one thing i learned. from coach noel. you can't hire everybody the same you've. got to. uh have people use their strengths.

and you know don't look for. everybody to be just like you and so. everybody was a little different. uh leslie frazier worked with me he's. tremendous. uh mike schula rod marinelli uh i've. just been blessed to be around. a lot of good people uh that i tried to. help them develop and. utilize their strengths because if you. look at it a lot of times when coaches. get their first job. they normally have people that's already. been coaches before.

and you seem to be more willing to give. guys an opportunity. okay this is my first chance of being a. care coach hey i'm gonna give you your. opportunity. and you've hired a lot of minorities and. was criticized for it. absolutely was my first staff people are. saying who is this and where's our. experience. we've got all these but i i made a. conscious decision shannon i wanted to. give some guys their first chance in the. nfl. right but the other thing i wanted i. wanted teachers so i talked to our. college scouts.

uh when i first got to tampa i'm looking. for some college coaches. give me some great teachers i didn't. know lovie smith. i didn't know rod marinelli i knew herm. edwards i knew he was a teacher. i didn't know mike tomlin uh but our. scout said. you talk about people who put out. polished. professional players as college players. these guys can teach that's what i. wanted. it's going to be hard to have another.

season. in which eric b enemy is not a head. coach. when you look at the success that. they're having in kansas city. and you look at the success that mahomes. is having in kansas city. you look at eric the enemy uh leslie. frazier. some of these other guys that deserve an. opportunity coach. how and i understand it's hard to tell a. man that's worth a man or a woman. that's worth one two five ten billion. dollars who they should hire. but we're saying at least give let the.

sum let them into the room. and have the conversation yeah my. frustration with some of these owners. they really don't. know what they want and so they have to. have someone else. tell them and that someone else is the. media. or it's the fans or it's some popularity. contest. or it's well guys this formula won. so i'll get that i'll get this young 29. year old quarterback coach that's what's. going to win. for us and you say no don't do that.

figure out what you want. get a leader and uh let let that be who. you go after and you know what if you do. that. there are some african-americans who can. do that who can lead. and and and put offenses together put. defenses together. so just be yourself figure it out. you know and i get frustrated i don't. want to see the same old thing because. i it hurts the nfl i go back to this. there was a time. when warren moon's skill set didn't fit.

the nfl. tony dunsty skill set as a quarterback. didn't fit the nfl. if we would have stayed in that. mentality. we wouldn't have patrick mahomes and. deshawn watson and russell wilson now. and the nfl wouldn't be as good. right so there's a time where you think. well eric the enemy maybe. maybe his skill set doesn't fit no you. know if we give eric vietnamese a chance. you might see something different that. the nfl hasn't seen. and it might just make us better because.

uh excuse me coach dungeon you remember. when mike tomlin got the job at. pittsburgh they thought the sky was. falling. you hired you hired you had ken whizzing. hunt. you had bruce area you had dick lebeau. you got those guys. on the staff and you mean to tell me you. hired a guy his first job and he's. well what was coach tomlin 34 34 years. old. yeah and dan rooney's dan rooney said i. know what i'm looking for. and mike tomlin is it so the case closed. but there's so many owners that don't.

have that they would have. wilted oh yeah you're right yeah i i. can't do that because of the way some. people are going to wreck. and dan said no you know what he's just. like bill carr. was when i hired him and he's just like. chuck noll was when i hired him. and all you all complained about that. too so. so we're in good on good grounds well. they should have known if you look at. the steelers history. um when they hire chuck noll they. normally go outside. they don't normally stay within the.

staff they went outside and got coach. cower. so they were probably going to go. outside and get mike tomlin. and you know what the other thing is. shannon dan's formula. he said we're pittsburgh it's cold. weather we need. defense it's blue collar we need to be. physical and i want a young guy i want. to hire a coach for 20 years right so. that's my formula young defensive. good communicator so yeah bruce aaron's. can be tremendous.

and he's all my staff but you know what. he doesn't fit my formula. right i'm gonna find what what i'm. looking for i'm gonna find my blueprint. because he knew what he wanted and. that's the thing most of these owners. don't know what they want. the one thing about the steelers not. only do they know what they want. they're not swayed by media or fans a. lot of owners are swayed by the media. what some columnist or what some. journalist is going to write. or what the fans boo we want this we. want. but the rooney's have been at this for a.

long time there's a reason why they've. only had three coaches since 1969. that's not an accident absolutely it's. the thought process. the way that we hire someone and we. stick behind them. chuck noll was 1-13 his first year. dan rooney said you know what we got the. right guy i saw how he. responded under pressure don't worry. about that we've got the right guy. bill cower had a couple down years you. know. we've got the right guy you know i'm. going to give him a contract extension. just to let you know.

he said he's not going. that's important one of the things that. help. minorities not only coaching but front. office and other position. is the rooney rule dan rooney uh your. former boss. uh do you believe it's been a success. and what could they do. to give it even more teeth it hasn't. really been a success because they. haven't followed dan's plan dan's plan. was just that hey if i'm the owner i. have a blueprint of what i want.

and then once i get that blueprint i go. out and look. for those type of people and i make sure. i hire a couple of. minority i mean i interview minority. candidates. that fit my blueprint that's the spirit. of the law. what they did was just follow the letter. of the law hey. i might have somebody i want to get hire. an offensive coach. because i got to work with this young. quarterback but i'll interview. leslie frazier defensive coordinator. just to satisfy the rule.

right i don't really want that correct i. satisfy the rule instead of saying no. who's the best minority. offensive mind out there because that's. what i want. uh and so i think you can't. change people's heart you can't make. them kind of. follow the spirit of the rule but uh. if we could just get people to dial in. on what they want. in their blueprint and then look at the. best candidates. i think we we we'd be much better off.

do you believe that we have enough. minorities on the offensive side of the. football because. it seems that a lot of the the up and. coming. black the minorities on the defensive. side of the football or do we have. enough. in that area we do i i i don't believe. in this pipeline is empty. what they're trying to tell us yes that. there's no coaches out there. there's some great coaches that pep. hamilton is a great coach and should be. a head coach. pep hamilton took that offense in.

indianapolis when andrew luck was there. and he was on his way to being sean. mcvay. and then andrew luck retires gets hurt. and retired so now all of a sudden. pep hamilton doesn't know any football. well that's ludicrous but. we have a lot of people like that in the. pipeline on the offensive side. that if we gave them an opportunity they. would be fine. there's nothing eric vietnamese in the. pipeline and eric the enemy has done. everything. that matt maggie did he's done.

everything that. doug peterson did he's done everything. that all of. andy reid's assistants have done well. all of a sudden now he's got to get a. head coaching job. yeah well he doesn't call the plays well. wait a minute. matt negan didn't call the police. frank wright didn't call the plays but. they were good coaches they were smart. coaches well now all of a sudden while. eric the enemy doesn't call the play. don't don't don't tell me about the. pipeline.

coach look for me i i think. you are such a good person. is that if something goes wrong i feel. like the nfl reaches out. and you can co-sign it and make it okay. and i i've heard you say and and turn to. other cheek and i think it has a lot to. do because. what you said your father instilled in. you at a very young age. okay there was a problem but okay let's. not talk about the problem let's see how.

we gonna solve it and how we're gonna. make it better. do you think that helps the problem. helps the cause. when you turn to other cheek because. more times than not people just keep. treating you the same way. well you have to have people who want to. get better and want to improve. and that's the thing i always did with. my players i didn't really believe in. finding players. okay hey if we've got a problem here i'm. going to tell you what's wrong. and if you want to play and be a great. player we're going to do it this way. and uh most of the time players want to.

get better so they would do it. but if you have a player that just says. okay coach didn't find me so i'm going. to keep doing this. my my only alternative at that point is. to get rid of the player. you don't fit in our system right well. you've got to have these owners you got. to have people who want to make the. situation better if they don't. you're right no matter what you do. they're going to keep doing the same. thing. i think it came out coach that you're on. the the search committee with the. houston texans. along with a few others and looking for.

a coach. and a general manager how's that. processing and how did it go. who reached out to you because like i. said coach your your. you're valued your word carries weight. so when you put your name behind. something it means something and. somebody said well. tony dungeon says he's an okay guy well. tony says he's okay he okay. yeah i don't actually know how that. happened we're in the same division. against houston i had a lot of.

back and forth uh against them uh cal. mcnair reached out to me and said. and i'm not actually on the search. committee he just want me to. help them get a develop a philosophy of. how they should search. right that's what this conversation that. we're having now that's the same. conversation i had with them. mr mcnair you got to get a blueprint you. have to decide what you want. and then once you do i can help you find. some guys that fit that. and then you figure out who's best for. you but i can't tell you i'll hire this. guy hire that guy this guy's gonna be.

the best for. because i don't know what you want. coach you got the honor bestowed. going into the pro football hall of fame. you have some players in there with you. derek brooks. uh warren sapp uh marvin harrison peyton. comes in this year. uh there's a chance edrin james you're. gonna have a few. what was the experience like what's. going through your mind you like an. undrafted guy that switched positions. is in the pro football hall of fame the. football heaven.

that's what i mean there there is no. hide this this is the football heaven. of all 25 000 men there's 350. that have that have a gold jacket. it was so unbelievable and so unexpected. you know as a little kid you dream. things i dreamed about. making it in the nfl i dreamed about. scoring the winning touchdown in the. super bowl. never dreamed about being in there you. would dream about the hall of fame. no you don't and then especially when. you get traded a couple times and cut.

you don't think about it as a young 25. year old coach. i was hoping to you know be part of the. league for a few years and then you. dream about being a head coach. but never in my wildest imagination. dreamed of being in the nfl's. hall of fame so when it happened um it. was just one of those things that i just. said thank the lord. coach you uh you get criticized because. you know every time if you have an. opinion. and if it doesn't coincide with some.

other people's opinion they say you're a. hater. you had a rank and you said that brady. was the sixth most difficult quarterback. in nfl history. to defend do you still agree with your. ranking and why do you say. he was the sixth most difficult. quarterback to defend. well first of all i don't think you can. rank across. uh generations anyway right so i said. i'm not gonna do that and i'm not gonna. go by statistics or whatever i'm gonna. go by who was toughest on me right so. now i gotta start. i'm never putting tom brady ahead of.

peyton manning so the best he can be is. two. because peyton was my guy so the highest. he could ever get is two. correct okay i started thinking of okay. who did. who gave me real prop john elway you. could do everything right. have the perfect defense he's going to. move around and make something happen. and kill you. and he killed me enough to say he he was. difficult. steve young was the same way those. mobile quarterbacks. so that's who i put ahead of time aaron. rodgers.

john elway steve young guys guys who. could move. not to say tom wasn't great he is great. but that extra dimension. meant something to me so that's that's. why i would only put him at six. just my opinion now we look at and. you've mentioned the evolution of the. mobile quarterback not only. look these quarterback when we say. mobile coach they're not looking to run. the football. they're looking to still throw the. football and they can throw it on the. move they can throw it wrong foot they.

can throw it rolling left they can throw. it roll it right. you look at deshawn watson you look at. patrick mahomes you look at aaron. rodgers you look at russell wilson. i just saw josh allen last night and. he's playing unbelievable. when you look at these quarterbacks. what's been the biggest transformation. why are these quarterbacks coming in. and being able to play so well so early. i think as coaches adapting rather than. taking that rookie quarterback and. saying. you got to learn all this stuff and you. got to learn how to be a pocket pastor. and you've got to learn this and learn.

that. they're saying no let me take what this. young man does. and build on it so i've got the rpos. in in i've got bootlegs in for them. and that's stuff that you never saw. before. and so now it's russell wilson and. deshawn creating and instead of the. coach saying no no no don't do that. the coach is saying you know what this. helps us and we'll put scramble drills. in and when. when russell does this receivers you do. that uh we'll put bootlegs in josh allen. we're gonna let you go.

and i think coaches have come out of. their shell and they've let these guys. be who they are. coach are you surprised patrick holmes. is this good i mean i thought. i saw him throw i saw him throw for over. 700 yards. against oklahoma but everybody throws. for a bunch of yards in the big 12. are you surprised he's he's on a cr. he has a chance to be all-time. generational tran. transcended great not just good he can. be. great great great yeah i am and what. amazes me about him is that 25 years old.

his uh concept and his processing of. information and his control of the game. very few mistakes very few interceptions. very few bad checks so add. the great arm skills and all of that. but the mental capacity that he has at. 25. that has amazed me and you look at the. weapon and for andy. and look you think about it they went to. the playoffs they won the division they. went to the playoffs.

uh if i'm not mistaken and he. moves up 17 spots to take. patrick mahomes when he had a. quarterback that went to the playoffs. but i think andy envisioned in order i. got tyreek a guy that can take the top. off we've never seen anything like this. since bob hayes i got a guy in travis. kelsey. in order for me to maximize that i need. a guy that can throw the ball over the. top yep. yep they saw something special i don't. know.

why they saw it and everybody else. didn't but they saw something special in. patrick mahomes. and to put him in the lineup to make. that switch. from a playoff quarterback that takes a. lot of guts. and they did it and they knew they were. going to the next level. and then to put stuff in for. 55-yard corner routes you know things. that we haven't seen before. you'd get you people would think you're. crazy for actually just putting that. play in. right no patrick can do it we're going.

to take advantage of what he can do. i think it's been amazing coach it's. funny. you don't tweet often but when you tweet. your tweets get a lot of because it's. like. if this really coach done your tweeting. you tweeted. manny played against brady five times in. the playoffs manny won three brady one. two. is that your definition of patriots. owning. why'd you tweet that someone i i forget. what. i think it was in response to my ranking. and one. the patriots fan tweeted out we owned.

peyton manning in the in in the playoffs. and i'm saying. what about facts now that's a great. opinion to have but let's look at some. facts you. i don't think you own manning in the. playoffs i just want to make that point. are you surprised that coach belichick. and brady split up after 20 years. i am but rodney harrison told me he. thought it would happen. he really did that there's just gonna. come a time. to me that it was such a spec i didn't.

want to see it happen. those guys were so special together you. want to see can they win. seven can they win eight maybe they can. win ten together. tom wants to keep playing but i guess. you know time. changes things and everything can't. remain the way it was but. uh there was something inside of me that. was a little sad when that split. happened. i'm not surprised because anytime you. see two guys. and they're battling for credit. something's gonna have to give. because at the end of the day we can't.

have 50 50. it's got to be somebody has to get. either if it's not only if it's only one. percent if it's 51.49. somebody needs more credit do you. believe they can win. super bowls apart from each other a. super bowl apart. because it seems to me that's what they. have been on doing coach. i think they can but it's going to be. much more difficult than it would have. been together. and we'll see what happens it may never. happen because super bowls are tough to. win. and for those guys to win six that was. an unbelievable accomplishment.

um if i was a betting man i would say. that. neither one of them probably will. andrew you mentioned andrew luck earlier. he retired he took a beating. a lot of punishment are you surprised he. retired at such a young age. and do you think he'll ever come back. i do not think he'll come back i was. definitely surprised. i was actually there they had a an. alumni day. i was there the day before he announced.

his retirement i was talking to him and. he's talking about. what he's going to do and he's doing. exercises with the trainers training on. his own. i was totally shocked when it happened. but he's the type of guy who. doesn't want to go out there at 95. percent he didn't want to go out there. at 90. even though his 90 could have been. better than most quarterbacks. yes i think he had a very high standard. i'm so. banged up i can't play that standard. it's time to step down but i was i was.

shocked but i do not think he'll be back. mvp rogers or mahomes. patrick mahomes uh when you watch what. he's doing with that off. rogers has been great uh but patrick. mahomes has taken. that to another level and you look at. that defense. you have to score a lot of points in. kansas city and he's he's doing it. their defense is not very good their. defense is reverted back to 2018. now they get some up they get now they. steal an extra possession. so mahomes can capitalize but if you.

just watch that defense and and that's. what teams do. what they try to do and i watch what. teams are doing they're taking the play. clock down. and they're trying to keep they're. trying to limit. mahomes uh uh uh opportunities. and make it like look let's just get to. the fourth quarter let's not let them. run away with it. and let's see what happens they've lost. one game in the last year and a half. to the oakland ray or las vegas raiders. 40 to 32. so that tells me you've got to.

score 40 points. to beat patrick mahomes. yes yes so if if that's. the pressure that he's putting on people. that you've got to score 40 to win. to me that's the most valuable player at. the start of the season who did you pick. to go to the super bowl and who do you. have going now. uh i picked san francisco. because i thought they would come back. with some vengeance after that that loss. and then the afc.

i didn't know who was going to get there. uh i i never picked the defending champs. because i think it's too hard to to go. back. so now i am thinking kansas city i think. they're going to be tough. to deal with and i think new orleans is. playing the most complete ball on the. other side and they get drew brees back. they're going to be tough to deal with. well um coach uh that's who i picked at. the beginning of the season. in new orleans i should have called you. and asked. because i just felt i just felt that new.

orleans was going to play because. i believe this is drew brees last season. and i believe he came back for this. opportunity. he says you know what i have unfinished. business and if you look at the way. now offensively they're okay but their. defense. they have their defense is getting after. people now it's gonna be interesting to. see if drew brees does it how soon drew. gets back. because if i'm a team look if you only. score 17 points you they can beat you. and take some heel.

you got to make it a shootout you got to. make tayson hill beat you. throwing the football and if you can't. do that i don't believe you can beat the. saints. and even if pittsburgh was level to know. i wasn't sold on pittsburgh because. they're too one-dimensional they can't. run the football. yeah they're winning a lot of as you say. 17. 14 21-17 when you play kansas city. you're not going to win a 21-17 game. so you you better be able to put up some. points coach i really appreciate you. taking time today i know you're busy i.

appreciate you taking. time is there anything you want to plug. you got a book you got a charity. no i'm all good i appreciate it but it's. been great being with you. it's good good being with you coach you. know i don't get an opportunity to talk. to you much. i remember when i had the uh i was on. serious satellite radio and used to come. on every year. every every monday for like three years. it was fun it was fun. yeah i missed those times uh thanks. coach i really appreciate it. all my life been grinding all my life. sacrifice. hustle pay the price wanna slice got to.

roll the dice that's why. all my life i've been grinding all my. life look all my life. been running all my life sacrifice plus. will pay the price. wanna slice got to roll. [Music]. you know what to do hit the subscribe. button to become an official member of. club shayshay. where we always do something before. tucson.