This week we welcome Hokie football alumnus and current Director of Player Development Tyrell Smith. We look back at his time at Virginia Tech as a player, dive into his football journey since graduation, and look at the way his current role with the Hokies impacts student athletes both on and off the field.

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Whether you like it or don't
like it, learn to love it

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because it is the best thing
towards.

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And welcome back to the Boundary
Corner podcast along my partner

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Brian Siegler, I am Curtis
Wilson and part of the College

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Huddle Network.
And as always, we are brought to

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We are back, buddy.
We are back.

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We are missing our our
compatriots tonight, but we are

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back.
Well, you know, things happen.

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Last week, things happened, man.
It's, it's been one of those

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things where this spring, like
just, you know, little thing

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here, little thing there,
everyone's busy.

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We got sports.
I, I know all of us have at

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least one kid doing something.
I've heard you, you've got a

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whole brood of them doing
something.

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So it's always interesting,
especially when you know, you

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were down in Florida.
I was up north for a little bit.

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Well, last week was wild because
we, we, we get the e-mail and

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say, Hey, you know, he, he can
come home tonight.

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And Brian's like Curtis, I'm
like, dude, I'm at the Orlando

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Magic basketball game this.
Is happening tonight.

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And you're like, I don't know
where you I am assuming you were

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not.
I had a 12 hour car ride.

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There you go.
So it was like nothing happened.

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But I think we pulled back in at
like 9/30, 10:00 so.

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Hey, is what it is.
But you know what, lucky for us,

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he was kind enough to make a
little room on his schedule.

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And tonight we're going to
introduce y'all.

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I don't know if this is the
first interview he's done since

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getting this position, but
former hokey offensive lineman,

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now the director of player
development, Tyrell Smith, joins

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us tonight for Lil Thalt.
Tyrell, how are you tonight?

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I'm great, I'm great.
First off, let me start by

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saying that the intro you guys
have that is big time.

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That's really my my first time
really seeing it.

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So you guys have a great thing
going right there.

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But I'm I'm glad to be here.
I appreciate y'all having me and

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I'm excited.
Awesome, man.

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Like I said, I appreciate you
being flexible with everything.

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I know we were we had a couple a
couple false starts there.

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Yeah, sometimes that that that's
something that happens as

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offensive lineman, right.
So.

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Trust me, I know, unfortunately.
Hey, so we, we appreciate you.

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You're taking the time tonight
circling up with us and you have

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just a good conversation and
talk a little hokey football.

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I love it.
I love it.

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Anytime I get to talk Virginia
Tech, I'm all for it.

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We, we know that man.
I'm going to say this by the

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way, everybody, if you visit the
website where Terrell Smith is

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clearly the director of player
development, they're still using

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your old football headshot, man.
No.

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Did you know?
That see, I got to talk.

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I got to talk to Travis Wells
because I asked him about that

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because my mom said she went on
the website to check it out and

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she saw the old me.
She's like, I almost didn't

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recognize you.
So I got to get that updated.

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But it's good to see that it is
still up there and everything

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like that though.
It's still up there from when

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you play because when I when I
was pulling it up, I was just

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doing some research.
I'm like wait a second, that's

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I'm 98% sure that is the.
I think it's a 2021 actually

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the, the cause I've got, I've
got, I've got the, the roster

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page from your, your 2021 season
has a different photo, but very

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similar.
I think it might be like a 2020

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or 2019 photo that they've got
in there.

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They they pulled that out of the
archives, man, I'm telling.

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Yeah, man, yeah, man.
You get named there like just

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just find a headshot.
Exactly.

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We got to get it on here.
That's exactly what it was.

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Well, let's talk about let's
talk about your journey to BT

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First.
You know clearly, you know you,

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you were recruited by Coach
Frank Beamer.

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I'm trying to think was it was
Grimes or Cyril's?

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Yep.
So got recruited by Coach

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Beamer.
Coach Jeff Grimes was the one

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that came up to New Jersey and
first met me up at my high

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school, told me they liked me
and wanted me to come down to

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camp.
So I did that in June of 2014.

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I lied June 2013, sorry.
June 2013, went down to camp,

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performed well, I thought,
didn't earn a scholarship that

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day.
So I was kind of like, OK, on to

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the next school kind of thing.
So I Remember Me and my mom, we

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went down to Miami the next
weekend for a camp down there.

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Right before the camp, Coach
Grimes calls me and says, like,

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you did a great job, we're going
to offer your scholarship.

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So I'm in Miami.
I'm jumping around in the hotel

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room through the roof because at
the point I only had a a UMass

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offer.
So to get the Virginia Tech

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offer was huge for me.
So got that offer, and then I

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think about a week later, I
committed and then have been a

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hokey ever since.
Yeah.

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And and.
I love hearing that man, that

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like it's, it's so cool.
Like when you get those

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opportunities and the thing that
you always wanted kind of comes

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to fruition and it's like, all
right, that, that that's step

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one.
Now I got to.

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Now I got to go to work though.
Exactly, exactly because you,

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you get the scholarship and
obviously that's a a huge

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moment, but as you said, it's
really just the beginning.

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So from from getting the
scholarship that day to

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finishing out my senior year,
senior year on a on a high note,

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trying to be on a high note at
least doing that, and then

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having a little of a speed bump
when I had to go to prep school,

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I had to go to prep school for a
semester.

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So I spent that at Cushing
Academy up in Massachusetts, and

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I then enrolled in Tech in
January of 15th.

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Very, very nice.
We'll talk about that piece of

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the journey too, because you
obviously you, you get

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recruited, you get that offer
and then I've got to go path

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like, do do you think that
really, because I'm going to say

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this, we're speaking with the
guy who holds not one, but two

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master's degrees, which is just
unbelievably impressive.

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But do you think maybe that part
of your journey really when you

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got into school was like, I need
to focus.

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Yes, I'm here to, I've got a
football scholarship.

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Great, wonderful.
But you know what, football's

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not going to last forever.
Let me focus on my studies

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because what Bachelor's in
criminology.

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Yes, Sir, impressive Master's in
but informational technology

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like education.
Yes Sir.

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Which I mean, you know, I, I, I
work with a few people like that

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in my profession.
And then you got also your

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masters in agriculture.
Yep, Yep, with the concentration

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and leadership.
So that's kind of how it ties

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back into what I'm doing now.
But but yeah, so that's the the

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the educational side of things,
but.

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The.
Having to go to prep school for

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a semester, I think as much as I
I hated it, to be honest, I

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think it humbled me a lot coming
from a a powerful high school.

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Don Bosco prep is a year in year
out, puts a ton of talent in

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Division One schools going there
and kind of getting offered by

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Virginia Tech.
Maybe I was a little bit high

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and then to to see that I had to
go to prep school made me

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realize a few things, which I
think helped me a bit.

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So I got here to Virginia Tech
in January 15, just realizing

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that, all right, you're on a
football scholarship, but

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there's also a lot of academic
work you got to do as well.

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So that's kind of was my mindset
when I got here.

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And like you said, I was able to
get here, do my thing

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athletically, but also more
importantly academically, and it

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kind of helps with how I deal
with the players now and

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recruits.
It's always fun to hear that

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journey piece and and that, you
know, sometimes you get that

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adversity and, and how do you
handle it?

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How do you work through it?
But I mean, obviously, you know,

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looking at at the way you
carried yourself at Virginia

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Tech, always impressive.
One thing I want to talk about,

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because this is a, this is a
very player LED thing, or at

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least it was at the time, like
getting voted captain three

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times.
Like what did what did that mean

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to you as as, as that, that part
of your career, especially I

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know that you know some of that
you were dealing with with an

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injury during some of those
seasons.

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Yeah, so first year was 2019.
So obviously you get here as a

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young player and you see all the
older guys, Jonathan McLaughlin,

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Augie Conti, Sam Rogers, Chuck
Clark.

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You see all those older guys and
you look up to them and like,

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whoa, like in a few years, I
wish I could be half of that

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because those guys were just
some of the best team mates I

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ever had on and off the field.
So going into 2019, that was my

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red shirt senior year, my my
fifth year.

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That was going to be my last
year.

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Obviously that's something I
thought about, but I knew it was

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out of my control.
So to get voted captain that

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year meant a ton to me.
To have the the respect of my

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team mates, I think was huge for
me and I think that I think set

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me apart from a lot of the the
other captains in in history at

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Virginia Techie and other places
throughout as a three time

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captain, I wasn't the the star
player.

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I wasn't the starting left
tackle, starting right tackle.

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As as everyone knows, I only
started one game in my career.

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So I did it in a in a different
way.

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I was able to capture my
teammates and the coaching staff

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in a way that I wasn't exactly
the the star player, but I had

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their respect and leadership
enough in the locker room that

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they were able to wanted to vote
me as a captain go.

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Ahead.
Go ahead, Curtis.

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I was going to.
Say you, you just got to love to

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hear that with the words that
just came out of your mouth is I

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wasn't the starter, but everyone
had my respect.

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Everyone knew, I am assuming
from you I was going to put the

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team first.
I was going to do the right

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things and every piece and they
saw that because even though you

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only started one game, you still
played in 67 games in your

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career, which is still
impressive.

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We did not get into PFF and get
snap count.

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We we didn't go to that snap
count or.

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Not I think the GPS that that
that's definitely a Virginia

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Tech record for games played.
Definitely got to be right.

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Yeah, actually.
I was talking to Travis when I

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first got here and he was like,
the record still stands and he

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said I don't know if everyone's
going to ever break that record.

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So luckily for me that that
number will will will stay in

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history.
That's awesome.

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Well, let's go back to that on
field because again, 67 games

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from 2016 to 2021, What do you
say, Ron?

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Do we ask for three or do we ask
for four?

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Let's do 3.
Let's do 3.

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Let's.
Let's keep it.

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Let's keep it.
We don't want to give him too

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many things to pour over here.
OK, so let's go just of your

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time 20/16/2021 like the top
three moments, games, moments

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that you were there for clearly.
What's the first one?

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And when I said what's the first
one that comes to mind like this

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game this year, you know what
I'm saying first.

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One is 2016.
I think that Thursday or Friday

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night we have Miami at home.
We we beat him at home the way

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Coach Fu had us going that week
when Coach Fu, Coach Fuente got

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into town, he was like everyone
else in the ACC is going to feel

221
00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:22,920
us and like Miami.
They didn't respect us for

222
00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:25,480
anything.
So he had us going that entire

223
00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:27,960
week.
So for us to to get big name

224
00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:30,840
Miami to come into town on a
Thursday night where we know

225
00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:34,840
Lane is crazy for that win was
was huge for us.

226
00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:36,480
So that one comes to mind right
away.

227
00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:43,440
I'd say secondly is my last year
playing 2021 season opener, we

228
00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:45,600
got North Carolina.
I think they're they're 10th in

229
00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:49,200
the country.
So for for them to be tempted in

230
00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,760
country and us to to go out and
play our game and just all day

231
00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:54,800
long.
We started off high and kind of

232
00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:58,320
took a low in the middle of the
game, but huge win.

233
00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:00,200
That one comes to mind right
away.

234
00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:02,080
I love that one to death.
And then?

235
00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:07,480
Also in. 2021 beating UVA on
their field.

236
00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:12,280
At any time I can embarrass it
and just beat UVA, I'm going to

237
00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:17,120
take full advantage of it.
It's pretty clear how I feel

238
00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:19,480
about them.
So to, to plan our flag in the

239
00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:22,960
middle of their field, I get
chills thinking about it like

240
00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:26,960
that's, that's our field.
So we're we're going to get it

241
00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:29,680
back.
Man, you you pick you pick some

242
00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:33,320
good ones there and I mean you
talk about the UNC opener.

243
00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:37,360
That was like the the first real
game post Covic in like yes,

244
00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:40,000
every time there's like the
season is about to start, they

245
00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:41,800
show that clip.
Oh my.

246
00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,640
Goodness, that clip.
That's like, and it is funny

247
00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:46,640
because like I, I love seeing
that.

248
00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:50,760
I love seeing the energy in that
crowd, but like the cameras were

249
00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:53,320
not that great.
Like I I we like they didn't

250
00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,960
even really capture the full
essence of lane with with that,

251
00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:01,360
but like it was the.
ESPN first game of prime time

252
00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:04,160
that Friday night and it was
like what is this?

253
00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,800
Because you could just see I
mean the whole place was the

254
00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:11,280
camera.
They had the orange everything's

255
00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:15,280
shaking knowing they were going.
It's like well, this is cool,

256
00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:19,080
but man, this camera because
when that when that gets

257
00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:21,840
dropped, which it will
preferably get dropped in about

258
00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:23,520
6 months.
No, we're not.

259
00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:26,240
We're five months now because Oh
my God, we're.

260
00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:30,040
Because it's April.
Because it's April in five

261
00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:31,800
months.
That first weekend, that will

262
00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:34,760
pop up and at least one comment,
at least one comment on Twitter

263
00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:39,720
will be something to cameras.
Hey, I had no clue because I

264
00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:40,920
think the same thing when I see
it.

265
00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,560
Like you would think it was back
in the back in the day or

266
00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:48,200
something like it was 2021 not
too long ago, but 720.

267
00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:52,040
One looked like 2008.
Literally like couldn't believe

268
00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,200
it.
What?

269
00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:59,920
OK, so that's the three moments
and I understand those because

270
00:15:59,920 --> 00:16:05,640
2016 a they came in, people were
like they're going to beat Tech.

271
00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:07,840
It's you know, even though Tech
had a good, we had a good start

272
00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:09,520
to the season, their Miami's
going to beat them.

273
00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:13,080
We smoke them, but let's go back
to this.

274
00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:16,280
Three moments are great.
First time you walk through that

275
00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:19,840
tunnel as a player, Like, what's
the feeling?

276
00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:22,960
Because I think for you it would
have been 2016 Liberty, correct?

277
00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:26,720
Yep.
Yep, spot on, spot on.

278
00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:29,800
But what was that feeling the
the March for Merriman?

279
00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:34,720
I mean, it was a noon game.
Everything you can see and feel

280
00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:37,640
like.
Just what what went through your

281
00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:38,840
mind?
I know that's a decade.

282
00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:41,880
It's a decade ago, which I hope
that doesn't make you too sad,

283
00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:47,280
but it was a decade ago.
But what what went through your

284
00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:50,040
mind walking that line?
Yeah.

285
00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:54,640
Obviously that that previous
year 2015 where I red shirted

286
00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:57,280
didn't get didn't dress any
games or anything like that.

287
00:16:57,280 --> 00:17:00,560
So you see it and obviously
everyone sees the videos and

288
00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:05,079
everything like that, but that
Liberty game to finally strap my

289
00:17:05,079 --> 00:17:07,680
pads on, walk from Merriman
through the tunnel.

290
00:17:08,839 --> 00:17:12,480
I was like so filled with joy.
I didn't really know what to

291
00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:15,839
expect or what to do once I ran
out the tunnel because it was it

292
00:17:15,839 --> 00:17:18,079
was my first time.
You've seen the the cool

293
00:17:18,079 --> 00:17:21,359
pictures of guys like jumping up
and waving their arms and things

294
00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:23,960
like that.
But I was so like enamored by

295
00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:28,400
all of our fans and the the
pyrotechnics going off.

296
00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:30,320
I'm just looking up and I had no
clue.

297
00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:32,240
I think I almost tripped on a
teammate or something.

298
00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:37,640
But as as more games started to
come, I kind of was able to kind

299
00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:39,320
of capture what was truly going
on.

300
00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:43,640
But no matter it was the first
game or the last game in lane in

301
00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:48,520
my career, like I still got
chills and still like to be in

302
00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:50,800
that moment.
One of the best college football

303
00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:54,200
entrances in the country.
I love it to death.

304
00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:59,000
Yeah, I mean, every time we hear
somebody talk about what that

305
00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:02,240
experience is like, and I'm
always curious, it's like, are

306
00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,360
you the type of person that's
trying to soak it all in or are

307
00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:08,600
you trying to like lock in like
tunnel vision?

308
00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:11,640
Yeah, ready for what's about to
come at you so the.

309
00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:16,280
Thing the thing one before being
voted a captain, obviously I got

310
00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:19,680
to run out all the time and it
was honestly amazing touching

311
00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:20,880
the hoagie stone and running
out.

312
00:18:21,120 --> 00:18:24,320
But then when you get voted when
you're a captain, you have to go

313
00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:27,560
out before the team runs out.
So the captains will walk out

314
00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:30,320
and it's a different entrance.
But it's honestly it's pretty

315
00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:33,360
unique because it's you and
three or four others and

316
00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:35,440
everyone's clapping for you kind
of thing.

317
00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:39,360
So I don't say, I don't even
remember the last time I ran out

318
00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:44,160
to Enter Sandman, but just being
out there for it on the field

319
00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:46,560
and having all your teammates
run out and kind of hyping them

320
00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:51,520
up was still an amazing thing
that I wish I could get back

321
00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:54,120
sometimes.
Are you going to ask Coach

322
00:18:54,120 --> 00:18:56,880
Franklin just one time?
Can I just be in the line with

323
00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:58,800
all of us?
Don't please no you.

324
00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:01,160
You should see at practice like
we we have some competitive

325
00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:04,320
periods offense versus defense,
like I'm on the offensive side

326
00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:07,480
naturally and I'm like, coach,
let me go like let, let let me

327
00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:10,560
go, let let's one of these
defensive GAS or coaches go and

328
00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:15,080
let's see what happens there
creating.

329
00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:19,920
The what is it?
The Hunger Games G Staff

330
00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:22,400
edition, literally.
Literally like there was one

331
00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:26,440
time during winter workouts
we're going to do like the

332
00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:28,720
position coaches to finish it
off and I'm I'm trying to go,

333
00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:31,480
I'm like, I need the offense to
win and coach Frank's like get

334
00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:32,880
out of there.
I'm like, all right, coach,

335
00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,040
sorry about that, but I just
want to win.

336
00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:36,160
I wanted to win.
He's.

337
00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:39,480
Like, put me back in, I still
got some juicy.

338
00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:41,880
Let's go, baby.
Exactly.

339
00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:46,320
Well, let's shift a little bit
because there's the time as the

340
00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:49,200
players here in those moments,
it's always great to hear the

341
00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:52,480
journey.
But you've had a journey post Vt

342
00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,960
and let's start first in 2022, a
year after graduate.

343
00:19:57,080 --> 00:20:01,000
By the way, nice job.
Like get out of College in 2021,

344
00:20:01,360 --> 00:20:04,520
less than a year.
He's got a job as the Rutgers

345
00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:06,600
player development assistant to
Greg Schiano.

346
00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:09,800
Like how'd that come about?
And.

347
00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,360
You know, how was that role at
Rutgers being like your first

348
00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:17,920
foot into, you know, the, I
would say the managerial side of

349
00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:19,320
college football?
Yeah.

350
00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:23,800
I think for me when I when I in
my career, when I knew I wasn't

351
00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:27,200
going to the NFLI wanted to stay
close to football.

352
00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:30,640
I didn't know how that was going
to work out, but I knew I wanted

353
00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:33,720
to be involved with the guys in
in some way.

354
00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:38,000
So my high school offensive
coordinator, Drew Lascary, he

355
00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:40,440
he's currently the assistant
quarterbacks coach for the

356
00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:43,440
Jacksonville Jaguars.
He worked at Rutgers at the

357
00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:45,280
time.
He was the safeties coach.

358
00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:50,320
He said I got a job for you.
He says it's entry level, but if

359
00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:52,800
you want to work in football,
this is going to be a great

360
00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:56,520
opportunity.
So I got to Rutgers in 22 as a

361
00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:58,600
player development assistant and
kind of did a lot.

362
00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:04,240
It was a mixture of recruiting,
mixture of recruiting, a little

363
00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:08,440
bit of academics and kind of
just understanding how the the

364
00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:10,480
behind the scenes of football
worked.

365
00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:13,240
So we, we, we touched a lot of
different things, but I think

366
00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:17,360
it, it helped me a lot because
sometimes we help the operations

367
00:21:17,360 --> 00:21:20,160
crew, we'd help the recruiting
department, you're helping the

368
00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:22,200
position coaches with film and
things like that.

369
00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:26,960
So it's helped me a lot, not
only from my director, but also

370
00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:30,000
Coach Schiano.
Obviously he knows a ton, so

371
00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:32,880
being able to work for him was
was definitely huge for me.

372
00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:37,240
Love hearing that.
And you know, like I said, I

373
00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:40,000
think, you know, I appreciate
you kind of highlighting some of

374
00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:41,720
the things that you're doing in
those roles.

375
00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:45,080
I think that's important.
And I know that you know, having

376
00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:47,280
having talked to some other
folks around, like I know

377
00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:51,520
sometimes depending on where
where you're at, sometimes that

378
00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:53,600
role can look a little different
and things like that.

379
00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:57,520
So I appreciate that when you
when you had the first, first

380
00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:02,360
step away from Rutgers moving on
to Boise State, shifting over

381
00:22:02,360 --> 00:22:05,040
into a strength and conditioning
role, what was that like?

382
00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:09,600
How how did that kind of shift
in terms of what your focus was

383
00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:13,240
and kind of building, you know,
those tools in your toolbox as,

384
00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:17,400
as you know, working in the in
the in the football realm, off

385
00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:18,840
the field?
Yeah, the.

386
00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:23,000
Those jobs when I was at
Rutgers, I really couldn't never

387
00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:25,560
imagine that I'd end up in
Boise, ID.

388
00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:29,360
But it it brought me back to
Virginia Tech because Ben

389
00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:33,080
Hilgart, who was my strength
coach for six years, he got the

390
00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:36,280
head coaching job, head head
strength coach job at Boise

391
00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:39,320
State.
He called me for an opportunity.

392
00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:42,720
And like I said, when I was at
Rutgers, it was kind of on the

393
00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:44,400
bottom.
And this was a step up in my

394
00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:46,000
career and I thought it could
benefit me.

395
00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:49,760
Went out to Boise for a year and
learned a ton.

396
00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:53,000
Being in the being in the weight
room on the coaching side, it,

397
00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:55,800
it teaches you a lot.
You see the kids at their their

398
00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,600
weakest point and you get to, to
build them up.

399
00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:02,080
So I thought that was something
huge for me, whether that was in

400
00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,200
the weight room or just as a
person.

401
00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:06,800
So I learned a lot when I was
out in Boise.

402
00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:09,000
Absolutely loved it.
We won the Mountain West out

403
00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:14,080
there, but nothing but great
things about the, the, the state

404
00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:16,600
of Idaho and in Boise.
Have you guys ever been?

405
00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:18,320
Never been.
Never.

406
00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:21,080
Been out there I will I will
have to get out like so we're

407
00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:23,080
we're planning a cross country
trip next year.

408
00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:26,320
So I might have to like take a
little detour up there in Idaho

409
00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:27,600
and see what it's all about, I'm
telling.

410
00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:29,800
You that the blue, the blue turf
is pretty unique.

411
00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,080
It was a it was a good year
spent out there.

412
00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:38,200
What a what a shift in shift in
scenery, though, because

413
00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:42,120
Rutgers, I mean like not far
from the metro areas up in, you

414
00:23:42,120 --> 00:23:46,600
know, New York and New Jersey
and Boise, ID By the way, what

415
00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:48,840
was the coldest it was ever
while you were there?

416
00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:52,840
Just like do you remember like
negative like 9 Like what am I

417
00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:55,880
doing it?
It got low and we'd have similar

418
00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:57,840
to everywhere in the country,
you have those early morning

419
00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,040
workouts and you look at you
wake up and you look at the

420
00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,440
weather and you see 0°.
I'm like, what?

421
00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:04,640
What did I like?
What am I doing with my life?

422
00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:06,680
Like I was like, is this what I
really want?

423
00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:10,720
But no, it was great out there.
But like you said, coming and

424
00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:14,800
growing up in New Jersey,
working at Rutgers, being 45

425
00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:18,600
minutes away from New York City
and then going out to Idaho was

426
00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:22,120
a little bit of a shock for me.
But I think it was good.

427
00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:25,240
It kind of taught me to slow
down a little bit, appreciate

428
00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:27,480
the scenery and everything that
it had to offer.

429
00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:30,360
Yeah.
I mean, I know, I know you, you,

430
00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:35,240
you know, you've had a lot of
time in, in that area, you know,

431
00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:38,800
both in, in your younger days
before college and then

432
00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:40,640
obviously with your time in
Rutgers and.

433
00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,400
It can get.
Cold in, in, in, in New Jersey,

434
00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,840
but I think it's a different
type of cold in Idaho, yeah.

435
00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:52,720
It 100% is like the first time I
saw zero.

436
00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:55,080
I went into our equipment
manager the next day I said I

437
00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:58,280
need the biggest jacket,
whatever you have back there.

438
00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:01,720
Like I need 2 of them.
Love it, love it.

439
00:25:02,120 --> 00:25:04,600
All right, so from there, you
spend a year, like you said,

440
00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,760
with someone you knew and been
Hilgard, you know, your former

441
00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:11,320
strength conditioning coach and
I mean, you said it, you guys,

442
00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:13,880
you win the Mountain West
Conference, you go through a

443
00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:17,200
different experience.
How did you get back to Rutgers?

444
00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:20,080
Was this was this you seeking
it, or is this someone picking

445
00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:23,880
up the phone saying, hey,
somebody's left?

446
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:26,520
Yeah, you crushed for us.
We want you back in this

447
00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:27,560
building.
Yeah, it.

448
00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:30,640
Was a it was a unique situation.
So like I said, we we won the

449
00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:33,680
Mountain West that year and our
head coach got let go at the end

450
00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:36,520
of the season.
So our contracts were, as you

451
00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:39,200
guys know, in this business,
when the head coach gets let go,

452
00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:42,800
everyone gets let go.
So at that point was kind of

453
00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:45,760
searching for a job and someone
had left that Rutgers.

454
00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,640
So they called me and said, all
right, we had you here as a

455
00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:52,800
player development assistant.
We now want you to assist the

456
00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:54,880
director in running the
department.

457
00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:59,360
So got let go from Boise and I
think like a week or two later,

458
00:26:00,360 --> 00:26:04,880
Rutgers offered me the job.
Moved back out to New Jersey for

459
00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:07,840
a little bit of a more advanced
role from what I was doing

460
00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:09,920
previously.
I was an assistant in the

461
00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:12,600
department.
Now I'm helping hire all the

462
00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,920
assistants in the department, so
it was a little bit different,

463
00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:18,480
but honestly I think it's really
prepared me for where I am now

464
00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:22,640
to to see more of what really
goes on, help the guys more off

465
00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:26,840
the field, dealing with their
issues has truly prepared me for

466
00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:30,880
what I'm doing now.
That's awesome, man, and you

467
00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:33,960
know, like I said, you've had
these three roles now and you

468
00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:37,600
know, you've taken that kind of
step up as you've gone along.

469
00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,240
So I know that that, you know,
that feels good is in terms of

470
00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:42,920
like, you know, career and and
all that you like you, you know,

471
00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:46,480
you're building towards, you
know, those type of goals,

472
00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:52,880
taking that step away from being
a player development assistant,

473
00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:55,280
moving up into the assisting the
director.

474
00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:59,880
What how did that kind of shift
the the responsibilities that

475
00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:04,760
you had day-to-day with the
players now that you've got, you

476
00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:08,400
know, some of these other duties
that are assigned to your role,

477
00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:09,160
correct.
So.

478
00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:12,800
Working our records the first
time to the second time was

479
00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,240
honestly completely different.
The first time I was doing a lot

480
00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:19,160
more of the grunt work as
opposed to the second time.

481
00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:22,480
Now I'm kind of telling guys
what to do, where to go.

482
00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:27,160
But it allowed me to have a
little better relationships with

483
00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:29,200
the players because I wasn't
running around as much.

484
00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:33,360
And I think that's what I valued
as a player was having the staff

485
00:27:33,360 --> 00:27:37,240
members who could take 20
minutes and and really hear

486
00:27:37,360 --> 00:27:40,160
what's going on in their lives
outside of football because

487
00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:43,520
everyone wants to talk football,
but sometimes these kids just

488
00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:46,440
want to have someone to talk to
and open up in a different way.

489
00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:49,280
So when I had that was
opportunities, that's where I

490
00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:52,640
was able to connect with a lot
of players on a different level.

491
00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:55,960
And that's, that's, that's
awesome to hear.

492
00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:59,360
And I think it's someone you
know, of you're, I'll, you

493
00:27:59,360 --> 00:28:03,040
played the game and then you, I
love you saying you did the

494
00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:05,320
grunt work of the, the player
development, but then you

495
00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:07,480
assisted in strength conditions.
So you know, the mentality of

496
00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:11,120
those coaches, the player
development and then, you know,

497
00:28:11,120 --> 00:28:14,360
coming back in that kind of
higher level role looking, I'm

498
00:28:14,360 --> 00:28:17,280
not saying you're setting the
agendas, but you might get more

499
00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:20,480
input on setting the agendas.
Really love seeing that.

500
00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:23,160
And I'm going to come back in a
few minutes definitely to talk a

501
00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:25,160
little bit more about that.
But but I'll but I want to

502
00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:29,440
capture this because we're in
this journey and you know,

503
00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:32,720
you're still at Rutgers last
year and, you know, coach

504
00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:35,280
Franklin gets hired, which I'm
sure you know, college football

505
00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:39,400
world.
You you heard it frankly, going

506
00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:42,080
to my alma mater.
That's interesting.

507
00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:47,960
But how, hey, how are you
approached about taking over

508
00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:51,240
being the director?
And then on top of that, the

509
00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:53,880
emotions, because we know you
love this place.

510
00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:57,000
Yeah.
And when, how had the situation

511
00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,160
happened?
And then what was the emotions

512
00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:02,360
like you getting that phone call
as a former Hokie, as a former

513
00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:03,960
team captain, as a former
Letterman?

514
00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:05,840
Yeah.
They want you to come home

515
00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:09,320
because what you've done is
exemplary and they want you to

516
00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:11,120
run this department.
For sure.

517
00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,600
Honestly, it all happened
because of the the connections

518
00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:17,440
and the work that I was able to
do at Rutgers.

519
00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:21,160
There was a few people that used
to work at Rutgers that moved on

520
00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:26,440
to Penn State and when they took
the job down here, they kind of

521
00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:29,320
started talking and somehow my
name came up.

522
00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:34,640
And then this was in I think the
end of December, around in

523
00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:37,440
December, the conversations
really started to happen.

524
00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:42,080
I remember I landed in Mexico
because the the season at

525
00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:45,760
Rutgers finished.
I was assuming I was going to

526
00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:47,200
return.
So we're on vacation.

527
00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,200
We had our time off.
So I landed in Mexico.

528
00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:52,360
I get off the plane and have a
text from coach James Franklin

529
00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:55,840
saying can you talk?
I'm like, oh, I was like, yeah,

530
00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:58,160
I can.
So I, I connected to the Wi-Fi

531
00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:00,840
real quick in the, in the Cancun
airport.

532
00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:05,760
He we talk a little bit and he
kind of introduces the, the

533
00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:07,680
possibility of me joining his
staff.

534
00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:12,720
So once I got back to United
States, we, we scheduled an

535
00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:14,960
interview.
I came into town and they were

536
00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:17,800
speaking about what I was able
to do at Rutgers academically

537
00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:21,600
and recruiting wise, but also
the opportunity to do it here,

538
00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:26,680
where I played, where my, my
sister goes here now the, the

539
00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:28,480
place that I was here for seven
years.

540
00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:31,640
Nothing but great things to say
about this place.

541
00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:34,040
So to, to get to relate to these
guys.

542
00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,240
Like I remember when the indoor
was just dirt.

543
00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:41,560
So like to see them work working
out in there every single day or

544
00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:44,280
walking across campus to McBride
like I used to do it.

545
00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:47,480
So I, I truly relate to these
guys in a different way.

546
00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:51,360
And I think that really helped
me get the position, but also

547
00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:53,560
the work that I was able to do
at my previous stop.

548
00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:57,120
Yeah, that and you kind of
answered a little bit, but I'll,

549
00:30:57,240 --> 00:30:59,800
you know, one of the things I
was curious about is like how,

550
00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:04,480
you know, in your current role
relative to what was going on at

551
00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,000
Rutgers.
Like, you know, it sounds like

552
00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:10,680
you're able to kind of talk to
them on a on a different level.

553
00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:15,040
Just because not only have you
lived it generally, you've lived

554
00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:18,840
it very specifically being in
Blacksburg, you know, doing the

555
00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:21,960
things that these that they're
doing day-to-day, understanding

556
00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:24,240
the relationships with some of
the, you know, professors on

557
00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:27,280
campus and all all those things.
So there's, there's a lot of

558
00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:30,960
things that you can speak to
with a, a level of insight that,

559
00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:33,160
you know, maybe some of some of
the other peers in in your

560
00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:36,160
position historically may may
not have been able to do.

561
00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:38,120
Yeah.
And one thing that I've noticed,

562
00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:41,080
what these guys are they
everyone says like, yeah, I

563
00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:42,600
played here, I did this, this
and that.

564
00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:46,320
But when they actually Google
your name, like, oh, you played

565
00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:48,680
here like for, for this amount
of years, you were a cat.

566
00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:51,040
Like it takes them a little bit
longer.

567
00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:53,720
They hear it all the time from
so many different coaches

568
00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:55,560
throughout the recruiting
process and things like that.

569
00:31:55,560 --> 00:32:00,320
But once you start working at,
at A, at a school for me here

570
00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:03,440
and then I tell my story.
I, I get introduced to the team,

571
00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:05,800
but then it takes them some time
naturally, because they have a,

572
00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:07,560
a million different things going
on.

573
00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:10,960
I still have some guys coming to
him like bro, like you played

574
00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:13,440
here for seven years, like, and
you were a three time captain,

575
00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:17,280
like, so it, it, it takes a
little bit of time, but no,

576
00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:20,280
they're, they're great once
they, they understand, like I

577
00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:22,960
walked your shoes, like
everything I'm telling you is

578
00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:25,160
out of experience.
A lot of things you're going

579
00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:26,480
through.
I went through here as a player,

580
00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:29,040
whether on the field, off the
field, I can relate.

581
00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:32,760
And then seeing familiar faces
in the training room or on

582
00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:36,000
campus, it helps because some of
the classes they're in, for

583
00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:39,240
example, I may have taken a
class and I may know a thing

584
00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:41,360
that can help them get through
it a little bit better.

585
00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:46,480
So it helps a ton I think.
And that's.

586
00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:49,800
Awesome, awesome to hear.
Well, let's let's talk about

587
00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:52,040
this a little bit because
obviously you're coming in with

588
00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:53,680
player development.
You know, you know, you're going

589
00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:56,880
to have a relationship with the
kids, but you clearly are going

590
00:32:56,880 --> 00:32:59,240
to have to have a relationship
with the coaching staff.

591
00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:03,520
And now I'm trying to think,
let's see, you're 21.

592
00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:09,640
I'm trying to think, was anyone
from your last year here still

593
00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:13,440
in some sort of role?
Yep.

594
00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:18,680
So Coach Crist, Brian Crist,
he's like a senior analyst,

595
00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:24,240
coach, goof who?
Govey, Winslow, Jeron, Hugh was

596
00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:28,280
on the staff as well.
And then Jarrett Ferguson was a

597
00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:30,000
strength coach.
He wasn't here in my last year,

598
00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,480
but my first year he was on the
staff.

599
00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:36,200
But besides that.
The staff.

600
00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:40,040
Is pretty much all new.
So what's it been like

601
00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:42,720
cultivating that relationship?
Because really it's, I'm

602
00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:45,960
assuming speed dating, right?
Because it's been 3 months since

603
00:33:45,960 --> 00:33:48,320
you set foot on campus and
exactly.

604
00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:51,400
I get to know everybody.
In some way, shape or form it.

605
00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:53,680
It was as soon as I got to
campus, I was like, all right,

606
00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:55,920
let me learn all these coaches,
let me learn their recruiting

607
00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:58,920
area, let me get to know these
guys so I can see how I can best

608
00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:01,680
help them.
So immediately learning these

609
00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:04,960
guys where they're from, what's
their their history so I can

610
00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:08,520
help them better with our
current players and in

611
00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:12,120
recruiting.
So Victoria Hall, I had a a good

612
00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:13,920
relationship because he was at
records with me.

613
00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:16,280
So that one I kind of checked
off the list.

614
00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:19,960
But then the other guys, Nick
Perry got in tight with him

615
00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:23,040
right away.
Anthony Midget, especially Coach

616
00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:25,719
Moore as well, just because he's
offensive line coach.

617
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,960
Those are some of the guys who
Norval McKenzie, he actually

618
00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:32,199
texted me today and had me
working on a recruit.

619
00:34:32,199 --> 00:34:34,920
So just getting in with these
guys, telling them my history,

620
00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:37,480
what I've been able to do in
recruiting and getting certain

621
00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:40,800
commits.
And they've been they've trusted

622
00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:42,159
me already.
They they put some

623
00:34:42,159 --> 00:34:45,000
responsibility on me.
I want you to talk to this kid.

624
00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:46,719
Let's get him here to campus
kind of thing.

625
00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:49,600
So it was as soon as I got to
campus.

626
00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:51,239
All right.
How can I build a relationship

627
00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:54,280
with these position coaches and
how can I help them help us?

628
00:34:55,639 --> 00:34:58,000
Yeah, you see you, you talked
about the that support role with

629
00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:00,160
the staff like I know we've
we've we've talked about the

630
00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:04,320
player relationship piece.
You know, how important is it

631
00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,640
with, you know, your
relationships with the staff as

632
00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:11,080
you're building that out for,
you know, your role as a support

633
00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:14,320
to, you know, the the greater
vision of of coach Franklin and

634
00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:16,160
and the rest of the staff, I
think.

635
00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:18,680
It's very important because they
have to trust you and there's

636
00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:22,160
going to be times like yesterday
I I hosted an event for our

637
00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:25,200
players and when they when the
coaches see it on their players

638
00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:27,920
schedule, they want to know that
they're in good hands.

639
00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:31,200
If I was a some crazy person,
they couldn't trust me, they

640
00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:33,360
would they would probably be
hesitant to allow their players

641
00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:36,800
to go to that meeting.
So to to build that, that trust,

642
00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:39,320
for them to trust me, I think is
very important.

643
00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:42,360
But also like you said, we're
all working towards the same

644
00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:45,920
goal.
So for them to say, OK, I know

645
00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:48,920
that Terrell will be able to get
this job done, whether it's our

646
00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:52,960
players, whether to recruit, our
guys are in good hands with him.

647
00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:56,120
So just letting them know what
I've been able to do, being

648
00:35:56,120 --> 00:36:00,640
genuine in my conversations and
relationships with them, I think

649
00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:04,160
is the an important piece.
And it's been good so far, and I

650
00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:05,840
hope we're going to keep it
rolling.

651
00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:09,040
Nice.
So let's let's dive into that

652
00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:12,200
now that we're here.
We're we are now at Terrell

653
00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:14,800
Smith, President Day Director of
Player Development for the

654
00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:17,520
Virginia Tech Okies.
What does it entail?

655
00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:19,120
You've mentioned the recruiting
piece.

656
00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:23,640
You mentioned grades you've
mentioned, but like on on a

657
00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:28,080
given day, what are two or three
things you may do or may be in

658
00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,160
charge or may have to delegate
the responsibility of?

659
00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:33,760
Because I think for a lot of us
and when he said we were getting

660
00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:35,120
you, I'm like, great.
I've always wondered what the

661
00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:37,240
player development guy does.
It's entitled.

662
00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:41,600
So obviously you you kind of
helped us.

663
00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:44,800
You're assisting with recruiting
in some way, shape or form,

664
00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:46,760
correct?
What are the other sides?

665
00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:48,680
Yep.
So it's it's a big portion of

666
00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:52,560
recruiting, like I said, helping
out recruiting, talking to

667
00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:55,040
families, hosting at practice
and things like that.

668
00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:58,520
But also the main focus of the
player development department is

669
00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:01,920
the life after football.
We're we're trying to set these

670
00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:03,760
guys up.
If football were to end today,

671
00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:09,000
they'd be in a better position
to go professionally in whatever

672
00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:12,040
field that may be.
Obviously we hope that all these

673
00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:15,680
guys go to the NFL and play a
long career, but we know that's

674
00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:18,000
not the case.
And even for the ones who do go

675
00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:20,080
to the NFL, at some point
they're going to need to fall

676
00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:22,200
back on a degree or something
like that.

677
00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,800
So whether it's a networking
night that we're hosting next

678
00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:29,800
week or an internship, finding
an internship in town, we're

679
00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:33,040
trying to better prepare these
guys for for life after

680
00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:35,720
football.
So that's a mixture of it.

681
00:37:35,720 --> 00:37:39,120
Community service is huge.
We have a huge a few different

682
00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:42,040
events going on this week and
next week that our guys are

683
00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:45,400
going to be attending.
So recruiting, life after

684
00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:48,840
football, community service,
academics.

685
00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:51,320
I actually still class check
every single day.

686
00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:54,640
It's important.
Some of the guys they kind of

687
00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:58,160
laugh at me for for going out on
campus checking them, but I

688
00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:01,680
think it's important for them to
be present front row 10 minutes

689
00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:04,720
early, as Coach Franklin always
says, and they've been great.

690
00:38:04,720 --> 00:38:08,440
So it's kind of a wide-ranging,
but truly trying to build the

691
00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:12,000
the man outside of football.
Yeah.

692
00:38:12,240 --> 00:38:15,280
And I think when you, when you
talk about preparation as a

693
00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:21,000
player, like doing the little
things right and doing them

694
00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:23,880
right consistently is such an
important part of it.

695
00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:26,280
I think that.
Word, the consistent word is the

696
00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:29,120
biggest piece repeatedly over
and over again.

697
00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:32,160
Like obviously someone can do it
one time, but when it's easy,

698
00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:34,920
when it when it's difficult and
it's the the 23rd time, can you

699
00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:38,280
still repeat and do what you
have to do at a high level?

700
00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:41,800
Yeah, I mean, just just like as
a as a player, when you, when it

701
00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:45,160
gets, it's the fourth quarter,
man, chips are down.

702
00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:47,720
You you've got to be able to
perform in those situations and

703
00:38:47,720 --> 00:38:49,560
you got to do it in, in, in real
life too.

704
00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:52,560
When, when things are hard, when
things are, are are not

705
00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:54,120
necessarily stacked in your
favor.

706
00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:56,080
You got to make sure that you're
going out there consistently

707
00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:59,680
doing the right thing so you can
reach the goals that you want to

708
00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:00,880
achieve.
Exactly.

709
00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:04,880
And I, I tell these guys all the
time sometimes when I know they

710
00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:07,160
have papers they have to submit
late at night and then just do

711
00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:09,840
it at 11:59.
Like I know it's difficult now,

712
00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:12,280
but you're going to be, you're
going to thank yourself in a few

713
00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:14,760
years when when you're playing
career, maybe done that.

714
00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:17,600
You did this because you now
graduated with a Virginia Tech

715
00:39:17,600 --> 00:39:19,840
degree.
And when you walk into whatever

716
00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:23,400
business and they see Virginia
Tech graduate on your resume,

717
00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:26,560
they're like, wait, like he, he
did something meaningful.

718
00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:27,760
And I think that's very
important.

719
00:39:28,360 --> 00:39:29,960
Yeah.
And, and as it gets into the

720
00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:33,720
professional world, like getting
like deadlines, meeting that

721
00:39:33,720 --> 00:39:36,880
deadline, getting that work
done, being accountable, being

722
00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:39,800
present, but also I am assuming
without hearing networking

723
00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:42,520
events, it's also being
outspoken, knowing when to speak

724
00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:45,000
to people, knowing sometimes
we're not to speak like.

725
00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:49,480
But the other thing I want to
know, and this is a little bit

726
00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:52,160
away from that is are you
involved with the strength and

727
00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:53,600
conditioning?
Because obviously you've got a

728
00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:57,040
background in it, you know,
obviously be in the strength

729
00:39:57,040 --> 00:39:59,320
condition of seven years as a
player, coaching it for a

730
00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:01,120
seasons.
Is that a part of player

731
00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:04,280
development as well in your
aspect of maybe like nutrition

732
00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:08,680
goals, weight goals?
Yeah, it's it's, it's not

733
00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:13,480
directly in in my in my job
description what Coach Franklin

734
00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:16,600
has it built out as.
But I'll give credit to our

735
00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:18,440
strength coach, Coach Chuck
Lowsey.

736
00:40:19,160 --> 00:40:22,600
When I interviewed, I kind of
told him about my background and

737
00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:24,080
that I was a strength coach at
Boise.

738
00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:27,600
So there's been a few times
where they'd be testing or they

739
00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:30,240
need an extra coach in the
weight room and he'll call me

740
00:40:30,240 --> 00:40:34,440
down there.
So I still get the fix, for lack

741
00:40:34,440 --> 00:40:37,560
of better words, for being down
there And, and I I give all the

742
00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:41,560
credit to coach Chuck Lowsey for
thinking of me to, to be down

743
00:40:41,560 --> 00:40:44,040
there and help the guys.
So there's been a few times I've

744
00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:46,320
been down there and kind of
helping the guys get after it.

745
00:40:47,240 --> 00:40:50,520
I love with the other duties as
a sign is something you like

746
00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:51,880
doing.
Exactly.

747
00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:53,000
Like.
You know what?

748
00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:54,880
I.
Mean like if you mean to tell me

749
00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:57,640
I can spend an hour or two down
in the weight room changing

750
00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:00,200
weights out and helping the
guys, like I'm like, let me get

751
00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:02,280
a set in while I can.
But it's been great.

752
00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:06,200
Well, it's awesome to, it's
awesome too that you have that

753
00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:09,040
because it's like you're
effectively, so I end up a

754
00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:11,480
wedding ring there, but you're
effectively like, I'm the

755
00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:15,720
accountability expert, but plus
he calls me down and he's

756
00:41:15,720 --> 00:41:17,960
chewing you out about not
hitting a certain match and he

757
00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:20,600
knows you can exactly.
You know what?

758
00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:23,120
I just heard that.
I'm like, wait a second, what's

759
00:41:23,160 --> 00:41:25,040
going on over here with the
academic side?

760
00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:26,640
What's going on with the other
side?

761
00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:28,960
Like it, it it all.
It all connects.

762
00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:31,600
It it.
All connects and it's like you

763
00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:35,760
having that former hand in you
know strength and conditioning.

764
00:41:36,480 --> 00:41:39,000
It's not foreign to you.
They can't come in the air and

765
00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:41,320
talk to you about well so and so
happened strength condition

766
00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:44,040
really that happened.
I worked in that for a year and

767
00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:46,200
did seven years old.
I've never heard that happen.

768
00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:49,280
Let's have a conversation and.
Then and then it gets fun too.

769
00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:51,800
Like at the end of the day,
these guys are competitive and

770
00:41:53,120 --> 00:41:56,320
I, I still think I'm competitive
and there's going to be times

771
00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:59,280
when I'm in the weight room with
them and they move weight pretty

772
00:41:59,280 --> 00:42:02,000
fast and I, I get on them and,
and they try to put their hands

773
00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:04,000
on me.
So you, you got to bump back a

774
00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:05,800
little bit just to show them you
still got it.

775
00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:11,320
But when you have Johnny
Garrett, Justin Terry, Kyle 203

776
00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:13,520
huge offensive lineman trying to
get you on my guys.

777
00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:16,280
So like chill, like I can't keep
up anymore.

778
00:42:16,280 --> 00:42:22,920
But no, those guys are awesome.
So you know, you talked about

779
00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:24,560
working with the offensive line
a little bit.

780
00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:27,720
Do you have as far as those
relationships are concerned, do

781
00:42:27,720 --> 00:42:31,280
you feel like you still kind of
drawn to your former position in

782
00:42:31,280 --> 00:42:33,680
terms of those relationship
building or do you have kind of

783
00:42:33,680 --> 00:42:37,640
a good mix across the board?
I'd say it's a it's a good mix

784
00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:40,000
across the board.
I will be honest though, when I

785
00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:45,120
first got here, I did learn all
the offensive line names first,

786
00:42:45,800 --> 00:42:47,880
you know what I mean?
Just just naturally that's my

787
00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:50,200
position.
I, I feel like I still fit in

788
00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:52,880
with them.
But no, it's, it's the entire

789
00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:57,560
team now, whether it's Christian
Eppling, the long snapper, Bryce

790
00:42:57,560 --> 00:43:00,040
Baker, one of our transfer
quarterbacks, like I said, the

791
00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:04,080
old line, Keyshawn Brown, our,
our transfer receiver.

792
00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:07,680
I, I got a pretty, pretty good
wide mix of relationships with

793
00:43:07,680 --> 00:43:11,720
these guys and still looking to
grow more and, and deeper with

794
00:43:11,720 --> 00:43:16,560
these guys.
Very nice, very nice.

795
00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:20,160
Love to hear you now.
How crazy has this spring been?

796
00:43:20,280 --> 00:43:24,400
How crazy has spring ball been?
I mean, is it get there at 5,

797
00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:26,360
leave at 9?
Like are you still?

798
00:43:26,360 --> 00:43:28,520
I'm trying to look, are you
still in the?

799
00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:32,400
Office, yeah.
So it's, it's, it's pretty long

800
00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:36,240
days, honestly.
When this was scheduled, we had

801
00:43:37,160 --> 00:43:41,120
AI had a 5:00 meeting and that
meeting went 2 1/2 hour or so.

802
00:43:41,200 --> 00:43:44,440
It went to 7:30.
And I'm like, all right, like I

803
00:43:44,440 --> 00:43:46,160
have, I'm going to get on this
call.

804
00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:47,520
So it kind of worked out
perfectly.

805
00:43:47,520 --> 00:43:49,560
But the days are long
regardless.

806
00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:52,720
I'm sure I've been seeing people
walk back and forth with a whole

807
00:43:52,720 --> 00:43:55,720
bunch of papers in their hands.
So there's always work being

808
00:43:55,720 --> 00:43:58,320
done.
So yeah, it's, it's pretty

809
00:43:58,320 --> 00:43:59,920
early.
It's going to be that 5:00 AM

810
00:43:59,920 --> 00:44:03,560
start for the most part, and you
guys know how it is.

811
00:44:03,560 --> 00:44:04,880
Sometimes you can work all
night.

812
00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:07,680
There's always something you can
adjust or fix.

813
00:44:07,680 --> 00:44:11,000
Especially for these position
coaches trying to draw up the

814
00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:14,920
best look to see how bulletproof
their their scheme may be or

815
00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:17,920
something like that.
But the coaches are doing a

816
00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:19,920
great job.
I give a bunch of credit to

817
00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:21,880
them.
Sometimes I see them early in

818
00:44:21,880 --> 00:44:24,800
the morning and there you can
see their eyes, bloodshot just

819
00:44:24,800 --> 00:44:27,800
from lack of sleep.
But it's all because they want

820
00:44:27,800 --> 00:44:32,160
the best for these players.
Yeah, it's always fun seeing

821
00:44:33,400 --> 00:44:36,840
like I coached a little bit, I
played, I played D3 when I was

822
00:44:36,840 --> 00:44:39,800
in college.
Like it's, it's fun seeing the

823
00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:43,720
guys that stay late and do all
that and get up early and in

824
00:44:43,720 --> 00:44:47,720
there, but they still have that
intensity when they get there.

825
00:44:47,720 --> 00:44:50,840
And it's like, I'm not, I'm not
sure how you're doing this, but

826
00:44:50,840 --> 00:44:53,960
I, I love the way that you're
approaching it because that

827
00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:56,680
gives juice to everybody else.
Exactly.

828
00:44:56,960 --> 00:44:59,280
Exactly, and I think it's
important for because obviously

829
00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:01,840
the the players are are
physically drained from

830
00:45:01,840 --> 00:45:05,480
everything that they go through
here, but the coaches have to be

831
00:45:06,240 --> 00:45:08,120
kind of a light and they have to
be the juice.

832
00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:10,040
You know what I'm saying?
Because the players are drained,

833
00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:13,040
we have to bring the energy for
these guys because they feed off

834
00:45:13,040 --> 00:45:15,320
of us.
If they see that we had a bad

835
00:45:15,320 --> 00:45:18,400
day or we have no energy, that's
what they're going to put out on

836
00:45:18,400 --> 00:45:19,800
the field.
And that doesn't help any of us.

837
00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:23,840
So regardless of how early or
how late of a night it is for

838
00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:26,800
us, we always have to be at our
highest because that's what the

839
00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:29,840
players see and then it allows
them to perform a little bit

840
00:45:29,840 --> 00:45:33,240
better.
Love it, love it.

841
00:45:33,240 --> 00:45:35,720
By the way, I was I was doing
some research here.

842
00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:40,160
You are the one who planted the
flag at 2021.

843
00:45:40,240 --> 00:45:41,920
It was.
We've got it right here.

844
00:45:41,960 --> 00:45:45,480
He's pinned it to the top of at
Terrell Smith 79.

845
00:45:45,640 --> 00:45:49,360
I will never.
Take that off I will never take

846
00:45:49,360 --> 00:45:51,080
unless going.
Away unless I get.

847
00:45:51,080 --> 00:45:55,000
To remake it somehow that that
video will always be on the top

848
00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:57,720
of my account.
I, I, I love it, man.

849
00:45:57,720 --> 00:46:00,640
I love it in every sense.
And listen, it's late.

850
00:46:01,160 --> 00:46:03,560
You have given us almost 45
minutes of your time.

851
00:46:04,240 --> 00:46:07,000
We really appreciate it.
I think, I think, I think there

852
00:46:07,000 --> 00:46:08,960
are people watching out here
tonight that listen to the

853
00:46:08,960 --> 00:46:13,240
podcast and stuff tomorrow, see
the replays and truly see a how

854
00:46:13,240 --> 00:46:16,480
much this job means to you, like
how much this place means to

855
00:46:16,480 --> 00:46:18,280
you.
And I hope for those who are

856
00:46:18,280 --> 00:46:21,240
younger, we're not younger.
We remember you getting

857
00:46:21,240 --> 00:46:23,960
recruited, remember you played,
we remember you getting hurt.

858
00:46:23,960 --> 00:46:26,080
We remember you getting the
extra year of eligibility.

859
00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:28,400
Like he got 7.
Well, he got hurt.

860
00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:30,120
What are they supposed to do?
The man got hurt.

861
00:46:30,120 --> 00:46:31,720
He should get an extra year of
eligibility.

862
00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:34,720
He generally got hurt.
He didn't like have a sprained

863
00:46:34,720 --> 00:46:36,960
wrist and said.
No, you know I can't come.

864
00:46:37,640 --> 00:46:42,760
To see I know that's a pop shot
at some people doing certain I.

865
00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:46,560
Hear you, I hear.
You, yeah, but well, again,

866
00:46:46,560 --> 00:46:49,200
Darrell, we appreciate you
taking your time, giving us

867
00:46:49,240 --> 00:46:53,200
great conversation this evening.
Get if you're allowed to go

868
00:46:53,200 --> 00:46:55,120
home, get some sleep.
We know it's another grind day

869
00:46:55,120 --> 00:47:00,160
tomorrow because spring game
isn't exactly 10 days from

870
00:47:00,160 --> 00:47:02,760
today.
Yes, I unfortunately am not

871
00:47:02,760 --> 00:47:04,440
coming.
Brian will be until maybe they

872
00:47:04,440 --> 00:47:06,560
all run across each other
somewhere, no?

873
00:47:07,520 --> 00:47:10,200
Honestly, I can't wait.
The guys have been busting their

874
00:47:10,200 --> 00:47:13,680
tail all spring.
Obviously there's been a new

875
00:47:13,680 --> 00:47:17,560
energy with with coach well,
with Coach Franklin in town.

876
00:47:17,840 --> 00:47:22,800
We can just see it from just the
amount of energy on campus and

877
00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:26,440
everything like that.
So to see Hokey Nation full on

878
00:47:26,440 --> 00:47:28,120
next Saturday, I think it's
going to be awesome.

879
00:47:29,120 --> 00:47:31,480
Yeah, I'm excited.
We got a We're going to be doing

880
00:47:31,480 --> 00:47:34,680
a live stream with a couple
other guys up on Chicken Hill

881
00:47:34,680 --> 00:47:35,920
before the game.
Nice.

882
00:47:36,000 --> 00:47:38,680
It's going to be a nice little
spread there.

883
00:47:38,680 --> 00:47:40,040
Oh my.
Goodness, drinks, we're going

884
00:47:40,080 --> 00:47:41,760
to.
Have have have the live stream

885
00:47:41,760 --> 00:47:44,280
going get a couple, you know,
people from the tailgate in

886
00:47:44,280 --> 00:47:48,800
there yeah, maybe a good time.
Excited to see that, excited to

887
00:47:48,800 --> 00:47:51,160
see what you you boys are kind
of cooking up over there.

888
00:47:51,680 --> 00:47:55,360
And I know there's going to be
hopefully 66,000 others there

889
00:47:55,360 --> 00:47:58,000
with me that are gonna get to
see it as well.

890
00:47:58,200 --> 00:48:00,120
Exactly.
Let's keep our fingers crossed

891
00:48:00,120 --> 00:48:02,080
for nice weather.
If we have nice weather, Oh my

892
00:48:02,080 --> 00:48:03,640
goodness.
Hokey Nation's gonna be out

893
00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:05,720
there strong.
I can't wait the.

894
00:48:05,880 --> 00:48:08,840
The weather the the temperatures
are looking really good so far I

895
00:48:08,840 --> 00:48:12,760
know weather, you know, rain we
it's it's we're still too far

896
00:48:12,760 --> 00:48:15,680
off to tell about that, but the
temperatures are looking pretty

897
00:48:15,680 --> 00:48:18,080
nice so far so.
Let's I need it.

898
00:48:18,080 --> 00:48:19,840
Let's keep it holding.
As long as the.

899
00:48:19,840 --> 00:48:22,080
Temperature.
OK, you if this is a nice warm

900
00:48:22,080 --> 00:48:23,960
rain, mostly everybody can deal
with that.

901
00:48:24,080 --> 00:48:26,440
It's when it's, especially when.
It's just a shower and not like

902
00:48:26,440 --> 00:48:29,680
oh.
We can.

903
00:48:29,680 --> 00:48:34,040
Deal with that, We can deal with
that, Purdue 20. 24 exactly.

904
00:48:35,080 --> 00:48:38,760
You were not here then.
But that was the the the noon

905
00:48:38,760 --> 00:48:43,360
kit that started at what time
was it 63630?

906
00:48:43,760 --> 00:48:47,640
Me and myself, Brian, our
partner tally, we were in South

907
00:48:47,640 --> 00:48:51,080
end zone and like that hill
started coming down like he

908
00:48:51,080 --> 00:48:53,760
still swears to this day.
He's like, I thought I was going

909
00:48:53,760 --> 00:48:56,120
to.
Die because of this.

910
00:48:56,120 --> 00:48:59,080
Thing coming through, but
listen, take care of yourself.

911
00:48:59,080 --> 00:49:01,080
We hope to talk to you in the
future, yes.

912
00:49:01,080 --> 00:49:03,400
Sir, I appreciate you guys,
truly thank you for having me.

913
00:49:04,040 --> 00:49:05,440
Thank you, Terrell.
Have a good night.

914
00:49:05,640 --> 00:49:06,600
Yup, y'all.
Do the same.

915
00:49:08,560 --> 00:49:10,960
Oh, right, that was fun.
That was a good.

916
00:49:10,960 --> 00:49:14,440
Time, man, that was.
You know what, it's always good

917
00:49:14,440 --> 00:49:17,320
to get, hey, it's always fun to
talk to former Hokies.

918
00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:22,160
Always, always.
And again, a guy we can remember

919
00:49:22,160 --> 00:49:24,960
playing, I do remember the
injury history, like because he

920
00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:30,840
legitimately got hurt.
I think it was 2020 and like he

921
00:49:30,920 --> 00:49:35,200
he truly deserved the extra year
where I know I'm kind of laying

922
00:49:35,200 --> 00:49:37,960
out other people like trying to
get 7th and eight years for like

923
00:49:37,960 --> 00:49:40,680
spring wrists and I got mono and
I need to.

924
00:49:40,720 --> 00:49:42,760
Yeah, yeah.
Trinidad Champlis.

925
00:49:42,760 --> 00:49:44,440
Yeah, You really don't deserve
that year.

926
00:49:45,240 --> 00:49:47,720
You had mono.
It's like a month and you could

927
00:49:47,720 --> 00:49:48,560
have played.
What about the?

928
00:49:48,600 --> 00:49:52,120
Quarterback up the road.
He's 25.

929
00:49:52,120 --> 00:49:57,520
Get a job.
But for real, thanks again,

930
00:49:57,520 --> 00:49:58,800
Terrell.
We know you're going to have to

931
00:49:58,800 --> 00:50:00,640
log off here.
Take care of yourself, man.

932
00:50:00,640 --> 00:50:04,000
Hopefully we cross paths soon.
Well, Brian, let's hit a few

933
00:50:04,000 --> 00:50:08,160
other things before we wrap it
up tonight.

934
00:50:09,360 --> 00:50:12,840
We.
Had couple recruits in the door

935
00:50:13,120 --> 00:50:18,280
for 2027.
Brock Frisby from Archbishop

936
00:50:18,280 --> 00:50:21,600
Spaulding up in Severn, MD, back
to the Catholic roots and

937
00:50:21,600 --> 00:50:25,800
another one, Alexander Taylor
from Saint Francis Academy, both

938
00:50:25,800 --> 00:50:32,960
defensive lineman, both in that
6263 range, 26265, A very solid

939
00:50:32,960 --> 00:50:37,960
start to the 2027 cycle in the
footprint.

940
00:50:38,680 --> 00:50:40,120
St.
Francis, obviously good

941
00:50:40,120 --> 00:50:42,760
relationship there over the last
few years, but not with the

942
00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:44,240
Archbishop.
I I'm going to do a little

943
00:50:44,240 --> 00:50:47,280
research while you chit chat on
them, but I'm trying to think of

944
00:50:47,280 --> 00:50:49,320
the last guy from Archbishop
we've got.

945
00:50:49,760 --> 00:50:51,280
Definitely feels like it's been
a long, long time.

946
00:50:51,280 --> 00:50:53,120
I'm trying to think.
Too And like you know, when we

947
00:50:53,120 --> 00:50:56,520
look at them, you know, both
have, you know, pretty solid

948
00:50:58,880 --> 00:51:02,280
offer sheets.
I, I think when we, when we look

949
00:51:02,280 --> 00:51:06,480
at what this staff is doing,
especially with some of these

950
00:51:06,480 --> 00:51:13,040
early targets, you know, we saw
it in the wrap up to the 26th

951
00:51:13,040 --> 00:51:18,960
class where you had a bunch of
offensive lineman like a very

952
00:51:18,960 --> 00:51:23,280
trench focused approach.
And we're seeing that coming

953
00:51:23,280 --> 00:51:26,200
into fruition, right.
Again, you know, with this class

954
00:51:26,840 --> 00:51:30,320
being very trench focused out of
the gate, you know, we know

955
00:51:30,480 --> 00:51:34,200
probably from a long term
standpoint, some of the more

956
00:51:34,200 --> 00:51:36,640
blue chip talent in this class
is going to probably be

957
00:51:36,640 --> 00:51:39,080
committing.
You know, between May, May to

958
00:51:39,080 --> 00:51:43,840
September is probably when most
of those you know are are going

959
00:51:43,840 --> 00:51:48,480
to be be committing.
So, but, but you know, you're,

960
00:51:48,480 --> 00:51:54,280
you're the meat of your, of, of
your recruiting class is going

961
00:51:54,280 --> 00:51:58,400
to be guys like Brock Frisby, by
the way.

962
00:51:59,360 --> 00:52:00,160
Men.
Sort of lame.

963
00:52:01,040 --> 00:52:03,440
One of the only guys that I can
even find.

964
00:52:03,520 --> 00:52:05,600
That was five years ago.
Yeah.

965
00:52:06,720 --> 00:52:14,240
And I mean, I know we've been
certainly hitting those Maryland

966
00:52:14,240 --> 00:52:17,320
Catholics a lot harder in the
last few years.

967
00:52:18,160 --> 00:52:19,960
So it doesn't shock me that
we're starting to make some

968
00:52:19,960 --> 00:52:21,560
headway back in some of these
schools.

969
00:52:21,560 --> 00:52:28,200
So really excited about the way
we can kind of make some noise

970
00:52:28,200 --> 00:52:30,920
in the Mid-Atlantic now
recruiting just because there

971
00:52:30,960 --> 00:52:33,920
there's so many, there's so much
talent coming out of the that

972
00:52:33,920 --> 00:52:38,320
area every year.
And you know, when you get a

973
00:52:38,320 --> 00:52:43,080
chance to pull from these
programs that are they know,

974
00:52:43,120 --> 00:52:47,880
they know what it is to win.
They they're, you know, they're

975
00:52:47,880 --> 00:52:52,880
doing it in a way that feels
very collegiate, but even even

976
00:52:52,880 --> 00:52:54,840
in high school at that, at that
level.

977
00:52:54,840 --> 00:52:58,960
So it it, you know, you get guys
that are coming in kind of ready

978
00:52:58,960 --> 00:53:00,800
to compete.
And I think that's important,

979
00:53:01,160 --> 00:53:02,800
yeah.
That's always important is

980
00:53:03,160 --> 00:53:07,280
getting the guys here early
because I think in today's age

981
00:53:07,840 --> 00:53:09,320
development's going to be
tougher.

982
00:53:09,760 --> 00:53:11,120
I think Coach Franklin knows
that.

983
00:53:11,120 --> 00:53:12,920
But that's the thing.
If you can get guys who are

984
00:53:12,920 --> 00:53:18,160
already kind of already size
wise built, you're liable to

985
00:53:18,160 --> 00:53:20,800
hold onto a quicker versus a guy
who's slightly under schedule.

986
00:53:20,800 --> 00:53:25,160
He needs to gain 25 lbs.
Well, can't take that back.

987
00:53:25,960 --> 00:53:27,880
It's really tough to gain £25 a
year.

988
00:53:27,880 --> 00:53:31,680
Not that it's impossible, but to
do it correctly, it's really

989
00:53:31,680 --> 00:53:34,600
tough to do it in a year to do
on a way.

990
00:53:34,600 --> 00:53:36,960
Where you're better for it.
Yeah.

991
00:53:37,480 --> 00:53:39,280
That that that's that's the
struggle.

992
00:53:39,280 --> 00:53:43,680
I mean, I, I think if you go out
there and, you know, especially

993
00:53:43,680 --> 00:53:47,240
kids that are already prone to,
you have, have bigger bodies

994
00:53:47,240 --> 00:53:51,560
anyway, 25 lbs can come on the
wrong way pretty quick.

995
00:53:52,840 --> 00:53:58,160
It, it's hard to put on 25 lbs
the right way, especially when

996
00:53:58,160 --> 00:54:01,800
you're already somebody that's
63, you know, 260-5270.

997
00:54:02,240 --> 00:54:05,640
So when when you look at guys
like that coming in, I mean,

998
00:54:05,640 --> 00:54:09,440
it's important to have again, a
good framework and good size to

999
00:54:09,440 --> 00:54:15,600
begin with.
And you've also from a process

1000
00:54:15,600 --> 00:54:19,080
standpoint, from a preparation
standpoint, you've been doing it

1001
00:54:20,000 --> 00:54:24,000
college light, not just, you
know, public school, high school

1002
00:54:24,160 --> 00:54:26,240
type deal.
And, and I know that's gotten

1003
00:54:26,240 --> 00:54:32,040
more intense in the last decade
or so as well, but you know,

1004
00:54:32,040 --> 00:54:35,760
these these schools have been
doing it that way for a very

1005
00:54:35,760 --> 00:54:42,760
long time. 100% Let's start this
up there Ron give Andretti and

1006
00:54:42,760 --> 00:54:46,040
everybody out there because you
kind of you kind of laid it out

1007
00:54:46,040 --> 00:54:49,080
a little bit for Terrell there,
but what's going on?

1008
00:54:51,320 --> 00:54:54,800
Sorry guys, wish I could.
I got a nine and 11.

1009
00:54:55,200 --> 00:55:00,520
If I tried it I'd be there by 5
the. 11 is the is is what's

1010
00:55:00,520 --> 00:55:03,600
hurting you and that's.
The one I am a coach for, I am a

1011
00:55:03,600 --> 00:55:06,880
coach for the Hokies.
If if if they were both in the

1012
00:55:06,880 --> 00:55:09,160
morning, like early morning, if
they they.

1013
00:55:09,200 --> 00:55:11,080
Were both at night, it's
possible you could have did a.

1014
00:55:11,080 --> 00:55:16,160
Flying trip with with Charlie.
I could have, it would have been

1015
00:55:16,160 --> 00:55:21,200
pretty crazy, but unfortunately
the way it looks is they are not

1016
00:55:21,200 --> 00:55:28,480
so I mean it is best.
Case theory You're pulling in 30

1017
00:55:28,480 --> 00:55:32,160
minutes after the game started.
Probably a. 100%, But yeah,

1018
00:55:32,480 --> 00:55:34,920
later for everybody that's out
there watching, if you haven't

1019
00:55:34,920 --> 00:55:37,720
followed Brian, I know you put
it on Instagram, you put it on

1020
00:55:37,720 --> 00:55:39,320
Twitter, you put it on Facebook,
everywhere.

1021
00:55:39,320 --> 00:55:42,040
But since Andrea is out there
listening, we've got a little

1022
00:55:42,040 --> 00:55:43,160
crowd.
You can tell him what's going

1023
00:55:43,200 --> 00:55:44,120
on.
Yeah.

1024
00:55:44,120 --> 00:55:46,760
So I know that we've talked
about this.

1025
00:55:47,000 --> 00:55:53,720
This is the fourth year now that
Dan Poltz, PB and myself, we've

1026
00:55:53,720 --> 00:55:56,200
kind of been putting together
this pre game show.

1027
00:55:56,200 --> 00:56:00,040
Last year was a post game show,
but it's a show on Spring game

1028
00:56:00,680 --> 00:56:03,280
live streaming, talking about
the game, talking about the

1029
00:56:03,280 --> 00:56:07,760
expectations, talking about what
we want to see, what we'd like

1030
00:56:07,760 --> 00:56:14,680
to see, and just enjoying the
fact that the spring game is

1031
00:56:15,600 --> 00:56:19,680
such a unique and special time
for I think fans to get

1032
00:56:19,680 --> 00:56:24,840
together.
You know, it's one of those

1033
00:56:24,840 --> 00:56:27,440
things where you get to enjoy
football, you get to enjoy

1034
00:56:27,440 --> 00:56:31,240
fellowship with people that love
the same thing you do and you

1035
00:56:31,560 --> 00:56:36,960
won't see a loss.
I mean, you're guaranteed not to

1036
00:56:36,960 --> 00:56:40,960
see a loss.
So you go into the stadium, you

1037
00:56:40,960 --> 00:56:43,960
don't have this misplaced
expectation that can get

1038
00:56:43,960 --> 00:56:47,560
crushed.
You don't have this dread that

1039
00:56:47,560 --> 00:56:50,960
could become a reality.
You just have I'm a go in here

1040
00:56:50,960 --> 00:56:53,400
and I'm a watch the football and
I might find some things out

1041
00:56:53,400 --> 00:56:56,200
about this team and it's going
to be a good, you know, two to

1042
00:56:56,200 --> 00:56:59,440
three hours.
And that's that's all you can

1043
00:56:59,440 --> 00:57:03,160
really, you know, hope for.
It's such a good time.

1044
00:57:03,520 --> 00:57:05,920
But we're doing the pregame show
again.

1045
00:57:05,920 --> 00:57:11,480
It's going to be live on Chicken
Hill live from the tailgate noon

1046
00:57:12,920 --> 00:57:16,560
on April 18th before the spring
game.

1047
00:57:17,200 --> 00:57:19,640
There's going to be a bourbon
table.

1048
00:57:19,640 --> 00:57:24,400
There's going to be food.
Shout out to Steven Wright going

1049
00:57:24,400 --> 00:57:27,000
to be helping with the with the
host and he's going to be

1050
00:57:27,160 --> 00:57:32,080
chefing it up here he is a meat
smoking and Blackstone grilling

1051
00:57:32,080 --> 00:57:34,200
expert.
And that's coming from somebody

1052
00:57:34,200 --> 00:57:39,200
that also considers himself that
bro knows what he's doing.

1053
00:57:39,640 --> 00:57:43,440
So come by, get some food,
listen to your boys and some

1054
00:57:43,440 --> 00:57:46,800
others.
Chat up some football, take a

1055
00:57:46,800 --> 00:57:49,480
sip of bourbon.
And for those that want to help

1056
00:57:49,480 --> 00:57:53,280
contribute to the festivities,
you know, this is a free event.

1057
00:57:53,280 --> 00:57:55,880
But Steven will have his Venmo
out there if you want to

1058
00:57:55,880 --> 00:57:58,960
contribute to some of the some
of the libations.

1059
00:57:58,960 --> 00:58:01,920
But as far as drinking is
concerned, it is going to be

1060
00:58:02,200 --> 00:58:05,800
BYOB outside of like, you know,
some, some bourbon tasting.

1061
00:58:07,000 --> 00:58:10,280
Then go Steven.
Because I've, I've been just one

1062
00:58:10,280 --> 00:58:13,240
of a couple Stevens tailgates.
Stevens stuff is on point

1063
00:58:13,280 --> 00:58:16,200
bourbon wise.
It's up there like it really is.

1064
00:58:16,560 --> 00:58:19,720
Yeah, so if you're doing some
tastings, getting some food, you

1065
00:58:19,760 --> 00:58:24,080
know, throw Steven some bones,
but otherwise it's a free event.

1066
00:58:24,080 --> 00:58:26,200
Just come hang out and listen to
U.S. chat a little bit.

1067
00:58:26,920 --> 00:58:31,720
All right, do this for everyone
and and you'll do it again next

1068
00:58:31,720 --> 00:58:34,240
week too, as we kind of do the
preview of the game.

1069
00:58:35,720 --> 00:58:40,000
If you're looking at Lane
Stadium from the front, where's

1070
00:58:40,000 --> 00:58:42,200
Chicken Hill?
Just so because Chicken Hill,

1071
00:58:42,200 --> 00:58:46,160
it's one of those things, it's
like lots 1 and 2 are there, you

1072
00:58:46,160 --> 00:58:47,880
know you've got other lots as
well.

1073
00:58:47,880 --> 00:58:51,440
But just so everybody, if you
have not like Andretti's never

1074
00:58:51,440 --> 00:58:53,960
been and I think he is coming
so.

1075
00:58:53,960 --> 00:58:58,200
If if you're at the if you're
looking at South end zone.

1076
00:59:00,360 --> 00:59:03,800
It's.
Directly across the street up on

1077
00:59:03,800 --> 00:59:06,960
the hill when we're actually up
on the the upper part of Chicken

1078
00:59:06,960 --> 00:59:11,400
Hill, not the lower part of
Chicken Hill lot right on the

1079
00:59:11,520 --> 00:59:14,200
the apron that that fronts the
road there.

1080
00:59:15,560 --> 00:59:19,320
So if you, if you stand at South
end zone and look, look, look

1081
00:59:19,800 --> 00:59:22,720
further South, right up on the
hill baby.

1082
00:59:23,280 --> 00:59:25,920
There you go, just find South
end zone.

1083
00:59:26,320 --> 00:59:30,240
Look, S, you'll probably see
them now, obviously next week,

1084
00:59:30,240 --> 00:59:31,800
Brian, I think Callie's going to
be back.

1085
00:59:31,800 --> 00:59:35,240
By the way, Callie couldn't join
us tonight because in the season

1086
00:59:35,240 --> 00:59:39,560
basketball banquet for his son,
good for his son again, making

1087
00:59:39,560 --> 00:59:41,040
the team and having that
banquet.

1088
00:59:41,360 --> 00:59:43,560
But next week, obviously, we're
going to preview, we're going to

1089
00:59:43,560 --> 00:59:46,640
talk about things we're looking
forward to at the spring game.

1090
00:59:46,960 --> 00:59:52,080
You know, what we want to see
out of it, you know, and I don't

1091
00:59:52,080 --> 00:59:54,680
want to get too deep into that
as we wrap up in the next few

1092
00:59:54,680 --> 00:59:57,400
minutes here.
But there's so much, you know, I

1093
00:59:57,400 --> 01:00:00,080
didn't get to see the full
interview, but seems like James

1094
01:00:00,080 --> 01:00:02,240
Franklin wants to take the
quarterback battle into the

1095
01:00:02,240 --> 01:00:05,840
fall.
I'm not shocked by that, not at

1096
01:00:05,840 --> 01:00:08,560
all.
Just from the mentality probably

1097
01:00:08,560 --> 01:00:12,120
of who James Franklin is.
That doesn't shock me.

1098
01:00:12,240 --> 01:00:18,120
But the question goes probably
is anybody on a throat count

1099
01:00:18,800 --> 01:00:21,200
snap counts?
You know what I'm looking

1100
01:00:21,200 --> 01:00:23,480
forward to?
I want to know the format.

1101
01:00:24,840 --> 01:00:29,160
Y'all know how ballistic I am
about the right format and how

1102
01:00:29,160 --> 01:00:32,240
disappointed I am when you have
the wrong format.

1103
01:00:33,640 --> 01:00:37,000
Because if everybody knows the
right format is offense versus

1104
01:00:37,000 --> 01:00:41,520
defense, where you can play one
V ones, you can mix and match 2

1105
01:00:41,520 --> 01:00:45,560
can play 2, you can play 1V2,
you can play 2V ones, you can

1106
01:00:45,560 --> 01:00:48,320
mix them all up.
That's the right format.

1107
01:00:49,200 --> 01:00:51,600
And I know Coach Pryor had sold
several years.

1108
01:00:51,600 --> 01:00:53,400
He never had the depth to do
that.

1109
01:00:55,200 --> 01:00:59,400
I think at times my opinion is
death be damned because you

1110
01:00:59,440 --> 01:01:01,280
really want to know where you're
at.

1111
01:01:02,240 --> 01:01:04,920
Because what we always talk
about, Brian, there's certain

1112
01:01:04,920 --> 01:01:07,680
guys, if you just put them on
the field in the heat of

1113
01:01:07,680 --> 01:01:13,680
competition, they shine through.
Yeah, I, I think it's, it goes

1114
01:01:13,680 --> 01:01:19,800
two ways for me because I feel
like a standard game format with

1115
01:01:19,800 --> 01:01:22,360
a split roster feels more like a
game.

1116
01:01:23,720 --> 01:01:31,480
So I think that's better for the
casual fan if I want to evaluate

1117
01:01:31,920 --> 01:01:35,520
what I have up front, what I
have from a depth perception.

1118
01:01:35,520 --> 01:01:39,000
Like guys like me like to see
the format that you're referring

1119
01:01:39,000 --> 01:01:43,440
to just because I can see how
that first five is working

1120
01:01:43,440 --> 01:01:47,720
together on the offensive line.
I can see what we're comfortable

1121
01:01:47,720 --> 01:01:51,920
with and not comfortable with
from a from a stunt perspective

1122
01:01:51,920 --> 01:01:53,840
or a blitz perspective on
defense.

1123
01:01:53,840 --> 01:01:56,680
I can see some of the the more
base coverages that we're

1124
01:01:56,680 --> 01:02:00,000
running.
I can see some of the bread and

1125
01:02:00,000 --> 01:02:01,480
butter routes that we're
running.

1126
01:02:01,480 --> 01:02:05,320
I can see those things with the
players that I anticipate to see

1127
01:02:05,600 --> 01:02:07,840
doing it on Saturdays in the
fall.

1128
01:02:09,080 --> 01:02:15,080
So that that's where I like that
format better, but I understand

1129
01:02:15,080 --> 01:02:21,160
that a split roster, you know,
one team scores on offense only,

1130
01:02:21,160 --> 01:02:23,000
the other team scores on offense
only.

1131
01:02:23,000 --> 01:02:28,520
I know that plays better for the
casual fan because it it is more

1132
01:02:28,520 --> 01:02:33,360
of a traditional game flow.
You're you're not having to

1133
01:02:33,360 --> 01:02:35,640
worry about, well, how does the
defense score points?

1134
01:02:35,640 --> 01:02:38,520
And like, like you don't get
into anything abstract like

1135
01:02:38,520 --> 01:02:42,480
that, like.
Obviously.

1136
01:02:42,520 --> 01:02:45,120
We obviously we understand 3 and
outs are good for the defense,

1137
01:02:45,120 --> 01:02:48,720
interceptions are good for the
defense, two overall downs are

1138
01:02:48,720 --> 01:02:53,520
good for the defense.
You can make it work, yeah.

1139
01:02:53,720 --> 01:02:55,720
Fumble recoveries are good for
the defense.

1140
01:02:57,280 --> 01:02:58,960
Good for the.
Defense, yeah.

1141
01:02:58,960 --> 01:03:01,560
And you know, as long as you
know what that scoring is like,

1142
01:03:01,560 --> 01:03:05,080
and you know, as people that
play fantasy football as well,

1143
01:03:05,080 --> 01:03:09,640
like we, we, we, we kind of
know, we know if you're pretty

1144
01:03:09,640 --> 01:03:13,000
pretty distinctly what, what the
flow is going to be like for,

1145
01:03:13,000 --> 01:03:15,600
for something like that.
But I like I said, I get, I get

1146
01:03:15,600 --> 01:03:18,280
why it's, you know, it works
better for the casual fan.

1147
01:03:19,040 --> 01:03:22,160
And I get why it's a struggle if
you don't have the depth because

1148
01:03:22,920 --> 01:03:28,880
it is hard already to get 2 full
offensive lines.

1149
01:03:31,440 --> 01:03:35,680
It's true, and we were.
Struggling to even get there the

1150
01:03:35,680 --> 01:03:38,640
last three years.
Well, I can remember a couple of

1151
01:03:38,640 --> 01:03:40,320
those years.
We immediately looked at the

1152
01:03:40,320 --> 01:03:43,640
roster and saw the offensive
lines and it's like, that team's

1153
01:03:43,640 --> 01:03:45,840
going to win.
It doesn't even matter who's on

1154
01:03:45,840 --> 01:03:48,800
the other team.
It was like when you're usually.

1155
01:03:48,840 --> 01:03:51,880
Missing at least one one
offensive line starter from the

1156
01:03:51,880 --> 01:03:55,600
game full stop usually, and then
the best.

1157
01:03:55,600 --> 01:03:58,840
Backups part of the.
Next one the best Best starter,

1158
01:03:58,880 --> 01:04:01,800
best two starters are on one
side and the best.

1159
01:04:01,800 --> 01:04:04,000
Backups on the other side, it's
just like, yeah.

1160
01:04:04,000 --> 01:04:06,480
And I'm like.
OK, well, they they're going to

1161
01:04:06,480 --> 01:04:09,640
they're going to win this and
you know, should it's happened,

1162
01:04:10,040 --> 01:04:13,000
you add to that, you know, have
not having your two best

1163
01:04:13,000 --> 01:04:15,680
quarterbacks available in last
year's spring game.

1164
01:04:16,160 --> 01:04:21,800
It was really hard to weather
aside it was, it was really hard

1165
01:04:21,800 --> 01:04:25,720
to to really take a lot of
things away from that game last

1166
01:04:25,720 --> 01:04:29,440
year because of the offensive
line situation, because of

1167
01:04:29,560 --> 01:04:33,760
having both of your your one and
two quarterbacks out of that

1168
01:04:33,760 --> 01:04:37,480
game and you've got your true
freshman running the quarterback

1169
01:04:37,480 --> 01:04:41,800
positions in the spring game.
Yeah, there was there was a lot

1170
01:04:41,800 --> 01:04:46,760
of things going on in last
year's spring game that I think

1171
01:04:47,000 --> 01:04:49,880
made it a worse product than it
could have been.

1172
01:04:50,760 --> 01:04:55,840
And then you throw on top of
that 38° feels like 32 at

1173
01:04:55,880 --> 01:04:59,440
kickoff and it's.
Raining and it's miserable.

1174
01:05:00,960 --> 01:05:04,960
That, that was, that was some of
the, you know, more unexpected

1175
01:05:04,960 --> 01:05:07,600
bad weather in Blacksburg that
I've seen well.

1176
01:05:08,760 --> 01:05:12,960
Well, hold on, was was that
weather almost as bad as the Pit

1177
01:05:12,960 --> 01:05:18,080
game in 2019?
Now it was worse, and I tell you

1178
01:05:18,080 --> 01:05:19,280
why.
Because that was the end of

1179
01:05:19,280 --> 01:05:21,800
November.
And I'll tell you why it's worse

1180
01:05:21,800 --> 01:05:24,440
because the wind was blowing the
whole time.

1181
01:05:24,440 --> 01:05:29,760
Like at least in that game, it
was cold and it was pouring, but

1182
01:05:29,760 --> 01:05:32,280
you you didn't have the wind
whipping the whole time.

1183
01:05:32,720 --> 01:05:35,160
The problem was, is that it was
already cold.

1184
01:05:35,160 --> 01:05:39,440
It was drizzling most of the
day, but the wind was blowing

1185
01:05:39,520 --> 01:05:44,600
constantly.
It was cold and it was that bone

1186
01:05:44,600 --> 01:05:49,040
chilling wind cold that like,
you know, you get just a little

1187
01:05:49,040 --> 01:05:51,760
bit comfortable when it stops
and then it comes right back and

1188
01:05:51,760 --> 01:05:55,520
you're like bitch and and.
I'm going to assume last year

1189
01:05:55,520 --> 01:05:59,800
too, you weren't directly in the
seats under the overhang.

1190
01:06:00,240 --> 01:06:01,960
I was.
Not under the overhang, no.

1191
01:06:01,960 --> 01:06:07,320
I was right on the 40 yard line.
Still the.

1192
01:06:07,320 --> 01:06:10,840
Best purchase.
Tickets 5 or 6 rows up, still

1193
01:06:10,840 --> 01:06:14,120
the.
Best tickets ever was that game,

1194
01:06:14,120 --> 01:06:17,600
which was great to be at.
The tickets we purchased were

1195
01:06:17,600 --> 01:06:20,120
literally what?
West End zone?

1196
01:06:20,680 --> 01:06:23,600
Yeah, W stands.
Yeah, W stands.

1197
01:06:24,000 --> 01:06:29,080
W stand right near the tunnel.
Right near the tunnel, but

1198
01:06:29,080 --> 01:06:31,640
literally one row back under the
overhang.

1199
01:06:32,160 --> 01:06:35,360
The poor people in front of us
got drenched and we're just

1200
01:06:35,360 --> 01:06:39,200
sitting back here.
Yeah, dry we were.

1201
01:06:39,200 --> 01:06:41,480
We were a row and a half behind
the cut off.

1202
01:06:42,440 --> 01:06:47,440
Perfect, perfect.
But again, we're going to talk

1203
01:06:47,440 --> 01:06:50,560
more about next week, things
we're looking for and things

1204
01:06:50,560 --> 01:06:52,720
like that as we preview the
spring game.

1205
01:06:53,120 --> 01:06:57,360
And Brian, anything else to wrap
up tonight?

1206
01:06:57,360 --> 01:07:00,680
Because Terrell was such a fun
interview, Man, I always love

1207
01:07:00,680 --> 01:07:02,440
interviewing guys like that
because they're going to give it

1208
01:07:02,440 --> 01:07:05,200
to you straight.
There's a, there's a reason that

1209
01:07:05,200 --> 01:07:07,600
we, you know, we kept coming
back to and saying we want to

1210
01:07:07,600 --> 01:07:09,320
get him in here.
We want to get him in here.

1211
01:07:09,880 --> 01:07:11,280
Like we wanted to make this
work.

1212
01:07:12,880 --> 01:07:14,440
You know, first go round,
there's a little bit of a

1213
01:07:14,440 --> 01:07:16,680
miscommunication on on what
night he was available.

1214
01:07:17,520 --> 01:07:20,480
Then, you know, last week we had
the situation where he's like, I

1215
01:07:20,480 --> 01:07:21,880
can go.
I was like, we can't

1216
01:07:21,880 --> 01:07:25,360
unfortunately.
We're fascinated.

1217
01:07:25,560 --> 01:07:27,440
Yeah, Yeah.
Yeah, we're either going to be

1218
01:07:27,440 --> 01:07:31,800
in a car or at a game, but yeah,
it it.

1219
01:07:31,920 --> 01:07:35,720
I'm glad it worked out.
He was great, you know, love,

1220
01:07:35,720 --> 01:07:37,760
love his journey.
And he was one of those players

1221
01:07:37,760 --> 01:07:42,480
that you always rooted for as a
hokey, like you did it the right

1222
01:07:42,480 --> 01:07:48,000
way, led by example it.
Also I think.

1223
01:07:48,000 --> 01:07:50,880
That's, you know, that, that
that was always big for me

1224
01:07:50,880 --> 01:07:54,360
seeing guys doing it the right
way and making sure they were

1225
01:07:54,360 --> 01:07:56,720
helping others on their journey
as well.

1226
01:07:56,800 --> 01:07:58,520
Like that's, that was that was
huge.

1227
01:07:59,360 --> 01:08:01,200
And he and he always did it that
way.

1228
01:08:01,200 --> 01:08:04,400
So really happy that we were
able to get him on here and have

1229
01:08:04,400 --> 01:08:08,920
that conversation with him. 100%
well, with that being said, we

1230
01:08:08,920 --> 01:08:11,360
appreciate the real Smith for
joining us tonight.

1231
01:08:11,360 --> 01:08:14,400
And that will wrap up this
episode of the Boundary Corner

1232
01:08:14,400 --> 01:08:16,880
podcast brought to you by
moments on the Mori in

1233
01:08:16,880 --> 01:08:18,560
Lexington.
I'm Curtis Wilson.

1234
01:08:19,000 --> 01:08:20,880
I'm.
Brian Siegler visit.

1235
01:08:20,880 --> 01:08:24,920
Boundarycornerbt.com to listen
to all of our episodes while

1236
01:08:24,920 --> 01:08:27,240
you're there, follow us Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram.

1237
01:08:27,240 --> 01:08:31,000
Make sure you subscribe to that
YouTube channel for us as well

1238
01:08:31,000 --> 01:08:34,880
as your favorite podcast source.
We're on them all, trust me,

1239
01:08:35,160 --> 01:08:38,120
we're all.
As always, we let our buddy

1240
01:08:38,120 --> 01:08:40,319
Jason Long play us in, play us
out.

1241
01:08:40,640 --> 01:08:45,720
Check him out at
jasonlongmusic.com where you can

1242
01:08:45,720 --> 01:08:51,279
connect to all of his good
stuff, his music on Apple and

1243
01:08:51,279 --> 01:08:54,080
Spotify, his YouTube channel,
his Facebook pages.

1244
01:08:54,359 --> 01:08:56,200
Also taking a look.
Begin after.

1245
01:08:56,359 --> 01:09:00,520
Lately he has been.
Doing a lot of live shows he

1246
01:09:00,520 --> 01:09:04,240
will be doing to this upcoming
weekend and they were greater

1247
01:09:04,279 --> 01:09:09,760
Roanoke Valley area on the 10th
which I believe is Friday night.

1248
01:09:09,760 --> 01:09:12,800
He is going to be down at
Pollard, one O 7 S down in

1249
01:09:12,800 --> 01:09:17,800
Vinton, just outside Roanoke and
then on Saturday 8:00 to 10:30

1250
01:09:17,800 --> 01:09:20,200
at Crooked Shoreline down in
Daleville.

1251
01:09:20,200 --> 01:09:23,040
So definitely go check him out
there.

1252
01:09:23,399 --> 01:09:25,200
We appreciate y'all all for
listening.

1253
01:09:25,200 --> 01:09:27,240
We appreciate y'all in the chat
as well.

1254
01:09:27,240 --> 01:09:30,520
And as always, let's go.
Hokies.

1255
01:10:28,070 --> 01:10:28,310
Music.

Tyrell Smith

The Return