Why exactly are pro football players different than the rest of us?

Exhibit A: Mister’s Bar & Lanes in East Aurora, NY on Monday night.

Isaiah McKenzie could not even move after absorbing a vicious hit in Baltimore that knocked him out of the Buffalo Bills’ 23-20 comeback win. And yet, he cannot wait to venture across the middle of the field again. He loves the physicality. He knows that’s what separates him as a slot receiver.

Make no mistake, too. This was a scary moment.

On Episode 3 of “The Isaiah McKenzie Show,” the 5-foot-7 receiver takes everyone through the collision and the aftermath. Concussions are obviously back in the NFL headlines and we’ve seen quite a few motionless players sprawled on the turf in NFL games this season. We all love the sport’s violence but, holy, it comes with a cost. McKenzie details exactly what that cost is.

He does believe his mind is doing just fine… even though he’s currently using this concussion to get out of cleaning dishes at home with his girlfriend. When you come from where McKenzie did in South Florida — yes, a bullet once grazed him — you’ll gladly accept football’s inherent risks.

Also, on this episode, we dig into Buffalo finally winning a close game.

McKenzie refers to Sean McDermott as a “dad” and Brandon Beane as the “cool uncle” in taking all of your questions.

As always, the goal of this show is to take you beyond the press conferences and locker room. McKenzie says himself at the end of this pod that he never wants to spew mindless cliches as if part of a “cult.” His raw honesty is refreshing. We want to bring you as close as possible to this league at Go Long. Live around Western New York? Come on out to one of our five remaining live shows at Mister’s. All dates are below.

You can watch or listen to the show right here at GoLongTD.com or within the Go Long Podcast feeds:

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Miss a previous episode from Season 2? Catch up below…

Ep 1: Inside the gender reveal and the beatdown of the L.A. Rams

Ep 2: What was running through the receiver's mind that final play?

Also: All episodes from Season 1 are archived on our site.

Go Long is your source for longform journalism in pro football. We’re completely powered by you. Subscribe today:

Here are the remaining dates for our live recordings at Mister’s Bar & Lanes in East Aurora, NY:

* Monday, Oct. 10

* Monday, Nov. 14

* Monday, Dec. 12

* Monday, Dec. 19

* Monday, Jan. 9

As a reminder, right now, you can pre-order “The Blood and Guts: How Tight Ends Save Football” at 30% off and receive a signed bookplate. Just click this link.

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