NFL Game Previews

Former NFL Executive of the Year and longtime general manager Thomas Dimitroff returns to tell Brian Billick and Michael Robinson about the lengths he’d go to keep the draft rumors from flying (1:45). Thomas then dives into the beginning of his NFL journey, from Canada, to the World League, to Japan, to the Cleveland Browns’ grounds crew (4:18), and breaks down the decision to pursue a GM career instead of coaching (7:40). MRob asks about Dimitroff’s time with Bill Belichick and the lessons learned… including how to be honest when being honest might me difficult (10:12). Billick asks what it was like becoming the GM for a Falcons organization in disarray (14:45), and Dimitroff goes into detail including his relationship with head coach Mike Smith. MRob asks the hard question… how did Thomas handle the Super Bowl LI collapsing loss to the New England Patriots (18:02), Dimitroff handles the with honesty and grace. Does Dimitroff feel he would have been fired this past October if they’d beaten the Patriots in Super Bowl LI (25:48)?, listen and find out. Billick reminds us that there are two type of coaches and GMs, those who have been fired and those who will be fired (28:11), and Thomas goes on to agree in detail. Finally, Dimitroff talks about his current RV lifestyle (33:10).

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Former NFL Executive of the Year and longtime general manager Thomas Dimitroff stops by to tell Brian Billick and Michael Robinson the real story about the Julio Jones trade, and feeling deflated after hearing Jon Gruden slam it on TV (1:45). Coach and Thomas then dive into the process of making decisions in the NFL Draft (5:15), and the conversation shifts to how a team develops a Draft Board and grading scale (9:20). Billick then wants to know about the tension that can exist between front office personnel in preparation for the Draft and in the War Room (13:10). Despite things being calm for the most part during the Draft, Thomas does reveal a draft pick dropping an F-bomb on live TV causing a bit of a tense moment (17:45). Dimitroff then talks about the importance of drafting quarterback Matt Ryan, and how rumors swirled about the Baltimore Ravens thinking about trading up to beat Atlanta to the pick (20:10). Then Mike Rob gets candid and asks if there is a perception to ask black players a certain set of questions over white players, and Thomas gives an insightful answer (25:55). Finally, Dimitroff gives his take on whether the Falcons should draft a quarterback with the 4th overall pick this year (30:35).

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Teammates Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis, and three-time Super Bowl Champion Mark Schlereth join Brian Billick and Michael Robinson to share the real story of where Mark's nickname 'Stink' came from (1:20), and TD recounts how he got punished for crashing Shannon Sharpe's 'Club Shay Shay' during his first training camp (6:05). Mark then reveals that TD was not only a Hall of Fame player, but a Hall of Fame napper (7:25), and Davis gets put on the spot about how generous of a gift giver he was to the offense (10:40). Terrell and Mark then reflect on when they knew reaching 2,000 rushing yards in a season was attainable (14:45), and thankfully Schlereth says the refs missed him holding on Davis' milestone run (17:45). Meanwhile, a big part of their offense's success was the evolution of the zone running scheme that the Broncos perfected (18:20), and the guys talk about mentality required to run it down a team's throat (24:30). Mark and TD then talk about the loss that spurred back to back Super Bowl Championships (26:40) and overcoming the pressure to repeat. However, Mark details how their second Super Bowl run might have hit a little bit of bad karma due to an outspoken teammate (33:25). Coach Billick then asks TD about playing a decoy in the Super Bowl while he was dealing with a migraine and couldn't see (34:45). Finally, the guys give some insight into what Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway was like as a teammate (36:45).

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Former Chargers tight end and 8-time Pro Bowler Antonio Gates joins Michael Robinson and Brian Billick on today’s episode. Antonio starts things off at the end as he tells the real reason he decided to retire (1:30). Then it’s back to the beginning when Gates tells Coach Billick how he was just hoping to make the practice squad his rookie season (4:06), and then used that experience as motivation throughout his career. MRob asks Antonio how he made the transition from college basketball to professional football (7:28), and finds out it had a lot to do with Gates not wanting to go home. Antonio weighs in on the evolution of the tight end (11:40), talks about “Antonio Gates Time”, plus how his basketball crossover move found its way into his route running… and then into the rest of the NFL (16:07). Billick admits that as a head coach he wasn’t worried about LaDainian Tomlinson when he played the Chargers, it was Antonio Gates on 3rd down and inside the 20-yard line (17:03). Which current tight end adds the most to his team (17:54)? Antonio’s answer might surprise you. Gates tells MRob why it was the no-name defender, not the big name, that was always the toughest to play (19:30). Gates played with some of the best quarterbacks ever and talks about the transition from Drew Brees to Philip Rivers (24:42), before telling how he used to get Philip going… “Drew would have thrown it to me.” Finally, Antonio talks about the type of player LT was as a teammate and a man (28:52).

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Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Reed joins Brian Billick to share a story about a rat living in the Bills locker room (1:00). Then Reed talks about why the Bills were able to sustain success and make it to the Super Bowl four years in a row, a feat that no team has ever been able to do (4:15). Despite not winning the Lombardi Trophy, Andre reflects on how he and his teammates are getting the recognition they deserve for a remarkable run in the 1990s (6:15). The conversation then shifts to Jim Kelly, and Andre describes what it was like to play with the quarterback, and how their ‘football marriage’ worked (7:15). Finally, the virtue of patience is what the eventual Hall of Famer relied on waiting to get the call from Canton, and he describes what it felt like to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (8:10).

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Former NFL running back Rashad Jennings joins Brian Billick to share the story of his football experience and beyond. Rashad starts with a weighty story of rookie hazing (1:11), before getting serious about his journey from “a fat kid with glasses” to the NFL (4:41). Jennings on never letting anyone else define you, because if you let them, they will (7:50). Coach Billick asks about Rashad’s “Dancing with the Stars” championship season (9:13), plus his motivation to become the best-selling author of “The IF in Life” as well as the series that seeks to inspire youth literacy, “The Coin Slot Chronicles” (13:30). A true renaissance man, Rashad explains why he’s training to be a premarital counselor in order to heal communities (16:26). A 7th round pick out of Liberty University, Rashad weighs in with advice for those approaching this year’s NFL Draft in a similar situation (21:52). Finally, Jennings on how his first career TD was a direct result of Maurice Jones-Drew losing a shoe (24:21).

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Hall of Fame wide receiver Drew Pearson joins Michael Robinson to share a few stories about how the Dallas Cowboys used to play hard on and off the field (1:49), including the times they used to “go over the wall,” (6:02). Pearson tells MRob about getting that long awaited knock on the door from David Baker to tell him he was a Hall of Famer (9:34), and then recalls the time he trolled the entire city of Philadelphia at the 2017 NFL Draft (14:39). You might think the moment that that sticks out most in Drew Pearson’s career is the original “Hail Mary”, but according to Pearson, you’d be wrong (18:34), it was the 83-yard TD in his first career playoff game. MRob wonders if there were ever any issues sharing the football in the age of the original triplets (23:11). How the Cowboy receivers used to pride themselves on yards after catch (25:04), and the one current receiver who could have handled facing the Steelers great defensive back Mel Blount back in the day (26:17).

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Hall of Fame wide receiver Drew Pearson joins Michael Robinson to share a locker room story about a teammate going snorkeling in a hot tub to help heal an injury (1:20). Then Pearson talks about his journey from an undrafted free agent out of Tulsa to ‘America’s Team’, and why the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers weren’t the right fit for him (4:50). It came down to the Cowboys dealing out $150 cash to sign the future Super Bowl champion (6:10). Once on the team Drew talks about the discipline that coach Tom Landry required and it’s something that Mike Rob can relate to playing for Joe Paterno (9:15). The conversation then shifts to who is the real rival for the Cowboys, and Pearson reveals which teams got him amped up (18:11). What you see is what you get with Jerry Jones according to Drew (21:00), and he tells us why he you need to believe in Dak Prescott the guy who in his words put Tony Romo out of the league (23:50). Finally, Mike Rob asks if the Cowboys can win with Mike McCarthy’s system and the Hall of Fame receiver gives hope to Dallas fans (26:25).

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Former NFL Offensive Tackle Joe Staley stops by to share some locker room stories from his 13 year career with the San Francisco 49ers. Staley tells Michael Robinson about his welcome to the NFL moment realizing the size of players he has to block (1:30), and how he cleaned up after Hall of Fame Tackle Larry Allen in meetings (4:35). Mike Rob and Joe reminisce about being teammates and how the team changed under head coach Jim Harbaugh’s tenure (8:40). He then sheds light on supporting Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem, and how it did not cause friction in the locker room (12:00). The guys then discuss the curious case of Jimmy Garoppolo, and how the business side of the game will determine his future in San Francisco (14:50), and then the podcast shifts to what sets Kyle Shanahan’s play calling style a part from the rest of the NFL (18:55). Joe then reflects on being a member of the 0-fer Super Bowl club (22:10). Finally, Mike Rob lets Joe know that Brian Billick told him the Ravens were interested in drafting Staley, and Staley shares his relief that didn’t happen because it would have motivated a family member to spend a little too much time with him. (23:40).

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Michael Robinson and Brian Billick play the dynamic duo on today’s podcast. First up, Coach Billick with a post-game locker room story involving a game that wasn’t quite over yet (:53). MRob talks about a talented young running back who couldn’t get out of San Francisco fast enough (2:33), then goes on to tell how all eyes, including Pete Carroll’s, were on him and his cell phone as the lockout ended in Seattle (5:21). Coach and MRob dive into the advantages and challenges of the upcoming 17-game season (6:51). With the chance of fewer organized team activities, MRob asks what happens to the younger guys and role players that benefit from being in team facilities (9:20). Will active rosters remain at 53 players (11:44)? That question sends MRob reminiscing about the Beastquake…not because it was awesome, but because he was winded. MRob asks Billick how he transitioned to the offseason after winning the Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens (14:25). According to Billick, being the first team ever featured on Hard Knocks helped (15:42). What offseason changes will remain from the pandemic? And what needs to go back to “normal” (18:19)?

NFL Total Access: The Locker Room is part of the NFL Podcasts Network.

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