The E-Pod

We look ahead to the cold weather and a look back on the ‘coldest’ game the Houston native’s has ever played in. 

Briscoe's first dream was to be a baseball player he tells the story about his move to football and how he kept going even after the University of Alabama at Birmingham pulled the rug out from under him by shutting down the program.

From that to arm surgery, the two time Walter Payton Award winner battled through a lot of adversity to get where he is now.

At halftime, Blake Dermott with a Gizmo story and  his thoughts on young quarterbacks making the transition to the Canadian game and the Canadian weather.

Craig Ellis spent his best football years with the Eskimos. But his story before he landed in Edmonton is a winding road through the streets of South Central Los Angeles, where he was born and raised through a trouble college career and several stops in the NFL. It took a while for Craig to find the right football fit, but when he did, he produced Hall of Fame numbers for four seasons in green and gold.

Ellis tells the story of a letter from Bill Walsh...a letter he did not read for over 30 years. He owns up to some bad choices that derailed his career couple of times and shares what he's doing to help his old neighbourhoods back in L.A.

A half time Blake Dermott, a teammate of Ellis’ with the Eskimos, talks about how talented he was...but also how he had trouble with song lyrics.

The people have spoken. "More Blake," is what you said, so more Blake is what you get.

Straying from his usual spot at half Time on the E-Pod, Blake is back as our feature guest.

This time he talks about the $2,000 he feels the Eskimos owe him, plus that 1989 team known to some as the best team that never won the Grey Cup. Then, hear the story behind this quote: “..and one of those establishments...let’s just say...some of their employees danced for a living.”

At half time, Blake's daughter Carly fills in for her dad as our resident storyteller. Both Carly and Blake look back to 2017 and the motorcycle accident that ultimately saved Blake’s life.

It's a role reversal this week for Blake Dermott on The E-Pod. Usually the 14 year CFL veteran regales us with a story at half time, and you often wish that segment would go longer. This episode it does. This week on The E-Pod it's all Blake with a special guest at half time to carry on the Dermott tradition of storytelling.

Blake talks about his unofficial record of attending more football games than anyone in the history of Edmonton football, plus his forays into the hockey and professional wrestling worlds. The stories are so good (and so long) that this is the first of two episodes with Blake as our guest.

This episode of the The E-Pod features two die-hard CFL fans. David Gornto is a vice-principal from Knoxville, Tenn. and explains how he watches and enjoys CFL football from south of the border. He found the Canadian game thanks to a Colorado Rockies rain delay and now he never misses a game.

Quentin Ebertz found the CFL at a very young age, going to games with his father, then his wife Samantha and now their children. The Ebertz’ were the envy of all fans when they won the record setting 50/50 draw in 2017. Turns out that win was karma for a lifetime of football memories, all tied to Commonwealth Stadium.

At the half, Blake Dermott talks about the Grey Cup party he missed after winning the Grey Cup a few hours earlier.

Josh Johnson was molded into a football player while growing up in a football home.  This episode of The E-Pod features the story of the Eskimos defensive back and his football journey that took him from Dade City, Florida to Purdue, three NFL cities and four more in the CFL.

At half time Blake Dermott contrasts Johnson's detailed journey with his simple one that's kept him here in Edmonton. He also dishes the scoop on asking for a trade that never materialized.

Watching film has been a part of football for a long time. Players and coaches spend hours watching video to prepare for games and improve their play. On this episode of The E-Pod, we examine the art form that is watching game tape. Eskimos receiver Natey Adjei and defensive end Kwaku Boateng discuss watching tape with modern technology and the weirdest places they've done it.At halftime, Blake Dermott recalls when game film was actually film and shares some great stories from film room back in the day.

If Randy Ambrosie, Brian Ramsay and Jeff Keeping are in a room together, which one of them is the smartest offensive lineman? The answer, of course, is Peter Dyakowski. If you don’t get it, ask an offensive lineman. They'll explain it.

On this episode of The E-Pod, we talk with Dyakowski, a former Jeopardy contestant who was once named “Canada’s Smartest Person”. He discusses offensive linemen and the perception that they are smarter than other position players.

Also, our resident offensive lineman Blake Dermott explains his interesting theory on why offensive lineman might be smarter than most. Then, CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie weighs in on the topic, and adds offensive linemen are simply good human beings as well.

In 2003, Jason Maas, Jason Tucker , AJ Gass and Tim Prinsen won a Grey Cup as teammates playing for the Edmonton Eskimos.  

Flash forward to present day, and they are trying to do it again. However, this time, the four, former teammates are now all on the coaching staff , 16 years later.

Their roles are different, but the goal is the same. 

All four talk about the dynamics of playing together and then coaching together, and why players who wore the green and gold seem to enjoy Edmonton enough to make it their home after they retire.  

And, at half-time, Blake Dermott stops by to talk about why coaching is a good fit for some players after they retire...and why others should steer clear from the profession.

A special conversation for Morley on this episode of the E-Pod, as he gets to talk to one of his radio heroes. Bob Irving, the long time voice of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers shares his career journey and talks about how things have changed for media covering the CFL, especially on the road. "Knuckles" Irving also explains how he got his nickname, and talks about all of the colour analysts he has worked with over the years, including our very own Blake Dermott.