Deontae Craig | WUW 590

Deontae Craig is a recent Hawkeye Grad from Indianapolis, IN. He joined the Hawks in the class of 2020 out of Culver Academies HS. Craig shares his journey, including the origin of his signature 'W' celebration, his passion for basketball, and the process of choosing Iowa over other college offers. He dives deep into his experiences with the Iowa coaching staff, the challenges of college football, and his current training regime for the NFL. Craig also gives his take on the NBA, discussing MVP candidates and his all-time starting five. Don't miss this insightful and fun conversation that captures Craig's infectious energy and dedication.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Deontay Craig joins the show, another recent Hawkeye graduate.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
One of the most enjoyable episodes that I personally have
ever done.

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You can feel the energy and the good vibes with
this guy when you talk to him.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Amazing story.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Another one of those guys that you listen to and
just think, Man, they pump out good football players, but
Iowa knows how to produce good people.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Pleasure to talk to Deontay, You're gonna love it as well.
Let's have a day. Let's go.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
Back again, wash Up Walk on his podcast, blessed to
be joined by Deontay Craig. The w the Is joined
the show. Let's go Where did that happen? Where did
that start?

Speaker 3 (01:02):
Man? The first one was in Michigan State two seasons ago.
You know.

Speaker 4 (01:11):
We started off that season three and oh beat Iowa State.
I had a couple of dominant non conference wins. Week four,
we went on the road the Penn State wide out
game prime time, got our butts kicked, so I had
an opportunity to come back home the following week. You know,
wore the blackout Unis playing a good Michigan State team.

(01:34):
It was a really really hard fall game, so I
think that like outro video, highlight tape, whatever. I think
you saw a lot of emotion from a bunch of guys,
you know, just coming back from the beat down that
we took the week earlier, and uh, you know, figuring
out a way to come up with a W and
beat a really good team. So I don't know, the

(01:55):
camera just found me and that was just natural, like
I had planned, and it just kind of one thing
led to another, and then next thing you knew, like
it was getting reposted everywhere, and Hawkeye Football posted a
separate video, and then after every win after that, it
was people were just running with it.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
So I was gonna say it stuck.

Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah, it did, for sure. It kind of.

Speaker 4 (02:18):
It kind of fell off a little bit towards the
end of this season, but like still like when I
even when I was walking into the games, or if
I'd run into people in public, like they throw up
the W or.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
Would they really?

Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yeah, it was cool. It was. It was a thing
for a little bit. So I love that it was fun.

Speaker 4 (02:36):
I'm glad people caught onto it and the fan base
had some.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
Fun with it.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
It's a little more serious in the moment, and so
this sounds like a much better idea now than it
would during the season, but like it would have been
kind of a little bit of comedic relief after a
loss to like.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
To really cut the tension if you were like real.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
Sad walking into the locker room and they got you
just going like, yeah we took down.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah maybe, but.

Speaker 4 (03:05):
Bro, I know at the time after after a loss,
I'm pretty I don't think too many people want to
be around me.

Speaker 3 (03:12):
No, I just that.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
No, my wife still U you know what Actually it
was to Penn State. It was to Penn State.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
We oh man, my my senior year. We lost a
we lost a bad, bad ending. I don't know you
you probably have seen the tape at some point when
you were studying. But they drove the field on us
a money Hooker nineteen or no, this was twenty seventeen.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
Okay, this was Penn State or no. Yeah, last play
the game.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
Yeah yeah right over hooked, right over Hook's hands. I
mean we're like two inches from tipping it. And if
we tip this pass, it's game. Yeah, But they drove
the field. They score a touchdown there. They'requarterback Trace McSorley.
I don't know if he's still in the league or not,
he punts the ball like just at midfield. They celebrate,

(04:08):
and my wife still to this day, is like, I've
never I've never seen you not want to be around
like me or your family or anybody that bad. Like.
And I was a long snapper, So if I took
it hard, like you know, the other guys are taking
it hard. So I totally understand that, you know, being
being cool with throwing up an L after you just

(04:29):
took an L as it's not realistic, but it would
have been.

Speaker 4 (04:32):
Kind of funny. Coach Coach Parker would have had to
hide it from him though.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
Oh god, bro man, you said the camera found you.

Speaker 1 (04:42):
I feel like the camera found you a lot like
you seem like a pretty your energy.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
I I I don't know you.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
This is the first time we've ever talked in person,
but I feel like you're an energy guy.

Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (04:54):
I mean I I'm not like in the in the
heat of the moment, like during games and like practice
and lift.

Speaker 3 (05:01):
I'm normally pretty laid back. I kind of.

Speaker 4 (05:05):
Trying to reserve all that energy for like the post game,
like the celebration. So that's why you kind of see
that like outburst of energy. You know, after winning a
game regardless of the score, like it's.

Speaker 3 (05:21):
Hard to win.

Speaker 4 (05:21):
And you know, you guys know, like everything we put
in on a day to day basis, week to week basis,
like it's tough. So whenever you can win a game,
and then that first w like the blackout uniforms, like
blackout and kinneck, like it got no better than that.
So yeah, I'm pretty reserved and laid back, but you know,

(05:42):
after games and you know, when I'm out there on
the field, like the expression excitement you see, that's that's legit.

Speaker 3 (05:48):
The uh.

Speaker 1 (05:50):
I completely understand the emotional part of what you mentioned.
Coming back to that game specifically, I didn't plan on
starting here either, but this is great conversation. The year
before we lost to that that Penn State story I
told we we played Penn State at Penn State similar
similar to you guys, this was twenty sixteen.

Speaker 2 (06:10):
They dog walked us.

Speaker 1 (06:12):
I mean it wasn't it wasn't even close, Like it
was like they were playing a D two team. That night,
we got ran out the building in a white out.
We got the full treatment, man, and turning point in
the season. That next week is the week that we
kicked Keith Duncan kicks the field goal to beat Michigan

(06:33):
in Kinnick, So.

Speaker 2 (06:35):
So yeah, similar, similar sort of situation where.

Speaker 1 (06:41):
Our backs were against the wall, like and it was
emotional to then come back and stand up and and
you know, Michigan was number three in the country, I think,
so twelve opportunities every season and and it is like
you get you get very few chances to go show
what you're working for all season long.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
Yeah, and it's just it all comes out.

Speaker 1 (07:02):
It feels so good to win. You said how hard
it is to win. You can you can tell me
I'm wrong, But I think people don't quite understand how
hard it is to win.

Speaker 4 (07:11):
They don't understand, they don't they just I mean that's
the part, like I think social media and media in
general is it's a it's a blessing and a curse.

Speaker 3 (07:23):
Like obviously you see the win.

Speaker 4 (07:27):
You know, people are just assuming everything is flowing smooth
on the inside, like guys are happy, like everybody's calm
and everything's perfect, and man, you know when you lose,
now all though the sky is falling, Like he doesn't
need to be playing, he doesn't need to be coaching, blah,
blah blah. But like that, I think a lot of
people get it confused and they think like when you win,

(07:48):
it's it's hard, but they I feel like they get
it confused with like some monumental like oh, it took
all this and that, like all this different special stuff,
but like it's literally just shown up and paying attention
and going out and just competing your butt off, Like
that's really what it comes down to. But yeah, man,

(08:09):
it's it's a lot. I talked to my friends, like
I'm not anybody on the spot, but like I talk
to people who think like us football players are like
spoiled and brats and like rotten.

Speaker 3 (08:21):
I'm like, dude, you have like no.

Speaker 4 (08:23):
Idea what we go through on a day to day basis,
Like even our off days aren't off days because we're
still watching film, going to get treatment, like doing scouting
an the other team. Like it's it's crazy. It's a
lot goes into it, but at the end of the day,
that's what makes it fun, that's what makes it worth it,
because you know, you got one hundred plus guys doing

(08:45):
the same thing, all bought into the same vision with you,
And to.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
Be fair, there's an amount of spoiling. Right, still little,
but it's earned.

Speaker 3 (08:57):
Yeah, like.

Speaker 1 (09:00):
Yet yes we get fed meals, like yes, there's a
scholarship check yeah, all the down the line, right check
check check. You know you can walk out of the
complex with six protein shakes and a sandwich and all
this stuff.

Speaker 2 (09:11):
Right, But like you don't.

Speaker 1 (09:14):
Just get that right, you have to there's there's work
that has to be done on the other side of
it to like be a part of it and still
earn all that. So and it's almost in a way,
like the way to buffer the fact that you basically
have a full time job in football and then this
student part on top of it. So I totally understand.
It's it's funny. And you may have friends or family

(09:37):
like this too, like you know, you're getting ready for
like I don't know, Rutgers or somebody, and they're like, oh,
you guys are so win this week, right, Like you guys,
like this week ain't that hard?

Speaker 2 (09:49):
Like like okay, like what that's not how it works.

Speaker 3 (09:53):
It's tough.

Speaker 4 (09:54):
I think sometimes it's like human nature, like to get
caught up in somebody's record, Like look at us this
past year, like UCLA, we went out there and they
were like three games under five hundred at the time,
and like checked our butts, like the score closer than
you know what the film and the stats and the

(10:16):
game said. And I think our coaches, you know, that
game was standing. Like our coaches do a good job
of giving each opponent the proper respect and you know,
trying to instill that in us.

Speaker 3 (10:30):
But you know, at the end of the day, it's
on us.

Speaker 4 (10:31):
And I think that's just a credit to the guys
we have in the building that, like, regardless of who
we're playing, like we just treat it like it's a
national championship. Like there's there's no big games, like you know,
obviously there's games when you get towards the end of
the season that meet a little bit more, but you know,
at the end of the day, it's one game at
a time, and you know, everybody's a tough opponent because

(10:54):
you know, everybody's putting in just as much work as
you are to try to win a game.

Speaker 3 (10:58):
So definitely can't past anybody, especially in the Big ten.

Speaker 1 (11:02):
So yeah, yeah, that you see all that game is
an interesting example. I have a feeling that y'all on
the inside knew just how difficult that game was gonna be.

Speaker 3 (11:12):
Yeah, it was you know, Eric being to me.

Speaker 4 (11:18):
Long Super Bowl champion offensive coordinator, you know, coach, arguably
one of the top two greatest quarterbacks players.

Speaker 3 (11:27):
In the NFL.

Speaker 4 (11:29):
And then the atmosphere like we're going across to basically
two time zones, playing a Friday night game, a short
week of prep, and you're in a historic stadium. So
like as much as people might overlook that, like I'm
not gonna lie like looking back, I was like starstruck.

Speaker 3 (11:49):
I'm like, wow, Like we're really playing in the Rose Bowl,
Like that was that was.

Speaker 4 (11:54):
Creazy from Indiana, Like you grow up watching the Rose
Bawl every New Year's Day, and you know that was
definitely like a bucket list stadium that I wanted to
play in. But I mean, yeah, I in U c
l A like a ton of great athletes. You know,
they have a former player as their coach, so you

(12:16):
know that programs. You know, he's instilled what it means
to be a brewin out there. But yeah, we knew
regardless what outside where I was saying, like, we knew
it was gonna be tough, you know, logistically and schematically,
and I mean it's there.

Speaker 2 (12:32):
They were rolling at the top.

Speaker 4 (12:34):
Yeah, they they we caught him, but I think they
had just they were like three and six or two
and six or something like that, and then they won.

Speaker 2 (12:44):
I think they won out.

Speaker 3 (12:45):
I think that they.

Speaker 4 (12:46):
Went out and went to a bowl game and they
like went on the road beat Nebraska.

Speaker 3 (12:52):
I can't remember when they played Rutgers, but.

Speaker 2 (12:55):
I think they played tough.

Speaker 4 (12:58):
Yeah, they played or like everybody played, was a pretty
pretty tight game. So you know, sometimes you just take
one on the chin, and you know, unfortunately that night
we took a big one.

Speaker 3 (13:08):
On the chin.

Speaker 2 (13:08):
So yeah, it happens.

Speaker 3 (13:12):
Happens.

Speaker 1 (13:13):
I also took one on the chin compliments of Christian
McCaffrey in the Rosewolves.

Speaker 3 (13:19):
It's all right, it's funny.

Speaker 4 (13:20):
That was before I took I took my official visit
here in June of twenty nineteen, and obviously take away
like the recruiting and like that stuff. My only impression
of Iowa football was that twenty fifteen rosebul game. Yep,
and like I remember, I was sitting in my living
room watching it. My first play I think it was

(13:44):
I think you guys are running bears or Bison. One
other two and somebody got their zone and then gone straight
to the house.

Speaker 1 (13:53):
Bro that you've never felt the wind gets sucked out
of a place so quick, man, it was.

Speaker 2 (14:00):
Yeah, that was tough.

Speaker 1 (14:03):
Cool place to play though, man, like it is a
sick place.

Speaker 3 (14:06):
Uh, and I.

Speaker 2 (14:07):
Totally understand, like it is tough.

Speaker 1 (14:09):
Did you find did you guys find that it's hard
to explain, like the time travel thing?

Speaker 2 (14:16):
Mm hmm, Sorry, that was a weird way to say it.

Speaker 1 (14:20):
Yeah, Deontay and the boys got into spaceship and time
Travel California.

Speaker 2 (14:29):
Friday night.

Speaker 1 (14:30):
Yeah, it's just a it's just a weird situation of
like it just throws off the routine and it's just
everything's just a little bit different. And when it's one
percent different for everybody, that's all it takes.

Speaker 2 (14:41):
Like it really is that.

Speaker 4 (14:44):
I think we're a little bit comfortable because KF and
I'm you know, credit to him. We were obviously really thankful,
but all the seniors had like the reclining seats.

Speaker 3 (14:57):
No oh, we.

Speaker 4 (15:01):
Were like laid back like blankets, pillows, like all kinds
of stuff. So wow, I don't think I'm wrong in
saying that was definitely I mean then, plus, like you're
flying in. You see the Hollywood Sign and you see
crypto like Dodger Stadium, Like there's definitely a sense of you.

Speaker 3 (15:20):
Know, comfortability there for sure.

Speaker 4 (15:22):
So I, oh, you never want to make excuses, but
that was I think that was a reason. Like only
a handful of Big ten teams came from the Midwest
and went out West coast or vice versa. Yeah, I
don't think it's coincidence. Only a handful of won those
cross country games.

Speaker 1 (15:40):
I don't remember looking at UH at the end of
the year record on those on those travel games, but
early on or like halfway through, it was something.

Speaker 3 (15:49):
It was rough, it was bad.

Speaker 5 (15:51):
It was like like an h to nine start from
it was two and fourteen.

Speaker 1 (15:56):
At one point the team that was traveling the two
time zones was two and fourteen.

Speaker 4 (16:00):
I think Minnesota and Indiana both went out to u
c l A and one, and I know U c
l A came to Nebraska and one.

Speaker 3 (16:09):
Those only for you I can think of.

Speaker 2 (16:13):
I mean Ohio State went to Oregon.

Speaker 3 (16:16):
Yeah, they ended up losing that.

Speaker 4 (16:18):
Oregon came to Wisconsin later in the season and one four.
But Washington came to Penn State lost. They came here
lost when Indiana lost, Uh, Maryland to Oregon lost.

Speaker 3 (16:34):
You got a good memory, Yeah, a lot of films. Washington.

Speaker 5 (16:41):
Didn't Washington play Rutgers or something like six overtimes on
a Friday night or something.

Speaker 2 (16:46):
Yes, Rutgers went to Washington.

Speaker 3 (16:47):
I believe.

Speaker 2 (16:51):
It doesn't matter. How did you how did you?

Speaker 3 (16:55):
Uh?

Speaker 2 (16:56):
You mentioned the recruiting process a little bit.

Speaker 1 (16:59):
How did KF the squad in Iowa City get Deontay
Craig and the Black and Gold?

Speaker 4 (17:04):
So originally because Iowa came into the picture kind of late,
and you know, I think Coach Bell and Coach Farans
had a vision on how they wanted to recruit me,
and that's ultimately like one of the reasons why it
really stuck out here. From like the first text message,
Coach Bell was like straight up, he was like, Okay,

(17:26):
I'm not going to offer you until I meet you
in person and like get a chance to talk to
you face to face. And I was like, okay, like
I'm not really tripping And that was like maybe, like
because he offered me my junior year, So that was
like just like maybe like May of.

Speaker 2 (17:50):
Twenty May or summer going into your junior year.

Speaker 4 (17:54):
Yeah, they started recruiting me that following year, so I
think my mind been like towards the end of twenty
eighteen was when I first started hearing from them, and
then got the offer in May, and then took my
official in June. And it's crazy because for as long
as like they made me wait, which again like I

(18:16):
didn't have a problem with because I wasn't trying to
roast make a decision anyway. I left my official and
I was like, hey, coach, like, I'm ready to commit
right now. There were dudes, a bunch of dudes on
the devor on the visit with me, all committed, and
I was like, yeah, like this is where I want
to be. But I took some time, slept on it,
and a couple of days later I hit him back

(18:38):
and I was like, Coach, like, I think I need
to take a break, and he was he was honest,
like he was like, look like I'm still gonna be looking,
but you know, we want to hear and we'll we'll
respect your time and stuff. So a couple of months later,
it ultimately came down to Iowa, Indiana and then Tennessee,

(18:58):
and you know, I at the time ten to see
what was going through that scandal and with the coach
and everything, so I didn't want to go that rout.

Speaker 2 (19:07):
Were you fed McDonald's well being.

Speaker 3 (19:09):
Recruited by Tennessee?

Speaker 4 (19:10):
Nah, McDonald's bags. But I won't go into detail. But
you know, I looking back on it, I was yeah, so.

Speaker 2 (19:25):
Yeah, all right, that's all we need to know.

Speaker 3 (19:29):
So yeah, hey.

Speaker 1 (19:31):
Before you continue, real quick, I think I was unfamiliar
with your game, bro, like uh, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan.

Speaker 2 (19:39):
Yeah, all three offered you. Yeah, I have and the
Hawks brought it home.

Speaker 3 (19:45):
Yeah, I had a pretty I think.

Speaker 4 (19:47):
You know, when you get into recruiting, you find out
a lot about people and yourself. Honestly, I think now
it's different. It feels weird saying it's different than I
was young because it was literally only like four or.

Speaker 3 (20:02):
Five years ago.

Speaker 4 (20:03):
But now it feels like college football has totally changed
from before I got into it. But I think like
kids are just so obsessed with like the logo and
the promises that come along with some of these coaches,
and when you go on these visits, like you only
see the good side of things, where like like I

(20:23):
had schools tell me like you're our number one guy,
and then two days later somebody else commits and now
I could come compete for a walk on spot. So
it's like, you know, you find out real quick who's
really interested, who's really invested, and I would just stay consistent.

Speaker 3 (20:43):
They didn't, you know, bug me.

Speaker 4 (20:45):
I mean you hate to say it, but like some
of these coaches out here just don't know when to
quit and.

Speaker 2 (20:51):
Are they really annoying like that?

Speaker 3 (20:53):
Yeah, it's there.

Speaker 4 (20:55):
I had a school that was recruiting me, like every
day they had a coach call me, and it was
just like in rotation, and it's like, dude, like.

Speaker 5 (21:07):
Say, they're running out of coaches, and so I hire
people just to call you.

Speaker 4 (21:11):
My day is like pretty consistent, Like there's no reason
you call it every day is gonna rush me to
make a decision.

Speaker 3 (21:19):
So but yeah, I gave it my space.

Speaker 4 (21:23):
They were available with the questions and resources, and you know,
it just was consistent throughout and I really appreciate that
and that stood out to my parents and everything. So yeah,
I mean a lot of those offers were there, but
you know, I I landed where I was supposed to,
and you know, I was definitely the best decision.

Speaker 2 (21:45):
Was there ever a moment in Iowa City where you thought, damn,
I should have been a buck eye, I should have
been Like did you ever have one of those? Where
did you ever second guessing?

Speaker 4 (21:54):
Nah?

Speaker 3 (21:55):
I mean I'm normally not the time. I don't.

Speaker 4 (21:56):
I try to delivel regrets. You know, obviously, not every
decision are going to make its perfect. So at the
end of the day, you got to live with what
you decide. But I loved it there. Honestly. I love
the coaches, I love the guys I got to play with,
you know, I love all the friendships and the people
that I've made in my five years here. You know,

(22:18):
I just the grass ain't always greener. So I was
fully invested in. You know, every day I woke up,
I was just focused on being the best Hawk.

Speaker 3 (22:27):
I can be.

Speaker 1 (22:28):
Do you get the sense now older wiser, you know,
you're you're now looking at potential at the next level
that you know other guys that go to other schools,
you know from your area or whatever, And you get
the sense. And again biased guy asking another biased guy
that Iowa just does it differently than a lot of places.

Speaker 4 (22:50):
Yeah, I mean I think so, and I think it's
hard for for a lot of people. I think people
see i One, they don't view us as like, what
a top tier program. Yet we're consistently a ten win team.
We consistently have first round picks, first Team All Americans,

(23:10):
all Big Tens. Teams are flooded with IOWA players, Like
I don't I don't understand why, but I mean it
takes a special type of person to come in here
and you know, wait your turn as a freshman, and
you know, be okay with only getting a few snaps
a game your second or third year here, and you know,

(23:31):
finally when you're a senior fifth year guy like getting
your opportunity to running with it. Like I think sticking
to that course stands out a lot more than you know,
jumping ship early and trying to go chase a check
somewhere else. So I mean, you look at guys that
come and go from this program like, oh, the coach

(23:51):
doesn't like me.

Speaker 3 (23:52):
A coach to this coaches that blah blah blah.

Speaker 4 (23:54):
But it's like, what are you doing to make the
coach feel that way about you? Like I feel like
people are too quick to just point the finger instead
of like looking in the mirror and.

Speaker 3 (24:03):
Seeing how they can be better.

Speaker 4 (24:05):
But I mean, yeah, our coaches say it all the time,
like I was tough, Like it's not supposed to be.

Speaker 3 (24:10):
We don't have the four to.

Speaker 4 (24:12):
The five star guys that can, you know, go out
there and do a bunch of crazy stuff that you
might see on ESPN or Sports Center and whatnot. But
we got hard in those guys who come to work
and you know, they know how to compete and they
just love to play ball.

Speaker 2 (24:25):
It's the mannequin guys.

Speaker 3 (24:26):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (24:27):
I've always talked about it when they when we played
Penn State or Michigan's like, yeah, they're gonna they're gonna
look real good in the uniform.

Speaker 2 (24:32):
Yeah, better than us. Wise words there from Deontay.

Speaker 1 (24:39):
Everybody listening right now, gotta gotta look in the mirror
a little bit sometimes, Isn't that right, Grant?

Speaker 2 (24:44):
Sometimes sometimes it's about you.

Speaker 3 (24:47):
It's beneficial.

Speaker 1 (24:50):
The uh, everybody wants to play right away, right, I'm
gonna get I'm getting time my freshman year. It's it's
it's a bit of a crazy I understand it. I
came in twenty thirteen and there's a couple guys in
our class that had that mentality. One of them happened
to be Desmond King and he was right right, like
every once in a while you get one. Yeah, you

(25:12):
know Cooper Flag, he's just that guy. Yeah, most most
people aren't that dude.

Speaker 4 (25:18):
And absolutely, I mean I played with Dane Belton he
I don't know he started from day one, but towards
the end of that twenty nineteen season he was starting.
Tyler Goodson played with him, dang, I know him forgetting

(25:38):
a couple guys like Xavier Wampa, Cooper Dejen like they
were special teams guys. But still, like you guys know
how how huge that side of the football is for us.

Speaker 2 (25:50):
Cooper's doing all right, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (25:51):
You know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (25:52):
So uh yeah, So it's guys like conn of Colby
who stepped in and played a little bit his freshman year. Yeah,
I mean yeah, it's obviously like you've achieved part of
your dream. Like you know, when you're playing ball in
middle school, high school, like you you hope you can
get good enough to play at the college level. So, uh,

(26:12):
Caleb Johnson coming in as a as a true refreshman,
taken over.

Speaker 3 (26:17):
Like that's what you want. But at the end of
the day.

Speaker 4 (26:21):
I mean, there's no there's no rush, especially when you're
a young guy. Like, yeah, of course if you're gifted
enough to pick up on the playbook and physically ready,
like the day you step on campus, and that's awesome,
like that coach.

Speaker 3 (26:34):
Deserves a raise.

Speaker 4 (26:36):
But at the end of the day, like it's not
like you only get one one chance to show what
you can do. So it's a lot of kids want
to jump in the pool and play right away, but
it's like, dude, just just stick it out, like we
got look at look at the seth Benson's the Jack
Campbell's Higgins, like you know, the Cooper de Jens for

(26:58):
that matter, Like he didn't even and start hit. He
didn't even play like a lot on defense his freshman year.
You know, it's it's stories like that that make it
worth it, and you know give you that confidence that like,
oh I gotta do is follow the blueprint and I'll
be I'll be fine.

Speaker 1 (27:17):
Yeah, it's it's just it's it's I get it, an
I l the portal makes it real easy, right And
I'm sure you've heard more stories than me and seen
it firsthand.

Speaker 2 (27:30):
Is wild.

Speaker 3 (27:31):
Yeah, it's insane.

Speaker 2 (27:33):
It's just it's just crazy to think that.

Speaker 1 (27:35):
Like, I mean, you can go get a bag, right
and and and see half of these guys.

Speaker 2 (27:41):
We never hear about him again.

Speaker 1 (27:42):
Yeah, they get paid. The school's piss because they don't
get what they paid for. And and this guy just
falls off the map.

Speaker 3 (27:49):
They find somebody else, and then like.

Speaker 2 (27:52):
What if you just would have stayed and developed, right,
I just sometimes I question it.

Speaker 1 (27:56):
I don't know, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Culvert Academies. Yes, almost
my last name. You can switch that around Klueberg Academies.
Maybe they start that up here into Morningrado. Was it
always the dream you mentioned? Hey, you're a middle school
kid like I want to be. I want to be
d one. Were you always a football guy?

Speaker 2 (28:14):
Would you play other sports as a younger?

Speaker 4 (28:16):
So I've been playing football and basketball and since I
was like thir or four years old.

Speaker 3 (28:24):
Growing up, like I wanted to be in the NBA.

Speaker 4 (28:28):
Like if you would ask me back when I was
like eight or nine years old, like I would have
told you, like, I'll be playing in the NBA by
the time I'm like.

Speaker 3 (28:35):
Twenty two to twenty three.

Speaker 4 (28:38):
And pretty much I got my first offer the summer
before my junior year, and it was football, but I
was still like, I got one more summer of AAU basketball,
like I'm gonna give it everything I got and yeah,
I'm gonna try to get some offers. And sure enough
the end of that, like I feel like I've balled
out too, but nobody came calling.

Speaker 3 (29:00):
And then the day before my.

Speaker 4 (29:06):
Junior year football game, Tennessee Football called and offered me,
and I was like, damn, yes.

Speaker 3 (29:13):
It's looking like it's gonna be football.

Speaker 2 (29:15):
Go in a different direction.

Speaker 4 (29:17):
You know, so offered me. The game was that next day.
So I'm like, you know, I gotta go out and
ball out. Like people are looking at me like he
got offer, blah blah blah. So went out did my
thing that Friday night. Next morning, Indiana offers me get
off the fall. Like an hour later, Michigan State calls

(29:39):
offers me, and I'm like.

Speaker 3 (29:40):
Yeah, it's it's it's time to focus on football.

Speaker 4 (29:43):
But I still played basketball just because it allowed me
to like stay in shape and I just love to compete,
Like it would have killed me to sit in the
bleachers watching like the basketball team play without me out there.
Plus I mean I would if you look at the roster,
like we got guys that are wrestlers, track guys, basketball, baseball,

(30:06):
like all kinds of stuff. So I think all that translates,
and I think the more you can do, the better
they can all help. But yeah, the dream at first
was basketball, Like my dad grew up playing basketball, all
his brothers did too, and I definitely wanted to do that.
But you know, I tell people all the time, like
the more you can do, more valuable you are. So

(30:28):
fortunately I was able to to be good and more
more sports than just one, and you know, now I can,
I guess still chase my dream of being a pro.

Speaker 2 (30:38):
I think we all wanted to be Lebron at some point.

Speaker 3 (30:41):
I'm a Kobe guy, so that's okay, you could be.

Speaker 2 (30:45):
I feel like you could be both.

Speaker 1 (30:46):
I'm not maybe you can't. Maybe there's maybe there's competing camp.
We all wanted to be coked. I grew up obviously
older than you, so I you know, I was you know,
you shoot the paper ball in the trash can.

Speaker 5 (30:56):
It was always Kobe, right though I don't think that's
like an age thing. I think there's I guarantee you
can go to a second grade classroom, you throw someone
in the paper rock or whatever.

Speaker 2 (31:05):
Well, Yo, Kobe, I think.

Speaker 1 (31:07):
They're not yell, Grant, they're not yelling, Kobe, Bro, what
would they would they yell?

Speaker 2 (31:10):
They're not yelling, like Devin Booker like, that's why would they?
That doesn't make any sense. I mean that's it.

Speaker 1 (31:19):
Yeah, yeah, no, it's uh we always I think that
that allure of the NBA is it's just something I
think everybody thinks they're gonna hope. But uh, did you
ever you guys ever go run it at the wreck?

Speaker 4 (31:29):
Yeah, we did wait outside of this last year because
it was kind of our all of our last season,
so we were trying to keep the main thing the
main thing. But yeah, so my COVID year, so twenty twenty,
all the the indoor gyms were closed, like they literally
put the rims off so like people couldn't go in there. Crazy,

(31:52):
So we stayed in with Peterson around when when you
were a freshman.

Speaker 2 (31:58):
Or they were they were building it so.

Speaker 3 (32:01):
That dorm behind Peterson that it's the Reno or Slayer
one of the two.

Speaker 2 (32:07):
The towers that were yeah, Reno.

Speaker 4 (32:10):
There was like an outdoor court right there, and we
would always we were playing outdoor pick up because we
couldn't get into the gym. But then, like as you know,
COVID started to go away and things were opening back up,
like we were at the wreck.

Speaker 3 (32:26):
We went to field House, we got we were.

Speaker 4 (32:30):
Able to get in the Carver and play pick up
a bunch of times in there.

Speaker 3 (32:33):
So yeah, it was a good deal.

Speaker 4 (32:36):
We definitely we got a lot of a lot of
NBA want to bees on the squad.

Speaker 1 (32:40):
Well, I was gonna ask, can you settle the debate?
So we had we had Nick and and Jay on
the show. I need to know who is actually better
between Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson, Like who's the better hooper?

Speaker 3 (32:53):
Nick surprised? Nick surprised me. I ain't gonna lie.

Speaker 4 (32:55):
I didn't think he was I didn't think he was
good at all. But we got out there. We were
in Carver too. He played pretty well. But I might
be a little biased because me and Jay we've we've
hooped together since we're like second third grade, so I've
seen him ball for a long time. I only got
to see a couple of months of Nick hoop. But
I have to go with Jay and.

Speaker 2 (33:16):
Now Kevin, Welcome to the show. I'm sure you were.

Speaker 1 (33:20):
You're either you know, working on solar energy or eating
eggs or two sponsors. Tonight presented by Eagle Point Solar
and the IOWAG Council this moment, I was.

Speaker 6 (33:28):
Actually cooking my eggs with solar energy. And that's that's yeah, dude.

Speaker 1 (33:32):
How about that Take a quick moment to thank our
sponsors before we get back to Deontay and introduce Kevin
into the conversation. Eagle Point Solar one stop shop. They're
the They're the full the full gamut. Theyuh, let me
read it right off their website. Eagle Point Solar of
Dubuque leads the way in solar installations in Illinois, Iowa,
and Wisconsin. Their solar projects spanning large range of applications

(33:54):
including municipal, commercial, residential, academic, agriculate. If there's a building,
you can put solar energy on it. Deonta, did you
know that?

Speaker 3 (34:02):
Yeah? I put it.

Speaker 2 (34:04):
I may put it on a chicken coop if you
want it.

Speaker 3 (34:06):
I'm sure I need to get some solar panels.

Speaker 2 (34:08):
Hell yeah, that's what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (34:12):
Their turn key contractor, they're there from start to finish.

Speaker 2 (34:17):
They're going to educate you.

Speaker 1 (34:18):
They're going to take you through every step of the process,
and if they can save you money, they're going to
Eagle pointsolar dot com. As of now reading this, you
can get the two hundred dollars Amazon gift card for
doing their free energy solar analysis deal and you can
get that at Eagle pointsolar dot com. And as Kevin
said he was cooking his uh, I don't know how
he's doing it. It'd be a cool contraption.

Speaker 6 (34:38):
But do you think you can use that Amazon gift
card to buy two hundred dollars worth of eggs?

Speaker 1 (34:42):
You could buy two hundred dollars worth of eggs, Kevin
at you know, not from the Eyewa Egg Council, but
you're supporting the IWEG Council farmers across the state.

Speaker 2 (34:50):
I bought eggs today and the prices are going down now.

Speaker 1 (34:52):
People seem to be I think it's absurd to spend,
you know, three dollars on a breakfast, even if you
had five or six eggs.

Speaker 2 (34:58):
I got eighteen today for six.

Speaker 1 (35:00):
That means it's like deck down at thirty five thirty
three cent per egg range.

Speaker 2 (35:04):
It's good enough for me. I'm sure. Deonta here had
plenty of eggs during his time in the career.

Speaker 3 (35:08):
I didn't realize, like that's like a huge thing right now.

Speaker 4 (35:12):
Like I you obviously like are online and like you
see memes and like you see articles about it. But
like I've been to Target, I went to I was
just back in Indianapolis.

Speaker 2 (35:23):
You can't find eggs.

Speaker 3 (35:25):
Yeah, Like I.

Speaker 4 (35:26):
Went to what's that place? I went to Trader Joe's.
I went to a waffle house.

Speaker 3 (35:31):
And there was like.

Speaker 4 (35:34):
A little on the menu and it's like every dish
that contains eggs, we have to do a fifty cent
up charge due to like a shortage.

Speaker 2 (35:44):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (35:45):
Wow, Like that's actually really going on right now. So
real thing.

Speaker 6 (35:49):
What's what's the order at the waffle house?

Speaker 4 (35:52):
The sausage, egg and cheese, hash around scramble with the
side of grits and too waffles.

Speaker 6 (36:01):
Go heavy meal.

Speaker 2 (36:03):
He's a big boy. You got to feed him, all right.

Speaker 6 (36:05):
You ever heard of the Fantasy Football punishment where the
waffle house challenge.

Speaker 4 (36:11):
I've heard the punishments, but not the waffle house challenges.

Speaker 6 (36:16):
You got to spend twenty four hours in a waffle house,
but you get to take off an hour for every
waffle that you eat.

Speaker 3 (36:21):
Oh, okay, I have How long do you think it
would take you before you're allowed to leave?

Speaker 6 (36:27):
It's a great question, Like a waffles, yeah, is a
pretty admirable goal.

Speaker 4 (36:35):
So, yeah, that the waffles all I'm eating. I don't
have to eat anything else.

Speaker 2 (36:38):
That's no I get if you want.

Speaker 6 (36:41):
I mean, after about four waffles, you might want to
eat something else, but you don't get.

Speaker 4 (36:44):
To I could probably get And does it have to
be a consecutive or can I like eat one way?

Speaker 6 (36:49):
You can take as much time as you want. You're
spending twenty four hours there. If you eat zero, you
spend two hours there. If you can eat twenty two
and two hours.

Speaker 2 (36:58):
God, I would love to see someone that I'm eating.

Speaker 4 (37:03):
I'm at least eating one, I hope.

Speaker 2 (37:07):
Every thirty minutes, one every thirty.

Speaker 3 (37:10):
I'm gonna be one every thirty four.

Speaker 2 (37:12):
Okay, so you're out in uh.

Speaker 4 (37:15):
Thirty minutes would be what twelve hours? Yeah, so two
every hour I'm at least getting I'm getting all twenty four.

Speaker 3 (37:22):
I guess, well, you don't have enough.

Speaker 1 (37:24):
You're gonna at some point you're not gonna eat all
twenty four because it's gonna take you. You know you're
gonna you're gonna knock off your time. So by the
time you eat like even ten of them, you're gonna
have been there for like three hours.

Speaker 2 (37:36):
Probably you think so bro these Yeah.

Speaker 3 (37:39):
Oh okay, I see what you're saying.

Speaker 2 (37:41):
So you can.

Speaker 1 (37:42):
So if you could eat twenty in four hours, then
there's your twenty four then you're dumb.

Speaker 3 (37:49):
I'll be.

Speaker 4 (37:52):
I'll give myself twelve to fourteen. Twelve to fourteen, Okay,
So you're gonna be there.

Speaker 2 (37:56):
Yeah, it's tougher than people think. What got you? If
you're ever bored Deonta, just search it on YouTube. It's
a fantastic watch.

Speaker 1 (38:04):
Uh, just one.

Speaker 2 (38:05):
We're going to start to hit the wall around eight
or nine.

Speaker 4 (38:08):
Waffles, man, Like that food is so simple, but it's
like so good.

Speaker 3 (38:14):
I was good every.

Speaker 4 (38:16):
Time because they don't have it in Iowa. So fortunately
we've been to Orlando twice, plenty of Nashville twice, plenty.

Speaker 5 (38:26):
Of full trip waffle You might have been to the
exact waffle house that Kevin went to, and uh, the
first time I ever met Kevin, we went to waffle house.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
In Nashville and then he just threw up for like
thirty minutes. Immediately afterwards.

Speaker 6 (38:39):
Yeah, it's like we got back to the hotel and
I think we're there for thirty minutes and then I started.

Speaker 3 (38:43):
Chucking them up.

Speaker 6 (38:43):
Yeah, well I hadn't eaten it all that day, so
I think I had two meals plus like three waffles.

Speaker 4 (38:48):
And the hotel we stayed that In Nashville, we say
it like the opery Land.

Speaker 3 (38:54):
There's literally a waffle house right across the highway. Oh,
I can't lie three years ago. I think it is
now where we went. I went like four or five times.

Speaker 4 (39:06):
I had arguably one of the best kids in my career,
and this year, I would like three or four times,
had probably the best SCA in my career.

Speaker 3 (39:13):
So it goes together.

Speaker 6 (39:17):
So I'm curious when you gotta guess some of your
buddies involved in franchise of waffle House in Iowa City,
because I think it do numbies.

Speaker 3 (39:25):
I've been ever since twenty twenty two.

Speaker 4 (39:29):
I've been telling guys like, look, we're making all this money,
Like we.

Speaker 6 (39:33):
Imagine how many people come out of the bars and like, dude,
let's go to waffle house.

Speaker 3 (39:37):
Oh you do that? Like people will drive all the
way up to Corlville to go to.

Speaker 4 (39:41):
But I'm like, dude, let's put our money together and
open one right here in the pedmoll like that, We'll
do it.

Speaker 6 (39:48):
Would it would crush dude and put Pincheras out of business?

Speaker 1 (39:53):
Literally, Man, I went, I'm hungry, boys, I'm hungry talking
about this now.

Speaker 4 (40:00):
Respect Pontres though, because that's what. Yeah, they're they're goaded,
they're guarded wild houses.

Speaker 3 (40:07):
It's up there. It's different.

Speaker 2 (40:10):
Talking about all this waffles, eggs.

Speaker 1 (40:12):
You know, like obviously you had to watch your body
weight maintain some serious mass. It says two forty nine
on the on the roster, Dante, what did.

Speaker 2 (40:20):
You what are you wet?

Speaker 3 (40:21):
What do you what?

Speaker 2 (40:22):
It ain't too forty nine?

Speaker 3 (40:24):
So I've played probably this past season.

Speaker 4 (40:27):
I played at like between two sixty five and two seventy.
I did Pro Day and I waited in at two
seventy eight point eight.

Speaker 3 (40:36):
Boy, yeah for for the next level.

Speaker 4 (40:39):
Just stuff I've been hearing, like teams want me to
put on weight. So now I am currently on the
road to like two eighty five to ninety. Yeah, Well
we'll see what happens.

Speaker 6 (40:50):
But have you been talking to coach as much throughout
the process or scouts.

Speaker 4 (40:55):
Yeah, back in January, I went to a Senior Bowl
games called the trump Ball down in Orlando with like
fifteen teams pretty like service level. I had a couple
that like wanted to talk X's nose, but for the
most part, like outside of that, and then you know,
just high and by tots some scouts at pro Day,

(41:19):
it was it's been pretty pretty chill, pretty laid back.
You know, my agent is hearing some good stuff though,
so just giving fingers crossed one step. I'm like, this
process is it's stressful, but you know it's fun. So
you just gotta try to enjoy it. And like I said,
just just have fun with it because if you if

(41:41):
you stretch yourself out, you go crazy.

Speaker 6 (41:43):
Absolutely, So I'm curious in these conversations, have they seeing
you more as like a like a four to three
end or a three four stand up type type guy?

Speaker 3 (41:51):
Like what do you So?

Speaker 4 (41:52):
Yeah, it's it's kind of from what I've heard, I'm
getting the consensus that teams want me to kind of
played three tech and inside, which I mean, I don't
mind because you know, if you look at my my
film during my time at IOWA like I was a
guy that I played No's, I played three tech, I
played crashing, I played heavy five Like I I prided

(42:16):
myself and No One every spot up front because I
like staying on the field and that that's an easy
cheat sheet to being able to to play a lot
or play a lot of snaps and you know, be
out there and try to make a difference. So I mean,
I think, just based off like my testing numbers and stuff,
it would make sense for me to kind of make

(42:37):
that transition.

Speaker 3 (42:38):
But hopefully I can be in a situation.

Speaker 4 (42:41):
Where I can still be versatile and uh, you know,
show off my athleticism and you know, my football ability totally.

Speaker 3 (42:49):
Man.

Speaker 6 (42:49):
Yeah, I was just curious because I, like you said,
I played a lot of different positions online. I could
see playing either war up in the next level. Like
you know, I would have thought that we'd see like
Anthony Nelson standing up and dropping back into coverage.

Speaker 2 (43:05):
But here he is, and I think he had a
pick last year too.

Speaker 3 (43:07):
Yeah he's just signed another Extensioneah, you're doing all right?

Speaker 2 (43:12):
A lot of Hawkeys just got paid.

Speaker 3 (43:14):
Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 2 (43:17):
Hard to throw over Anthony Nelson. He's like he's a
damn building.

Speaker 4 (43:20):
Out there and coach Belsa he had the best pad
level he's ever seen. That he's one of the tallest
guys he's ever coached. So that's a lot.

Speaker 1 (43:30):
If you would have been around Anthony, frustrating guy as
a as a fellow athlete, like you know, off season
competition type stuff, frustrating guy to go.

Speaker 2 (43:41):
Against because he was just better than you at everything.
I mean when he got there, he ran with the.

Speaker 1 (43:48):
Skills now he was he was only two forty to
fifty maybe at the time, but he was running like
a deer with the skill position naking times.

Speaker 3 (44:01):
That's how I felt.

Speaker 4 (44:02):
You talk about just a guy that's naturally gifted and
better than you and everything. That's how I feel about
Cooper de Gene video games really gamer, just every time
I've seen him. We've got some guys on the.

Speaker 3 (44:16):
Team like TJ.

Speaker 4 (44:17):
Hall and DeShawn Lee there uh he transferred now, but
Lashawn Williams, the.

Speaker 3 (44:26):
Old running back.

Speaker 4 (44:27):
Like, we got some pretty competitive gamers on the team,
but I haven't seen any of them see Cooper, Like
maybe they beat him, But every time I'm there, all
I know is Cooper normally wins.

Speaker 6 (44:37):
So is he like one of those annoying dudes that's
like it's it's not his fault, but it's just annoying
that he's good at it, Like are you bad at anything?

Speaker 4 (44:45):
It's like it's like, okay, you're in the dorm with him.
He beats you thirty five Oho and Madden. Let's go
play pick up. He's running, jumping, duncan shooting the court.
And then we go out to practice and he's getting
the eighty yr pick sixes. And then he goes to
the game Birthday super Bowl first pick against Patrick so

(45:06):
dumb touchdown, Like like, dude, like the stars must have
been aligned, I mean when you were born, Like do
you all ever do.

Speaker 2 (45:14):
You'll ever think about that? Like he really is him though,
you know.

Speaker 4 (45:17):
I know, like it's crazy, like he's like I look
at not just him, but like guys like a Jack Campbell,
Like yeah, like coming from uh Cedar Falls, Iowa, like
turning himself into a top twenty pick, Like it's it's crazy, but.

Speaker 2 (45:34):
You know Jack, Jack's gonna be the governor of Iowa someday.
You know that.

Speaker 4 (45:37):
Yeah, I have no doubt in my mind, and it
wouldn't surprise me if he came back to be the
linebacker's coach once Coach Wallace was was going to.

Speaker 3 (45:46):
Hang it up, it happened to him him or Seth
one of the two.

Speaker 4 (45:52):
It wouldn't surprise me if they came back to coach
the linebackers one day.

Speaker 1 (45:56):
Talk to me about about KB and Seth and all
the defensive coaches were what is what's their lasting impact
on you as as you head out the door.

Speaker 4 (46:04):
Man, I love him, you know, starting with KB, just
because you know, that's the guy that's in my room
and the one I built pretty much the close relationship
with Like he is He's one of the most like
fantastic people I've ever had an opportunity to meet. Like
the way he talks and the way he teaches, and
you know, he's like almost like a father figured to us.

(46:27):
Like I feel like he teaches d line and like
he controls the room like like it's.

Speaker 3 (46:32):
First period, like like like you're going to class.

Speaker 4 (46:36):
And then you know the chemistry that he has with
Coach Neeman and how they bounce off of each other
and how they work together to always put us in
you know, a great position out there on the field.
Like it's definitely special. And you know, both of them.
You know, I've had tough conversations with, like I've celebrated with,
like you ride the roller coaster when you come to Iowa.

(46:59):
So I'm definitely fortunate that I got a chance to
build with both of them for the whole time I
was at Iowa. And then you know, Coach Wallace, Coach Parker,
you know, all the gas to help out. Like man,
I think they really set the tone for for what
it means to play defense here. Like you know, during

(47:20):
the off season, you see them. They're visible, like they're
you know, shooting the ship with us. Excuse my language.
We're sitting in the the All American room, eating with
them and everything. But they do such a good job
of when it's time to go, Like they're so laser focused,
they don't really give you any other choice but to

(47:41):
match that level of intensity or they're gonna leave you behind.

Speaker 3 (47:44):
So those guys, like you know, they keep it real.

Speaker 4 (47:49):
I know I can go talk to them, I have
one and talk to them about everything other than football,
and they've been so receptive. And you know, every time
I go back, it's it's awesome. Like I love those guys,
and you know, it's it's another special thing about Iowa.
Like coming into this back in twenty twenty, like I
knew I was gonna have a chance to grow and

(48:10):
build connections with everybody on that staff. You know, obviously
we've had a couple of people come and go, but
for the most part, like ninety percent of that staff
is still exactly the same from when I got on campus.

Speaker 3 (48:22):
And that's really really unique and special.

Speaker 4 (48:25):
And you know, they've taught me a lot, and you know,
I think it's helped me get to being the football
player that I am right now.

Speaker 6 (48:33):
As you know, from from a player's perspective, you know,
coach Wallace got that promotion to assistant head coach last year, has.

Speaker 3 (48:41):
He kind of has anything changed from.

Speaker 6 (48:44):
From your perspective and how he goes about his his
uh day to day responsibilities or his.

Speaker 3 (48:49):
Role with Yeah, I think, I mean, no discredit to him,
but like I see, like I see, I think that's
what makes our coaching staff so unique.

Speaker 4 (48:58):
Like everybody, I think they saw that and like expected
like this huge change in his behavior and why he
did things.

Speaker 3 (49:07):
But I just think all of our coaches work so hard.

Speaker 4 (49:10):
Like if you were a stranger coming into the building
without the assistant coach name tag, you wouldn't be able
to tell who was a coach, Like just the way
you know they lead us, they coach us, They get
us prepared for every possible situation, like everybody does their job.
And then you know, obviously it was it was cool
seeing him go out there as the head coach for

(49:33):
us this first game this past season.

Speaker 2 (49:35):
And you know I already forgot about that, yeah.

Speaker 4 (49:37):
Hearing him get the national TV interview. But yeah, if
he is to be the coach one day, like I
trust me, I was going to be in a great spot,
and I know he's gonna he'll lead the program if
that's you know, what he chooses to do.

Speaker 3 (49:53):
But you know, I know he loved coaching.

Speaker 4 (49:56):
The LBS and you know, spend the majority of his
time working defense. But like I said, we we could
have put that assistant coach tag on anybody, like all
of our coaches are more than deserving of that, and
I think that's what makes it cool.

Speaker 6 (50:09):
How does Seth Wallace pregame speech compared to a Kirk
Farris pregames.

Speaker 4 (50:15):
A lot more, a lot more cursing, But you know,
I love that the message is consistent.

Speaker 2 (50:24):
U get your pads down.

Speaker 4 (50:26):
Yeah, I think he just he's himself and I think
you know him, Coach Parker, like all those coaches, like
they're not going to change for anybody and that and
that's really cool. So I think that's why it flowed
so well when he had to step in for that
week or so.

Speaker 3 (50:43):
He wasn't worried about me and Coach Farence.

Speaker 4 (50:45):
He wasn't worried about being anybody but himself, and he
excelled and like he did a really good job. And yeah,
we were definitely happy for him.

Speaker 3 (50:54):
It was We had.

Speaker 4 (50:55):
A lot of a lot of water bottles being thrown
around after that, so I know he enjoyed it, and
you know, like I said, he's definitely earned it.

Speaker 2 (51:06):
Oh yeah he is.

Speaker 3 (51:07):
Want to know.

Speaker 1 (51:09):
I'm gonna let Grant Hop in here with his question.
I'm sure he's got a couple burning. He's known for
the great questions. I don't want to hype him up
too much, but I have one more. I'm always curious
what these last couple of months have been like prepping
for the NFL, because Kevin and I will go to
our grave saying that this was the best three four
months of our life.

Speaker 2 (51:29):
Now, it was.

Speaker 1 (51:31):
It was highlighted by that spring of twenty eighteen our
draft prep was also the spring that Fortnite was at
its peak popularity. So so Bro, we would wake up late,
go train at like nine thirty, ten o'clock, whatever it was,
come home, eat lunch, and then either play Fortnite or

(51:51):
watch Netflix for like ten hours, and then wake up
and do it again the next day. And that was.
That was the same thing for like three or four
months in a row. What's it been like training for
the league and doing this process?

Speaker 3 (52:03):
It's literally what you just said.

Speaker 4 (52:05):
So I've been training up in Minnesota. It's a spot
called Training House right outside of Minneapolis. Shout out Bill
Well and Eric Perkins and my crew up there.

Speaker 3 (52:18):
Love you guys.

Speaker 4 (52:20):
But yeah, I've been up there, cold as heck, Like
I think it gets cold here, but it's like that
dry cold up there where that air is just it
just flows right through.

Speaker 3 (52:35):
Oh.

Speaker 4 (52:35):
But yeah, so typical schedule. I know, we wake up
around six thirty, Like, I have my dog up there
with me, take him.

Speaker 3 (52:43):
Outside Leady's bathroom.

Speaker 4 (52:45):
First workout is like we rotated, so we did like
forty day and then we did like cod so five
to five l drill and then Monday would be leg day, Tuesday.

Speaker 3 (52:56):
Upper body and then same vice versa.

Speaker 4 (53:00):
So seven thirty Debout nine was the first workout get
off our feet for a little bit. The facility had
everything pt athletic trainers. We had like full recovery room,
we had pilate studio, like food, all kinds of stuff.
So Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays we'd have like position work.

Speaker 3 (53:23):
So that was.

Speaker 4 (53:23):
Normally like around ten thirty or eleven for about an
hour or so, and then twelve thirty we would lift.

Speaker 3 (53:32):
So, like I said, it just depends what the day
was to be of a body.

Speaker 4 (53:36):
So then I normally get out of there around like
three or so, take my meals home and then yeah,
like you said, either YouTube, playing the game, watching Netflix,
like sitting there with my dog, like nine ten o'clock,
lay down, go to sleep, wake up, and do it
all over again. So but our schedule was cool, Like

(53:58):
Wednesdays was like an active recovery kind of days. So
we had like pilates, we did boxing, we did all
the mobility stuff. Saturdays we have a pool workout. But yeah,
I mean it's it's it's cool. Yeah, no school, for sure,
that's so nice. But we had a couple of grad

(54:20):
student guys. Uh from from We had guys from SD
s U, n D s U, a bunch of Minnesota guys.
I don't want to forget anybody. Rutgers, Old Lineman, Connecticut,
Old Lineman. I'm sorry, guys if you see this, I'm sorry.
If we're not We're not that born.

Speaker 3 (54:42):
But yeah, so we had a fun, fun group of guys.

Speaker 4 (54:46):
The trainers actually said we were like the closest group
that they've had, so so they definitely made it made
it worth coming into the building every day and and
you know, putting them on. But yeah, like you said,
it was definitely monotonous a lot of times where you're
just staring at the wall, just trying to kill the

(55:07):
time and until the next workout. But hey, that's you know,
if you want to be great, Like greatness is boring,
so you gotta you gotta stick to it and you know,
do what you gotta do to get what you want.

Speaker 6 (55:20):
I'm curious if you talked to in the SDS you
guys about our incoming transfer a quarterback.

Speaker 4 (55:26):
Yeah, so there's two big topics discussion with them. They
love to live and would have, could have, should have
referring to our twenty twenty two game with them.

Speaker 2 (55:37):
Oh sure, but you know all timer by the way.

Speaker 3 (55:42):
Literally that's what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (55:43):
But it's like it's like I was out there, and
it's like being out there, like, yes, the school was
closer than what it should have been, but there was
no there was no pressure.

Speaker 2 (55:56):
They weren't scoring, they weren't they weren't going anywhere.

Speaker 4 (56:00):
We weren't worried about this form. But their their comeback
is like it wasn't our best game. Well I'm like,
it wasn't our best game. It was far of our
best game.

Speaker 3 (56:13):
But yeah, they.

Speaker 4 (56:16):
Jared the priest, Adam Bach d lineman and the linebacker
like they they had nothing but great stuff to say
about about Mark. And you know, I got to send
Mark a little encouraging video from from Jared snapchat.

Speaker 3 (56:32):
So uh.

Speaker 4 (56:34):
I got to meet him here before pro day too,
so it seemed like a great guy.

Speaker 3 (56:37):
Obviously, his resume speaks for itself.

Speaker 4 (56:40):
So you know, I'm obviously excited to get him here,
and you know it'll be a fun little competition between
you know, him and him and Sally to see who
can lead us out there this fall.

Speaker 2 (56:51):
Oh, it'll be exciting. G Bone, What do you got?

Speaker 3 (56:54):
Okay?

Speaker 5 (56:55):
Well, Deontay, this is we were talking about earlier. I
know you love a basketball or not. We don't get
a lot of a hoops talk on her, so I
just wanted to talk some nda with you for a
little bit.

Speaker 3 (57:04):
I love I love talking. I don't know if you
guys see my Twitter now, but well I got it.

Speaker 2 (57:07):
I got it right here as well.

Speaker 4 (57:08):
I wanted to get my name out there.

Speaker 3 (57:13):
So I love talking hoops. Let's do it cool.

Speaker 2 (57:15):
Yeah, so you're a Laker fan, it appears right.

Speaker 5 (57:18):
So I'm I'm from Carraff, so I'm a Nuggets fan.
So my own opinions about the Lakers or whatnot. But
starting with the you're a little bit upset at.

Speaker 3 (57:25):
Lebron right now? You know, Yeah, what's going on?

Speaker 2 (57:28):
Did you not like the bronversation? You didn't like it?

Speaker 3 (57:33):
I just think I see both sides of the argument.

Speaker 4 (57:37):
It's like, on one hand, from Lebron's perspective, like you
look at like I know, he probably tries really hard
to separate son from teammate. It's like at the end
of the day, if something pops off, like, that's my son,
but first and foremost for anything. So I definitely get it,
like you turn on TV and dating back to even

(58:01):
before he made his college decision, like before he had
to deal with all the heart stuff, people were talking
and giving their two cents about what he could be,
this and that. So I get you want to like
kind of shield him from that and take alleviate some
of that from him. But you know, on the flip side, Lebron,
when you come out and say before your son's declared

(58:21):
for the draft, he's better than half the dudes in
the league, and like if you want me draft my son,
like I'll come wherever.

Speaker 3 (58:30):
Just draft my son. Blah blah blah.

Speaker 4 (58:31):
Like you're inviting negative attention if he doesn't pan out
to be what you claim, which is again you're a dad,
like you're supposed to hype up your kids like regardless
of what they're doing. But I think you also have
to be ready for the repercussions just in case they
aren't at that level right away. So I think the

(58:54):
approaching stephen A at the game, like in the middle
of a game, like I think that was a bit immature,
but at the end of the day, like that's Lebron.
Like when you get Lebron, you get cameras, you get media,
you get attention, you get you get that type of stuff,
Like and he's he's not like he's calculated. Like everything
he does, I feel like has has a meaning to it,

(59:17):
you know. But I also understand Stephen a side like
coming out because you know, at the end of the day,
he felt like somebody was trying to come for his reputation,
and like if anybody felt that way, like you would
step up and say something. So the Lebron versation, I
didn't like him calling out Wendy like because I'm like,
it was really weird. Yeah, I tuned in to like

(59:38):
first take and like back when skipp and Chant and
undisputed with a thing, Like I watched that every morning, Like,
so I'm not when I tweet, I'm not just a
guy that's like putting out falls in like I'm actually
tuned in and paying attention and doing my own research.
So I thought that was kind of bogus because I
like Wendy and like I think these dudes forget like

(01:00:02):
these people have jobs for a reason, like they're not.
They didn't make it to where they are just by
making stuff up. Like you know, there's there's.

Speaker 3 (01:00:13):
Got a great reputation. That's the reason why they report
the stuff.

Speaker 4 (01:00:17):
They report when they reported, and then when it comes
out it's normally true, you know what I mean.

Speaker 5 (01:00:22):
So if anything, Wendy is spinning stuff for Lebron.

Speaker 4 (01:00:26):
That's like he's one of his biggest supporters. And I
think just getting caught up in this back and forth,
like Lebron hasn't hit a three.

Speaker 3 (01:00:34):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (01:00:36):
I couldn't watch the game last night because I was
at like a little birthday party thing, plus March Madness
was on.

Speaker 3 (01:00:42):
But before last night, I don't think.

Speaker 4 (01:00:44):
Lebron hit three in like four games. But like you're
doing sit downs and stuff like and you're throwing lazy
passes like giving up why them three? It's like, Yeah,
I was a bit frustrated, But at the end of
the day, it's Lebron, so we know he can turn
it on whenever he wants to.

Speaker 3 (01:01:03):
So I'm just hoping he's.

Speaker 4 (01:01:04):
Getting it all out now, so come April week and
make this playoff.

Speaker 3 (01:01:08):
Push and brain.

Speaker 5 (01:01:10):
Yeah, no, I like you're saying too in your this year,
tweeted out the NBA takes that you're like, tune into
the stuff because it's actually the opposite of what I do.
I just throw at random stuff until something sticks, with
no research done at all.

Speaker 2 (01:01:22):
So I appreciate you being.

Speaker 5 (01:01:24):
Upfront honest about that.

Speaker 2 (01:01:25):
I asked to Joe Evans on here like a year ago.
I no, he's a big Laker fan too, So I.

Speaker 5 (01:01:30):
Was curious, do you feel like Bubble Championship was a
little bit mickey mouse? Do we do we agree on that?
Just just like a tab that I'm not saying one
hundred percent, just a little, just a little bit.

Speaker 4 (01:01:40):
I don't agree one because a lot of people like
to use that to discredit Lebron specifically. I feel like,
and stay with me, if that was any other team
that would have won that championship, it would have been
celebrated just like every other championship. I know, yes, if
it was a Lebron attached team, I feel like it

(01:02:03):
gets torn down. But I'm like, dude, every other team
got the same what like six months five six month break,
Like every other team had to stay on campus every
day every.

Speaker 2 (01:02:19):
Except for what's his name who went to Magic.

Speaker 3 (01:02:21):
City, Oh, yeah, the Clippers. Every other team had to
eat the box meals or whatever they were getting.

Speaker 4 (01:02:28):
Every other team have the same testing protocol, every other
team played every other day. Like, I don't understand how
he gets discredited for that, but I mean, if you
think about it, that's like the purest form of hoops,
like no fans, no travel, You're just at an AAU
tournament pretty much for a couple of moments like hooping

(01:02:48):
with your boys. Like I mean, people can take credit
away from it all I want to, but you know,
that's as great as Lebron's life is. That's the part
that sexs like he can't win. Yeah, if he loses,
he lose with no fans and no travel. But then
when he wins, look at the circumstances like that said,
that was an easy form, like he got a break,

(01:03:09):
didn't have to travel all that stuff. So it is
what it is, but it counts in my vote just
like every other no.

Speaker 5 (01:03:16):
And then I I mean I agree that, like because
I'm not even really a Lebron hitter. I just it's
kind of a bit just like giving a Lebron crap
and I don't.

Speaker 2 (01:03:23):
Know how it came to be. That's just what I've
always done.

Speaker 5 (01:03:25):
But uh, like if the Magic won that championship for
some reason, I would.

Speaker 2 (01:03:28):
Have said it was probably the greatest championship ever.

Speaker 5 (01:03:30):
Oh yeah, But because it was or even like the
Nuggets got to the conference finals, especially if if it
was a Nuts, I would have said, there's it's probably
the greatest run anyone's ever happened.

Speaker 3 (01:03:39):
If it was in the bubble.

Speaker 5 (01:03:40):
But because it was Lebron, I gotta I have to
put push my own agenda on there.

Speaker 3 (01:03:45):
I got.

Speaker 2 (01:03:46):
But I'm curious too, who who you got win an
MVP this year. That's the main That's the big debate
going on right now.

Speaker 3 (01:03:54):
It's really tough because.

Speaker 2 (01:03:57):
And I will not take it personally.

Speaker 4 (01:03:59):
You know, it's tough because like I I played, I'm
only six three, I played one through five, but like
my main position, I played in the post.

Speaker 3 (01:04:09):
So I get like Yo kicch' is yoga is unreal.

Speaker 4 (01:04:13):
Like he's hands down, like head and shoorge above anybody
else on the planet right now, Like he's easily the
best player in the world, like as a center, like
averaging what like thirty two like eleven rebounds and like
eleven assists, like it's I've never seen a boy like him.
But you know, it just depends on what they're going
to use for the criteria. Like if you want to

(01:04:35):
give it to the best player, then Lebron should have
like twelve and P trophies, Michael Jordan's should have like
ten eleven, twelve MVP trophies, Kobe should have like seven, eight, nine,
ten MVP trophies. But you know, look at Shaye and
you know, building off of what he did last year,
like he's making Last year, it looked like it was
a down season compared to what he's doing this year,

(01:04:57):
and yeah, he's got them in first. I think they
have a staring in the league now because I think
the Cavs have lost like three or four straight, Like
I think I think it's his award to lose.

Speaker 3 (01:05:08):
I think it'll it'll be close.

Speaker 4 (01:05:10):
I don't see an NFL MVP situation happening where like
everybody thinks it's one person that comes up being another.
But I think Shay has definitely earned it. But yeah,
jokicch is is like right there. But if I had
to vote today, I give it to Shay.

Speaker 5 (01:05:26):
No I as an again, even a Nuggets, I expect
win the award, Like I think he's gonna end.

Speaker 2 (01:05:31):
Up pointing he's so.

Speaker 3 (01:05:33):
I was, like I said, I was up in Minnesota
and I went to watch.

Speaker 4 (01:05:38):
When they played up here right before All Star break,
and it's like that dude makes the game look so simple,
like he just out there jogg and just moving through
space like wherever he wants to. And you look up
and it doesn't even seem like but you look up,
he's got forty points and there's still like eight minutes
left in the game. It's like it's like some dudes

(01:05:59):
make the game look so easy. Like you've got guys
like Jason Tatum. He gets a lot of hate, but
he is arguably like the top five player in this league.
Like I don't understand why people hate on him and
disrespect his game, but like, yeah, I love watching the NBA.
Like my favorite player right now is Steph Curry. I
love watching him play. But you know, I'm a Laker fan.

(01:06:23):
Kobe's my guy when it comes down to it, like
I want the Lakers raise the de Laryo b.

Speaker 3 (01:06:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:06:30):
So then my last thing then here before we let
you go, is you mentioned Kobe guy? You like stuff
I just want to hear your all time starting five.
And it doesn't have to be like, oh I think
this guy's good. It's just like if you had to
pick a starting five, like who are just these are
Deonta Craigs guys. Start five if you want, and I'll
allow you to have a six man if it gets really.

Speaker 4 (01:06:50):
Yeah, thank you for that. I'm going to Steph at
the point. Okay, Steph, I'm going Kobe at the two.

Speaker 3 (01:07:04):
Okay, it's good.

Speaker 2 (01:07:06):
If you're debating putting Scalabrini in there, i'd.

Speaker 1 (01:07:09):
Say if he doesn't use Dirk Nowitzky, I'm gonna yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:07:14):
Okay, Kobe at the two.

Speaker 4 (01:07:20):
I'm going I'm going Bron at the three. Reasonable at
the four, this is my surprise you I'm going doctor
j Oh.

Speaker 2 (01:07:31):
I did not expect that.

Speaker 3 (01:07:33):
And then at the five, I'm going shack am I man,
my god, this is tough. You're going to do it.
I haven't even named Lebron or m j yet.

Speaker 2 (01:07:44):
You just say Lebron.

Speaker 3 (01:07:47):
Okay, yeah, So probably.

Speaker 2 (01:07:49):
Should put Michael Jordan at the six.

Speaker 4 (01:07:52):
Yeah, bring him off the bench, like okay, wait, go back,
So I got I'm going to Steph, Kobe Lebron's heavily.

Speaker 5 (01:08:07):
This is all the NFL coaches.

Speaker 3 (01:08:10):
And watching Steph Kobe Lebron.

Speaker 4 (01:08:15):
Okay, I'm I have to put Sha like Shacks was dominant,
big man, I have to put him and then.

Speaker 3 (01:08:25):
Hate me. But I'm going Will at the five. Will champ.
Jordan's my sixth man.

Speaker 4 (01:08:30):
I always say that because I feel like Jordan and
Kobe can be interchangeable. But I'm a Kobe guys, so
I'm giving him, giving him a nod.

Speaker 2 (01:08:39):
Guy, I can tell it that really pains.

Speaker 4 (01:08:43):
Yeah, it pains me leaving m D after starting five,
But like, come on, I got shooting with Steph and
you got it all. It's yeah, Kobe got that killer instinct.
I got Lebron who can also run, point, rebound, facility, defend.

Speaker 3 (01:09:01):
Shack.

Speaker 4 (01:09:01):
You get it to him down load like nobody can
guard him. He's everything. And then Will is literally a
peak code I can pencle in forty.

Speaker 2 (01:09:13):
Still no footage of thee hundred point game. You know,
I said, do you think it's real?

Speaker 3 (01:09:16):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (01:09:17):
I don't think it's real because I'm crazy that we
can find footage of some of the stuff that comes
down on social media.

Speaker 3 (01:09:23):
But nobody has footage of thee hundred point game. All
we have picture.

Speaker 1 (01:09:27):
So here's here's what I know is that over the
last seventy minutes, Uh Deontay has not stopped smiling this
entire time, and I can feel the infectious energy. I
think any team I can't imagine he wasn't a pleasure
to be around for the last five years in i
A city. And I think any team that gets this
guy uh in a couple of months is going to

(01:09:47):
be pretty happy they did.

Speaker 2 (01:09:49):
Locker room dude.

Speaker 1 (01:09:50):
And I also after the last ten minutes of conversation, Deontay,
cannot wait for you to be on some NBA talk
show someday or maybe have your your own basketball podcast,
because I think you. I think you do well there too.

Speaker 3 (01:10:04):
I appreciate that that's that's the plan.

Speaker 4 (01:10:06):
That's why after my plan days were over, I want
to I want to get into that type of stuff.
So I graduated with sports Studies degree in minor and
communications and media management. So they go, Like I said,
I look up to guys like Steven A and Shannon
Sharp and you know chat Charles Barkley and Shack and
I love that they took it from the playing field

(01:10:30):
and now they're having success in the other realm too.

Speaker 3 (01:10:33):
So plus I want.

Speaker 4 (01:10:34):
To I want to be an advocate, you know, for
the players and share my experience and yeah, do what
I can to help grow the game so well.

Speaker 2 (01:10:43):
I think the listeners will have enjoyed this.

Speaker 1 (01:10:45):
Uh, we did exactly what we wanted to do and
tell more of your story and more about who you are.
Thank you so much for giving us the time. Man,
it was a pleasure. We wish you the best of
luck in the next couple of months.

Speaker 2 (01:10:56):
Big time.

Speaker 4 (01:10:57):
Thank you, guys. I appreciate it. Thanks for being with me. Yeah,
you're good. Thank you, you're good.

Speaker 1 (01:11:04):
Shout out to Eagle Point Solar and the IOWAG Council
once again for sponsoring the show this month. We'll be
back again in a few days with another episode. Until then,
eat your eggs.

Speaker 2 (01:11:13):
Hey, thanks for listening to the show.

Speaker 1 (01:11:14):
If you want more, you can check us out on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,
and YouTube by searching Washed Up walk Ons. And if
you're interested in supporting the show, head over to patreon
dot com slash washed Up walk Ons, where you can
find bonus podcasts, merchandise, and other cool perks. Best part
half of your subscription benefits the kids at Ui Children's Hospital.

Speaker 2 (01:11:32):
We'll see you next time. Hawks buy a million