Episode #265: College Football Gameday, September 12th, 2020

In this episode Justin Riley and Rudy Griffin discuss the current college football game day conditions, SEC, and Bama football.

Contributors
Justin Riley – @JustinRiley12
Rudy Griffin – @Coach_R_Griffin

Transcript

Justin Riley
Welcome to the sports cast September 12 2020 if you haven’t yet please subscribe on all your channels YouTube Periscope and iTunes tunes if you are on iTunes, leave us a great rating and review. It will really help us out. Also visit us on the Sports cast dotnet for all the latest and greatest news of everything is going on again that’s the sports cast dotnet Alright guys, welcome in to a very special edition of the sports cast college game day. Really excited about what’s going on college football season is full blast. This episode is brought to you by Milo’s burgers, the greatest burgers NSL and the finest sweet tea you ever put in your mouth? Alright, I can’t do this alone because it’s college football and we need someone who has been on the gridiron and on the field. And I have a good one actually a great one for you. And that is former Alabama legend, one of the best defensive lineman I’ve ever seen and that is going to be none other than the Rudy Rudy Griffin. What’s going on Rudy?

Hey Rudy, welcome back to the show.

Rudy Griffin
What’s going on, man? Good day, brother. Man. Thanks for having me, man.

Justin Riley
Man. I’ve been looking for a way to get you back on man. It’s been too long since we last talk. How I’m thinking

Rudy Griffin
for you, man. It’s been going good. It’s been going good man. You know in the thick of things man football season they started. And so we were getting after.

Justin Riley
Well, before we get into college football, tell us a little bit about how your first season at Bessemer city is going. how things are going for you and what your players are showing you thus far.

Rudy Griffin
What take we’re taking steps man, we’re taking steps man to get to get better. We’re not trying to navigate through the pandemic. And so but I’ve guys have done a great job learning and, and we got a lot of a lot of youth. A lot of young youth man that’s that’s getting us getting getting experienced. Bye bye bye under fire so to speak, man, but they’re they’re doing good man. I think each week they’re getting better. Learn I’ve seen a lot of new stuff they never saw before. And so we’re getting a chance to grow from that man and went and one thing one thing I’m really proud of our guys man of what all they’re been through just as a program and have they gotten better each week?

Justin Riley
man that’s incredible a was the biggest message that you had going for your new team leading into this season.

Rudy Griffin
One of the biggest the biggest messages is for us to come together as a family and as to be able to bond and not not be so much individual or we want we want to grow together as a family.

Justin Riley
What are some of the positive things that you’ve noticed already in this short season?

Rudy Griffin
I’m the person that a few a few positives man is one one is that the guys have been really, really receptive. I’ve loved the energy. Even in in gang we when we have blue fell behind and games. I’ve guys kept the head up and they kept fighting and then They come back that next day that Sunday and Monday and they really want to correct the mistakes and learn. So, I’ve guys are eager man and I’m really proud of that. Our goal again is we want to grow together as a family man. And by the end of this season, man, I want us to really be really, really close as one.

Justin Riley
Oh, man, I have no doubt that’s gonna happen for you guys. Man. I’m glad to hear the good things that are happening. Let’s go ahead and jump into it, man. It’s time college football’s here. I know it started a week ago, but this is our first weekend of power five football. How are you feeling already? Or is excitement back for you?

Rudy Griffin
Oh, man, I’m fired up, man. Hey, it’s the best time of year college football season, man. I’m fired up.

Justin Riley
Okay. Have you been able to watch any games today or? Yeah,

Rudy Griffin
yeah, yeah, I have. I watched a few of them. I kind of been bouncing back and forth. I watched. You know, I watched Appalachian State in Charlotte. I had two or three of my former players that I’ve coached on you know, playing in that game. So I’ve kind of been bouncing around a little bit when when I when I get home I get a chance to watch a little little more little more football I got a chance to get get out to the to the little league Park and watch some my young best of my Tigers I’m actually here right now watching a young watching a young Bessemer Tigers play couple a couple of young young teams I seven or seven you eight you and I think I’m nine you plan right now.

Justin Riley
That’s awesome, man. Yeah, as you mentioned you have several of your former players that are making their debuts here How does it make you feel as a coach man knowing that you’ve gotten them to that level and they’re taking that next step on their journey?

Rudy Griffin
Man it’s a blessing man honestly to know that I had just a small part and getting them to that to that next level man but you know, that’s that’s my goal. And that’s always been my, you know, my mission. As as a coach is sending the boys out. And in. That’s enough anything I can do that I’ve done. Great job.

Justin Riley
Oh, I have no doubt that you’ve done that. Well, like you said we’ve had some games early on. Syracuse, North Carolina got off to a very sluggish start looking like a defensive battle. But North Carolina ultimately came through 31 to six looks like the big 12 was not starting out so well we have two upset losses already out and and it’s just it’s amazing I say I was state who boasts one of the top quarterbacks in the conference in probably in the country and brought party was favorite Holly going in against the raging Cajuns. However, the raging Cajuns had a whole nother message for them. How Sir, what did I say about the big 12? I know it’s just two teams that come out with losses early on. What does that say about them the season?

Rudy Griffin
Well, it’s the it’s the pandemic, it’s the pandemic man a pandemic has, has shaken everything up and turned everything upside down. You know, and so some of the advantages that you As you know spending time with your players offseason, you know, watching film, man is is is shaking things up man and every state is governed different. Um, you know, I’ve no, you know, I, I know everybody watched it the Navy Game and Watch Navy play, you know, in their state in the interstate the neighbors and their governor came in and made a rule so that they can have any contact. So they’re practicing the whole time it can’t have kind of hidden pads, they can’t have full contact they can’t have in person meetings and so they get out there and they play their first game and it’s and they got embarrassed because of that. And so that’s something pandemic has taken everything even at the high school level and so and so some of those those guys is normally a powerhouse or good football teams. It’s kind of putting them at a disadvantage.

Justin Riley
Oh yeah no doubt I mean, come with absolutely zero tackling got to that point. It’s really hard to ask your man to go out there and be in midseason form. When haven’t been able to do anything other than play flag football,

Rudy Griffin
for sure for sure. A psychological, psychological, if I know that the very first time I’m going to actually hit somebody is in a game and it’s just a difference, you know. And so, you know, that’s the thing that people don’t, you know, that’s the game, I guess, within the game outside the game that people don’t understand, like this pandemic is really, you know, it’s shaking things up, because it’s also it’s also putting our players at risk, I think, as far as safety wise, if you’re not able to actually go full speed and contacting hidden in practice, and have those acclimatization periods. You know, it kind of it kind of puts those guys in jeopardy, and coaches too. So, you know, I know, you know, we got to keep everybody safe, and that’s the goal. But that’s something just to think about far as as a fan, and it’s just, you know, just from the outside looking in

Justin Riley
here and speaking of how it’s affected these teams, one of those things that’s been affected is Syracuse, they had one of their offensive linemen that was out because of it, and they’re having they had to convert a fullback to play offensive line asked him to play a position. He’s not cussing And then just recently found out the day leading up to the game, two of their top running backs decided to, to possibly opt out. So it’s really hard to build a maneuver, when you got these factors that are beyond your control,

Rudy Griffin
for sure, for certain ideas is, is so there’s so much going on, like, like that. And I say even at the high school level, it’s like that. And I don’t blame the players and I don’t blame the parents for not allowing or not having the kids play because you want to keep your child safe. Even when even at the collegiate level, you know, those guys that are opting out, especially those that have a chance to go play NFL football, you know, but the coach, the coaching staff has to be creative and do that. But again, it just puts you out it puts you at a bind that that’s unprecedent

Justin Riley
Yes, speaking of that, with everything that’s going on right now, of course, everything is greatly altered and I’ve heard this discussion being carried on throughout college football as a whole and people everywhere are given one What’s happened? Would you put an asterisk so to speak on this season or an asterisk beside whoever does indeed win the national title?

Rudy Griffin
Man, I know a lot of my college buddies and college teammates that are coaching right now gonna be mad at me for this, but I will put Africa on it. I really would it I mean, I know. You know, he can’t eat first of all you got you got a half FOR THE power fight. It’s not playing. I mean, so. I mean, I mean, I mean, any guy guys opting out you got so many extremely we got to me as a teammate today you got people that supposed to play today in teams can’t play because I mean, it’s just, there’s just so much going on. I think it’s only fair to play you know, to put Astra because it’s not it’s not the same. You know, you know, I you know, and that’s what I would do this year,

Justin Riley
for sure. Yeah, no doubt. Now a couple games are going on or names playing Duke right now. Tight win and South band. Of course Clemson’s gonna be on later. Are you looking forward to watching either one of those games?

Rudy Griffin
No. Yeah, I’m looking. I’m looking forward to watching For those games Notre Dame I cos I got a teammate coaching at Notre Dame and a teammates, teammate, Lance Taylor. He’s coaching at Notre Dame. And then Todd Bates, who’s the D line coach at Clemson. So I’m interested to watch both of those guys play.

Justin Riley
Man, it’s hard to for Clemson but when we have some of our boys that are on the coaching staff, for sure. But no, yeah, so But yeah, but nothing but respect for them. But you know, moving on to the SEC as a whole seems like everybody’s having fun this weekend set us you know, we got two weeks to go. But move around sec. You talked about how the pandemic is affected everything. One of those teams right now is LSU. Good grief. I mean, they always lost a lot to the draft. They lost a one of their coordinators, as well. Now they’re being asked to play with Jamal Chase and they’re breaking in a new quarterback. So what do you see coming out of LSU this season with all these things kind of going against them?

Rudy Griffin
I mean, and that’s what I said earlier, man, that’s why you need to Asterix. I mean, it’s I mean, it’s not it’s not fair to say business that isn’t the same exact regular year. You know, just Case in point LSU. I mean, and that’s, that’s just the stuff that we know, as fans. I mean, it’s stuff that we don’t know Fars when players not playing and you know, COVID hidden. So man, I mean, to say LSU is gonna be it’s gonna hold up man and, and be the same LSU team. I mean, it’s not man. I mean, they probably took the worst hit out of everybody. I think with the COVID deal coming, you know, because they had it. They had a great team coming back, had a really good football team coming back, you know, and COVID just kind of threw a wrench in all their plans of having a chance to repeat.

Justin Riley
Speaking of being hit hard I I would also agree that Georgia has been hit hard to because I said here recently, Jamie Newman, the guy that they’ve been expecting to be their guy. Possible Heisman finalists are projected Hasn’t violence last week? Or was it a week before his aside, he’s gonna opt out and start training for the NFL Draft. And now they’re looking to JT Daniels, a guy who’s caught who transferred him from USC. And they’re not really altogether sure if he’s gonna be completely healthy come game one, or if he’s gonna be eligible to play so what does this put Georgia in the thick of things?

Rudy Griffin
Oh, man, I don’t know. You know, I this is I tell you right now and Tina’s going to Tina’s gonna play an SEC championship, I promise she’s gonna be a surprise team. And, you know, I think I think you still have your bandwidth and all that stuff that’s going to play be in there but I think honestly, it could. It could be it could be a surprise to him out of the West and in the east, because BAM has been hit with some some um, some COVID issues man and I wouldn’t be surprised if you see a team like Kentucky or you know, or Tennessee make a jump this year off of it, you know, as no telling man this year who’s going to be you know, who is going to be the team that As a way to manage and get through and I guess, you know, I just get I just to rhetorician, rate men if you need to be able to fight through that.

Justin Riley
Yeah, no doubt I’m and Tennessee here last week had several cases I believe was nine or so that’s and so yeah I mean it’s going everywhere and the thing is it’s bound to happen but you kind of wonder how is this really going to affect the whole grand scheme of things? And if we start to get more players contracted, are they going to shut down the season because they’re panicking because of what’s going on?

Rudy Griffin
Yeah, I mean, I hope not. I hope not. I think I think again, if you just put asterisk beside beside it, I mean, if they’ve already they’ve already pretty much did that grant mill grant grant and the players another year of eligibility matter if you play or not. So asterisk. asterisk is already technically there, because this year is a pretty much a free year. So you can you can play this whole year and not me. count towards the eligibility. But but i think i think we need to play just for the sake of the kids out. The coaches need out a fanzine out man I think just shut it down completely man is it’d be something that’d be detrimental.

Justin Riley
Yeah, I completely agree. You said there may be some teams that sneak up on us because of all this is going on. Do you have a couple of teams on in each division that you see may actually sneak out and go to Atlanta?

Rudy Griffin
Um, I mentioned like Sam mentioned the team that I think man i think you know, I won’t be surprised if you see a team like a Kentucky or you know, our South Carolina try to try to jump in and then also on the west, man. Don’t Don’t be surprised either one of those Mississippi schools man you got you got Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss and you got you got Mike Leach at Mississippi State so I wouldn’t be surprised even those tees surprise, especially Mike Leach. I mean, to me, to me, this is kind of a season this summer that like Mike Leach like one So you know season a season like this be something that he can kind of you know some something where it’s just not normal you know cuz he’s he’s a different type of guy anyway.

Justin Riley
Hey, he’s a different different type of normal too. But speaking of Mike Leach does he tried to employ the system he’s accustomed to at Washington State and even in Texas Tech with Mississippi State year one, especially right now when the offense is really revolving around Collin Hill. They’re all sec back.

Rudy Griffin
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I don’t I don’t know. I hope you know, I think I think he’s good enough football coach to know that you know, schematically you got to you got to do the best, you know, for the team and what you what your team has and he has a dynamic running back. And I think just starting around the yard to be yummy. You lose the fact that you have a great running backs. I think he’s a good enough coach. And if people don’t realize that Mike Leach often says he always have 1000 yards running back somehow. Some way he always have running backs and put up a bunch of young. I don’t know how. Yeah. And so even even at Texas Tech because we had a chance to play to play him at Texas Tech, and he’s at Texas Tech and he had a good running back and a good running system there man, so he’s gonna find a way man he’s good physical football cups.

Justin Riley
But you forgot to mention y’all shut them down.

Rudy Griffin
Yeah, we did. We did.

We did. We did. We will a

bowl game Cotton Bowl practice. We was all shaking in our boots about how they was gonna do all this stuff to us and potent offense. And, you know, we was who’s the solid assassins because there’s a whole lot of talking and we wasn’t.

Justin Riley
Y’all were shaking in your boots. Really?

Rudy Griffin
Yeah, we were we weren’t. We weren’t. We weren’t. We were because, you know, because the thing the thing was this and, you know, we weren’t we weren’t afraid as what they was gonna do to us. But we was it was something different because you got to realize See you next time, nobody threw the ball around like that. And, you know, it was all it was always power offense power I 21 personnel, two backs one tight end, you know, and you know, we go against takes techniques, you know, they got those big wide splits and the offensive line, like, and all receivers and you know just a lot of quick guys so this is different. And so I’m saying shaking in our boots because it was different. And, you know, that’s been a lot of points. We’ve had good football players. And so but we was confident myself who just knew it’s gonna be different.

Justin Riley
Yeah, I agree. I think a lot of us had a little bit of nervousness go into that game just because we’d never seen anything like that especially in the sec. However, watching the game It didn’t look like you’re nervous at all is like business as usual. You’re cool, calm and collective. And like I said that air raid was non exempt virtually non existent. So you could have fooled all of us, man.

Rudy Griffin
Yeah, yeah, we well, we had. First of all hats off to the coaches, man coach, cons and all that Difference a coach’s men did a great job there man and you know we just we just you know one of the things that we focused on man is doing our job man taking taken away what they did best was the short game because that’s one of the things that might lead prides itself on is attacking the short game which is kind of like his modifier runs auto strain and stuff he does and here we had a great secondary to man and so I mean all all us all our secondary play an NFL for a long time however last every last person back there and so they did a good job on that man and so we was we knew was gonna do we knew he was gonna do good and we knew was gonna stop him but it was just it was something different.

Justin Riley
It’s bigger that secondary. I don’t know if you knew this. We had one of your buddies Roman Harper on the show this past Tuesday. Oh, wow. Oh yeah, we had we had harp it’s one of the guys there man. And just it was great talking to him and he had like great things to say about you a hard worker you were and how you really set the tone, you know, for that defense and I guess that tone them overall. Y’all were just so driven. Just so lights out. And y’all are gonna take anything from anybody. And like I said, when we previously had a podcast, man, yo, your group was like no other man. And y’all were total y’all were the forgotten about players because y’all were four and five stars. But God, majority of you guys were in the NFL for ever almost means you just stopped playing in the CFL.

Rudy Griffin
It seemed like he just stopped playing like last year. I promise you play like 17 years. He is literally 17 years in the CFL.

Justin Riley
Yeah, we talked to him a couple of weeks ago to man it’s like, it isn’t like he was aging and he was getting better and better and better. But man, it just it’s a testament of Joe cons and what he had there with you guys and then y’all his hard determination is second to none. But

Rudy Griffin
yeah, yeah, no doubt, no doubt. And that’s one thing. And that’s one thing just to just throw some kudos Roman. And I can say this, listening to everybody echo this. Honestly, I’m ramen was the hardest working guy he really was. And I’m talking about no matter what I mean, we can go out there and practice for like four and a half hours a day condition and Roma be in first. And I used to just question like, man, where did Where do you get all this dango energy from that? Where do you pull it from? And it was it was just some I guess it was something just innate in him that no matter what the coaches did, and he won’t go show him that he was tired like it wasn’t gonna be like that man. And that’s one thing that he he didn’t cost a lot him being just very smart, smart football player man, his his energy and his stamina man and just the way he just got after was second to none.

Justin Riley
I completely and I try

Rudy Griffin
to I try to bring that in, you know, the way his his his the way his he attacked the game. I try to bring it into my coaching as well, man, just the way he’s always having that energy and that stamina.

Justin Riley
You bring a little bit of Joe cons into your coaching too.

Rudy Griffin
Oh, yeah, for sure. For sure. For sure, man,

for sure. Joe cosmin. He, like I tell folks all time, Joe Collins will make us fired up to be fired up to practice on Tuesday. And just to Just a word that he would say to us man we have a so lights out. And like I said he wasn’t his scheme scheme one complex, real simple, real simple scheme man. He had his bought in and we if we did our job, there’s one little job will be will win and I was bought into it. All of us was man we just bought into just doing our job and playing for playing with each other as a family.

Justin Riley
I think that he didn’t give the could get the kudos that he really deserves. I agree the fact that defensive coordinator and what he did for Alabama was amazing. And yeah, I loved him. I always love talking about I’m always loved talking to four players such as yourself, I had the opportunity to be with him. So I think

Rudy Griffin
i think i think about him every day, honestly. You know, I think about every day every day when I’m on my job and in ways that he he got us to play. He believed in us and he know I just say he he made he made he made each and every one of us as a player feel special. On the deep end he did and he’s seemed he seemed I don’t know, I don’t know if he seemed like, he seemed like he had a chance to spend time with every one of us personally and connect with us personally. And in that hour, that was that was something that, you know, I was something that, you know I’m doing now is that he made each of us all feel like family. And you know, and that meant that meant that that meant that we were gonna go play our hearts out for him.

Justin Riley
And I could definitely see it on the field. Well, this transition to the current Alabama team course we all know what’s coming coming back on offense, I think is everybody knows, you know, devonta Smith, Jaylen waddle nausia Harris and all those guys but this look at the defense I know as a defensive guy who played to the Alabama standard, what are you expecting coming in this season after what we did this last season which wasn’t up to the Alabama standard?

Rudy Griffin
That is gonna be a lot better man. It’s got year to one of the defensive coordinator. You know, I guess the difference according because honestly, you say was a defensive coordinator but you do it yourself. New Year 200 a new guy. But I think people don’t realize that team was young man defensively last year that bunch of young guys. I’ve know. And I’ve always been a fan of this player LeBron Ray, he’s gonna be great. I’ve seen him since high school. I coached against him when he played a James Clemens High School and he’s gonna be special. I think he’s gonna be led by one of my former teammates, Freddie Roach, he’s gonna be coaching the crap out of mine. Now, you know that. And I think that i think that’s gonna be the key. I think the lines gonna play a lot better.

You know, which is gonna be led by Freddie Roach.

Justin Riley
Yeah, that brings me to my next topic there, you know, adding Freddie Roach defense Corps. He was his teammate, you know what he brought to the table? us as fans we saw every week to how much does that defense improve having free Roche? They’re

Rudy Griffin
tremendous. Amazing. He has a higher chance that he got high energy guy. And those guys I mean, I mean, he’s gonna get he’s gonna get every ounce out of them. I didn’t tell you that. And it’s gonna be a drastic difference I think up front.

Justin Riley
You know, you mentioned that a lot of players were young man, we had what, nine freshmen at one point playing on that defense and we had up to eight or nine players out the entire year. Of course, that’s tough. That’s real tough.

Rudy Griffin
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

Justin Riley
But one of the things I really noticed that I really hope has been cleaned up, and then this may have been because of youth or whatnot, was the fact of how much I mean, penalties. Were accumulating every game It seems like we were averaging 10 or 11 per game. What do you feel like led to that was due to lack of discipline or just because people were just trying to learn on the job? Who

Rudy Griffin
here There you go, that mean that you just you answered it? I mean, just lack of experience, you know, guys learned on the job, you know, and so, you know, they’re making this they’re, they’re making the mistakes. It wasn’t because it was it wasn’t discipline, it was just youth, you know, things that Oh, I can’t do that coach. No, no, no, you can’t do that. So they learning and you know, I think Later as the season got even last year, the season got later man, I think the guy’s gonna do a lot better job with Konami control, and just be having a lack of lack of, you know, penalties, but I think this year’s gonna be a lot better just because the guy’s a lot older and, and, you know, hopefully we don’t get in that situation we’ll get a whole bunch of injuries either.

Justin Riley
Oh, man. Absolutely. Of course, looking on that defensive line. Since you were one of the best we’ve ever had. You mentioned LeBron way, and that guy is going to have a beast of a season. I honestly feel like he’s going to be a breakout player and being a first round draft pick. Who else do you see up front is really going to just shake things up? Me personally, I’m looking at Christian bar Moore’s I think that man is just a beast incarnate. But what Who do you see and who you looking at have stepped up on the line?

Rudy Griffin
And I agree with you and I agree with you. I think he’s, I think he’s gonna do and, and I and I, and I mean, it’s interesting to just see just some of these newcomers honestly, and, you know, I want to be surprised. You know, I’ve got I got my pick because I’d like to have the Briar race. Probably one of my best I’m a big fan of him, man. But I’m interested to see what the newcomers do. Because I think every year mark is surprised. You know, just with the newcomers man that come out of nowhere. And so I’m just waiting to see that.

Justin Riley
Anybody in particular you’re looking at because I’m hearing from the practice, these young guys are ready. I mean, they are Oh, yeah, no, and they’re hungry, and they’re already putting in people in the dirt. It’s just been amazing.

Rudy Griffin
Well, one of my former players that I’ve coached has done a great job, Malecon Moore, and he’s playing in a secondary and I’ve know I know what he can do personally as a player, and as a person. Can’t Can’t nobody outwork them. And one of one of his best attributes, of course, he’s physical and all that stuff, but one of his best attributes is how intellectual he is. And that guy has his a is so smart. For his age, that he’s he’s pretty much like a savvy, wildly, wildly old vet. And so I’m expecting him to play Play a blessed this year

Justin Riley
man and that’s actually one of the names I’ve heard the most from right now his it was him and he just really shaking things up but speaking with that secondary a lot of people are looking at Patrick certeyn this year a lot of us are really looking for him he’s been very good not there’s no question about it, but we’re looking for him to become elite. What are you looking for for from him going into this perhaps his final season?

Rudy Griffin
at that thing dissertation because he’s a good player. He’s gonna he’s gonna be a dang good player. Just you know, just first First of all, he he comes from great bloodlines being I mean, his dad was a great football player man. And but I think that he’s gonna he’s gonna show us some good things and and Alexei to gain experience helps us all, and I think he’s gonna do good bye bye. You know, just had another year of actually getting out there

Justin Riley
was actually

Let’s bring up Dylan Moses. How important and how are how key it is to have him back and have him healthy, and also have a healthy Josh McMillan right next to him.

Rudy Griffin
Oh, yeah, well, Dylan has been a freak ever since the sixth grade or seventh grade. I mean, yeah, he’s, he’s had Alabama universe Alabama offers just like fifth grade, I think. I mean, seriously. It’s been a long time for me. That guy’s a freak man. And he is the ultimate alpha on the team. And so just to have that guy back as a man, it’s gonna be it’s gonna be worlds are different. So it’s gonna be we’re gonna be able to tell the difference right there.

Justin Riley
I agree, man. I’m really excited about what’s coming back and the potential of what we had this year. I really feel like we have a special team that could legitimately go all the way it just kind of depends on what COVID anzus

Rudy Griffin
but that’s that’s it. That’s the thing to Matt has a thing to it. I think this kind of sucks honestly. That is Taylor’s team is a great football team in his any on a normal year, it’d be no question I just hate what they have to have this such a great football team because it’s not gonna get really appreciated. It’s not gonna go down as one of the greatest Alabama teams I don’t think just because the situation is

Justin Riley
dealt. Do you see anyone from that offense possibly being a Heisman winner this year?

Rudy Griffin
Oh, Jay. Watteau ain’t no doubt he ain’t no doubt Jalen Waldo camp. I mean, I mean, he’s a he’s a guy that can do it all kickoff return, you know, receiver, and I’ll tell him what they’re gonna do offensively when they might line him up and running back probably put him at quarterback soundwalk. I don’t know. I mean, a guy with that talent. I mean, at me. Yeah, he’s gonna be a discussion, for sure.

Justin Riley
And then we also got to look at Naji hairs coming back as well. From what I understand that his offseason conditioning and offseason work, it’s just been absolutely incredible. He’s worked with some NFL veterans and he actually I think, has shed some weight has gotten even faster. And that’s really hard to believe. Yeah, I mean, he’s Are your base countermeasures of debt Derrick Henry, but now you tell us his speeds gonna be a little bit mass can be scary for the opposing defenses.

Rudy Griffin
What? A lot. A lot of my buddies already say that you know that. They said he’s a he’s big as Derrick Henry strong as their hand but faster and I say my scary

Justin Riley
how do you stop that?

Rudy Griffin
I don’t know, get Pray, pray, pray, pray trip flee flee gets

Justin Riley
well if he does that he’s gonna jump over you so, you know,

Rudy Griffin
just go down.

Justin Riley
He’s got out to maybe contain him, whatever that means

Rudy Griffin
for sure for sure.

Justin Riley
All right namely two players on offense and defense for the SEC this year the feel like could be players of the year on both sides of the ball.

Rudy Griffin
Well, I just we just named two of them. I think I think Nadia and Jan and Jalen waddle off officially gonna go and have a chance to do that. Of course I’m biased you know? Do decent Yeah. Defend defensively. defensively. LeBron right I really I really I keep I keep back on his name I think he has has BSc defense Gladiator shit.

Justin Riley
I tend to agree with you too. And of course I had the bias but I mean facts are screaming loudly right now I these guys are phenomenal. So pretty excited. I want

Rudy Griffin
I want to mention two I think also two men and innocent namely, we got to look at two. I think on offensive line. I’ve got I’ve got I’ve got a young player too, that that’s there that’s done a great job appears quick. I mean, I mean, I’ve heard he’s done great things because I coached him and I know his tenacity he has, but I think he has a chance to get out there and dominate. And, you know, get in that rotation. I’ve already I’ve already heard it. He’s in that rotation. And I and I know nobody’s gonna outwork them. And so I’m anxious I made you see what Pierce is gonna do this season.

Justin Riley
Man. I’ve been watching video clips of him throughout the past several months now and man he looks ready. I mean, like you said, no one’s going out working and useless. It was like a tremendous athlete just doing amazing things, especially for a guy his size. But, but yeah, I don’t keep you much longer man. We got a lot of college football left in this day. I really appreciate you coming on. It’s always um, before I go, can you tell us those of us who are great fans yours How can we get in touch with you on social media?

Rudy Griffin
Well, you can follow me on my Twitter page is Rudy Rudy Griffin, Rudy Rudy Griffin 90. And then also our Bessemer City Football page follows us there on vestment City Football on there, those those are two ways that you can get me and coach we play every Friday if anybody’s in the Birmingham area, Birmingham area that we play. We play Macedonia this Friday. And then the next week we have Sidney Lanier at home so we like everybody to come check us out at seven o’clock on Friday at Bessemer Bessemer City High School stadium.

Justin Riley
I definitely heard Everybody get out and see some great football deputy show you supported Bessemer citian Coach Rudy Griffin yeah now I’m beyond excited about what what you’re doing there and how you’re transforming those young men’s lives and and what’s ahead, man it’s gonna be absolutely phenomenal but do you want to reach me guys? At Justin rally seven on twitter at Justin rally underscore seven on Instagram Follow us on the sports cast dotnet we definitely want to check back in with you Rudy throughout the football season, see how your seasons going. And also talk about some alabama football as well. But as always man, great pleasure to have you appreciate you coming on this impromptu game day edition. God bless you brother and Roll Tide

Rudy Griffin
morotai here here’s my Twitter handle. Let me give it to you BCS Tigers is at BCS Tigers FB so follow me that’s BCS baesman City Football. Twitter page man and bless you, man. Thank you. And you know as you see some football today.

Justin Riley
Yeah, me too, man. Great to see Yeah,

Rudy Griffin
I always

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