Our latest episode features one of the great college and NFL WRs Braylon Edwards discussing Antonio Pierce, the Raiders, Jim Harbaugh, and much more.
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00:00 Hi everybody, welcome back to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast.
00:07 I am really thrilled today to have a man that I consider not just a friend but a great friend.
00:14 You guys know him as one of the best college football players of all time, an incredible
00:21 NFL wide receiver.
00:23 But I know the guy that was inside the helmet, the human being, the young man who stood for
00:29 integrity, character, raised by amazing people.
00:34 And his only vice in his life is that he's a Wolverine.
00:37 And I'm going to give him grace because he's my favorite Wolverine and I take so much crap
00:44 and he'll tell you it's true.
00:46 When I say this from Spartan Nation, because I love Michigan State, I'm a Spartan, but
00:51 he's the best college football player I've personally ever put my eyes on and watched
00:56 and I saw Kurt Gibson and Lorenzo White, they were all great.
01:00 But he played a position that somebody had to get him the ball.
01:04 You know, quarterback touches it all the time.
01:05 I mean, Tim Tebow, to me, one of the greatest college quarterbacks of all time.
01:10 People had to get him the ball.
01:12 But when they did, so many special things happened, but he's a better guy than an NFL
01:19 and a college football player.
01:20 My buddy, the one and only, the great one, Braylon Edwards.
01:24 How you doing, friend?
01:25 Yo, AC and AC doesn't stand for head coach, man.
01:28 I know I really appreciate you for having me on your platform.
01:31 Thank you.
01:32 And the best thing I like about what you said is, is you know, the person under the helmet.
01:35 I think when we're younger, so much is made about what we do on the basketball court or
01:39 the football field or the baseball diamond or the ice.
01:42 Insert professional sport here.
01:44 I think as you get older, you're really as an individual, you're way more appreciative
01:48 of the person that you are, how people view you as a person, things that people say about
01:53 you, and can people trust on you, rely on you.
01:55 So I really appreciate that part about he's a better human being under the helmet.
01:59 I really meant a lot.
02:00 You know, that's why I love you.
02:02 I know so many great players, but I don't consider them people I want to become friends
02:06 with and I'm going to tell you what I said about you years ago.
02:12 You were a free agent in the NFL.
02:15 And I was asked by a buddy of mine who worked for a team, the first time I've told this
02:19 story publicly, told it to Braylon before, but, and the guy called me and he goes, hey,
02:23 I know you covered Michigan state, but you also covered the big 10.
02:26 What do you think of Braylon?
02:28 This is what I told him.
02:30 I said, if Braylon drove a trash truck and he wasn't a football player, but he was the
02:36 same guy is that's the guy you want to marry your daughter.
02:40 And I said, he's aged, he's matured, he comes from an incredible family.
02:46 I said, he is everything you want in a person.
02:51 And I was really excited to see that team go on and sign you.
02:54 And they thanked me because of the man that you were.
02:58 I love that about you.
02:59 I just love the way you handle yourself.
03:02 I love that what's important in your life.
03:04 You've got your priorities.
03:05 You know, as kids, how many of us as kids have great success and handle it well, but
03:10 it's how after you realize, okay, maybe I can change this or change that.
03:14 And I just respect you for it.
03:16 I have so much love.
03:17 You know, I absolutely love your mother and your father.
03:20 What a great man.
03:21 And I just love you.
03:22 And I respect you.
03:23 I always laugh.
03:24 People will say to me, how do only has people on his podcast that he loves?
03:28 Well, because you know, because you're a great journalist now.
03:31 Yeah.
03:32 I don't want to be around people I don't like.
03:35 Yeah.
03:36 It's really like when you're when you when you get guys on the show, when you're interacting
03:40 guys, you're doing an interview, a podcast, streamcast, desk, whatever you do.
03:44 Like that energy is real.
03:46 And if you have guys that you don't like or guys that you disagree with, a lot of guys
03:51 in which, you know, you don't view them as a stand up person or you don't view them as
03:55 an honorable person or you don't view them as a person that accepts fault for things.
04:00 I think it comes off naturally.
04:01 You see the energy that we've had some guys on the show.
04:04 And I won't say any names, but you got guys in the chat comments and like, I don't think
04:09 they like each other.
04:10 I don't think this person or I don't think he respects this guy.
04:12 So I think a lot of that, too, for me is the growth over the years.
04:15 Look, I haven't always done the right thing and I haven't always been, you know, the best.
04:19 I've made many mistakes.
04:20 I'm going to make many more.
04:21 I think as I've gotten into this space, I know, you know, I'm 40 now.
04:25 Like I'm just appreciating making mistakes.
04:28 I'm apologizing when I'm wrong.
04:30 I'm looking back at things and hell, there may be a phone call that you owe somebody
04:35 for 10 years.
04:36 I think I'm in that space now to look back, say I'm sorry and kind of move forward.
04:39 And if you don't want my apology, I'm also in this space say it is what it is.
04:43 I did my part.
04:44 So life is fun.
04:45 Life is fun.
04:46 If you grow, I can be alive, so the girl life is fun and I still love sports.
04:50 And that's why we're sitting here having these moments, man.
04:53 Now I think it was 2004 and Raider fans hang on because we're going to get to some Raiders
04:57 stuff in a minute.
04:58 But I think it was 2004 when you played in East Lansing, when you scored the three touchdowns.
05:04 Wasn't that 2004?
05:05 Was that 2003?
05:06 2004 in Ann Arbor.
05:09 Okay.
05:10 All right.
05:12 So when you were, one of the things that I want to share a story about Braylon Edwards.
05:19 So it was in Ann Arbor.
05:20 He scores three touchdowns, basically in the same part of the same end zone.
05:26 And you know, big rivalry game.
05:29 He's going to be the Big Ten player of the year.
05:31 He's going to be an All-American.
05:33 He's going to be the big draft pick, all of it.
05:38 And he comes out of the tunnel after the game and he's done his interviews and million people
05:42 want his attention.
05:44 And he bumped into this older lady who's a volunteer.
05:49 Now if you've ever been to a game, you all see them.
05:51 They're volunteers and they're there.
05:56 And this is what was so cool.
05:57 He stopped, he put his arm around her, "Are you okay?"
06:02 And it was, "Yeah, I'm the superstar.
06:06 Everybody here wants to talk to me.
06:09 Everybody on TV is talking about me.
06:10 Everybody on Raiders is talking about me.
06:11 But wait a minute, are you okay?"
06:14 And I knew right then, I'm going to become friends with that guy.
06:18 That's a guy raised right.
06:21 And I just appreciate you and I respect you and I think the world of you.
06:23 All right, I want to get into the Raiders with you.
06:28 Because they've got Antonio Pierce, who you know, is the interim coach.
06:33 Great guy.
06:34 He's a great guy.
06:35 What are your views on Antonio first?
06:36 So I've known Antonio Pierce even before I got to the Jets.
06:37 But when I was in New York, he was in New York.
06:38 He was with the Giants.
06:39 And we got a chance to hang out a lot.
06:40 And Antonio Pierce is a guy, he's from LA, well, he's from Long Beach, but by the way,
06:41 LA, that whole energy he embodies, the late '70s and '80s.
06:42 If you're not a Giants, he's not rocking with you.
06:43 He didn't rock with many Jets guys.
06:44 I just happened to be his friend before that, man.
06:45 So I got a chance to hang out with him a lot, especially those Monday night parties.
06:46 But I'm a big fan of Antonio.
06:47 I'm a big fan of Antonio.
06:48 I'm a big fan of Antonio.
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