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00:00We're kicking it up a notch here on Sports Group Radio Row. We're here in New Orleans, Kevin Walsh, Donnie Rightside, Brian Westbrook.
00:07Come on now.
00:08Come on now.
00:09Come on now.
00:10Look, let's get into the pets and then we'll get into the memories here.
00:15B-West, you're teaming up with Chewy. Let people know a little bit about the great partners that you're working with.
00:21Well, listen, Chewy, we all understand what they do, right?
00:23They get you our dog food on time, the best animal store, really the online retailer in the country.
00:30We understand what they do. I love them.
00:33I got three horses. I got ten horses and three dogs.
00:36Right. So I can't remember how many dogs and horses I have.
00:38It's just it's amazing, though, and they supply all the food and the feed for our animals.
00:43But more importantly than that, they give back. Right.
00:46They're giving back fifty nine fifty nine thousand pounds of food to the Casey Pet Project and fifty nine thousand pounds of food to the Pennsylvania SPCA.
00:56Right. So you're talking about a company that can supply all your food needs, but also give back.
01:01That's that's that's the type of company that I want to partner with. That's why we're here.
01:04I love it. And you know why I'm here right now? Because you're here.
01:07Let's get started now. Two thousand and two. I don't want to bring up the heartbreak.
01:11The way it ended, I was up there seven or two right up top.
01:14We get beat by Tampa Bay. But oh, three was your year coming out.
01:17Talk to me about how you guys opened up. Oh, until you come out, you lose the Tampa Bay.
01:21You lose the New England the next week. But the following week, you're in Buffalo.
01:24It's 16 nothing late in the game. I'm sweating at home. We got to win this game.
01:27You hit a home run. That started the season. That was my first touchdown in the NFL.
01:32My first NFL touchdown of a first passing touchdown, though.
01:35No, I do it past my rookie year to Tom Hanks. And that's right.
01:39We're going to go. Go ahead, man. No, I mean, listen, it was it was a great moment for me.
01:43It was a great team. Yes. You know, those teams that we had back then,
01:46we were never talking about are we going to make the playoffs?
01:49The conversation was only about when we get into the playoffs, will we get home field advantage?
01:53Yes. And so we just had a great squad, great leadership.
01:57Andy Reid was a great coach. And so when you have that combination,
02:00you see it with the teams that are playing now. Great coach, great leadership and great players.
02:05We had that great combination.
02:06The renaissance of the Philadelphia Eagles took place with you, Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb.
02:10And the reason why I wanted to start with those three, not because it was your breakout season.
02:13Like I was there, like, you know, San Francisco 49ers game, losing overtime.
02:16You bust that kickoff right down the end. But your most famous kickoff,
02:19that or punt return, excuse me, was the New York Giants game.
02:21Yes. Like you were able to do it from a running back position and a special teams position.
02:25And early on, a lot more special teams impact. How did they put you in that role?
02:29Well, early on, I mean, I came up to the team that had Deuce Daly, Brian Mitchell,
02:33Dorsey Levin, Burrell Buckhalter. It was a full running back room.
02:37And so the only way that I was going to get on the field was to be on special teams.
02:41And so for me, I just went out there and just did everything I could to get on the field.
02:45That's what as a young player you have to do. Do anything you can to get on the field.
02:48And for me, that's that's exactly what I did. And over time, they said, oh, you know what?
02:53This guy's really good at special teams. Maybe we should put him on offense, too.
02:56And Andy Reid gave me opportunity to hold the ball in my hands.
03:00And the one thing that I love about Andy and his coaching style is that he understands his players
03:05and he wants his players to be exactly where they should be at best. Right.
03:09And so for me, he said, I want you to get in space.
03:11How do I get you and find ways to get you in space?
03:14Because that's when you're the most productive player. And so he did a great job of finding that.
03:17Let me ask you this, too, because that season you had one of the best running back rooms in the NFL.
03:21And maybe in a long time, it was Corral Ball Coulter, it was Deuce Daly, and it was Brian Westbrook.
03:25I'll tell you right now, you win the Super Bowl in 0-3 if you don't get hurt against Washington.
03:29One of my I mean, obviously, you regret any injury, nothing that you can do about it.
03:33But being hurt on that time hurt me so bad because we were the best team in the NFL.
03:38You were. We were playing like it all year long.
03:40And then you miss a major piece and not being able to play.
03:44Yeah, that just hurt. That just hurt what we had to do.
03:46And so it was unfortunate, certainly a sad moment for myself.
03:50There's one similarity, not necessarily in every capacity, but you guys had you and Brian Dawkins, right?
03:59Superstar running back, maybe a lovable maniac somewhere in the backfield
04:04because the Eagles have Saquon and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.
04:07I mean, we've heard players around the league say that he never stops talking.
04:11I'm just curious what it was like sharing a locker room and going to battle on a regular basis with B-Dawg back in the day.
04:18Dawkins on game day was one of the most intense players that you've ever seen, that you've ever been around.
04:26He would turn it on, though, because during the week, he wasn't that guy.
04:29During the week, he was a normal human being.
04:31On Sundays, I didn't want to talk to me. He was one of my best friends on the team.
04:34We talk every day, all the time.
04:36On Sundays, I didn't want to talk to Brian Dawkins.
04:38He wasn't fun to be around.
04:40Everything was just too aggressive to his handshake, too aggressive.
04:44Everything that he did was just too much.
04:46That's why he was so physical on the field.
04:49Great player, even better person, someone that was a leader for us.
04:54When you're around greatness like that, hopefully, for me, it just rubs off on you just a little bit.
05:00A little bit rubs off on you.
05:02I was around Brian Dawkins an awful lot. I think a little bit did rub off on me.
05:05Now, we're at the Super Bowl here. You played in the Super Bowl.
05:08If we start 2004, Terrell Owens comes to town.
05:11Up at Lehigh, you can't even get down the roads.
05:13The impact and the excitement for that season.
05:15You guys were awesome in the regular season all the way through.
05:17T.O. goes down. You end up making it to the Super Bowl.
05:19Talk about that going through, let's just say, winning against Atlanta,
05:23finally getting the Super Bowl through, all that heartbreak.
05:26It was tough because we had kind of gone to the place where we played in the NLC championship games,
05:32not being able to get it done.
05:34When T.O. comes in, it really changes everything for our team.
05:37We were already a good team.
05:38We became a much more explosive team because of his presence.
05:42Really, all season long, the focus was to try to get T.O. the ball.
05:45Then we get to a stretch towards the end, maybe the last quarter of the season,
05:48T.O. wasn't there because of the injury.
05:50We turned more into a running team.
05:52We ran the ball an awful lot more.
05:54We got myself involved.
05:56Donovan ran the ball as well.
05:58It was just great to have those type of quality guys on the team.
06:01Then you get to the playoffs and the Super Bowl, you get T.O. back.
06:06Now, of course, in the Super Bowl game, we're trying to get him the ball an awful lot.
06:09That was a big part of the game plan.
06:12You're talking about somebody on a broken leg, broken ankle.
06:15He goes out there and rips off over 100 yards of receiving.
06:18It was super special to be a part of that.
06:20That team as a whole, so many great players.
06:22Offensive line, John Runyon, Trey Thomas, Jamal Jackson.
06:26We had so many great players.
06:28Hank Fraley, so many great players there.
06:30Then look on the defense. Trotter was there.
06:33Obviously, Doc and Leto Shepard and Sheldon Brown.
06:36We had so many great players in that ecosystem.
06:39It was a special time in Philadelphia.
06:41Let me ask you a question about that Super Bowl, too.
06:42You were going up and entering into a dynasty with the Patriots.
06:46This year's version of the Eagles, same exact thing.
06:48What's the mindset need to be to knock down that top-of-the-hill guy?
06:52You've got to be willing to do anything and everything that it takes.
06:56For us back then, we looked at the Patriots as a really good team.
06:59We also thought that if we didn't have four turnovers, we would have won the game.
07:02We lost by three points.
07:04Kind of could've, would've, should've type of deal.
07:06For this Eagles team, it's about making a name for yourself
07:10and doing the right things for a long time.
07:12That's what you have to be able to do.
07:14Do the good things for a long time.
07:16The Eagles are a special team right now.
07:18This is what I love about this team.
07:20Howie Roseman has built this football team in a way
07:23that now you're not looking for a big piece.
07:26Now you're just looking for people to come in at a young age,
07:30spare some time to a starter, and then get a chance to evolve and get better.
07:35That's why this team is good across the board.
07:38A lot of young players contributing, a lot of veterans leading.
07:41That's the best thing about this football team.
07:43Fantastic.
07:44I was just going to ask you quickly about that notion of veterans leading.
07:47BG is trying to play.
07:50I would imagine it's probably a lift for that group
07:53of just even having BG around leading up to this game.
07:56He's been in the game, the play he made against Tom
07:58when the Eagles didn't win the Super Bowl against New England.
08:00The power of a veteran presence going into a game like this.
08:05BG is one of the best individuals on the field.
08:09Off the field, he is truly a better individual.
08:13He makes everyone feel better.
08:15He makes everyone around them better.
08:17Just to have him in uniform is going to mean something to this football team.
08:22That's how important he is to this team.
08:24To have him gear up, to have him even try to prepare to play for this game
08:27is something super special.
08:29I think the Eagles are fortunate to have him in that locker room.
08:32I know this year, he said it was going to be his last year.
08:35I sure hope he gives it another try next year.
08:37By the way, I've got to ask you a question here on this one.
08:39I want you to answer this question for me.
08:42What's my favorite Brian Westbrook play in your entire career?
08:46What do you think mine would have been?
08:47Your favorite?
08:48That's for you.
08:49Yep.
08:50This isn't a game that we did not win.
08:52I caught a pass from Donovan in Tampa Bay.
08:57Ironically, I saw John Gruden last night.
08:59Oh, I can explain the play to you.
09:00I'll let you do that.
09:01Go ahead.
09:02So, make a couple people miss, end up scoring, maybe, I don't know,
09:05about a minute left.
09:06Yeah.
09:07Probably should have took some more time off the clock.
09:10Doggone, was it Matt?
09:11Matt Bryant.
09:12Matt Bryant.
09:1357, 58 yarder.
09:14It was like a 64 yarder.
09:15He almost fell off my chair.
09:16And this is the long–
09:17Yeah.
09:18Just think about it.
09:19He was at the 50.
09:20Yeah.
09:21I mean, it's just–
09:22Yeah.
09:23How do you make that kick?
09:24He kicked the ball through the end zone, through the uprights,
09:25and we ended up losing the game.
09:26But that was actually my favorite play.
09:28I'm going to tell you mine.
09:292008 playoffs.
09:30You go to Minnesota.
09:31Yeah.
09:32We're up a couple points here.
09:3371 yarder.
09:34Did you hear the screams from Minnesota?
09:36Ah, that's right.
09:37The screams.
09:38My goodness, Matt.
09:39McNabb was geeking out out there.
09:40I was losing my mind.
09:41So, look.
09:42We needed that.
09:43We weren't doing very good that day.
09:44And then you handled the Giants next week.
09:46Loved every minute of it.
09:47Yep.
09:48There you go.
09:49There you go.
09:50There you go, man.
09:51Absolutely nothing better.
09:52Now the buzz is real.
09:53Yeah.
09:54I really would like to kick this football off right now.
09:55There we go.
09:56There we go.
09:57We're getting ready for Super Bowl Sunday, man.
09:58Brian Westbrook.
09:59Love it.
10:00The legend.
10:01Join us right here on Sports Talk.