Frank The Tank
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00:00Who they? Who they? Who they gonna walk with me today?
00:05Drew Sample.
00:07You know, Cincinnati Bengals, blocking tight end.
00:10He's been a Bengal for how many years have you been at the Bengals?
00:13This will be year seven coming up.
00:15Seven years at the Bengals. He's seen it all.
00:17Well, let's talk football and life with Drew Sample.
00:22Let's go for a walk.
00:23Let's do it.
00:24Frank Walsh. Frank Walsh. It's time for Frank Walsh.
00:34Sounds good.
00:36Now, you're one of the best blocking tight ends.
00:40The Bengals have a lot of weapons at the receiver possession.
00:46Yep, for sure.
00:47Good running back and of course, Joe Burrell.
00:49Yep, the man.
00:50I mean, if the Bengals had a better season, probably Joe Burrell is the MVP.
00:56I mean, I think he was the MVP anyway.
00:58I'm obviously a little biased, but I mean, I think the little hot streak we went on at the end there.
01:03I mean, his numbers, it sucks we didn't end up in the playoffs, winning record.
01:07But yeah, I mean, I was hoping they were going to look past all that.
01:11But unfortunately, I get it.
01:13Went with the, you know, the two guys that made a deeper run in the playoffs.
01:17So, this year we got to do it a little better, I think, to start the season and we'll be in good shape.
01:23Yeah, you put yourself in a tremendous hole.
01:25Yeah, for sure.
01:26It was tough.
01:27And of course, you went to the Super Bowl a couple of years ago.
01:30Yep.
01:31Fell just a little bit short.
01:32I mean, it looks like the Bengals are on the precipice of winning something.
01:38But what's going on with the Bengals these days?
01:42I don't know.
01:43We haven't started fast.
01:44That's been like our Achilles heel the last couple of years.
01:46We started off, even the year we went to the Super Bowl, I think we started off, like, lost a couple games, won, maybe won.
01:52And then we went on like a 10-game winning streak or something like that.
01:55So, we were able to pull ourselves out.
01:57But the last couple of years, we have not been able to pull ourselves out.
02:00We had injuries the year before.
02:02Last year, we were obviously healthy.
02:03But just for whatever reason, we…
02:05And the funny thing is, I pretty much think that the…
02:13I think that the Chiefs are scared of you.
02:16You seem to play the Chiefs tight and you should have beat the Chiefs this year.
02:19We've played well against the Chiefs.
02:21I think Joe plays his best versus the best teams.
02:27Obviously, it's tough.
02:29For whatever reason, we've just…
02:30We've had them on the schedule, like, I think every year.
02:31And then we met them in the playoffs a couple of times.
02:32So, we definitely…
02:33You're the one that took them out of the Super Bowl.
02:34I know.
02:35Otherwise, they'd have…
02:36What would they have?
02:37Like, six straight?
02:38Yeah, I think that was the last time they lost.
02:39Yeah.
02:40First to us.
02:41We're obviously lost this year.
02:42But…
02:43So, that was…
02:44You know, it's always fun to play them.
02:45I think we've…
02:46We've played them on the road.
02:47Like…
02:48You always…
02:49Yeah.
02:50I think that was the last time they lost.
02:51Yeah.
02:52First to us.
02:53We're obviously lost this year.
02:54But…
02:55So, that was…
02:56It was fun to play them.
02:57I think we've…
02:58We've played them on the road, like, four times.
02:59They're always good games.
03:00They're always good games.
03:01100%.
03:02I think it's just fun.
03:03And I know people enjoy that.
03:04But for us, as players, it's fun, too.
03:05You gotta go into Arrowhead, have some success.
03:07Play them at home, have some success.
03:08So, I mean, they're a good team.
03:10But…
03:11We'd love to get them in the playoffs again.
03:12I mean, we'd love to get in the playoffs again.
03:14Cause, you know, I think with…
03:15With our team, we can beat anyone.
03:17We just…
03:18We weren't able to get in.
03:19We didn't do enough.
03:20So, it sucks.
03:21Well…
03:22The AFC North is one of the best divisions.
03:26The Ravens are always good.
03:27The Steelers always find a way to get the nine wins.
03:29Yep.
03:30The Browns always have a great defense.
03:33Well…
03:34Someone has to be the Cleveland Browns.
03:39Well…
03:40I mean…
03:41They've had our number a few times.
03:43Yeah.
03:44I mean, I've been there a long time.
03:45So, I've been through some ups and downs of the Bengals.
03:48So, I remember, you know, before we went to the Super Bowl,
03:51we had some rough years to get Joe, obviously.
03:53But…
03:54I mean…
03:55Anyone in our division…
03:56It's…
03:57It's like college football.
03:58When you play your rival, like, you're always going to get a good game.
04:00And it's kind of how our division is.
04:01The Battle of Ohio.
04:02They did two pumpkins.
04:03They did two pumpkins.
04:04Exactly.
04:05I mean…
04:06When we had…
04:07One of the years, we had, like, two wins.
04:09And we went and played the Ravens close.
04:11And that year, they went to the, you know, AFC Championship or whatever.
04:14So, it's always close.
04:15We know each other so well.
04:17And we got a bunch of good quarterbacks, a bunch of good defenses, really just top to bottom.
04:22I mean, I think, no doubt, best division in football.
04:24So, it's always fun.
04:26I mean, it's always been tight.
04:29Yeah.
04:30And the Steelers and Ravens, you know…
04:32I think the Steelers are hanging on the edge.
04:35I don't know what the Steelers are doing in terms of quarterback yet.
04:38Yeah.
04:39Well, they signed…
04:40They signed DK, right?
04:41So, they got…
04:42Yeah.
04:43They signed DK.
04:44They're trying to revamp the offense.
04:45Their defense has been good.
04:46You know, they got TJ.
04:47They got all those guys.
04:48So…
04:49Well, you got…
04:50They got Mike Tomlin.
04:51And Mike Tomlin just finds a way to get his winning record every year.
04:55Yeah.
04:56I mean, they're…
04:57They went to the playoffs two years ago, and we didn't make it.
04:59And so, I mean, yeah, they're right there, too.
05:02I mean, the Ravens, obviously, with Lamar, are just…
05:05I mean, incredible.
05:06They've been so close.
05:07However many…
05:08Like, what?
05:09Three years in a row now, they've lost to…
05:10They lost to the Bills.
05:12They lost to…
05:13I forget who they lost to.
05:14But he's right…
05:15They're right there, too.
05:16So…
05:17Now, when you're playing, you're…
05:19You're primarily a blocking tight end.
05:21Yep.
05:22Had 20 catches last year, but yes.
05:2420 catches, see?
05:26Yep, yep.
05:27Mark that down.
05:28Mark it down.
05:29But, what goes into being a blocking tight end?
05:32I think a lot of it is just…
05:34I think it's a mindset.
05:35I mean, it's more of an offensive line…
05:36Offensive line mindset where it's like, you know, I'm…
05:41My job is to go take on DNs, take on linebackers, whether that's the run game, pass pro, whatever.
05:47And I think a lot of guys, you know, it's hard, right?
05:51You're going against these DNs that are absolute freak shows, Miles Garrett, TJ, all these guys we have to play.
05:58And, you know, you're going one-on-one against those guys in the run game, pass game, whatever it may be.
06:02So, I think a lot of it is just a mindset.
06:03So, I think a lot of it is just a mindset.
06:05Like, I enjoy doing that.
06:06I enjoy that challenge.
06:08And I've been good at it, you know, in the NFL.
06:11And that's kind of the niche I've carved out for myself.
06:14And I think that's going to help me stay in the league for, you know, as long as I can.
06:18Well, you always need blockers.
06:19Yeah.
06:20You know, imagine thinking that offensive line is not an important position.
06:24Yeah, exactly.
06:25I mean, to me, I think offensive line, if you don't have a good offensive line, you don't have a chance.
06:32I agree.
06:33I mean, I think the problem is, too, is the D linemen are getting so good.
06:36And they're so athletic.
06:38And they're so whatever.
06:39It's old.
06:40People don't realize how hard the line is.
06:42I mean, when Aaron Donald just retired.
06:44I mean, nobody could block.
06:45Right?
06:46You have a game record like that.
06:47And you can literally change games.
06:49So, yeah, I agree with that.
06:51Now, before you came to the NFL, you went to UW.
06:54Yep.
06:55You're a Husky.
06:56Washington Huskies.
06:57Yes, sir.
06:58And they're now in the Big Ten.
07:01I can't get used to these West Coast teams in the Big Ten.
07:04It's weird for me, too.
07:05I just don't like it.
07:07Yeah, the Pac-12, I mean, I think.
07:09The Pac-12, what happened to that league, which was a historic league, that's one of the oldest
07:15leagues in college sports.
07:18I think it's a crime.
07:19Yeah.
07:20I mean, okay, football's a little different.
07:24Football's a little different.
07:25You play once a week.
07:27Yep.
07:28Other sports.
07:29I'm thinking about basketball, men's and women's basketball.
07:33You're asking these players who go to Rockers and Northwestern to go cross country.
07:40USC.
07:41Yeah.
07:42UCLA.
07:43Basketball, volleyball, baseball.
07:44Baseball.
07:45All these sports, like middle of the school week, traveling, gone for three days, back for
07:50two, gone for three days.
07:51I don't know if you saw what happened with the women's team of Northwestern.
07:54Uh-uh.
07:55They were supposed to play a two-game series, USC, UCLA, at the time of the wildfires in California.
08:04They said that they didn't want to go out to them because they didn't think it was safe
08:08against the wildfires.
08:10Okay.
08:11So, what ended up happening is, the games got postponed, they couldn't reschedule them,
08:16and they gave Northwestern a forfeit.
08:18That sucks.
08:19I mean, that's just, that's a long way to go.
08:21We went, when I was at Washington, we were in the Pac-12.
08:24We had one, I think, non-conference against Rutgers.
08:27We left like three days early.
08:29Like, it was a whole, you know, it was like a special thing.
08:31We were going back to the East Coast.
08:33And now that's like, it's a normal thing now.
08:36The fact that there's student athletes, that myth is now.
08:40I mean, it's gone.
08:43Yeah, it sucks.
08:44I mean, too, like, some of the schools, like Oregon State, like, Wazoo.
08:48Oh, yeah, Oregon State and Wazoo got screwed up in Wazoo.
08:52Yeah.
08:53Yeah, people don't know.
08:54I mean, Oregon State, the last couple of years, has been a really good football team.
08:57I'm not talking about all the sports, but football.
08:59Wazoo, when we were there, I mean, they were a top 25 team every year.
09:03And now it's, they lose out on the funding, the money.
09:07Think of all the great players that went there.
09:09Drew Bledsoe.
09:10Yeah.
09:11Went to Wazoo.
09:12I mean, Oregon State.
09:13I mean, Bengals.
09:14Chad went there.
09:15I mean, you got all these guys.
09:16And no one's, it's so much harder for them now with all the money and the, you know,
09:21there's just not, it just, it's really sad, honestly.
09:24I agree.
09:25I think they're going to try to revive the Pac-12 somewhat by cannibalizing the Mountain West.
09:30Yeah, I've seen some of that.
09:31And then that sucks to the Mountain West because then the Mountain West is its whole other,
09:34you know, kind of special thing that's been, you know, Boise and all these other schools
09:39that kind of, you know.
09:40Yeah, basically Boise, Nevada, UNLV, Fresno, San Diego State.
09:47I believe they're all going to be part of the new Pac-12 with Wazoo.
09:51Watch, watch.
09:54All right?
09:55Yeah.
09:56Well, he's doing everyone's job.
09:57It's good.
09:58Yeah, I love that.
09:59Yeah, it's crazy.
10:00It sucks.
10:01It really does.
10:02I mean, I understand how that football is king.
10:06Yeah.
10:07Maybe if you just severed football from the rest of the NCAA.
10:10Well, there was talk of just making football leagues and then keeping everything the same,
10:14but, you know, money and, I don't know, athletics, and I don't know how all that works,
10:18but obviously they made the decision for football and everyone else just kind of has to deal with it.
10:22And NIL has just changed the whole game.
10:24Yeah.
10:25I was at, I went back to Washington, I think it was this offseason,
10:29and it's just hearing how they have to deal with, like, the players, the money, like all this.
10:34Like, it's, I really can't imagine it.
10:37Well, I see now that programs, and it's for each sport now they're doing it,
10:43they're basically hiring general managers.
10:45Yeah, I mean, you have to run it like a real, like a team, like an organ, like an NFL team basically,
10:50like a business because you have to recruit off money, you have, you know, some teams are doing salary caps,
10:56some teams are doing, you know, by position, like whatever it may be, like it's.
11:01But yeah, I've seen teams that are hiring NIL coordinators who are basically general managers.
11:07Yeah, it's wild, really crazy.
11:10So, looking ahead to the 2025 season, what are your hopes besides the Bengals returning to the playoffs in the Super Bowl?
11:17I mean, all I hope is we can win, we can start out hot.
11:20That's all I'm focused on.
11:22We want to start out, you know, with not a losing record, 3-1, 3-0, 4-0, 4-1, somewhere where we have a positive start to the year.
11:32And then I think, you know, our team, our staff, everyone, I think we're going to just carry that through.
11:37And I think this will be the year we break that, you know, early season woe curse.
11:42And then I think if we do that, then that can carry us through the rest of the season.
11:47And I know that's something that's, you know, been our focus and I know it's on our minds, too.
11:51So, I think that's, we're not even going to worry about playoffs, you know, all that later stuff.
11:56We want to start fast, start strong, and we'll take the rest after that.
12:01Now, do you have any, like, charities or anything that you're...
12:05Yeah, every year I do a Christmas with Children's Hospital.
12:09All my daughters were part of Children's.
12:12So, we do a Christmas holiday, basically fundraiser and toy drive every year with the Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
12:18So, that's been amazing.
12:20That's kind of our one event that we do in Cincinnati that's been great for Children's Hospital and for all the kids in the city, so.
12:28Well, hopefully by the time Christmas rolls around, the Bengals are in first place.
12:34Yes.
12:35First round bye on our way to the Super Bowl.
12:37First round bye, yeah, that would be nice.
12:38Yes.
12:39Well, thank you for joining us and it's been a great time and good luck to you on this season.
12:42Thank you, I appreciate it.
12:43Thanks for having me.
12:44All right, thanks again.
12:45Yeah.