Commanders 1st round pick, Josh Conerly Jr, joins G&D to discuss being drafted by the Commanders.
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00:00Oregon.
00:02Another chance for somebody to win Caps tickets today is coming up in about 50 minutes at 320 right here on the fan.
00:11Remember, we'll be talking to Councilman Kenyon McDuffie at 330 today.
00:16He is for a new stadium at the RFK site.
00:20We're looking forward to chatting with him in a little over an hour.
00:24But right now, let's go to the Rood guest hotline, Rood, the most reliable heating and air conditioning in the DMV.
00:30That's where we'll find the 29th overall pick in this past week's draft, Washington's first-round pick, tackle out of Oregon, Josh Connerly Jr.
00:40Josh, take us back to draft night, what the experience was like and what the scene was like when you found out you were going to be a commander.
00:47Yeah, I was back home in Seattle with all my family at my dad's house.
00:53And, man, the moment was unreal, just continuing to watch names get called.
01:00And, you know, you're just sitting there anxious, you know.
01:04But you know it's going to be the – you know, I was very confident in myself that it was going to be the first round.
01:08It's just a matter of one.
01:10You know what I mean?
01:10But when I seen that VA area code pop up, I was like, all right, now, this is the one right here.
01:20So I answered it, and AP was on the phone, and I was like, man.
01:25But my reaction initially was just, like, it was just really unreal.
01:31And, like, I was just really excited and anxious, and I knew that I was – I'm going into a pretty perfect situation.
01:41So I know that it's all going to work out really, really good.
01:45So you mentioned the call to your phone.
01:47I didn't know this.
01:48I don't know that anybody did until we heard some of the details with what happened to Shador.
01:52But it's a special phone the league gives you, right?
01:55It's not like people are calling your normal cell phone.
01:57So are you just waiting for, like, this random phone to ring?
02:00Nah, it's your regular phone.
02:04Okay, I thought I read somewhere that the league, like, gives the draft picks a phone that all the teams have a number pick.
02:10Nah, so that's why the prank call is happening is because you're using your regular phone number.
02:17You know what I mean?
02:18So if anybody just gets your regular phone number, they can, you know, they can call you, you know?
02:23So you're waiting for the call to get drafted for, you know, in your case it wasn't that long, but a couple hours left, say.
02:28And, like, your buddies are, if they're texting you and being like, hey, bro, how's it going?
02:33Like, every time your phone's going off, you think it could be.
02:36I actually, I'm going to say, I got one, I got one prank call.
02:40So, um, it was somebody, it was somebody, uh, in Colorado, uh, acting like they were the Broncos.
02:48Um, but, but, but besides that, I didn't really get all the, the multiple ones like everybody else.
02:55I feel, uh, I can only feel for them because mine wasn't as bad and, like, as cruel as some of the other ones.
03:01But, yeah, I mean, with guys that are waiting multiple days and, you know, getting four or five balls, it's just insane.
03:11Josh Connerly, new Commanders lineman.
03:13So they call you from Denver when they're on the clock, I guess?
03:15And what did they say?
03:16Or how did you, how did you reach out that it was a prank?
03:18They're just like, this, is this Josh?
03:20I was like, yeah.
03:21And then, um, they're just like, this is so-and-so from the Broncos.
03:24And then, but then they just like, and then like, I was like, like, you know, I was like, oh my God, like, what?
03:30And then, and then they just hung up.
03:32And I was just like.
03:34That's terrible.
03:34I was just like, okay.
03:36So let's go back.
03:38Um, Josh Connerly with us here on Grant and Danny on 106.7 The Fan.
03:41So what were you hearing before the first round?
03:44It's such an unpredictable and exact science, obviously.
03:47But what was your agent and some of the research you guys had done saying about the window where you could come off the board?
03:54I mean, um, it was anything really pinned down.
03:59Um, and there was no like specific team because I've had visits with, with eight, with about eight teams, four more with 12 different teams.
04:11And, and I mean, you know, like I really could have, I really could have fell anywhere, you know what I mean?
04:18But we didn't know it was going to be in the first round.
04:20So.
04:20So what were your pre-draft experiences like with Washington?
04:23I mean, I'm imagining you can take us through, but like combined, formal, and then do you notice that there are certain teams that like you?
04:31So it's like speed dating where you go, Hey, I kind of hit it off with her a little bit, or is it all blended?
04:37Yeah.
04:37So on, so in mobile, I met with scans one time.
04:44That was my only interaction with them until I'm out the one time at senior bowl.
04:49And then I formal with them at the combine and then they had me in for a 30 visit as well.
04:56So I'm not saying it was a pretty, it was a lot of interactions for sure.
05:01So now you come to Washington and the first thing I would imagine when they call your name is that that initial conversation, we get to see some of the call that you had with Adam Peters, but how well did you hit it off with?
05:15Or what was your relationship like with Bobby, the O-line coach and some of those guys?
05:19And then afterwards we see, like, what's the rest of the night like?
05:24Right.
05:24Yeah.
05:24So after, so, I mean, after like, like LT, LT shoots me a call, I miss it because of just like everything that's going on.
05:35But he shoots me a text.
05:36We, we text back and forth a couple of times.
05:38And then like OG calls me, Coach State calls me, like every, I'm going to say there.
05:45Like, honestly, there, everybody, everybody from the organization has seen just like, just continued the call.
05:52So I'm just answering a bunch of different calls, you know, like everyone introducing themselves again.
05:58And just like, you know, excited to have you here, stuff like that.
06:01But, but then, yeah.
06:03And then I just got, got all my flight stuff set up and then they, they flew me and my family out there to, like, re-meet everybody.
06:12And, yeah.
06:14Commander's tackle.
06:15Josh Connerly was the 29th pick in the draft, their first rounder joining us on GND.
06:20Did you hear from Jaden on draft night or was it not until the next day that you got to chat with him a little bit?
06:25Yeah, next day.
06:26And, um, I'm going to say we talked on FaceTime for a little bit, um, once I got there and, um, like had a couple of texts back and forth.
06:34Um, but, but yeah, nah, definitely super chill guy.
06:37The O-line has been rebuilt a little bit.
06:39The tackle spot specifically, the trade for Laramie and now going and getting you.
06:44Is Tonsal a guy you studied at all?
06:46Or, you know, what linemen do you kind of pattern your game after and look up to?
06:51Like, definitely, um, growing, growing up as a, I wasn't necessarily, necessarily an O-lineman.
06:58I was always, like, a bigger guy.
06:59But once I started playing, uh, O-line full time, like, with Sean Slater, Laramie Tunsil,
07:04with John Smith, like, those are my three guys that I studied a whole lot.
07:07Um, and even, even here at Oregon, like, um, we watched a lot of stuff as a group.
07:15Um, like, a lot of the stuff that Laramie did, that was teach tape for us, you know what
07:20I mean?
07:20So, um, definitely somebody I looked up to and, um, always try to take little things from
07:25for sure.
07:26It was going to be a great opportunity to learn from him and everybody else in the room.
07:30So, the idea that you weren't a lineman growing up, you just referenced, is decently well documented
07:35since the draft.
07:35But for some of my listeners, go back through that.
07:38So, when did you, what were you initially, um, until when?
07:41And then when did you transition to line?
07:43How did that process play out?
07:44Yeah, so my, like, first, my first year ever playing football, I was five, I played
07:50all-line, and then my, and then after that, I became a running back, because I just wanted,
07:56I wanted to do something different.
07:57I didn't want to be old, I mean, um, I wanted the, I wanted the ball in my hands.
08:01Um, I was running back until eighth grade, then ninth grade, um, I would, I think I played
08:09like running back, tight end, D-line, like, I always played D-line linebacker growing up
08:14as well, um, on a defensive side.
08:16Like, in Seattle, that's just, like, the type of ball we play, like, everyone's a two-way
08:19player.
08:20Um, but, um, and then tenth grade, we had lost all of our starting goal line and D-line from
08:29my freshman year, and then I became our starting left tackle my, my tenth grade year, and from
08:34that point on, like, recruiting and everything just kind of took off from there, so, yeah.
08:39So, were you getting carries as a freshman on the offensive side of the ball?
08:43Yeah, a little bit.
08:44Honestly, I got a couple.
08:45I got a couple.
08:46Mainly, mainly passes, though.
08:47Mainly, I tied in.
08:48I was that running back, very minimum, more like pullback type thing.
08:52So, everybody's seen the clips, then, from your Oregon time when you've touched the football,
08:57obviously catching a touchdown.
08:59What was the direct snap play?
09:01And was it, was that a one-off that you guys ran, where you're on the goal line getting
09:04this snap?
09:05Yeah, yeah.
09:05Yeah, no, that was, that was, uh, it was a one-off for a two-point, for a two-point
09:09conversion that we worked on for quite a, for quite a while during the season.
09:13But there's not many tackles in America who are pulling that off, and we've never seen
09:17that post, uh, what, Refrigerator Perry in the league.
09:20So, did you go to a coach and be like, hey, you know my tape says I can run the ball?
09:25Like, how did that play out?
09:26Uh, I mean, Joe, Joe Lurig is one of the best special teams minds that there is, and, um,
09:34he always, he was always looking out for me, um, being a Washington guy himself.
09:38And, uh, we, uh, it's just funny because, like, every, every year, it's always something
09:45like, JC, I'm going to hook you up, you know, I got something for you.
09:48Um, so, I mean, it's kind of, like, they know I'm a, they know I'm a big athlete.
09:52So, you know, when I put it to use, you feel me?
09:55Well, I covered Trent Williams when I was on the beat for four years here.
09:59Okay.
09:59And Trent was one of the great athletic tackles ever to play for the team.
10:04But I always talk about how he, when he plays hoops, he would play point guard and he would
10:08go between the legs and he'd dunk and it was just different.
10:10But you're one of those rare guys that, you know, has that ability to move, but we're kind
10:15of seeing the league, I feel like trend in that direction.
10:18You know, Dave, if you can give me a thought on that, but with, like, the bubbles and the
10:21smokes and all the screens at Cliff's runs, you almost need a guy who can get out in space
10:26better than your normal tackle, so to speak.
10:29Right.
10:29Yeah.
10:30And, I mean, I feel like we are the, we kind of are the prototype, um, of what you would
10:35want.
10:36I mean, obviously, everyone loves a big baller, you know what I mean?
10:39But we, we do the same things just in, in a different way, you know what I mean?
10:45And, uh, our, our builds are just, it's just because of, I feel like, because of like the
10:51athletic background, you know what I mean?
10:53Like, I feel like there's your, you got your alignment that wrestle and then you got your
10:56alignment that play basketball and then, you know, you got your ones that throw, like
11:00they're like, we all are athletes in our own, in our own ways, you know what I mean?
11:05But I feel like the small, like, you know, smaller build that kind of build up into bigger
11:10guys.
11:11Those are the ones that are starting to become more of the trend and being able to get out
11:16in space and stuff like that.
11:17Like you said, Josh Connerly here on G and D on 106.7, the fan.
11:22So Laramie, when we talked a lot about him and two people who have covered him from Houston,
11:26the book is one of the great pass blocking tackles in recently history, but maybe the run
11:32blocking is not as much as strength.
11:34I don't know if it's fair to even say that about you because at Oregon, I just think
11:38of you guys slinging the ball around, but you obviously had successful backs.
11:41Do you view yourself, if you were going to major in one, would you say pass blocking or
11:45like, what's your kind of nastiness run blocking thoughts?
11:49Well, I feel like I'm pretty balanced.
11:53I do say I, I would say I thrive more in pass protection just because of my background
12:01playing basketball and just being able to stay in front.
12:03But I mean, I mean, I can get nasty too.
12:08You know what I mean?
12:09As long as I fit my hands tight and run my feet, I mean, I'm going to, I'm going to dump
12:13somebody.
12:14So, but more like you said, to answer your question, I would say pass protection probably.
12:19When we talk to baseball players or something, it's like, Hey, you could catch a home run
12:22or you could rob a home run or hit a home run or whatever for you.
12:26So what's your favorite thing to do?
12:27Like get out in space, pancake someone or maul someone in the run game or just anchor
12:31on against the speed guy and just stop them.
12:34Like what's, what's the most fun thing to do?
12:36The best thing, and this is a, I would say cliche quote, but moving a man from point A to point
12:47B against his will, that's the best thing about playing offensive line.
12:53You know what I mean?
12:54Obviously protecting your quarterback, making sure he's nice and, you know, as your quarterback
12:58has a perfectly clean Jersey at the end of the game, you did your job.
13:02You know what I mean?
13:02But moving a man from point A to point B against his will is the.