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00:00 Let me bring on my guest. This man was a running back at the University of Oregon a two-time
00:05 All-american while he sported the Ducks uniform played 11 years in the NFL
00:10 With the Carolina Panthers New York Giants was a pro bowler and now is a host on the believe
00:17 Podcast Network the Carolina Panthers podcast mr. Jonathan Stewart. How you doing my friend?
00:23 Doing good, man. Thanks for having me on
00:26 Nice to formally meet you
00:29 Absolutely. I'm not really sure. I'm not quite sure if I did you tackle me at some point in
00:34 2011
00:37 I'm sure I tried now whether I was successful or not. I don't know we'd have to watch the tape
00:42 I guess you were you were a hard guy to bring down and catch. I know that for sure
00:45 You were definitely I mean, I looked at the stats and you had a one and a half sacks against us
00:51 2011
00:54 so
00:55 And that's not an easy task because as I remember there was one run that cam had a zigzag
01:02 And that was a rookie year. I think right
01:06 It might have been rookie either rookie or second year, yeah, but um, yeah, he was zigzagging across the field and
01:14 So it was it was a hard task. It was definitely a hard task to sack that guy in the backfield
01:23 Dude, it's crazy that you remember that because as soon as you said Carolina Panthers 2011
01:28 I knew the game you were talking about. I actually stayed up and watched Stanford in USC play late the night before so I was
01:35 I was a little tired going into that game. I was like, oh man, how am I gonna play?
01:39 I remember a couple things about that day. I remember Cam Newton is the biggest quarterback I've ever seen in my life
01:46 Okay, him and Ben Roethlisberger
01:48 But I he looked bigger to me and that stupid run and when you're on the other side of the ball you say the word
01:54 Stupid instead of zigzag because yeah, I was so exhausted and then he ended up scoring a touchdown and it was yes
02:01 It was a phenomenal play by a phenomenal athlete. I remember that all too well
02:04 Yeah, man
02:07 But kudos to you man on your career
02:09 You're a baller at Nebraska
02:13 As I was you know
02:15 Doing some doing just my background
02:18 Marlon Lucky
02:20 You know just guys that I remember from
02:27 the US All-American
02:30 Army Bowl
02:31 and great guys and
02:33 Madama, everybody knows his success
02:36 But I never really found like what was Marlon Lucky like in college?
02:42 I remember practicing with him
02:46 And just seemed like a good guy. I know he did he get injured while he was at college or what happened?
02:52 He was a good dude. He was a real nice dude now my experience with him
02:56 He was either two or three years younger than me
02:58 So younger guys as you know, they tend to be a little bit more quiet until they become an upperclassman
03:02 During my time with him. He was he was a nice dude. Good dude quiet
03:06 I think he I don't remember if he got hurt or not
03:11 That doesn't sound familiar to me
03:13 But I you know, I was so busy my first two three years in the lead with my head spinning
03:16 While he was in Nebraska
03:18 maybe he did my experience with him was he seemed like he was trying to find his stride and
03:23 Trying to because he had all the athletic ability in the world just trying to find that physical side of running the ball
03:29 So that was my limited experience with him at Nebraska and then sue was a young guy as well. He was a freaking monster
03:36 Okay, he was already one of the strongest guys in the weight room as a freshman when you did one-on-one, Oklahoma drill
03:42 Nobody on the offensive side wanted to go against him. So you could kind of see what was coming with with sue
03:48 Yeah at the all-american game. They told him to play offensive line and he hated it and
03:53 I remember
03:56 Obviously, I don't remember exactly word-for-word
03:58 but he was pissed and did not want any parts of playing offensive line and he made people pay in practice a
04:07 Little short stint short stint extended practices that we had he made his presence felt make make felt so
04:14 But man, Nebraska the Big Ten
04:18 It's all new to me so it's great to be on this show because
04:23 You're an expert on the Big Ten. So as a former, Oregon running back proud alum, you mentioned it
04:32 All right, Oregon, Washington
04:34 USC UCLA coming to join the Big Ten now
04:37 There's 18 teams the Big Ten is all the way from Eugene to LA to Lincoln to Piscataway, New Jersey
04:45 Okay, and we can chat more in depth about this and I look forward to it. But just your initial thoughts when you think about
04:51 Going to Wisconsin maybe in November and I got the schedule in front of me
04:56 But just playing some of these Big Ten teams during the season them coming out to Eugene by the way
05:01 Eugene was actually of all my recruiting visits that I took I actually grew up in southeastern, Washington
05:06 Okay, so that was actually my favorite recruiting visit of all the visits that I took don't tell people in Lincoln that but I really
05:13 Enjoyed that recruiting visit. Okay, and I watched them play Wisconsin in the offseason
05:19 That was when Joey Harrington scored the late TD quarterback sneak and they ended up trounce in Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl finished number two
05:26 in the country later that year
05:27 So I had an amazing experience in Eugene
05:30 But what are your thoughts as you come into the Big Ten playing some of these teams and what you guys think it's gonna be like
05:36 man
05:38 To be honest, I don't know but what I like hope for
05:43 Is everything you know that points to the direction of why it all happened, right?
05:50 And you look at Dan Lanning in his situation. I
05:54 Mean, he's actually probably got one of the best coaching jobs right now in college football
05:59 You know his team, you know the last two years in recruiting they've knocked it out of the park
06:08 You know last year they had a one five-star but many four-star recruits
06:13 And you know people can argue like, you know five-star four-star
06:18 You know, what's the big difference?
06:21 You know, some guys don't really pan out and you know that five-star, you know status
06:27 So the more four stars you have the you know, the better chances of you actually finding a player
06:32 So, I guess you know with Dan Lanning, you know, the reason why he stays
06:40 At Oregon is because of the opportunity at Big Ten
06:45 You know if you can argue that Big Ten and SEC could be battling for the powerhouse conference next year
06:53 I mean, I might be stepping on toes right now saying that but oh, you're right because but but you know
06:59 I think right now the leverage, you know adding, you know, the California schools
07:05 Oregon
07:07 to this whole mix
07:09 You're just adding value
07:13 And the team that has you know instant success which I feel like Oregon is more
07:20 prepared for
07:24 In reference to the other schools
07:26 Just given this year and the success that they've had
07:30 You know the recruiting opportunity that they have right now for him staying at Oregon
07:36 I
07:38 Feel like they have an advantage right now to really, you know, make a splash and and grab some noise which helps the recruiting
07:45 So, I mean the opportunity is just the sky's the limit
07:50 for all schools
07:53 And Big Ten is just gonna continue to just expand and and grow at grow at large as far as as far as exposure
08:00 You're getting you're getting packed 12
08:03 fans
08:06 Watching the big big 10 now and no other conference, you know, I'm saying so the value there you already have the media
08:14 outlets, you know, Chicago
08:16 You know one of the biggest media outlets in the nation, so it's just primed for success. I
08:23 Agree with you completely because even before Oregon Washington, USA UCLA joined Big Ten schools
08:31 We're making about eight to nine million more dollars a year than the SEC schools now
08:36 There's a lot of pluses to this. Okay, you got the coast-to-coast coverage, which obviously is going to skyrocket
08:42 Media deals and TV deals in the future now. I look at it from a recruiting perspective. The Big Ten has no ties to, Florida
08:50 Texas
08:53 California oh wait now we do and now the Big Ten has a direct tie to
08:58 California not just with USC UCLA
09:01 But now Ohio State and you got Michigan and you got Nebraska and even Northwestern, you know
09:05 And so I think that helps recruiting wise
09:08 I think it helps for exposure and it's because obviously the SEC has got the South and they've got Texas and they've got Florida for their
09:14 recruiting basis plus the whole frickin South in general and
09:17 So I I think the SEC is obviously a great conference
09:22 I think it's gonna be more regional obviously and I think the broadness literally the Big Ten's a national conference now
09:28 I think that is the advantage the Big Ten has and to your point about Dan Lanning what he is building is
09:34 Phenomenal you look at the recruiting class. He already has this year. They're currently ranked sixth in the country
09:40 Okay, you look at the past five years
09:43 They have three top ten recruiting classes and to your point a lot of that
09:48 Yeah, you got the five stars, but a lot of that is the number of four stars
09:52 Okay, you got three five stars and maybe three four stars versus another team
09:57 He's maybe got eight or nine four stars and maybe no five stars
10:00 I would take the more more good players so to speak
10:02 So I love that you point all that out and it makes a lot of sense and for those who don't know they're probably aware
10:07 Dan Lanning was rumored to be in the conversation for the Bama job and he took his name out and he's staying at Eugene
10:13 because of what Oregon offers because of what the Big Ten offers because
10:16 He's got a young team coming back next year
10:20 I think they're a top five team in the country next year. So I think he can make some big noise going forward in Eugene
10:26 Yeah, man, I mean, I think even you know, the quote that he gave I think it was something on the lines of you know
10:33 Your coach might have left but I'm not leaving
10:35 It's great. It's great. It's a great recruiting tool
10:39 phrase to use as he closes out this recruiting
10:44 you know going leading up to signing signing day, so
10:49 Kudos to him. I mean everything that he's building at Oregon right now is everything that I've actually
10:53 Been wanting over the last, you know
10:57 16 years I guess
11:00 left Oregon
11:02 But watching, you know the opportunities that we've had to play on national levels
11:06 Against, you know, Tennessee against Auburn against, you know, Georgia
11:12 You know these no teams that you know are known for being
11:19 Almost professional football teams, you know I'm saying so
11:22 The
11:26 The ability that we have what he's added, you know is
11:29 depth at
11:32 Physicality on the defensive side of the ball. We have bigger guys now. I mean you look at the UW
11:39 Michigan game, you know, you dub has proven this year to be a physical team, you know being able to push guys around
11:46 But they went and played Michigan and they got pushed around
11:50 Because they weren't big enough
11:53 It's just foot and they didn't have enough depth to take care of
11:57 You know what was in front of them? And so
12:00 you know, I believe at the end of the day like, you know, the trenches matter and I think that's where he's starting to
12:07 Really pull his his recruiting card because he has the ties to Georgia
12:12 He has the ties to the South and now that he's at the Big Ten level
12:16 It's gonna be way much easier
12:19 To get those guys to commit because hey mom you can just come up to you know
12:25 The Iowa game you can just come up to the Michigan game to watch me
12:29 But you don't have to come all the way to Oregon for a home game every time you want to watch me play
12:34 And so I think there's a great
12:39 Opportunity in the recruiting world for him to really make a splash and that's why I say, you know
12:45 You know the team that has instant success
12:47 Will see this thing as a grand opportunity for the long term I
12:54 Think you make a phenomenal point with the type of players that
12:59 Oregon's recruiting under coach Lanning
13:02 So again, I grew up in the Northwest and so I and I don't mean this to be anything except what my opinion was
13:08 You know could have been wrong or right?
13:09 I always said Oregon was too fast because that makes no sense to anybody but I said they're too fast because they're too small
13:15 Okay, so when they would go play in Ohio State in the Rose Bowl and let's be clear
13:20 They beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl a couple years ago
13:22 So it's not like they haven't had success against big teams, but when they play teams with speed and size
13:27 That's when they would struggle and that's what Lanning's that's what he is facing head-on or he's taking head-on in his recruiting
13:34 He's addressing the trenches. He's playing better defense. He's bringing in guys with speed and size
13:40 So I think you make a phenomenal point
13:42 I'm sitting here looking at Oregon's schedule for next year now before we dive into the conference schedule
13:47 Something caught my eye. In fact two things caught my eye in the non-conference. I'm gonna be honest with you
13:51 I hate these Patsy cupcake ridiculous schedules, especially in the non-conference
13:56 But going forward if I'm a big 10 ad or I'm an SEC head coach
14:00 I want Patsy's and I want cupcakes because this the conference schedules murderers row. Okay, so
14:07 Oregon's non-conference. Okay, you got Idaho, Idaho. I mean, okay, you got Boise State. That's not a gimme
14:15 And that's not a gonna want to beat you and then why in the world as a college football fan
14:20 I love this as as an Oregon alum looking from Oregon's perspective
14:24 Why in the world are you guys still playing Oregon State when you don't have to before you get into the Big Ten conference?
14:29 What are your thoughts on those two games? Well, I mean, there's a rivalry there. It's a stay
14:34 Yeah, and so you have to respect the fans. I think at the end of the day it's a good, you know
14:40 Hey, we're not here often anymore, but we'll come by and give you guys a show
14:45 That's good, that's kind of how I look at that game
14:49 And so it's I guess it's one of the longest standing rivalries of all time
14:57 And so to just cut that just to cut that loose it would be hard for a lot of people especially out the gate
15:02 maybe you might see it with her away, but
15:05 We'll see
15:07 So again, I'm not rooting for against Oregon as a college football fan. I love it
15:12 If I were rooting for Oregon, I'd be like, I don't know about that. Maybe we schedule Idaho Idaho State before we yeah
15:18 Because it's a tough. It's gonna be a tough game. What I wonder what's gonna happen to Oregon State's recruiting
15:26 They won't be the same in a year. It won't be this. They won't be the same, right?
15:30 There's gonna be a lot of guys, you know picking up moving on
15:32 Because at the end of the day they see opportunities elsewhere and money, you know, I'm saying so
15:38 I
15:40 Think at the end of the day this has to be one of those stints where it's like hey, this is our departure gift
15:46 Yeah, well Jonathan Smith who was there the last time Oregon State was the top five team and old one was the head coach now
15:53 He's in East in East Lansing in Michigan. Okay
15:56 DJ uncle Lillie. I've tried to I apologize DJ has transferred to Florida State. I have practiced that and I apologize
16:03 He's a
16:06 Head coach is gone quarterbacks gone. Other people have transferred out. So they're not going to be the same
16:10 I am glad they're keeping it around as a fan. Okay. Now you look at the Big Ten schedule itself
16:16 All right, you got UCLA, Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan
16:21 Wisconsin Washington, okay, there's other teams on here Purdue, Illinois, Maryland all due respect
16:26 But that's like five to six to seven big-name programs that Oregon's gonna be playing
16:31 Exciting TV. What are your thoughts on this Big Ten slate for the Ducks next year?
16:35 It's very exciting. I mean, it's an opportunity to really see what you're up against
16:42 To really see what level of football you're playing
16:46 You know, this is the top of the tier
16:50 if you want to come to a school and get your chances to play a professional ball and
16:55 Get a good measurement or a good baseline
16:58 This is where you want to be
17:01 to play teams like that on on
17:04 such a
17:06 massive platform
17:08 It's what you dream of, you know
17:11 It is absolutely what you dream of you get to go play in LA you get to go play in Michigan, Ohio
17:19 Like it's it's the act. It's like I don't know what else what else word to say besides it's the cascade of
17:26 football right, you know, so
17:29 Like it's it's a great opportunity man
17:32 if I were
17:35 coming out of high school right now
17:37 I'm watching what's happening with those four schools adding to the Big Ten because those are schools are gonna absolutely need help
17:46 You know I'm saying and need help, you know
17:49 Implementing a new
17:53 Play, you know at the end of the day to like what you're gonna have to see is philosophies change
17:57 You know from these West Coast teams coming to the to the Big Ten, you know playing in different elements
18:04 You're gonna have to run the ball probably a lot more and a lot more efficiently
18:08 So if you're you know certain type of player that might not be able to play in the Big Ten
18:16 the original Big Ten
18:18 You should be a player that's looking to get in at Oregon UCLA
18:23 USC because yeah, it's it's a bit of a ways as far as where you're gonna be going to school
18:29 But as far as your exposure to your family, you know to your dreams
18:33 This is a great opportunity
18:37 Yeah, there's no doubt about it. I mean just looking at this schedule
18:42 So you're gonna be at Camp Randall in Madison, Wisconsin mid-november. That's gonna be a little different climate
18:48 Then you just look at the level of competition. You got the two teams who are the national championship game
18:53 You've got Michigan you got Washington, then you got Ohio State who's probably gonna be a top
18:57 Maybe not even top five top three team next year
19:00 Okay, and here's something that I love because what I will say I will say watch Washington's gonna struggle a little bit
19:07 They won't be the same. That's true. Neither will Michigan
19:11 Yeah, Washington's losing probably all of their players
19:14 Yeah, they won't be like besides two or three as far as starters
19:19 in their coaching situation
19:22 Lord help them, right? So
19:24 Michigan on the other hand
19:27 Michigan will be okay. I feel like
19:30 They'll be good. They won't be quite as good. Of course, who knows that's what's great about college football
19:35 JJ McCarthy declaring to the NFL Jim Harbaugh, maybe not coming back doesn't seem likely that's gonna impact all that but you know, I
19:42 Sure own more is gonna step right in if he's the next head coach of Michigan
19:46 He's got two top ten wins versus Ohio State versus Penn State. He won six games as a head coach last year
19:53 So they'll be just fine. It's more about who's next up after JJ McCarthy
19:57 Okay, and you look at Ohio State like Michigan's probably gonna be a top ten team who knows what to make a Washington Ohio State
20:05 They are Buckeye fans are gonna hate this. So feel free at Adam Carrick or 94 on Twitter. Feel free to at me with your hate
20:12 Okay, I'll just hit the block button. No hesitation. Okay, but here's the deal
20:15 All right, Ohio State right now at this point in time reminds me of Michigan last year
20:21 Okay a team that had a disappointing end of the season
20:23 But has other than Marvin Harrison jr
20:26 Has a bunch of guys coming back who are coming back with a purpose and a goal for next year and look what Michigan did
20:32 Okay, Emeka Buckeye is coming back. He had Will Howard at the quarterback quarterback position who's going to add a dual threat dynamic
20:40 Okay, Ohio State's got eight returning starters on what was a top two defense in the country last year coming back for this year
20:47 So to me, Ohio State's a national title contender
20:51 I'm gonna ask you about this because I am well aware of the and I know
20:57 Washington may not be as good next year, but instead of ending the season with the Civil War every year versus Oregon State
21:02 Washington is not doing the Apple Cup anymore with wash
21:05 I'm sorry with Oregon State for you guys Washington State in the Apple Washington State with Apple Cup
21:09 Yeah, now you guys cuz I'm well aware of how much the Oregon Washington rivalry is very real now
21:16 You guys are gonna end the season Saturday, November 30th against Washington. What do you think of that rivalry game as a former duck?
21:24 So that to me is the true rivalry, right?
21:28 Oregon State is
21:30 Definitely the it's like the battle of you know battle within the state, right?
21:36 But when it comes to them dogs
21:40 The phrase huck the Huskies, there you go
21:52 But yeah, so I mean that this is this is for this is great TV and if these teams can be competitive
22:00 Through this transition, you know, the hype is is there
22:06 It's just it I mean it's just made for TV
22:11 It's gonna be beautiful and so as far as the rivalry goes man
22:14 Like people legitimately hate each other like Seattle and Eugene don't mix
22:20 They're like basically the same as far as like political and all that politics, whatever
22:24 Yeah, they hate each other if you were in purple and gold
22:28 Don't you walk around and it's in vice versa. So I gotta ask you this, okay
22:34 I'm just gonna be real with you. I know it's a it's a mutual rivalry. I think it's a little bit more
22:42 60/40 Oregon towards Washington than Washington towards Oregon based on my experience thoughts
22:49 As far as
22:51 The rivalry just in general the fans like I went to a practice
22:56 In the spring going into my senior year in Eugene when Michael Otte was still there
23:01 Yeah, Oregon people were already talking about the Washington game
23:03 I went to Washington spring game that same year same year beautiful Puget Sound
23:08 I don't remember that many Washington people talking about Oregon that year. I'm just saying
23:13 You know, you want to know why?
23:15 There's a lot of there's been so much change in you and at the University of Washington
23:20 And they don't know who the coaches they don't know. There's a lot of fan weather. Yeah, right
23:26 Yeah, that's what's going on up there
23:29 You know this year a lot of bandwagon, you know huskies or dog pet owners
23:37 They joined the bag when they've joined the bandwagon. That's what happened this year. Um
23:42 And at the end of it - you gotta look at it from this point
23:45 Oregon
23:47 University of Oregon and Oregon State for a very long time is all we're gonna have I mean Portland Treadblazers
23:53 Yeah, you know as far as you know sports in Washington. You got the Seattle Mariners you got
23:59 The sound as you have you had the Sonics at one point you don't you have Seahawks you have Washington State
24:07 You dug so you have all the Seattle basketball schools because you know, Portland and Seattle
24:13 Believe it or not because even though it's cold weather up there a lot of it's a big basketball state
24:19 so
24:22 They might have too much on their plate to be so worried about you know, Oregon down there so, you know, I
24:29 Will say though whatever it is
24:31 There's a lot of hatred. Oh
24:35 Oh, I get it and I just wanted to poke a little bit just to see if it would come out
24:39 I'm glad it came out man. Don't worry
24:41 Oklahoma Nebraska, Colorado now, Nebraska, Iowa, don't worry
24:46 I was talking to Nate Robinson via Instagram one day. Okay when when you dug when we were first about to play you dug
24:56 This year and I'm glad we didn't really like make a official bet or anything
25:04 Nate Robinson obviously played basketball
25:06 Yeah, you can bounce out of the gym still probably
25:11 but
25:13 You know, I definitely do my chatter with a lot of you know, you dug, you know graduates and that's and whatnot
25:20 Shaq Thompson
25:23 You know, he played for the Carolina Panthers linebacker
25:26 Still on the team right now
25:29 Definitely do my chatter with him
25:32 So it's fun man. And that's what that's what college is all about. You know, that's what's different
25:37 That's the difference between pros and college is it means a little it means a lot more
25:42 As far as a fan that has has had an experience, you know with a particular college
25:49 I don't know if you've gone there if you've grown up watching
25:52 a certain team and following a certain player
25:55 You know and and you know, we're talking about that like I remember growing up
26:01 You know in 1999, you know Ron Dane
26:05 Wisconsin like that that was my introduction to you like what it was like to be a power running back
26:12 You know I'm saying so. Mm-hmm. I think I was probably what sixth grade fifth grade. I'm
26:16 But it was you know, like college just does something to you especially if you're introduced
26:25 To it at a certain age
26:29 It's like this development piece
26:31 That if you're introduced to it, you know, it's a special thing that you can carry for the rest of your life
26:36 So that you know having you know, you dub hatred
26:39 It's not so bad, you know to have a rivalry
26:43 College or mascot that you root against because it gives you something look forward to
26:50 For sure, and that's that's one of the things I love about
26:54 College sports and I fear that we're gonna miss in college football some of these rivalries gone by the wayside
27:00 Nebraska, Oklahoma, for example, you know that that robbery is basically gone and at one point in time
27:05 It was probably a top three robbery in college football along with Michigan, Ohio State and whatever else you wanted to pick
27:10 We got to wrap it up here a couple final thoughts. So Nate Robinson actually played in the same state all-star game
27:17 I did up in Washington
27:18 Okay, and I remember him before the game doing backflips in the end zone and just these ridiculous feats of athleticism
27:25 Ask him which team won that game. It was not his team by the way
27:28 I was on the other side, but for those who don't know Nate played in the NBA 15-year vet three-time slam-dunk champion
27:35 Insane hops the only other thing I was gonna throw out there
27:38 If you ever get a chance to go and maybe Jonathan has done it
27:42 But for those watching if you ever get a chance to go check out Winchester Bay Florence Coos Bay, Oregon
27:48 I used to go four-wheeling with my dad
27:50 We take a week every summer
27:52 Usually when I got to college right before I'd go back when you did two a days
27:55 Before we go to camp and do two a days and I we'd ride we get up at 7 take a lunch
28:00 Maybe an afternoon break for like 20 minutes. We'd ride 7 a.m. To 7 p.m. For seven days straight
28:06 Never cover the same ground twice on our four wheel. It's just awesome sand dunes
28:09 So, I don't know if you ever did that but for those who want to try it out definitely try it out. It's very very cool
28:15 Yeah, I've never been able to hit the sand dunes, but I've gone to band and dunes to play golf and the wind and that was terrible
28:22 My time at work was not spent really going outside of Eugene. I was pretty focused
28:28 You know trying to try to make sure I didn't get in trouble. I
28:32 Get it and honestly, I about died two different times on the four-wheelers
28:37 Now hear that and it's okay. Obviously I survived
28:40 So anyways, I want to thank you for joining them joining me my friend and to all the people watching
28:45 This has been another big 10 show. We'll catch you next time
28:48 Thank you
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