Former Chargers wide receiver and Los Angeles native Nelson Spruce has become a star in the XFL, potentially opening the door for another shot at NFL glory.
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00:00Also, why do you think you're on the lockout spot?
00:05Yeah, we were just talking about that in the locker room
00:07a little bit.
00:07It's just a mistake we're making.
00:11I don't think both these games, especially this one,
00:14it's like we're getting beat.
00:15We're just doing things on our own that are making us lose,
00:19like two turnovers inside the 10-yard line, penalties.
00:24So I mean, I think if you want to talk about good news,
00:27that's the good news.
00:27We're not over-matched or anything.
00:29But it's a short season, so you can't afford to lose
00:33too many of these like that.
00:47I think we were able to run a little bit better
00:51operationally as an offense with Josh back in there.
00:54It's good to have him in there.
00:55And that's the thing with this condensed time frame.
00:58You don't really have time to get on the same page
01:00as an offense.
01:01So I mean, as the season goes on,
01:02we'll have to get on the same page
01:03and just continue working on chemistry.
01:05But yeah, I think that was the main thing.
01:18When you heard that the XFL was coming into existence,
01:22what were your thoughts?
01:24So I mean, first of all, the atmosphere was awesome,
01:27especially in that fourth quarter
01:28when we had a chance to stop them and try to get the ball
01:31back to go and win it.
01:34The crowd was loud.
01:36I mean, I don't know what the overall attendance was,
01:38but it looked pretty full to me.
01:39So that was awesome.
01:41Obviously, I wish we could have got the win for them
01:44first home game.
01:45But yeah, it was a great atmosphere, I thought.
01:49What was the other part?
01:50The opportunity to play in the XFL.
01:53Yeah, I mean, I'd done the AAF.
01:55So start of league, I was a little bit skeptical.
01:58But I mean, from the first meetings
02:00I had up to this point, I think it's exceeded expectations.
02:04The football, the talent's definitely
02:06there on the field, the product on the field.
02:08But just from production to fan engagement,
02:12I think it's been awesome all around.
02:22Yeah, kind of just what I was just talking about.
02:25Kind of the infrastructure of the league and the business
02:28side of things.
02:28I don't think talent for leagues like this
02:30will ever be an issue, just because there's
02:33so many guys out there that aren't on 53-man NFL rosters
02:36that can play this game at a high level.
02:38So they're out there.
02:39It's just a matter of getting the right foundation
02:42for a league and just the right operations together.
02:52Right.
02:55You're a football player when you're in the game.
02:59Yeah.
02:59I mean, you're never really out of it
03:03until the clock runs out, just because you
03:05can go down and get nine points.
03:07So I've been talking about it since before the season
03:10started.
03:11Those conversions are going to be big going forward.
03:14And I think you're going to decide a lot of games.
03:16After your big touchdown in the fourth,
03:18there was a massive Spurs chant that went out in the stadium.
03:21What was going on in your head there?
03:23How'd you feel?
03:24That's cool, man.
03:26I think part of that is just being a hometown guy
03:28and having played for the Rams and the Chargers
03:32for a little bit.
03:34It's just cool to get that kind of appreciation, I guess,
03:37and be able to still do it playing football.
03:40So it was awesome.
03:42You scored your touchdown today.
03:43What's up, John?
03:44You had three separate in-game interviews.
03:49What is the medicine in them?
03:50Yeah.
03:51In-house one and two-two interviews.
03:54What does that kind of bring to the team?
03:58Yeah, it's kind of, I don't know.
04:00It kind of just keeps you loose, really.
04:03I got to do one with Todd, which was cool.
04:04And then I got to kind of engage with the fans a little bit.
04:08So a little bit, they kind of got
04:10to understand that we got a football game to play.
04:12And they were pulling me away on times
04:14when I needed to be there.
04:15But we'll get that smoothed out going forward.
04:18So I think it's a cool little touch that they added.
04:22I mean, after your second touchdown,
04:24you're engaged with the TV and you're
04:27engaged with the broadcast.
04:28Yeah, we're trying to line up and run our two-point play.
04:31And the reporters, they're like, what happened there?
04:34I'm like, I'm trying to get the play call.
04:35The TV is kind of talking to me, too.
04:37So I don't know.
04:39It's cool.
04:40As long as it doesn't interfere with the game,
04:42I'm fine with it.
04:45If this opportunity had to come up,
04:46what would you be doing now?
04:48That's a good question.
04:51I don't know.
04:52In between all the football I've been doing,
04:54I've kind of been, my family's involved
04:56with nutrition and fitness.
04:57So I've helped out a lot with that.
05:01And I'll eventually transition to that.
05:04But I'm trying to play football right now as long as I can.
05:10Next week, you guys have a D.C. tough game.
05:12Obviously, a top team.
05:14What is it that you think you guys can do better
05:16to get off to a better start in the game from ahead?
05:19Yeah, just what we talked about.
05:22Eliminating mistakes on our end.
05:25I think as an offense, we move the ball well.
05:27Just not being able to get in the end zone, getting points,
05:31and then eliminating the penalties.
05:33I don't think we're going to face a team all year that's
05:35going to be over-matching us talent-wise.
05:37So we just got to clean up things on our end,
05:40and we'll be good.
05:45This is good.
05:48I was kind of a white-claw guy, but the black chair
05:50is pretty good.
05:55What was that?
05:58Yeah, later on.