You were expected to dominate, and and I'll use the word dominate.

You did.

How did you find the transition from the college game to the pros?

It was definitely, you know, the first couple of weeks.

It was definitely faster.

You know, it is definitely something that you have to get used to, obviously, just cause, you know, it's it's a whole another plant fielding.

And and the speed is different.

Um, but, you know, I had guys like J a, uh, Jonathan Allen.

You know, Ryan character, um, and them guys, you know, they helped me throughout the season.

Uh, just mentally and answer.

I want to talk about your coach with you for a minute.

Here.

Ron Rivera, if I could.

I have known Ron Rivera since the eighties.

He was a linebacker on the Bears when I covered them then, and he has now gone on to become one of the most well respected and successful coaches in the NFL in Carolina.

And now, after this first season with you there in Washington and and I think most people are aware.

But for those who don't he coached through this entire season without missing a day while undergoing cancer treatments.

And and he released the wonderful news last week that he is now cancer free.

And that's obviously fabulous.

But I just wonder, how would you describe what he is like as a leader and as a person as well as a coach?

Yeah, because the very man he's a dude, Uh, and it's something that I got from college, but it's just something somebody tell him and just takes care of Ah, you know, who just takes care of their responsibilities and, uh, still come to practice and cultures, Uh, with that same energy, Um, it's just a testimony and of just what type of guy and just how, um hi of character he has.

I got a sense of it.

Yesterday I did an event with him, um, independent of of the show.

And he was talking about how he was literally going through radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Excuse me, radiation treatment and chemotherapy treatments in the morning and then going directly to the facility, what was it ever evident to you like, Could you ever see that loss of energy in him, or how hard.

He was struggling to maintain all of that through an ordeal that, for most people is is almost impossible to function through.

Oh, of course.

I mean, you Could you come in and see him?

Uh, you talk to, Ah, little bit of weight, but what you don't see if you don't see change, you don't see changing in the way he coaches.

Um, you don't see changing how he treats everybody.

He's always been the same guy.

And, uh, you know that that's that's something that I respected most about, um, you know, I even know myself because I was in that situation.

Uh, you know, just me thinking what I would do And, you know, because of Eric, just that does the exact opposite.

Um, and that's just a testimony of of who he is.

The great Chase Young is with me here, and he actually mentioned on this call that I was on with him.

That and maybe as a result of that, because all of you players were aware of what he was going through and how much more vulnerable he was.

As a result of it, your team actually had the least co vid of any team in the National Football League this year.

How would you describe what it was like going through?

That being as careful as you all were, What was it like?

It was It was it was different.

Um, but, you know, even being a rookie coming in just being my first year, um, I don't know anything else s o.

It's like, um, everything was going to be new to me regardless.

Um, something e just I definitely see how it affected my teammates.

Um, how just, you know, some guys during camp was staying in in the hotel, will not even see their family.

Um, just just the whole whole time of camp.

So, uh, definitely, uh, family waas things like that.

I feel like that's the biggest way.

How, uh, expected I think Green and the great Chase Young here on ESPN radio.

We come to you live every day from above the Heineken River decade, Pier 17.

Few other things I want to ask you about.

You had that episode of the in the playoffs there where you were saying you were running off the field that day saying, I want a crack at Tom Brady.

And when people were saying, Hey, look at you, you're talking trash.

You said it's quite the opposite.

Like, ah young kid like you who's been watching Tom Brady play all your life?

Like, what did it mean to you to be out there on the field with him?

And I know that he sent you a signed jersey after the game.

Yeah, Yeah, it was It was crazy Green.

And, you know, I just love ball.

It's something about me.

I love ball.

And, you know, those types of opportunities, Uh, I don't take for granted, uh, playing against, um, which someone we all know is gonna be a Hall of Famer.

Um, one of the best of it, if not the best of it.

Eso um You know, I definitely didn't take the opportunity for granted, and, uh, you know him him tend to be his urgent.

Uh, definitely in a lot.

Um, and I'm just grateful and blessed two more quick things for a chase, and then we'll get to the program that you're a part of here.

One of them, Uh, urban Meyer was the man who recruited you to Ohio State University.

Obviously you wanted playing there under Ryan Day as well, but he's on his way to the NFL now.

What are your thoughts on Urban Meyer coming to coach in the pros?

You know, I like it, uh, you know, cause Meyer want one thing you know about cars, Myers, that he's a winner.

Um, and that he hates losing eso, I believe, you know, anywhere he goes, uh, he's definitely gonna get those guys to win.

And then finally, and this is the most important question of all.

Tell me the truth.

You're in Ohio State Buckeye in the Big 10 championship game of this year.

At some point in the third quarter.

I am.

And I will just tell you right now, I am a Northwestern alone at any point during that game.

Were you nervous when we were beating you in the third quarter?

This year before Trey Sermon ran for whatever it was 300 yards?

At any point during that game, were you nervous that you were gonna lose the Big 10 championship game to my beloved Northwestern Wildcats?

To be honest, the first my initial thought was I was confused.

What does that mean?

What?

What were you confused about Chase?

E was confused.

I was down like that.

That's how I was confused.

I was.

I mean, down, you know, And it was, you know, it wasn't, uh, you know, y'all was always putting the press on us.

Um, it had a, you know, I went with my back against the world, but, you know, but we end up coming out with the wind, you know?

Thank God.

You know.

Yes.

Not the way I saw it, But, yes, I agree with you.

You did come out with the wind on you, went to the playoffs and knocked off Clemson and all the rest of that.

It was a great year for Ohio State.

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