0:00
You had said you got to guard against
0:01
complacency and that sometimes you felt
0:04
like the team got a little complacent.
0:06
How do you think you can chase after
0:08
getting that hunger this off seasonason
0:10
having that edge to start off next year?
0:12
I think it's very simple. I think we
0:14
look at the season that we just had
0:16
wasn't to the standard. If you look at
0:18
it based off talent, talent don't win
0:19
you anything in this league. It's a lot
0:21
more that goes into it. You have to have
0:22
the intangibles. You have to have the
0:24
right mindset. We didn't quite echo in
0:26
ourselves and including myself. Q and
0:28
the A. [music] Relax and press play.
0:31
It is Super Bowl week from San Francisco
0:34
and a very cool event. If you've ever
0:36
finished last in your fantasy football
0:38
league, this event is for you. There's a
0:40
giant statue of banana at the end of
0:42
this thing. He is a four-time Pro
0:44
Bowler, a two-time AllPro, and he's a
0:47
starting linebacker for the Ravens and
0:49
four straight trips to the Pro Bowl for
0:51
him. Rocoan Smith joining us. Rocoan,
0:54
Doing really well, man. Thank you for
0:56
having me. excited to be here.
0:58
You got it. How's the vibe of of Super
1:00
Bowl week early right now?
1:02
Uh, it's been awesome out here, man.
1:03
Just being able to mingle amongst the
1:05
guys around the league, being able to
1:08
hang out, get to know guys who you
1:09
normally wouldn't really communicate
1:11
with, and just like starting um new
1:12
relationships. So, it's awesome and I'm
1:15
just grateful to be a part of it.
1:17
Man, talking about new relationships,
1:18
you got a new head coach. Have you
1:20
talked to Jesse Mentor yet?
1:22
Yeah, I actually did. I actually I was
1:24
fortunate enough to be able to chat with
1:26
him uh early on and yeah man had have a
1:29
great deal of respect for him. I've
1:31
heard so much about him prior to uh
1:33
meeting him and then I just think it's
1:35
going to be awesome and I think it's
1:36
something that we're very excited for
1:38
and I know he's going to do a great job
1:41
What was your initial impressions of the
1:43
type of coach he is, the type of
1:45
personality he has and how you connected
1:48
Yeah, absolutely. I think he's a very
1:49
cerebral guy. uh put his players in the
1:52
best possible situations. Uh a guy that
1:55
sees a lot of things coming um before
1:57
they actually happen. And so, you know,
1:59
as a defensive player and a guy that
2:01
likes to uh process things and like see
2:04
the full picture, I think it's going to
2:05
be really good for myself and a lot of
2:07
other guys, just being able to have a
2:09
guy like that and have a guy you can
2:11
actually um depend on for that. So, just
2:14
I know that, you know, missing the
2:16
playoffs is not a barometer for the
2:19
Ravens. the Ravens expectation is Super
2:21
Bowls and you were really thoughtful,
2:23
introspective after the season about
2:25
lessons learned. You said there's going
2:27
to be a lot of lessons learned. Now that
2:28
you've had about a month removed from
2:30
that final game, what are some of the
2:32
lessons that you you took away from this
2:35
Yeah, man. First and foremost, I think
2:37
you just have to be grateful. You have
2:39
to be grateful for each and every
2:42
every opportunity that you have and just
2:44
being able to play the game of football
2:45
because knowing that it's truly a dream
2:47
come true and we're all living a dream
2:48
and just knowing how there's countless
2:50
people who would give up a lot just to
2:51
be in our position just for one second
2:53
and we get to be in it all the time. So
2:56
I think that and then just knowing that
2:58
each and every week it's a new week in
3:01
this league and it's a very unforgiving
3:03
game, unforgiving league and don't take
3:05
it easy on anyone. So whoever you are,
3:08
you the game is gonna get deal with you
3:10
one way or another. And then I think
3:12
it's just another thing just being
3:13
grateful for the relationships inside of
3:16
the game and just like knowing how
3:18
people are here one day and then they're
3:20
not here like far as if they leave or
3:23
going to other places and that's just
3:24
like life and you just have to process
3:26
things like that while also not letting
3:28
that get in the way of you trying to
3:30
create uh relationships and bonds that
3:32
you can cherish with people for the rest
3:33
of your life. So, but I think it's a lot
3:35
of great things uh that I've learned
3:37
this year. So, it was a despite the
3:39
outcome, I still I'm still very
3:42
Was those those people that can come in
3:44
out of your life, was that typified by
3:46
John Harbaugh, you know, leaving? I
3:49
mean, that that must have been pretty
3:50
jarring. What when you got the news,
3:51
were you kind of stunned?
3:53
Uh yeah, but at the end of the day, in
3:55
this league, you can't really be stunned
3:57
by much because it's a week- toeek
3:58
league and someone can be here today and
4:01
go on the next. Obviously, we know that
4:03
more so from a player perspective and
4:05
knowing guys don't really the average
4:08
career is 3.3 years. Guys will be here
4:11
one year or a couple months and then
4:12
boom, they're gone and it could be like
4:14
a best friend or whatever and it's an
4:15
unforgiving game in so many ways. So,
4:17
it's just one of those things that you
4:19
just have to truly digest and just know
4:21
that like that's what you sign up for
4:23
and so you have to be ready for all
4:27
You had said you got to guard against
4:28
complacency and that sometimes you felt
4:31
like the team got a little complacent.
4:33
How do you think you can chase after
4:36
getting that hunger this off season,
4:37
having that edge to start off next year?
4:40
I think it's very simple. I think we
4:42
look at the season that we just had
4:44
wasn't to the standard. If you look at
4:45
it based off talent, talent don't win
4:47
you anything in this league. It's a lot
4:49
more that goes into it. You have to have
4:50
the intangibles. You have to have the
4:51
right type of people. You have to have
4:53
the right mindset. So I think that's
4:55
like something that we didn't we didn't
4:57
quite echo in ourselves and including
4:59
myself like play in play out throughout
5:02
the year. So I think that's going to be
5:03
the fuel right there. And then just
5:05
knowing that we have the opportunity to
5:07
play this game and we get the
5:08
opportunity to play this game because
5:09
like it's not forever and nor is next
5:12
week the one week is promised. So it's
5:14
just about taking each and every moment
5:15
and saying hey I'm going to give it
5:17
everything I got right here and count up
5:18
the dice at the end of the game. So at
5:20
the end of the game each and every week.
5:22
So I think that's something and we just
5:24
got to use all this as fuel for
5:25
ourselves and just knowing there's a
5:27
sour taste in our mouths and like for
5:29
everyone that's coming back in the new
5:30
people and then there's new blood in the
5:32
building as well and I know every each
5:33
and every one of those guys are very
5:35
hungry as well. So I think it's a great
5:36
recipe when uh a lot of hungry people
5:39
get together so you have to find a way
5:43
When you're a Georgia Bulldog you got a
5:45
lot of defensive colleagues around the
5:47
NFL and you'll see them at the Pro Bowl,
5:49
you'll see them Super Bowl week. What's
5:51
that brotherhood like to see fellow
5:52
Bulldog defensive players all around the
5:56
Yeah. No, that's an awesome feeling,
5:57
man. Just knowing guys that's in this
6:00
league uh that kind of been through the
6:03
same type of thing as I have. Like being
6:05
in Athens, which I think is the best
6:06
college town, being at the University of
6:08
Georgia, which I think is the best
6:10
college um and playing for the
6:12
University of Georgia as well, who I
6:13
think plays some of the best football
6:15
year in and year out. and just like
6:17
seeing so many guys like small town
6:19
guys, guys from Georgia just truly like
6:21
live out their dreams, man, work hard
6:23
and it it's just awesome when you truly
6:25
see that. So, it's it just makes me
6:27
smile and a lot of guys who are actually
6:29
like recruited in a sense to come to
6:30
Georgia and then when you see them
6:32
thriving at Georgia and then on into the
6:35
league. So, it's just an awesome
6:36
feeling, man. And it's something that I
6:37
don't take lightly and you just have to
6:40
enjoy it for all that it's worth.
6:42
And dude, it's not okay. The Big 10 has
6:44
won three straight national
6:45
championships, so it's time for the SEC
6:48
Yeah, absolutely. [laughter]
6:51
You are there on behalf of Dentech. This
6:53
is a really cool event where the biggest
6:55
loser of the fantasy football season has
6:58
a banana statue unveiled to him. Dent
7:01
has dental guards to guard against the
7:04
stress at night when you grind your
7:05
teeth. I love this partnership. That
7:07
must have been a fun event today.
7:09
Yeah. No, it's been pretty awesome.
7:10
Yeah, man. The statue is quite
7:12
hilarious, man. So, I would hate to be a
7:13
loser and actually [laughter]
7:15
uh looking like that statue. It's It's
7:19
And you know, we could all use dental
7:21
guard tonight as well. In terms of being
7:22
stressed out, I'm sure there's a little
7:23
bit of stress that comes with playing
7:25
linebacker in the AFC North with those
7:27
Oh, absolutely, man. Those guys will
7:29
keep you up long hours, man. Preparing
7:32
uh and then just the games just very,
7:34
very physical as well. So, yeah, I got a
7:37
lot of respect for all the guys in the
7:38
AFC North. Uh, and just knowing how
7:40
tough each and every guy is week in and
7:42
week out. So, it's something I don't
7:44
take lightly and it's something I'm
7:45
grateful for and knowing that it's just
7:47
going to bring out the best in everyone.
7:49
They listening everything.
7:51
What's good everybody? [music] What's up
7:53
everybody? We like to welcome you to the
7:56
Q&A party and be good to one another.
7:59
Get comfortable. [music] Sit down and
8:00
enjoy the show with your lover. Feeling
8:03
good. That's the vibe [music] that we
8:05
bring from your mic to your mind. From
8:07
Cal to M. Q and D A Q and D A Q and D
8:11
[music] A relax and press play.
8:15
The ultimate fantasy football
8:17
punishment. Dentech is there. Banana
8:20
statue. I love it. Former NFL players,
8:23
current NFL players at a big party.
8:25
Super Bowl week. Roquan, this is awesome
8:27
to catch up, man. Have a great Super
8:29
Bowl week. Thanks so much for taking
8:31
Absolutely. Thank you guys so much. Take
8:33
care. All right, buddy.
