Sports Radio Interviews

Bob Stoops Goes To Bat For Sam Bradford and Gerald McCoy

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops has two former players that teams are eying with their early first round draft picks. Those two guys of course are quarterback Sam Bradford and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. Stoops joined 101 ESPN St. Louis - the city with the #1 overall pick in this year’s draft – to talk about the progression of Sam Bradford’s shoulder, how Bradford was one of the best leaders and hardest workers they’ve ever had at Oklahoma, and how there’s no end to Bradford’s talent and character (he’s even an accomplished concert cellist). About McCoy, Stoops talked about his strength in his hips and legs, his ability to create a pass rush from the interior of the defensive line, his quickness, as well as his similarly incredible personality and work ethic.

On Sam Bradford’s health:

“He’s ahead of schedule, he feels great, he said he hasn’t felt a bit of problem with it or pain. They’ve been cautious with him in how they’ve built him up and progressed through it all. But he feels great. I saw where he’s gained about 11 or 12 pounds. Believe me, this guy is not even close to being done developing. He’s going to be awfully special. So yeah, from what I understand the injury that doesn’t require surgery isn’t like repairing a rotator cuff. Okay for instance, Drew Brees had a rotator cuff repaired and he seems to have come along fine from that. And that’s a lot more extensive by a long shot than what Sam had done. So he’ll be just fine.”

On the perception that he may be too quiet to be a leader or if he’s more of just the quiet leader type who’s plenty capable of leading an NFL team:

“I think you said it exactly. You don’t see Peyton Manning jumping around like a mad man either. That guy’s got to be poised, he’s got to keep his head together, but he’s all the leader that you want. He’s one of the hardest workers we’ve ever had here, players see his toughness throwing the ball, taking a shot. Players respond to him, players in the locker room love the guy. So in the end, you don’t have to be jumping around like a wild man to be a leader. Sometimes that can go the other way. He’s anything but quiet in the locker room, in the huddle directing his team. He does all the right things on the field.”

On what kind of player and person Gerald McCoy is:

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Tags: 101 ESPN, Bob Stoops, Gerald McCoy, Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams have #1 pick, who will be the #1 pick in this year's Draft?

Posted in College Football, NFL, Oklahoma Sooners, St. Louis Rams | No Comments »

Kerry Rhodes: “I know that right now Arizona has the best safety tandem in the league”

It has been a very busy off-season in the desert for the Cardinals and not a very good one either.  Just two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance, the Cardinals are going to have a very different look in 2010.  It started with the retirement of Kurt Warner, which is a huge loss because whether or not Matt Leinart is ready to play quarterback in the NFL is anyone’s guess at this point in time.  Then in the past week, the Cards have also lost Karlos Dansby, Anquan Boldin and Antrel Rolle, who have been three pretty big pieces to the team’s success in recent years.  However, the loss of Rolle might not be as big as the others.  That’s because the Cardinals, in order to soften the sting felt by the loss of Rolle, went out and traded for Kerry Rhodes, who had fallen out of favor with the coaching staff in New York.  I think it’s a very good move.

Obviously Rhodes isn’t as good as Antrel Rolle, but Rolle has never really lived up to his draft status and he also got a boatload of money from the Giants in free agency, too much in my opinion.  Even though Rolle has more of a pedigree, the kind of money that the Cardinals would’ve had to pay him does not equal the production that he brings on the field.  Rhodes has been in the league for five years and has been one of the better players on the Jets defense since being drafted in 2005.  Not to mention, it only cost the Cardinals two draft picks – a fourth this year and a seventh next year – to bring a safety who has been an All-Pro to the Valley.

Kerry Rhodes joined XTRA 910 in Phoenix with Bickley and MJ to talk about what kind of player the Cardinals are getting with him, whether or not he was surprised by the trade, what it’s going to be like to play with Adrian Wilson, and what his thoughts were about playing with Rex Ryan.

What kind of player he is:

“He’s a very smart guy and very instinctive.  When the ball’s in the air, it’s his and no one else’s.  Very good tackler, sure tackler, a guy that’s a leader that can get other guys lined up and put them in a position to make plays as well.  You’re getting pretty much a well rounded safety.  Not just a free safety, but a safety.”

On whether or not he was surprised by the trade:

“I was a little surprised.  In this league, it’s a business but they had just said that I was gonna be there.  I guess Arizona gave them an offer they couldn’t refuse and they jumped on it.  They got a couple of picks out of the situation and they were lacking picks so maybe it looked good for them at that time.  I guess they also thought they could bring in somebody or they got the defense so good that they could have just anybody play that safety position but we’ll see.  We’ll see.”

On playing next to Adrian Wilson this season:

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Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Kerry Rhodes, Kerry Rhodes traded to the Cardinals, NFC West, NFL, NFL Free Agency 2010, XTRA 910

Posted in Arizona Cardinals, NFL | No Comments »

Karlos Dansby Joins The Dolphins, Becomes Highest Paid ILB in the NFL

The exodus out of Arizona continues. First it was Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin. Then on Monday – the first Monday of 2010 Free Agency – defensive stalwarts Antrel Rolle and Karlos Dansby signed with other teams. Both were free agents and both found bigger paydays than the Cardinals were willing to allocate. For Dansby, the suitor was Bill Parcells and the Miami Dolphins. Dansby, who had been playing under the franchise tag the previous two seasons in Arizona, inked the long term deal he was looking for, a 5-year $43 million dollar contract that contains $22 million in guaranteed money.

Dansby, who becomes the highest paid inside linebacker in the NFL, joined XTRA 910 in Phoenix to talk about how the courting process with the Dolphins played out, what it was like meeting with Bill Parcells and the Dolphins coaching staff, how the Cardinals tried to match the offer, and how even though it was tough to say goodbye to Arizona how he didn’t want to let Parcells down by not accepting their offer.

On what his visit and communication with the Dolphins has been like up to this point:

“When I first got here I did physicals. I did physicals right off the bat. They wanted to see how my body’s help up over the years in Arizona and if there were any lingering problems that they needed to address. And I knew that going into it, and I made sure I was as healthy as I could be. And I did the physicals then went right to Mr. Parcells. It was a great conversation, man. It was a great conversation. He just let me know he believed in what I can do on the field and how I played the game. He really liked to see that. A lot of guys had gotten away from doing the small things, and he liked watching me play the game. Like I said, I was in awe. He’s a legend, I was standing in front of a legend and you get that kind of praise from a legend – it says a lot about how you go about doing your daily work and going about preparing for the season and the games.”

On if he’s had a chance to meet with head coach Tony Sparano yet:

“Coach Sparano is nice. I had lunch with him and the G.M. Jeff Ireland and we had a great lunch. They was just getting to know me, I tried to tell them about my passion for the game, and just let them know about my family, and how I was raised, and how I’ve been carrying myself off the field and on the field, and what I like to do off the field. And just how God has been blessing me all this time down in Arizona. I told I’m excited to be here in Miami and that if I do have the opportunity to play for them this year, then I would look forward to the opportunity and would make the most of it.”

On if the Cardinals tried to match the offer made by Parcells and the ‘Fins:

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Tags: Arizona Cardinals lose, Karlos Dansby, Karlos Dansby highest paid inside linabcker in NFL, Miami Dolphins free agent signings, XTRA 910, XTRA Sports

Posted in Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins | 1 Comment »

Jimmy Clausen Compares His Game to Tom Brady and Sam Bradford

Jimmy Clausen’s three-year career at the University of Notre Dame was inconsistent at best. Very early in his high school career, Clausen was heralded as the top player in his class, even being featured in a SportsCenter piece and being tabbed “The Kid with the Golden Arm” by Sports Illustrated. He committed to the most famous and tradition-rich school in the country – and led the Fighting Irish to a 3-7 record in ten starts as a freshman. In his sophomore season, Notre Dame won seven games (with the bowl), but Clausen threw 17 interceptions. And in his Junior season, Clausen sported a remarkable 28-to-4 TD-to-INT ratio, yet the team won just six games.

For a potential top-5 (or even #1 overall) pick, plenty of questions remain for the quarterback. Who is the real Jimmy Clausen? How long will it take him to adjust to the NFL after his struggles transitioning to the college game? Is he a winner? Those questions are on the minds of several NFL coaches and GMs. And, while we will not be able to answer them for several years, we will know where he will answer those questions on April 22nd at the NFL Draft.

Jimmy Clausen joined the First Call on KFNS in St. Louis to talk about his improvement last season, comments about being cocky, the combine, his foot, and Sam Bradford.

On his improvement last season:

“It was a good season statistically. Coach Weis did a great job in the off-season with watching a lot of tape with me of Tom Brady. We were just cutting down my game and trying to make my turnover margin better. And with interceptions, I think I went from 17  to four last year. ”

On how his style differs from Sam Bradford:

“He has some of the strengths that I have like accuracy. Some other ones that I have are my durability playing with two torn tendons this entire season. And playing under Coach Weis in a Pro-Style offense under center for the past three seasons. And I have four, come-from-behind victories in the fourth-quarter. Just having the ball in my hands in the last quarter or the last play of the game is something I strive on. I just love that feeling of my team coming back and winning the game for my team.”

On his reaction to comments about being “cocky:”

“To be honest, you would have to ask the guys I play with. It’s hard for me to sit here and say that I am a great leader or a great person. You would have to ask guys like Golden Tate or Eric Olsen, my center. I just love the game of football so much. When I am on the field, I am so passionate about it. Some people may say that that’s arrogant or that I am cocky. That’s just my love of the game.”

On his experience of the Combine:

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Tags: Charlie Weis, Jimmy Clausen, KFNS, NFL Draft, Notre Dame Football, Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams, Tom Brady

Posted in NFL, Notre Dame Fighting Irish | No Comments »

Never A Dull Moment With Ron Artest

I’ve seen some crazy hairstyles in the NBA and they keep getting more and more bizarre  It started with Dennis Rodman.  It seemed as if Rodman had a different hairstyle every week, but my favorite was the one where it looked like a giant pack of skittles melted all over his head.  So leave it to Ron Artest to sport a Dennis Rodman-like hairstyle this past weekend.  The Lakers knew exactly what they were getting with Artest.  He’s tough, he’s physical, he’s a very good defender and he has been instrumental in helping the Lakers defensively this season.  On top of all that, he is nuts and you have to deal with times when Ron Ron acts like he is from another planet.  This past weekend, Artest decided to color his hair yellow and inscribe “defense” in purple in three different languages.  Safe to say, his game didn’t get the message.  Vince Carter lit him up all afternoon and Carter finished the game with 25 points.  Not to mention Ron Ron went just 2-10 from the field.  Maybe next time he should write “toast” in his head because Carter burned him all day long.

Ron Artest joined Waddle and Silvy on ESPN 1000 in Chicago to talk about what he was thinking with his hairstyle on Sunday, whether or not it was tribute to Dennis Rodman, what happened between Kobe Bryant and Matt Barnes, and how he thinks he is fitting into his role in L.A.

What’s the inspiration behind your hair?

“Yeah it’s definitely called a hair “don’t.”  We was on ABC, I wanted to give the people something special, so I thought that would be the most coolest thing to do.  I wanted to put the Lakers in my hair ‘cause I like to put the Lakers in my head, but this time why not just put defense.  I usually just do Chinese, the time before I put Chinese and Korean, but my friend said why not put it in all the nationalities.  We only had room for three, so we went with Japanese, Hindi on the back of my head, and Hebrew on the front and top of my head so to speak, so it was fun.”

Is this a tribute to Rodman?

“Well you can’t compare me to a man with five rings, first off.  But, I never shied away from the Dennis Rodman question.  A lot of people say ‘yeah I like Dennis Rodman’ but they don’t really mean that.  I’m a big Dennis Rodman fan.  I’ve been a Rodman fan since 1998 when he was in all his controversy, so that’s never gonna change.”

How would you evaluate your own play?

“I think I’m doing great.  I’m playing a role that I was told I wouldn’t be able to play as far as not being that main option, so I’m happy with that and I just gotta mesh in my role.  I haven’t played a role like this in a long time.  I’m looking forward to just mastering it so I can be an asset and bring what I bring to the table in a behind the scenes type of role.”

What do you say to those that discount the Lakers to win the title?

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Tags: ESPN Chicago, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Ron Artest, Ron Artest hairstyles, Ron Artest write defense in his hair, Western Conference

Posted in Los Angeles Lakers, NBA | 2 Comments »

Aaron Kampman is “Psyched” to Play 4-3 in Jacksonville

Not much was expected of Aaron Kampman coming out of the University of Iowa. He had the build and athleticism of the classic defensive end-linebacker “tweener,” who played both positions in college, yet lacked a position in the NFL. Green Bay took a flier on him in the 5th round of the 2002 NFL Draft. Seven years and a lot of hard work later, Kampman was a two-time Pro Bowl defensive end who had averaged 75 tackles and double-digit sacks from 2005-2008.

Then, when Green Bay and defensive coordinator Dom Capers decided to switch to the 3-4, the former college linebacker was asked to move off the line in 2009. He played outside-linebacker through nine games with just 3.5 sacks, before tearing his ACL in November. Needless to say, as a 2010 NFL free agent, Kampman was looking for a team for a fresh start and an opportunity to go back to playing end in the 4-3.

Kampman found that team in the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kampman reportedly signed for 4 years and 26 million dollars with an 11 million dollar signing bonus.  He is expected to start at right defensive end.

Aaron Kampman joined Sports Final Radio on WJXL in Jacksonville to talk about why he chose Jacksonville, switching back to the 4-3, the health of his knee, and projecting his sack total.

What was it about Jacksonville?

“This is the first visit we took and that was for a reason. Traditionally, Jacksonville has been great on defense and I know the last couple of years it hasn’t been up to the standard as it has in the past. It seemed like a good fit. I think the vision is great. Starting at the top with Mr. Weaver and how that trickled down all the way through. Getting people with great character translates into success. In my opinion, the teams that are consistently good are the teams that bring in the right people and really, truly care about people. I told my agent that this could be something that could really work. That started the process. And here we are.”

How important is it to get back to a 4-3 defense?

“I’m psyched. I have a fire burning in me. I am so excited to get back on the ground. I did the outside linebacker thing and that’s what the Green Bay Packers asked me to do and I did it to the best of my ability. But, I love going forward. I love getting after the passer. I haven’t been in my stance. All off-season last year, they didn’t let me get in my stance once. I have a year’s worth of built up energy to get back out there and get back after the quarterback. I look forward to doing it.”

How is his health after ACL surgery December 4th?:

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Tags: Aaron Kampman, Green Bay Packers, Jack Del Rio AFC South, Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL free agency, WJXL

Posted in Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL | No Comments »

Bobby Cox and His Long Farewell

Last September, Bobby Cox signed a one-year extension and announced that this would be his last season as Manager of the Atlanta Braves.  During his 25-year tenure in Atlanta, Cox has won five pennants, a record eleven straight division titles, one World Series title in 1995, and is currently fourth on the all-time wins list with 2,413.  That to me sounds like he will be a definite lock for induction into Cooperstown during his first year of eligibility.  Cox is one of the most low-key managers in the game and he always deflects his success to the players that were out on the field.  He resists talking about himself, his impact, his place in a game in which only three managers have ever won more.

As a lifelong Braves fan, I feel as though the Braves could have done more.  They went to the postseason year after year and only have one World Series title to show for it.  Don’t get me wrong, I am glad the Braves won at least one title, but getting your hopes up time after time to only lose in the postseason when they should have won gets redundant.  I know that I sound like a cry baby but damn we should have won at least one or two more World Series.  I am definitely grateful for what Cox has done for this great organization and we will miss him.

Bobby Cox joined WCNN in Atlanta to talk about Tim Hudson’s return from Tommy John surgery and how he looks so far in spring training, how Chipper Jones and Troy Glaus are playing so far this spring, and how their number one prospect, Jason Heyward, has been able to handle any challenge thrown at him thus far this spring training.

On Tim Hudson’s return from Tommy John surgery and how he looks so far in spring training:

“Yeah he threw a lot of strikes.  Unfortunately he threw too many and they hit a lot of pitches we made outs on them real quick.  He went down in the bullpen and threw some breaking balls down there afterwards to get a little more work in, but I was very pleased with Timmy.”

How Chipper Jones and Troy Glaus are playing so far this spring:

“Yeah we are going to take it slow with the both of them in the beginning.  They will have a lot of at-bats before the spring is up.  Troy hit a ball, he hit a bullet today that was caught.  Chipper I think he hit two ground balls…  Two at-bats and we will get them going.”

On Jason Heyward being able to handle any challenge thus far:

“Well you know he is twenty years old and he has been very special so far down here guys.  He has got great instincts, he is strong, he has already walked like three times and he has only missed one pitch.  The other ones that he has swung at, he has hit bullets.”

On Derek Lowe getting the Opening Day start:

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Tags: 2, 413 wins MLB, 4th all-time on wins list, Atlanta Braves Manager, Bobby Cox, final season as Braves manager, fourth on all-time wins list, Jason Heyward, long bid farewell, MLB Playoffs, National League East, World Series Title

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Anquan Boldin: Leaving Arizona is “Definitely Bitter-Sweet”

A poster-child for all that is wrong with the NFL Scouting Combine – a 4.71 40-time pushed him into the second round of the draft, costing him millions – and all that is right with the league with his gritty play on the field, Anquan Boldin is finally cashing in on some of that first-round caliber money that he lacked in the first seven years of his career, in which he went to three Pro Bowls, won Offensive Rookie of the Year and played in a Super Bowl.

Boldin has been traded (with a fifth round pick) by Arizona to the Baltimore Ravens for a third and a fourth-round draft choice. He has also signed a four-year deal worth $28 million to be the team’s top wide receiver.

As a send-off from the town where he had played his entire NFL career, Anquan Boldin joined Bickley and MJ on XTRA 910 in Phoenix one last time to discuss leaving Arizona, his contract situation, playing at Sun Devil Stadium, and the future of the Cardinals.

On whether leaving is bitter-sweet:

“Definitely. Arizona is the only place that I have been professionally. I’ve been there seven years. I consider that home. My family has been there and settled for seven years. I have built a lot relationships there on on and off the field. I have a great relationship with the community, so it’s definitely bitter sweet.

On having the contract situation behind him:

“As a football player or any athlete, the only thing you want is security and that is what I was seeking in Arizona. When I got there, I only saw myself playing for one team. I didn’t want to be a guy who bounced around from city-to-city. I wanted to get involved with one organization and retire there. But, there is a business side to it. At some point you need to look out for the best interests of yourself and your family. There is a business side of it and unfortunately it came to that.”

On whether he thought he would ever receive a fair offer from Arizona:

“No. That wasn’t going to happen. I don’t want to go too much into what they offered me, but I just didn’t think it was fair market value and my agent didn’t either. All that being said, I have to say that I definitely enjoyed my time in Arizona – especially with the fans. They embraced me from the beginning. They accepted me with open arms and every Sunday I went out to play my heart out for them because they made it worth it.”

On the future of the Cardinals:

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Tags: AFC North, Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Kurt Warner, NFL free agency, Ray Lewis, XTRA 910

Posted in Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, NFL | 2 Comments »

Bo Kimble 20 Years After Hank Gather’s Death: “Hank was just as special, if not more special as a person.”

Last week was the 20th anniversary of Hank Gather’s death on a basketball court. He and teammate Bo Kimble were of course the cornerstones of Loyala Marymount’s hugely entertaining teams in the late ’80s. In 1990, Kimble and Gathers were poised to take their run-and-gun offense deep into the NCAA Tournament, only to see Gathers collapse and die of cardiac arrest during the team’s conference tournament. During the Tournament, Kimble attempted his first free throw attempt of every game in honor of his best friend and former running mate, who struggled so mightily with his free throw shooting that he’d even attempt to shoot some left handed.

Kimble joined WGFX in Nashville late last week to talk about his best friend, how he was the funniest guy he’s ever known, what their relationship was like on and off the court, how he thinks LMU would have won the NCAA Championship that year if Gathers hadn’t passed away, and why he decided to shoot those free throws left handed during the 1990 NCAA Tournament.

On if he’s even more shocked today than at the time by LMU’s 140 point outburst against defending champion Michigan in the 2nd round of the 1990 tournament:

“Yeah absolutely. First of all at the time, all we were doing was just playing the best that we could, even when Hank was alive. The system just really allowed us to put a lot of points up, but it was not really just on the offensive end. The system was really just such a blessing, so that no mater who we played – Michigan, UNLV – we never adjusted our style of play to adapt to anyone. We knew were going to be the better conditioned team, we knew that we were going to force tempo, full court press all over the place, and we felt like if we took 100 shots or more, we were going to beat you, and there were going to be many stretches in the game, where you were going to wish you were on the bench having a rest, but it was only halftime. So that was our mental advantage as well as our physical advantage. We were blessed to be able to run better than anyone else.”

On Hank Gathers as a person:

“Well whatever opinion you had of Hank Gathers, and the world had an opportunity to identify with Hank on the court as a great tenacious basketball player…but Hank was just as special, if not more special as a person. He reminded me of a Dave Chappelle or a Richard Pryor. Imagine being the best friend of those two guys and he gets to practice his material every moment he’s around you. For example, our team became better dressers  because they knew if you wore a certain pair of shoes that Hank Gathers thought he could make fun of, you never wore those shoes again. Same thing goes for your whole attire. But Hank was really just blessed to be a funny, witty guy. Off the court he didn’t have a serious bone in his body, and he just enjoyed and had talent making people laugh. The one thing I truly missed about Hank is nobody will be funnier than Hank Gathers on a day to day basis. I miss him making me laugh in that regard. But when I think of Hank Gathers, I always think of those funny moments because out of 1,000 times believe me, I have tons of stories that really remind me of the greatness of him as a person and a player before I even think of the tragedy. One of the best stories I can tell of Hank, our high school team we were on our way to D.C., the cheerleaders and the whole basketball team. I don’t know why they let Hank get a hold of the mic at the front of the bus. It was the funniest 2 1/2 hours. Some of the jokes I had heard ten times, but he found a way to tell the joke funnier each time. And he talked about every single person on that bus, and believe me, Hank Gathers had no mercy when it came to making people laugh. At your expense, if it made 20 people laugh, he’s not going to apologize. That’s just how funny he was. But I wish I had that stuff on tape just like the basketball stuff because it’s something I would just plug in, because I couldn’t believe how on-point he was with all his jokes. I mean he talked about everyone.”

On their relationship on the court:

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Tags: 20 year anniversary of Hank Gathers death, athletes who have died playing, Bo Kimble, Hank Gathers, how did Hank Gathers die, KGFX, Loyala Marymount hoops

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Nate Burleson: “They’ve got a lot of pieces to the puzzle already together and you can do something special for Detroit, Michigan”

It has been a very busy off-season for the Detroit Lions in free agency.  They started off the process by signing defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch.  Then for the second year in a row, the Lions set out this off-season to try and find a wide receiver to play opposite rising star Calvin Johnson.  Last year they brought in Bryant Johnson and that signing has had mixed results in Detroit.  So this year, the Lions have signed Nate Burleson to a 5 year 25 million dollar contract with 11 million dollars in guaranteed money.  Overpay much?  Burleson has ties with the Lions because offensive coordinator Scott Linehan was with him in Minnesota at the beginning of his career so in retrospect the signing makes sense.  Not to mention, the Lions had a need at wide receiver and they filled that need.  However, they also gave a wide receiver that has been unbelievably inconsistent throughout his career and has had just one 1,000 yard season in seven years 11 million dollars guaranteed.  The Lions just gave a good, solid receiver the kind of money that a great receiver should get, not Nate Burleson.

Nate Burleson joined KJR in Seattle with Dave Mahler to talk about leaving Seattle, how he came to the conclusion to go to Detroit, whether or not he has any hard feelings towards the Seahawks and what it’s going to be like playing opposite Calvin Johnson in Detroit.

On why he decided on the Detroit Lions:

“I think it came down to a team wanting you a making you feel like a priority.  I got a call from my agent, started chatting and he was telling me the interest that was out there.  Detroit was far more enthusiastic about me coming and being a part of their program, more than anybody else including Seattle.  With that being said, at the end of the day, a lot of this is about being wanted.  I think that’s what free agency is.  When you’re drafted, you’re selected by a team.  When a team wants to trade you, you’re sought after.  And when you’re a free agent, priorities stick out.  Being that I was a top guy on their list and they wanted to reach out and make something happen right after free agency started, it kinda charged something inside of me and got me excited.”

On whether or not the Seahawks expressed interest in keeping him:

“To be honest, I think that would probably be a better question for my agent to answer, but from what he’s communicated to me, Detroit was more excited about bringing me in.  Playing opposite of a guy who is a tremendous young talent, attracts a lot of attention, having a young quarterback, high draft picks, a couple of former Seahawks, I’m starting to weigh the options the more it was becoming a reality.  My agent is saying they really want you and it’s not about them just shooting you some dollars.  They want you to come out and catch some balls for them and make some plays.  My next question was what else is there?  What else do we have out there?  Referring to the obvious he was saying I just don’t think the excitement is as high as Detroit.  I think that’s what sold me.”

On how many teams showed an interest:

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Tags: 950 KJR, Detroit Lions, Nate Burleson, Nate Burleson signs with the Lions, NFL, Seattle Seahawks

Posted in Detroit Lions, NFL, Seattle Seahawks | 1 Comment »