Dansby joined 790 The Ticket in Miami with Jorge Sedano to talk about how the lockout helped the Dolphins heal up from the rash of injuries sustained last year, the Dolphins’ first preseason game (a win over the Falcons), how he and his teammates have reached out to support Brandon Marshall since admitting to the media that he has a personality disorder, how brave it was for Marshall to expose himself like that to fans, teammates and the media, how the whole locker room has Chad Henne’s back, what it’s like to play for linebackers coach Brian Cox, Cox’s intensity and frequent use of profanity, the loss of Channing Crowder, how he doesn’t think Crowder will retire because of his love for the game, and going up this coming week against fellow Auburn alum Cam Newton when Miami plays Carolina.

On how much the late start to the offseason either helped or hurt the Dolphins in terms of their first preseason performance:

“I don’t think it helped or hurt us at all. Health wise it helped us tremendously. We had a lot of injuries last year, so the lockout helped us heal a little bit. But we came into the first game just trying to fire on all cylinders and fly around and have some fun. And we definitely had some fun, and we won the game so that made it a little better.”

On how he and the rest of the team have reached out to support Brandon Marshall since his comments to the media:

“We just support him man any way we can. We just had to have his back in any situation, and motivate him and just let him know that we’ve got his back and love him. He’s a brother of ours, and for a brother to reach out to us, and not only us but to the nation, and let us know about his situation and what he’s been dealing with for the last four or five years as he’s been in this league, like I said, all we could do is reach out to him. In any way that he need us, we’ve just got to be there for him.”

On how brave it was for Marshall to expose himself like that:

“Right, it was tough man. If you have a problem, the first thing to get right is just to admit you have a problem. And like I said, just try to take the steps to correct it and get over it.”

How much support Chad Henne has in the Miami locker room:

“All our support. He has to have all our support. We have to rally behind him and let him know that we’ve got his back. He’s the leader of our team right now, and we’ve just got to support him and be there for him and let him know that he can just let it loose, we’ve got his back on our side of the ball. And like I said, I think everybody has his back. All he’s got to do is be consistent, be consistent and play your game and don’t try to force it, just let it come to you.”

On playing for linebackers coach Brian Cox and the former backer’s propensity to drop F-bombs in every few lines:

“Oh man, he’s an excellent coach. He’s definitely going to drop the F-bomb in a few sentences like you said; in a few words he’s going to drop the F-bomb on you and just get you motivated. I think he’s doing a great job with us right now. Between breaks and periods that we have on the field, he’s just working with us and working on our techniques just trying to get us better man and make us better linebackers.”

On the loss of Channing Crowder:

“Oh man, that was tough man, that was tough. Tough situation, tough decision that he had to make. I want to wish him luck in his next endeavor if he do decide to hang his cleats up. But I think he still give the league a lot, I think he has a lot to offer still to the NFL and is much needed.”

Does he really think Crowder will retire:

“I don’t think so man, I don’t think so. I know the guy personally so I don’t see it in him just to hang up the cleats. He has to be around football; one way or another he has to be around football because it’s in him, he was born with it, you can’t just hang it up if it’s in you like that.”

On going up against Cam Newton, a fellow Auburn alum:

“It’s just going to be a War Eagle that’s all. My hat goes off to that guy. Like I said, he did something amazing down there at Auburn. He’s a very talented player, and I know he’s got a very bright future in the NFL. So just to have an opportunity to play against him in the preseason and see where he stands and just measure up against him, and like I said, just to have an opportunity to try to pick off a pass or something would be huge.”

Listen here to Dansby with Jorge Sedano on 790 The Ticket in Miami (interview begins at 1:36:00 mark)

Barkley joined WJOX in Birmingham to talk about how he thought the Grizzlies would beat the Thunder, why the triple overtime loss really hurt Memphis’ chances, whether he thinks Dirk Nowitzki or Kevin Durant will have the better series, what Oklahoma City can try to do to slow down Dirk, why he thinks people are crazy if they aren’t appreciating this year’s playoffs as one of the more interesting and exciting postseasons in some time, Chicago’s impressive game one thumping of Miami, why he thinks the Bulls are one of the best defensive teams he’s ever seen play, his reaction to Suns CEO Rick Welts coming out, how he hopes it opens the door for more people in sports to do the same particularly players, how he is confident that he played with several gay teammates, and why the issue doesn’t bother him one bit.

After being introduced as the second greatest Auburn Tigers athlete ever, Charles gets a quick word in to begin:

“First of all, there’s no debate. There’s only a debate between me and Bo Jackson. I think he’s No. 2, he thinks I’m No. 2. But I hate to break it to him, he is No. 2.”

On who he thought would win the Thunder-Grizzlies series:

“Well I picked Memphis to win that series, but if you go back a week and a half ago, when they  lost that triple overtime game, that flipped the series. But I thought Memphis was going to win that series. But once they lost that triple overtime game — you’re only going to win one game on the road realistically playing a good team, you’re not going to beat a good team on the road twice. But when they  lost that fourth game I said, ‘uh oh, that flipped the whole series’ But going forward, I think Dallas is going to beat Oklahoma City. Dallas has played fantastic. I think Dirk is just…Dirk is just Dirk. Dirk has been great for a long time. I think the addition of Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood makes them a much bigger team. They lost because they were just too small the last couple years. But they’ve solved that problem with Haywood, and they’ve solved that problem with Tyson Chandler. So Dallas is the team to beat in the West, and I think they will win the West.”

On who he thinks will have the better series based on matchups — Dirk Nowitzki or Kevin Durant:

“Well Dirk is going to have the better series because Dirk is going to have better matchups. Durant is a great player but one of his weaknesses in his game is he’s a jump shooter, so little guys can have success. So he played great yesterday — he had 39 — but he had 11 the game before. When he adds a post-up to his game, little guys won’t be able to guard him. And Dirk, that’s the difference. Dirk can post anyone up. You just get easier shots when you post up.”

On what the Thunder can do to stop Nowitzki, who seemingly can get good looks off from anywhere on the floor regardless of who’s guarding him:

“Well I was joking around, as a coach — I’ve never been a coach — but a coach always say, ‘let’s make him do that’. Well as a coach you would say, ‘yeah, let me make this 7′ guy make one-legged fall-aways.’ You know, you can say the same about Hakeem Olajuwon…’yeah, make this guy make a 360 fade-away jump shot behind the backboard.’ That’s a coach’s dream — that’s a shot you want guys to take.  But with Dirk, a coach will say ‘yeah, let’s make this guy take one-legged fall-away jumpers’, but he is so great he makes those shots. I mean, the guy is unguaradable.”

On this year’s playoffs being as exciting as ever even if the star power has been diminished a bit with the Lakers and Celtics losing:

“I hate when people say that. Those people are idiots. It’s funny, like the major, major markets…the media, the people, they want to see the same teams all the time. That’s one thing that’s the beauty of sports — you play and you see who wins. I hate when I hear we want this market, we want that market. We as players don’t care about what market you in, we want to just go out there and play and see who wins. But it’s just so stupid when you hear that. I mean, the Lakers got swept by the Mavs. Now, if somebody wants to go see the Lakers play, go down and see the play at LA Fitness or something. I mean, that’s what makes sports great — your team has a chance to win; that’s the beauty of it.”

On Chicago’s impressive Game 1 thumping of the Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals:

“Well Chicago’s going to win the series. They’re too good for the Heat. They’re too big, they’re too deep, and Derrick Rose is just a phenomenal player. I picked the Bulls to win. You know, me and Kenny, we were joking last night — somebody sent him an email from the start of the season because you make predictions — and we both had the Bulls in the Heat in the Conference Finals, and I had the Bulls going to the Finals and he’s got the Heat. And Kenny flip-flopped, he said ‘I’ve got to give you credit, you picked the Bulls all along.’ But listen, they’re just too big and they’re bench is too good. LeBron’s a great player, Wade’s a great player, but roles can offset one of those guys. I give Noah and Boozer a big advantage inside, but the difference in the series as you saw last night is going to be the bench. Their bench is so much better than the Heat bench. So that’s going to be the difference in the series.”

On Chicago’s incredible tough and sound team defense:

“Well I said on the show last night, they’re the best defensive team I think I’ve ever seen in the history of the NBA. We showed about five or six plays last night — the Heat got that bad offense where they give it to LeBron or they give it to Wade and let them go one-on-one — so we showed about five of six of those plays last night, and normally on bad defensive teams, if you make one move, you get a layup or a dunk. Every single play that we showed, LeBron or Wade had to go through two or three defensive guys every time. But taking it back real quick to your man Derrick Rose — you know, we were staying at the hotel last week when they came and played the Atlanta Hawks. And he’s a very nice kid. But every time I see him I’m like ‘the dude’s only 6’2 1/2.’ But he’s got a great body, it’s a very strong body, and he is so explosive. We were trying to figure out…It was like, there is nobody that has been that explosive at the point guard spot in the NBA because he’s finishing around the basket. I mean., he’s really developed his jump shot. He’s made more jump shots than he made his first couple of years in the NBA. And he’s shooting a great percentage. And he wants to be a great player which is great for the NBA because he’s a great kid.”

On the Suns president Rick Welts coming out to say he’s gay:

“Well No. 1 I’m happy for Rick. I’ve been a big proponent of gay marriage for a long time. I mean, as a black person I can’t be discriminatory against anybody. So God bless him. You know, I did a thing last week…it really annoys the hell out of me when ESPN — they did it last week, they do it every couple of months  — where they act like all jocks are going to hate a gay teammate. First of all, that’s 100 percent incorrect. They make it sound like we’re animals, and if somebody came out as a gay player, then we would shun him or whatever. First of all, we only hate guys that can’t play. Let’s get that straight. Listen dude, I hate when people try to tell me what I’m thinking. I will tell you what I’m thinking if you ask me. If a guy’s gay, he’s gay, that doesn’t bother me at all. I’m happy for Rick. I know Rick obviously from working with the Suns and living in Phoenix, but that doesn’t bother me man. I don’t stick my nose in other people’s sexuality — that’s their own business. And like I said, we all know it, we’ve all played with gay guys. Anybody who doesn’t think they’ve played with a gay guy is an idiot.”

If there were any guys he played with that he believes were gay but too reluctant to share publicly:

“Oh yeah, probably three or four guys that we all knew was gay. But there’s this taboo — and the thing that makes me laugh is society is more BS on homosexuality than players are. Like I say, there’s guys I played with that I knew were gay and it didn’t bother me at all. But society wants to act like they’re all forgiving and everything, there’s a lot more people — especially a lot of these religious nut jobs — who hate gay guys a lot more than players do.”

On what he has to say about those that don’t ‘hate’ gays but can’t accept their choices for religious reasons:

“Yeah and I understand that to a certain to degree, but the one thing about these Bible thumpers that annoys me is they’re supposed to be non-judgmental. They’re always –now not all of them, I shouldn’t say that — but a lot of them love to cast the first stone, but I’ve always been taught that you should always be non-judgmental. Whether you like it or not, you’re supposed to take the high road and say ‘you know what, I’m supposed to be non-judgmental, and first of all, it’s none of my business, it’s none of my business.’ And that’s the only part of the religion aspect that annoys me. Because they’re supposed to be non-judgmental. And that’s the way I look at it.”

Listen here to Barkley with The Opening Drive on WJOX in Birmingham

You’ll remember that Dareus broke onto the national scene by delivering the hit that knocked Texas quarterback Colt McCoy out of the 2009 national championship game. The MVP of that game, he drew double teams all of this past season as a junior, which limited him to just 4.5 sacks.

Still, he’s one of the top players in this class despite leaving school early. Part of the reason for doing so is so that he can provide for his mother, who has seven children. Dareus’ dad died when he was six years old, so Dareus hopes to provide his mother a home, something he talks about a bit in the following interview.

Marcell Dareus joined 790 The Zone in Atlanta with Mayhem in the AM to discuss the number of SEC guys in New York for tonight’s first round, what it feels like to know he’s about to become a wealthy man, what it has been like staying in New York City and why this draft means so much for his family.

Do all the SEC guys put the rivalries to bed and join forces now to argue that the SEC is the best conference?:

“It’s kind of like an unspoken law. The SEC is pretty powerful; we’ve got a lot of big-time players coming out of there. … We’re not really not speaking or anything. … It is crazy because a lot of us are up here and, as I get to know to them, they are cool kids just like we are.”

Looking back at the game against Auburn last year, did he think that the game was already over at halftime before the Tigers came back to win?:

“I didn’t but we had a lot of players that did. We had a lot of young players. You got some youngsters on your team and you get a big-time team like Auburn and you get them on the ropes, they kind of lean back and just kind of want to run the clock down and get out of there.”

What does it feel like knowing that he’s about to become a very wealthy man?:

“Well, honestly I’m still a broke man right now. I’m not that rich. … I’m still the same, old kid, no money in my pocket, the face you saw on TV. … I ain’t got no money. I’m just waiting for this draft to get done and then the lockout’s still going on. There ain’t going to be no money for a while.”

What is it like to be staying in New York City before the draft?:

“It’s nice, man. It’s hard to come to this when you’ve got a little bad [back home]. … My God, it’s so comfortable. I stay away from the bed, intentionally, when I come in [my room] because I would doze right off.”

What will being a high draft pick mean for his family?:

“We don’t have a house; we’ve never had a house, so I’m going to get a house. … There’s seven kids … and we can have a house where we can eat Christmas dinner and Thanksgiving dinner, instead of being scattered about. … That’s what I really want to do.”

Listen to Marcell Dareus on 790 The Zone in Atlanta here

Gene Chizik joined 790 the Zone in Atlanta with Barnhart and Durham to discuss what it’s like to see his players potentially getting drafted high in the NFL draft, how tough it is to hear the criticism of Cam Newton, his message to his team this year after winning the National Championship, Auburn knowing what it takes to repeat as National Champion and where  he left the starting quarterback position in terms of who is the starter after spring football concluded.

What’s it like for the head coach to watch his players (Cam Newton/Nick Fairley) get drafted so high?

“Tony [Barnhart], it’s kind of like a proud papa. You know you’re around these guys. They put it on the line for you every day. You know they do exactly what you ask them to do. They comply. They work their tails off to be the best at their trade as I tell our football team one of the greatest things about college athletics, football in particular, is that you work so hard and at the end of the rainbow you want to see the fruits of your labor. It’s just really neat when you get kids who are drafted high, when you get to see them and their families, really accomplish a dream. That’s really satisfying for a coach, any coach, or at least it should. That you can see one of your guys again reach his dreams and goals, again it’s kind of like that proud father mentality. We’re really looking forward to it because we think it’s going to be a great two days for our guys.”

How tough is it to hear all the criticisms that Cam Newton has taken?

“Well you know what there’s one thing I know about Cameron Newton. He’s as mentally tough as they come and the shots he’s taking are probably from people exactly like you said they don’t know Cam. I was very blessed to be around this young man every day for one year. There’s a lot of so called ‘experts’ out there, but I know this the experts I know are GM’s and head coaches. Those are the guys I’ve spoke to. The other guys that are so called ‘experts’ if they were they would be GM’s and head coaches, but they’re not. I don’t know what they have to say, but more than likely it’s probably one man’s opinion who hasn’t spent more than 48 hours around Cameron because if you did you would know who he is, you would know what he is all about, and I say that as a guy who’s lived it with him. Again, I couldn’t recommend him any higher, not only just a phenomenal athlete, I mean what he did speaks for itself on the field, but off the field you know I can vouch for this being a great young man and he’s going to have a great career in the NFL.”

What kind of mental work have you been doing with your football team since winning the National Championship? What’s your message?

“Right, great point guys. You know this is unchartered waters for me simply because you know as a head coach I haven’t been in charge of a program that’s won a National Championship. Obviously, I’ve been blessed to be a part of one in Texas, even an undefeated season here in Auburn in 2004. You know it’s a little bit of unchartered waters for me, but the message is real clear to our guys. It has been since January 11th, which is the day we got back, that that is over [winning the National Championship]. It was really, really fun to be a part of. We all really had to count our blessings and say thank everyday for what we were able to be a part of, but that was then and this is now and you’re going to have to get used to a lot of new faces and names of Auburn football because the complexion of our team has completely changed. That doesn’t mean that’s good or bad it just means it’s changed. Our expectations every year here along with our fan base is that we win championships, that will not change. That shouldn’t change, so from our coaches to our players that’s our expectations. At the end of the day right now we know what comes with a lot of young and new faces.  It’s some growing pains and we’re prepared to fight the good fight every day, but I think the message you’re asking me about is the message is we’ve moved on. That was then and this is now, so I think our team gets that. We’ve been really, really been emphasizing that since January 11th, so I think the message has been loud and clear.”

So you believe your team knows what great looks like and how much work it takes towards getting to that level?

“Tony, it’s a great point and I did say that. They know what great looks like and quite frankly they know that we don’t look that way right now, so I think they understand that and we’re a work in progress, but we got a lot of young guys fighting for positions and it’s great to see that competition out on the field.”

Where did you leaving the starting quarterback position after spring football with the departure of Cam Newton?

“Well you know here’s the thing guys, we don’t…the quarterback position although on the outside appears to be extremely different simply because it gets all the attention. Within our football team that position is no different than a linebacker or a corner or an offensive lineman in regards to when we decide to make the call on who the starter is. It’s no different than an offensive guard. If we have a guy that we feel like definitively has been the top performer and we’re ready to go out on a limb and say look this is your job someone is going to have beat you out to get it than we’ll do that. Sometimes that not until the week before the first game. Sometimes that’s ten months before the first game. We’re good either way, but we will not do that with any of our positions until we’re ready to go out on the limb and that’s gotta be because a guy has definitively showed us he’s ready for that and even then have to understand at any time you know the competition is still going on and you have a chance to get beat out. Competition generates competition. That’s just the way it goes. We’re going to continue on that track. We’re going to continue to get great competition at each position and just cause you want it doesn’t mean the competition ends. We’ll be ready when we’re ready. I don’t know when that’s going to be. I just know right now we’re not.”

Listen to Gene Chizik on 790 the Zone in Atlanta

Nick Fairley was widely considered a lock as one of the nation’s most dominate collegiate players and at one point was even hyped up as being the potential number one draft pick by the Carolina Panthers. In the last few months as draft hype builds and the immense scrutiny of collegiate football players hits its pinnacle, Fairley, has become public enemy number one for defensive prospects in terms of criticism.

Fairley has athleticism that just can’t be taught at the professional level, but some concerns have arouse mainly due to off-the-field character issues. There have been some rumors and indications that Fairley is close friends with former number one overall pick and Oakland Raiders bust, JaMarcus Russell. Many draft experts will tell the fans that if there are any concerns surrounding a prospect than they are not worth taking in the top ten as Fairley has been red flagged as a potential problem. Over the last few months, Alabama defense end/tackle, Marcell Dareus, has been labeled as a multi-versatile defensive talent and worthy of top ten status as he has surpassed Fairley. Fairley will look to prove all the doubters wrong once he finds out who is willing to believe in his ability this Thursday.

Nick Fairley joined Sporting News Radio with 2 Live Stews to discuss being nervous about the upcoming NFL draft, if he’s paying attention to what the NFL draft experts are saying, attending the NFL draft on Thursday, the decision for him to enter the NFL draft with the NFL lockout occurring and if he thinks Cam Newton will be a Pro Bowl quarterback in the NFL.

Are you nervous about the draft? How are you feeling these days?

“Oh man I’m feeling good man. You know I’m doing the best I can to put myself in the best position, so it’s out of my hands. Now I gotta wait the next few days so.”

Are you paying attention to the draft experts?

“Not really man. It’s just motivation you know hopefully we have a season next year, so I can start my NFL career. I just gotta fill my role.”

Are you going to the NFL draft on Thursday?

“I’m gonna go.”

Was it a tough decision to go into the NFL draft with the lockout on the horizon at the time when you decided to enter?

“I really… you know the draft is pretty much my dream growing up when I was little, playing football starting when I was eight, so really it’s just going to be a great experience for me, so my mom and my dad, my parents, they wanted to go, so I say why not? Let’s go. It’s great experience and [we] might as well enjoy it.

Do you think Cam Newton will be a Pro Bowl type quarterback in the NFL?

“No doubt. Cam [Newton] will be an amazing quarterback. He’ll be a great quarterback at the next level. Whoever drafts him is going to get a great quarterback in Cam. He’s very humble. He’s very competitive, so whoever drafts Cam is going to get a great quarterback.”

Listen to Nick Fairley on Sporting News Radio here

Chizik joined WJOX in Birmingham to talk about being nominated by the Coach Bowden Collegiate Coach of the Year Award, if he feels any different arriving at work now that he’s a national championship winning coach, how recruiting has become just a bit easier now that he can cite Auburn’s recent championship when talking to kids, losing assistant coach Tracy Rocker to the Tennessee Titans, his thoughts on who might replace Rocker, the recent tree poisoning incident, how he’s not at liberty to talk about the rumors of a potential recruiting violating down in Louisiana, and how he’s not aware of any letter of inquiry being sent regarding that potential violation.

On what it means to be nominated for the Coach Bowden Collegiate Coach of the Year Award, even if he has already garnered plenty of individual recognition for the outstanding job he did coaching the Tigers to a national title in 2010:

“Well you know what, I have been blessed to have been considered for a lot of different awards this year, and as we all know any individual award is really a team award. But specifically with the Bobby Bowden Award, that’s a great honor to even be mentioned in the same breathe as a man who’s done so much for college football. And the bottom line is everybody’s going to remember him for all the wins, all the success and consecutive Bowl games and things of that nature, which they should. But you know, for me, it’s so impressive on what Coach Bowden did as a man in changing a lot of young people”s lives.  Because at the end of the day that’s what it’s all about and that’s the reason we’re in it. So very honored, and very privileged to be even considered in the same breath for an award that’s named for such an amazing guy like Coach Bowden.”

On if it feels any different arriving at work now that he’s won a national championship:

“[Laughs] No, you know, it’s not. It’s really not. One of the things I just feel very blessed about is we just keep things very grounded. We know exactly what our path is and exactly what we want to accomplish every day. I’m not going to lie, it feels good. There’s no question it feels good. And I’m so proud for our players and our staff who have just worked so hard, I mean just relentless work hours trying to accomplish the ultimate goal. So I feel great for everybody that has put in so much time and effort, but every day’s the same thing: this is one big thing with no beginning and no end. You know, we just finished one recruiting class and we’re on to the next. So we’re just continuing to spin on that circle.”

Whether he’s noticed that recruiting has become that much easier now that Auburn has a national title under the belt:

“Well I think that every thing that we try to do is really in the name of recruiting. From that regard there’s no question in my mind that winning the national championship has had a huge effect on the recruiting end. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. And I think it will continue to. So in that regard, yes, I think it’s a huge, huge feather in our cap for kids to know that, you know, you come to Auburn you not only have a chance to win a SEC championship, you have a chance to win a national championship. So I think we’ve kind of laid the groundwork but, we have a huge foundation that we have to continue to build, but it’s a never ending process.”

On the loss of Tracy Rocker to the Tennessee Titans and what he can share about who might replace him:

“Well first of all, Tracy, what a great person. He’s meant just a ton to Auburn as both a person and a coach. We wish him nothing but the best. He’s going to go on to have a great career in the NFL. This is one of his goals and dreams — this is what he wanted to be able to accomplish; this is the first opportunity he had to go to the NFL. And like I’ve told him and like I’ve told every one of my staff members, I do not want to lose anybody. But if people weren’t willing to help me, and if people weren’t okay with me trying to pursue my goals then I’d never be the head coach at Auburn. So you hate to lose great people, there’s no question about it. But you know what? I feel very confident we’ll head in the right direction because it’s very important to me to get a great man as one of our coaches, and I will and I’m in the midst of that right now. I know what direction I’m headed in terms of what kind of man I’m looking for, and I’m very confident that will get that done.”

On the tree poisoning incident:

“You know guys, you hate to see an incident like that occur. That’s disappointing but you know, what I think everybody’s got to keep in mind is this is an isolated incident by an individual, and I don’t think that can be reflective of the whole group or a whole group of people. And really to be truly honest with you, I just encourage all the Auburn fans to be all in. And when you’re all in that means…we’ve used it all year….but it just means do things the right way. I encourage them to show a lot of class and dignity through the whole thing because I know it’s tough and I know there’s a lot of angry people. But be mindful of that there’s angry people both Alabama and Auburn fans. So again, I don’t want it to look like one person is representative of the whole group because I just don’t believe that’s true.”

On if he can talk at all about the murmurings about a potential recruiting violation down in Louisiana:

“No I’m not at liberty to talk through any of that situation at this time”

So there’s not been a letter of inquiry about that:

“Not that I’m aware of, no.”

Listen here to Chizik on The Morning Drive on WJOX in Birmingham

In fact, he doesn’t even need to have a team yet.

The former Auburn defensive tackle apparently made the rounds, doing the following interview with 104.3 The Fan in Denver as everyone gets ready for the big game on Sunday.

Perhaps Fairley will one day be a part of that game. He was an integral part of the Tigers winning this year’s National Championship Game over Oregon and has elected to enter the NFL Draft after his junior season. Whether he winds up in Denver is anyone’s guess right now. Either way, odds seem good that he’ll have a quick impact on whichever team he is chosen by.

Nick Fairley joined 104.3 The Fan in Denver with The Drive to discuss his Draft Day preparations, what it was like to deal with the Cam Newton issue all year, how he thinks he’ll transition from the college to the NFL ranks, the biggest questions about him going into the draft, his best games of his senior season and which players he idolized growing up.

What has it been like preparing for Draft Day?:

“It’s been like a roller-coaster ride. I said once that roller coaster rides are fun, but then it has a turn that you’re not expecting.”

How it was dealing with the whole Cam Newton issue:

“Actually it wasn’t tough at all. When that situation happened, the next day Cameron came into the locker room with the biggest smile in the world on his face and he was just like, ‘Man, as long as you guys have my back, we don’t have to worry about this situation.’”

What it’s like to make the transition from college to the NFL:

“I talked to [Ndamukong] Suh today … and we sat down for about an hour and we had a nice little talk. He was breaking it down how he transitioned … and how I could put my own little spin on it. He said the main thing is just getting your mind ready. … Your body’s going to get tired here and there and you just have to get your rest and get mentally ready for it.”

What he thinks the questions are going to be about him going into the draft:

“Basically am I going to go out there and give 110 percent each play? … I stayed out on the field 95 percent of the time.”

What games should folks look at if they really want to see him at his best?:

“Alabama and LSU. … It seemed like everything fell my way those two games. It seemed like I was unblocked the LSU game and Alabama, I made a lot of plays for my team. Actually, the Bama game, they say the turnaround of the game was when, on the goal line, I got the forced fumble and the fumble recovery.”

Who he idolized growing up:

“He’s actually not playing anymore, Reggie White. … That’s where I get the long-arm from. I see him long-arm a lot, a lot of plays where some guys don’t even get to touch him.”

Listen to Nick Fairley on 104.3 The Fan in Denver here

So Charles Barkley joined 97.5 the Fanatic in Philadelphia to talk about whether it would be an insult for the Eagles to sign Michael Vick as their franchise player, how he celebrated the Auburn Tigers winning the BCS Championship, and if he or Cam Newton made more money while playing for Auburn.

What he likes about Rex Ryan:

“I love that he supports his players because when I played in Philadelphia and I have always said this, Buddy Ryan was my favorite coach in the world…”

What his feeling is with Michael Vick:

“I’m just pulling for him.  I believe the kid has paid his debt to society.  I just pull for him as a person and as a player.  Man we love to see people fall unfortunately this generation with the way TV works now and somewhat radio and I don’t wish bad things on other people.  He made a mistake, he paid for it and now I am really rooting for him.  It just drives me crazy when people don’t root for other people and I am just rooting for him.  I don’t know him.  I think I met him one time, I just introduced myself, but I told him, ‘Man I am really pulling for you’ and I want to see good things happen to people.”

Whether it would be an insult for the Eagles to sign Michael Vick as their franchise player:

“Not at all.  It would not be an insult.  I mean business is business.  You have to do, I mean he has to stay healthy and football, playing quarterback in the NFL is probably the most, especially the way he has played is going to be the most vulnerable position, so if he signs for one year, first of all I think that is awesome.  I think the thing the Eagles are going to have to decide if they want to be realistic is Kevin Kolb.  I don’t think you can pay a guy a ton of money to be a backup, I don’t believe that.”

How he celebrated the Auburn Tigers winning the BCS Championship:

“Well we celebrated for a week.  The game was in Arizona so it was the longest week in my life.  That was the longest week in my life.  My liver was glad the season was over.  I got a bunch of guys that I played with at Auburn.  I got a bunch of alumni with; we went out every single night for eight days.  I was so glad when they won the championship when it was over because I wanted them to get the hell out of my city.  It was a great accomplishment but that was a long week for me because I wanted them to enjoy my city in Arizona and it was awesome, but it was a long week bro.”

If he or Cam Newton made more money while playing for Auburn:

“Dude, first of all I wasn’t heavily recruited, and first and foremost, but listen…I don’t know the ramifications of what happened between Cam Newton to be honest with you, but let me just say this, if he only got $200 grand, he was underpaid, because what he did for Auburn football this year was remarkable.  Like I say, if you go back and I think this is a great debate for your show, I don’t think any college football player has came on the scene in the history, you know Herschel Walker did a lot as a freshman, but for one guy to come out of nowhere in one year and do what he did I think is one of the greatest accomplishments in college football history.”

What he thinks of Cam Newton’s chances in the NFL:

“Well, you know, my football friends tell me playing in that shotgun is different than playing quarterback, so the problem is these teams are not patient for guys right now because of ESPN and talk radio.  In the old days the guy got to sit on the sideline and learn how to play quarterback, but now they are just going to throw you out there.  I just hope he goes to an organization where they are going to be patient.  I don’t think they should put any rookie out there right away.  I just think there is too much of a gap, and the thing is, if you get drafted that high as a quarterback, the rest of your team sucks.  Number one, you are already having to learn the position on the go, but most of the time when you are drafted early your team sucks so you don’t have a bunch of weapons to play with.  I just hope he can go to a team where he can be patient for a couple of years.”

Charles Barkley on 97.5 the Fanatic with Mike Missanelli

Gus Malzahn joined WQXI in Atlanta to talk about if he envisioned a scoreless first quarter with both of the high-powered offenses, whether Cam Newton was a little too excited when the game first started, and if he knew for certain that Michael Dyer was not down on the challenged play.

If he envisioned a scoreless first quarter with both of the high-powered offenses:

“Well I will tell you what,  for the first quarter our standpoint was a feeling out time to see where they were playing.  You have got 35 days to come up with a defensive plan.  We knew they were going to have some new wrinkles and sure enough they did.  Of course we had the turnover and finally got a feel for what they were doing in the second quarter and we had a lot of success.  Oregon has got a great defense, they present a lot of problems, they play a lot of people, and they tackle well.”

Whether Cam Newton was a little too excited when the game first started:

“Well I think a lot of our guys were and the fact that you have got 35 days.  From an offensive standpoint, it is all about timing and rhythm and we got to the SEC Championship game we were playing really good football.  The timing wasn’t there and some of our guys got a little bit jittery, and at the same time they presented a little bit different looks that we hadn’t seen.  He finally settled down and helped us win the game.”

The fact their offensive line started to wear on Oregon in the second half and Michael Dyer playing a big part in the game:

“Yeah there is no doubt we did hear about the pace but at the same time that is a big part of what we do.  After we get that first, initial first down we are able to pace people and I think too this is probably one of those games too that our defense faces us in the spring and during practice, our defense played great.  Lights out and you could tell the pace didn’t bother them a bit and boy was it fun to watch.”

Whether Nick Fairley is in that good of a shape to be able to make some of the plays he made against Oregon:

“He really was.  Coach Rock is really hard on his defensive lineman.  They are in great shape…  I go back to the spring, and I was really mad at our offensive line and we couldn’t block Nick and we couldn’t block some of the other guys and I was really upset.  Now it makes me feel a little bit better because nobody else can block him either…”

If he knew for certain that Michael Dyer was not down on the challenged play:

“Well I didn’t.  After I saw him kind of go down, I got my eyes on the quarterback and I was already calling the next play.  Rhett Lashlee, Trooper Taylor, they were right to my right and I heard them saying ‘Go! Go! Go!’  And my eyes came back up and he took off, so I really didn’t know until I saw the replay, and then obviously he wasn’t down.  He has got great balance.  I think it freaked him out a little bit too because he spun out of it and didn’t hear a whistle.  That was a big play and one that Auburn fans will remember for a long time.”

Guz Malzahn with Mayhem in the AM on 790 The Zone in Atlanta

Auburn’s journey this year wasn’t easy. Not only did they have to navigate the waters of a brutally tough schedule, but they had to deal with the controversy surrounding the program and Hesiman Trophy winner Cam Newton. Through it all, Chizik was at the front of everything keeping his team prepared and blocking out all the distractions. It certainly helped Auburn to have the best player in America on their side in Cam Newton and it never hurts to have the best defensive player in the country with Nick Fairley, but it also took the National Coach of the Year to keep everything together. Two years later, Gene Chizik is getting the last laugh.

Gene Chizik joined The Dan Patrick Show to talk about how much sleep he has gotten since the win last night, what he has to say to the naysayers that questioned his hire, whether or not he was surprised that it was a low scoring game, and what he will take away from Auburn’s perfect season.

What he would say to all the people that doubted him:

“I’ve been asked that question several times and I’m not in a place where I want to say I told you so or look at me. That’s not what we do at Auburn. We enjoy being around our kids and being a part of the Auburn family. We knew that when we came here two years ago, we’d set down a plan that would give us a chance to win with the way we recruited and the way we coached. We’ve really stuck to the plan and that’s what we’re in it for. We’re in it for the kids and the Auburn family. It feels great to wake up this morning and call ourselves the National Champions.”

How surprised he was that the defense was so good and the game was so low scoring:

“We didn’t say anything. Defensively we felt in our heart of hearts that we would play really good. We heard all the statements about the speed of the offense, the tempo of the offense, and things of that nature. Coach Roof and our defensive staff had a great game plan and we did all we could do to prepare for the tempo. Really to the point where the tempo was much slower on game day that what we prepared for in practice. Our defense was very confident, they wanted to go out and play a very physical football game and we played the last six quarters, the second half against Alabama and then the Championship game, six really good quarters of football defensively. We had a lot of confidence going into this game and we felt we could hold this offense down. It was a great offense, no question about it, but we had a lot of confidence going into the game.”

On the play made by running back Michael Dyer to stay on his feet:

“The thing was I was standing right there on the sidelines and there were several of us that were trying to get him to continue on running down the path down the sideline because we didn’t feel like the whistle had blown or the ball was dead. We felt like it was a no brainer, we really did. The only thing that was in question was whether or not the hand that held the football might’ve gone down and touched the turf. We weren’t really sure. We really felt like it was a situation where it was a live ball. Obviously they reviewed it and felt the same way. Obviously that was a huge play.”

What he will remember from the perfect season:

“I will remember this football team as a whole. The chemistry of the team, the seniors that stepped up to the plate, and over the last four years a career that had a lot of ups and downs, but more than anything the resiliency of this football team. The coaches that did a phenomenal job of keeping our guys prepared every week in a conference where it’s really hard to do that in and sometimes it’s not just that you win a game, but how you win it. The way we won it against a great Oregon team that wasn’t going to go away, we knew that but we had to methodically drive the ball down the field in the last second and kick the field goal to win it, which we had done so many times this season. It was a great way to win the National Championship and again we’re just blessed and proud to be a part of it.”

Listen to Gene Chizik on the Dan Patrick Show here