SEAN MCVAY: Hey, here's what
I want to make sure...
I love the intensity,
I love the focus.
Couple things though,
especially on this field
over here,
too many self-inflicted wounds.
When you look
at what's gonna occur
without a doubt,
I guarantee you,
come September 13th,
that weekend,
there will be more fucking
pre-snap penalties
from teams that don't know
how to focus and concentrate.
We're gonna be walking
through a lot
against one another.
I know we all can't wait
till we can actually
practice football.
It doesn't matter,
we gotta make sure
that we continue to lock in,
and we're never, ever
gonna be one of those teams
that beats ourselves.
That shit has
to continue to minimize
as we increase our reps.
You guys with me on that?
We're not gonna beat
ourselves.
Because once we get practicing,
that's when
we really gotta push ourselves
to get better.
Because this is the group
that we're counting on
on September 13th.
Now turn the music up!
♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS) ♪
PETER SCHRAGER: Yes, coach!
Welcome to
the Hard Knocks Podcast,
where we never have
self-inflicted wounds,
and we never, ever
beat ourselves.
That was Rams head coach,
Sean McVay,
and I am your host,
Peter Schrager.
This is the podcast
where we break down
each episode
of the HBO and NFL Films
hit series,
giving you the inside scoop
on what's really going on
behind...
even behind the scenes.
We've also got the best guests
who are on the ground
with both teams.
And we do it at a,
to quote Chargers coach
Anthony Lynn in this episode,
"A slide-and-glide tempo."
♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS) ♪
PETER: This week's guest
is the man himself,
Rams head coach,
Sean McVay.
A year ago at this time,
he was the 33-year-old face
of the future. He was
the league's golden child,
an NFL Coach of the Year at 31,
and the youngest head coach
to ever reach a Super Bowl
at 32.
But it wasn't an easy 2019
season for Sean McVay.
His team missed the playoffs
altogether,
his critics came out
of the woodwork
to chop him down,
and suddenly,
there were a host of other
young, offensive masterminds,
getting a lot of the media love
that he had received
the previous two years.
We'll talk with McVay
about all of that,
his 2020 Rams,
and the Hard Knocks experience,
in just a bit.
But first,
let's get to episode two,
where we actually had football
being played, imagine that.
Feels good to be back,
sorta, kinda,
as much "back" as it seems.
Guys are running,
there's pads on,
and the Hard Knocks cameras
have it all captured.
As Chargers strength coach
John Lott tells us bluntly
in this episode,
"This ain't no
pie-eating contest!"
♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS) ♪
Right out of the gate,
we've got long-time
Rams offensive tackle,
Andrew Whitworth
sympathizing for the rookies
across the league
in NFL camps this season.
You see, Whitworth,
who's been in the NFL
for 14 seasons,
tells us that rookie year
is hard enough
in a normal NFL campaign.
Without the reps,
the time to impress,
and the ability to prove
oneself in a pre-season game,
this year's rookie class
is truly at a disadvantage.
Not only
from making NFL rosters,
but for making impressions
on the rest
of the football world.
And it's at that point
in the episode
where we meet maybe
the NFL's best example
of what a rookie could do
to make a name for himself
despite being a long shot
in a typical NFL summer.
Chargers running back
Austin Ekeler is that guy.
In 2017, Ekeler
was an unheard of,
unknown, undrafted player
out of Western State, Colorado.
And in the team's fourth
pre-season game that year
versus the 49ers,
Austin Ekeler,
wearing the number three
for the Chargers,
had himself a night.
♪ (MUSIC PLAYS) ♪
ANNOUNCER: And here's
a new running back,
that is Austin Ekeler
from Western State, Colorado.
And he's got a shot here
to-- to do something.
ANNOUNCER 2: If you can play
they find you these days.
PETER: Hard Knocks
narrator, Liev Schreiber,
takes the Austin Ekeler story
from there.
LIEV SCHREIBER: Today,
he's the Chargers'
featured back,
and the recipient
of a new contract
worth 24 million dollars.
He's done what every long shot
-dreams of doing.
-(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
PETER: Of course,
Ekeler is just one
of thousands of great,
undrafted,
training camp long shot
stories
who not only captivate
us as fans,
but who've inspired others
to follow in their wake.
These players arrive
at training camp
as unheralded individuals.
And yet they find a way
to impress
in the summer months,
work their way
onto the NFL roster,
and do everything and anything
they can to make the team.
Whether it's Super Bowl 46
hero, Victor Cruz,
Super Bowl 48 hero,
Doug Baldwin,
or Super Bowl 49 hero,
Malcolm Butler,
or in this case,
Austin Ekeler,
the story always points
to that first experience
at training camp
and in pre-season games.
I've gotten to know Ekeler
over the first three years
of his NFL career,
and this guy is
as down-to-Earth an NFL player
as you will find.
And that reason might very well
be because of just how long
of a shot he was
to make an NFL team.
What we don't learn about
in this Hard Knocks episode
is just how he ended up
even getting invited
to Chargers camp.
I've got that story for you.
You see, GM, Tom Telesco,
has a front office
of some of the best scouts
in the sport.
In Ekeler's case,
it was the work of long-time
national scout,
Tom McConnaughey,
no relation to Matthew,
or at least,
I don't think there's a relation
to Matthew,
who first identified
this shifty running back
out of a division two college
called Western State, Colorado.
So what did McConnaughey see?
Well, big-time production, yes,
but he also saw a player
who was a four-year captain
in college.
Yes, a four-year captain.
That means that Ekeler
was the captain
of his college football team
as a freshman.
That is a first for me,
and it is truly unheard of
in college sports.
So Austin Ekeler, truly,
still a speck
on the scouts' radars
after that decorated
division two career,
shows up to the University
of Colorado's pro-day workout
in March.
And he blows all
the division one guys
out of the water.
And that's when Randy Mueller,
another scout for the Chargers,
told the rest
of the front office
that he was with
McConnaughey on this,
and they had to look long
and hard at this kid
that they had just discovered
named Austin Ekeler.
Well, the Chargers then spoke
with Ekeler's college coach,
a gentleman named
Jas Bains,
whose name they knew
because years earlier,
he was the coach of another
former Hard Knocks long shot,
then Jets running back,
Danny Woodhead,
when Woodhead was a star player
at tiny Chadron State.
Small world?
You better believe it.
Well the reviews were in,
and they were all
through the roof.
Fast forward to training camp
in 2017,
where he was truly a stud.
And then in preseason,
where Ekeler had
those big running plays
in the preseason game
against the 49'ers,
and you think, "Okay,
this guy might make the team."
But speaking with sources
within the Chargers'
front office,
and their coaching staff,
it wasn't just what he did
at running back.
Remember,
they had a guy named
Melvin Gordon,
a first-round pick
on the roster already.
It was what Austin Ekeler did
in punt and kick coverage,
as highlighted
in Ekeler's speech
to undrafted rookie,
Darius Bradwell in this episode,
that solidified his spot
on the Chargers roster.
Not kick returns,
or punt returns,
but kick and punt coverage.
Meaning Ekeler was the guy
chasing down the return man.
And remember,
he was wearing number three
that summer.
Not typically a single-digit
jersey number
you would see on a player
who is expected
to make the team
at running back.
Well, Austin Ekeler
did make the team,
and he eventually got
some real game action
as a rookie.
He even did a little air guitar
as a touchdown celebration,
and found his footing
in the NFL in the seasons
to come.
And back in March,
before the pandemic
shut this country down,
Austin Ekeler signed
a 24 and a half million
dollar contract extension.
Fifteen million
of those dollars are guaranteed.
A long way
from Western Colorado State
and wearing a single digit
on his jersey in preseason.
And to Andrew Whitworth's
earlier point,
a story that is way more
unlikely
in this abridged training camp
that we're getting
during this bizarre
2020 NFL season,
with no preseason games.
♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS) ♪
Every single NFL player
has his own story.
One that is the complete
opposite of Austin Ekeler's,
look no further
than Rams quarterback,
Jared Goff.
A former first overall selection
in the NFL draft,
Goff has already squared off
against Tom Brady
in a Super Bowl,
he's gotten a huge contract
extension
that is tripe-digits,
and he's bought a new home,
where we find him
and his girlfriend,
playing golf,
in his palatial backyard.
MAN:
How many hole-in-ones total
do you have on here?
JARED GOFF: How many
hole-in-ones do I have?
A lot, probably like ten.
You know, we've done
some good things,
especially since Sean's
been here,
and I think there's a lot
of unfinished things
that we want to do,
for sure.
I think last year was a bit
of a disappointment
not making the playoffs,
and ultimately
winning the division
is the goal.
But we feel good about
where we're at.
You know, we feel really good,
and I feel good
about where I'm at.
I think that it all
just comes with time.
That you just mature,
you learn more,
you gain confidence,
you have more experience,
and you know how
to handle situations
differently.
And, um, usually for the better.
PETER: Everything seems great,
but trust me, Goff is
a curious case this season.
Despite his early NFL success,
there are doubters abound.
And after missing
the playoffs last season,
in a year when
young quarterbacks,
like Deshaun Watson,
Lamar Jackson,
and Super Bowl MVP,
Patrick Mahomes
made major strides,
there are several
who still wonder
whether Jared Goff belongs
in that conversation.
His head coach, Sean McVay,
is going to do all
that he possibly can
to get the very best
out of the young quarterback.
SEAN MCVAY: Hey, what took
so long on that one?
-GOFF: Just waiting to see it.
-SEAN: Huh?
-Going through the cadence.
-SEAN: No, I'm just saying
to break the huddle.
'Cause we-- we just took--
GOFF: We'll go faster.
Yep, I got you,
we'll go faster.
-SEAN: Did you not get it?
-GOFF: That's on me.
No, I just had to hear
it twice.
SEAN: Oh, I love that.
Hey, that's my favorite thing
you just said right there.
It's good.
I can-- Hey,
we can work with that.
GOFF: I got you.
Triple set...
SEAN: Good.
Hey, that's what I like
to see right there.
(CLAPPING)
GOFF: Good job, boys,
let's roll, let's roll.
-SEAN: Good job, huh?
-GOFF: Yeah.
SEAN: The type of shit
that fires me up.
That's a good job
of re-gathering your poise,
nice shit, man, love that.
Good job.
GOFF: Triple set!
SEAN: Hey, did you feel it?
-GOFF: There we go.
-SEAN: (SINGS NFL THEME)
There it is, baby, love it,
good!
Football is fun.
Here we go, hit that one,
let's go.
PETER: In an NFC West division
that includes star quarterbacks,
Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo,
and the reigning NFL
offensive rookie of the year,
Kyler Murray,
it is understandable
that Goff is sometimes
the least talked-about
of the bunch.
It's going to be the quarterback
and the coach's job
to make sure they're both
right back in the conversation
in 2020.
♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS) ♪
PETER: Make no mistake,
Sean McVay is the star
of episode two.
You could make the argument
he's been the star
of episode one and episode two.
And we get direct access
to his high-energy,
hands-on coaching style
throughout these 60 minutes.
SEAN:
Everybody repeat the last play.
If this was just normal
to jet right here,
we only have two for possibly
three. You guys with me on that?
TEAM MEMBERS: Yep!
SEAN:
Let's call a spade a spade.
We won't now, but glad
we're working it right now.
TEAM MEMBER: Oh, we will.
SEAN: Hey, right now,
let's tighten up on both sides.
Here we go. No more repeats.
No and no, you know. And now
that we've seen it, and again.
Don't even stress about it,
just work this for the mechanics
of the drill,
so we can coach off it.
TEAM MEMBER: Yep.
-(CLAPPING)
-(BACKGROUND CHATTER)
SEAN:
And this is good work, though.
PETER:
Okay, I'm taking my journalism,
and that's in with a big "J,"
for you keeping score at home.
Taking that journalism hat off
here for a moment,
because I have known
Sean McVay for eight years,
back when he was an assistant
to the assistant in Washington.
His story has been
well-documented,
but when I first met McVay,
it was at something called
the Senior Bowl
in Mobile, Alabama.
And he was
a 20-something-year-old guy,
just like me, hanging around
a bunch of older men and women
in a bar, who just happened
to love football
and be at a college football
all-star game.
So, we start talking,
and I realized this guy has
the same enthusiasm
for the sport that I do.
Similar age.
And we became fast friends.
SEAN: Hey, Schrags,
what is going on, man?
-♪ (MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
-(BACKGROUND LAUGHTER)
PETER: As his career progressed
and he got promotion
after promotion in Washington,
it eventually led
to an opportunity
to become an NFL head coach.
He wowed both the Los Angeles
Rams and the San Francisco 49ers
in interviews
and accepted the Rams job,
where he quickly became
one of the freshest faces
in the entire sport.
He's got boundless, youthful
energy, a photographic memory,
and he has an ability
to connect with players
who are younger than him,
players who are older than him,
and coaches who in some cases
are 30 years older than him.
That makes him
a special type of teacher
and a special type of guy.
Now, the Hard Knocks
cameras are on him.
So he gets to exhibit what makes
him such a great leader
for a national audience.
Sean, before we even get started
with the real questions
and talk football,
your first words on this season
of Hard Knocks last week were,
"Babe, do you want some rosé?"
Um, did you, or did you not,
catch shit from your friends
and coworkers
for that opening line?
SEAN: You know,
it's funny you ask that, Peter,
'cause I just got
a bunch of shit
from our whole offensive staff
about that.
You know, I thought I was gonna
catch the most grief for, uh,
being the idiot that
took his shirt off on there.
But the, uh...
How about some rosé
was probably even cornier, so...
I've definitely gotten
my fair share of--
That is rightfully so.
Uh, I would have
shredded myself if-- if I
was uh, if I was one
of my friends too.
It was-- It was
quite embarrassing.
PETER: See, I'm a rosé fan,
though. Like, I--
I understand it's--
Everyone laughs.
Rosé is delicious!
SEAN: It's-- Oh, no--
Hey, listen.
I'm not sayin'
you don't like the rosé,
but the way it sounded,
it was just-- it was very,
you know,
-it was a Brad-sounding thing.
-PETER: Yeah, it was
beneath you, but, you know what,
we all rebound.
Um, did you watch
the whole first episode?
Like, where did you watch it
when it first-- when you first
-got to help on it?
-SEAN: You know, I--
So, I watched it,
uh, you know--
We get a chance to see
some of the scenes
and then I watched it at home
with Veronica, 'cause, I thought
she came off really well on it,
and she was excited to see
Cali on there, and then, uh,
you know, and then I got a good,
uh, ear-lashing from my mom
about some of my language.
But other than that, you know,
we watched it at home
and it was, uh, it was
definitely interesting
-to say the least.
-PETER: Your mom wasn't happy,
'cause you are cursing
in that first episode.
SEAN: Yeah, you know,
that was, uh,
that was the one thing,
you know.
My dad, when he and my--
My mom and dad came out here,
they're such great parents,
I love 'em so much,
and when it became known that
we were gonna do this, you know,
my dad said, "Hey, Sean,
you know, you should really
watch your language, you know,
you just wanna be careful."
I said, "Dad, you don't know
what the F you're
talkin' about."
-(PETER GIGGLES)
-(SEAN LAUGHS)
PETER: And it's HBO, it's not
like it's-- it's basic cable.
This is-- This is premium cable!
SEAN: You know, you just wanna
make sure though.
You know, some of
the little kids and stuff.
I did need to watch it. I--
I gotta be a little bit more
mindful of it.
I'm just around these guys,
you get comfortable with it.
But, uh, I probably
could tone it down.
PETER: Here's what I say on it.
You were swearing, just in je--
You weren't swearing
at anybody, you know?
-That's the--
-SEAN: Yeah, and you know me,
that's not who I am.
I'm not like that.
-PETER: No!
-SEAN: But, you know, it--
it could easily--
You could maybe have
the same effect without
the language, but...
I would have-- I would imagine
that this next episode
is not any, uh, you know,
step in the right direction.
(BOTH LAUGHING)
PETER: I just got done
watching it.
You're absolutely right.
Look, I have known you
this entire ride with the Rams,
and I feel like this year,
or at least this off-season
beyond the pandemic stuff,
has been really different
for this team,
and really for you.
It feels like,
and tell me if I'm wrong,
but the McVay media bandwagon
sorta emptied out a little bit
over the last few months.
The same media
that was pumping you up
and breathlessly praising you
got a little quiet
down the stretch last season...
How does it feel to, maybe, not
be the wonder boy this year?
And, maybe, almost be
under the radar?
SEAN: Yeah, uh, well,
you know what?
I feel really good
about the additions we've made.
You know, we've talked about it,
Peter, you know,
we've got some great coaches
that have already been in house.
Uh, we added some great coaches,
I feel really good about
the players we drafted,
some of the players we've
added, obviously we've lost
some great players. But, uh,
I think, you know,
the narrative is fair
where we didn't live up to
the expectations we had
last year.
But, uh, by no means does
that mean
our expectations aren't to, uh,
be right back where we've been.
We know how much hard work
that's gonna take
but we're not short
on confidence
but we know that you gotta earn
that confidence.
But to say that there's a lot
of motivation for a lot
of good reasons
that, uh, I think
that would be fair.
PETER: Yeah. You know,
a lot of these coaches
around the league have...
have multiple kids,
some of them have grandkids.
I think your personal situation,
which we saw in episode one,
it's you, it's Veronica,
it's Cali, the dog...
Uh, no little ones bouncing
on your lap, you know?
No people bothering you
in the office.
How did you spend
the quarantine getting better
as a football coach
and is there a silver lining,
perhaps, to spending nearly
six months in a bunker
just watching football tape
which I know you were doing?
SEAN: Yeah. You know,
it's funny you say that, Peter,
I think for me, what--
what really came from that is
definitely a lot of football,
got to watch a lot of stuff
and kinda be more still
than ever
but I've-- I really feel like
I'm in a better place, just,
you know, as a person
with the balance
and I think that will lead to
being a better coach
where you just have more energy,
you're sleeping more,
you're taking better care
of yourself, you're more present
with the people when you're
at home.
Uh, you know, the more
that you read and you kind of
learn about-- I love this game
so much but being able to have
some balance is something
that I'm always trying to
strive for.
And then I think you--
you actually were able to see
some of the returns and how
that can enable you to be
totally present
when you're doing the football
but then when you're at home,
when you're with Veronica,
or with your friends,
you know, that comes up
but it's not something
that's on your mind to the point
where, you know, you feel like
you can just never really
shut it off and--
I feel healthier and...
you know, I think happier,
in spite of all the, you know,
unfortunate things that a lot
of people are suffering through
right now. And I think
that'll lead to more sustained,
you know, just success
and consistency
in a profession that you love.
But being able to balance it
has always been a thing that,
you know,
-you know I've talked about...
-PETER: Yeah.
SEAN: ...trying to find it
and I'm hopeful that I'll still
feel this way
and be able to follow through
with it when we're talking
in week six as well.
PETER: You know,
it's-- it's amazing
because it takes some people
into their 50s, their 60s,
well after retirement
to even consider that balance.
To have the gift,
to maybe acknowledge it
at your age now is huge.
I look at your relationship
with Jared Goff.
Jared Goff makes an appearance
in the show this week.
He's with his girlfriend
in one scene
playing golf in the backyard.
But another
is the two of you guys
going back and forth
on the practice field.
And we're seeing the chemistry
and we're also
seeing your leadership.
You're encouraging him,
but you're also
demanding of him.
You've been paired with him
since you've gotten here
as a head coach.
What is that relationship like?
And how has Jared Goff grown
not only the last three years,
maybe this entire off season
and maybe turning into 2020?
SEAN: Yeah,
I think you just said it, Peter.
I mean, he's really growing up.
I mean, he's-- we've had
a lot of experience together.
I think I can challenge him
in ways where he knows that,
you know, it's coming
from a place of belief.
And that's the good thing is...
we have
an established rapport
and a connection
with one another
that we can be hard
on one another.
And he can be the same with me.
He can be honest.
I think the big thing for us
is being at a point
where we can tell each other
what we need to hear,
not necessarily
what we want to hear.
And because we know
that both of us
are trying to help one another
reach our highest potential.
And ultimately that leads
to good things for everybody
that we care about
in this building with the Rams.
I think Kevin O'Connell
has been really good.
I mean, those two already
have a really good rapport.
And I know
how much Jared respects him,
and he's been
a great sounding board for me.
So a lot of really good things.
And I think-- I think we'll see
a really successful year
for Jared leading the way.
PETER: Yeah. For the listeners
of the podcast
who might not follow the Rams
day to day,
Kevin O'Connell is the new
offensive coordinator.
Can you tell us
a little about him
and what his role is
when you're obviously talking
with Jared in those practices
but behind closed doors,
maybe it's Kevin
doing a lot of the stuff
that is the nitty gritty
that you used to do
in addition to being
the head coach, correct?
SEAN: Yeah, he's--
he's really, you know,
he's--
he's had a lot of success.
You know,
he played in the league.
He's been coaching
in some different places.
He was most recently
the offensive coordinator
for the Washington
football team.
A lot of people
that I hold in high regard,
you know,
just speak the world of him.
He and I got connected
a few years back.
But he's-- he's really-- I mean,
he's the offensive coordinator.
He's doing a great job,
running a lot of the meetings.
He's a great sounding board,
like I said for me.
I think he's
a great communicator,
a great listener.
And his mastery of the position
and really just the game
in general really stands out.
And when you meet him, you know,
he's one of those guys that--
that is very,
very impressive from the jump.
PETER: Great dude.
I've gotten to know him
quite well
and I think that's
a great combination
of you,
Kevin and Jared together.
I'm excited for Goff
this season.
One thing I said last week
on this podcast
was how much I appreciated
your vulnerability
in the first episode
when it came to talking about
masks and social distancing.
In fact, you tell your team,
"Hey,
you guys have to
let me know if I'm slipping up.
I know that I need to get better
with this."
Now that we're actually having
real football practices,
and I'm talking to you
right now
after the first padded practice,
and real physical contact,
how are you guys balancing
the sport of football,
with all of that energy
and high-contact stuff,
in the midst of a pandemic?
Like, how has it been just
actually watching football
during these times?
SEAN: Yeah.
The big thing, Peter,
that I think has been
really helpful
is as you learn
a little bit more about it,
it's about risk mitigation.
And the fact that we're
getting tested
every single day, uh...
we talk about keeping
our ecosystem clear,
and-- and you know,
if everybody's doing
the right things
when they leave this building
then we are doing all the things
to keep this building right.
And, uh, a lot of our meetings,
really almost 100 percent
of our meetings,
are outdoor,
where the air flow
and you don't have
the air particles
that get trapped
in indoor settings,
so that's been a big thing.
Uh, any time that
I'll pull that down,
which is-- which is
a good bit,
you know, I make sure
that I'm socially distanced
from guys,
but I think the big thing
that we've talked about is,
hey, washing your hands,
wearing your mask,
socially distancing
when appropriate,
but if we're doing
all those things
the right way, consistently,
day in and day out,
and guys are making
the right decisions
off the field,
in the absence of the building,
then they can go play football
with a quieted mind
and be free
because it's not gonna just
create itself, you know?
It's gotta be brought in
from somebody that's a carrier,
and the fact that everybody
that's around this building
is getting tested
every single day
and we get those results,
you know,
very early in the morning
the following day, uh,
it makes you feel
very confident
about the ecosystem
we've established,
the plans that the league have,
and very confident that we can
pull this off.
And you know, football,
when you get out on the grass,
Peter,
it's feeling like
normal football,
-and you really don't notice it,
to be honest.
-PETER: Mm-hmm.
Spot on, and I cannot wait
to actually have
a regular season game,
and that is week one
against the Cowboys.
They come to town.
And I think we're all excited
to see how
this is all gonna look,
and whether there's fans
or there's not fans
or whatever it is,
that has to be your focus
right now.
And yet, this sounds
like a silly question, I'm sure,
and you're gonna roll your eyes,
but if there's anything
more stressful
than planning for
an NFL week one of the season,
it might be planning a wedding.
So, during a pandemic,
how has that been going,
and what have you and Veronica
learned through that process,
in addition to worrying
about the football stuff?
SEAN:
Well, here's what I've learned.
-Get the hell out of the way...
-(PETER CHUCKLES)
...or get grief
for a lot of stuff.
So she-- No, you know what?
In all seriousness,
she's done such a great job.
She's-- We've got
great wedding planners.
But she's taken
such great command of this.
And, uh, you know,
we've gotten a lot of the,
you know, the save the dates,
the different things
like that kind of together.
But fortunately for us,
when we got engaged last year,
you know, the only downside,
we were gonna try to get married
in France,
just because it would've been
easier for some of
her family from Ukraine
to get there
and be centrally located.
But it was always going to be
next July or June
that we were gonna do it.
So we didn't have to
make too drastic a plan.
We'll just do it.
You know, I guess L.A.
is not a bad second option...
-PETER: No.
-SEAN: ...if you will.
So it's been...
It hasn't been stressful.
I think both of us have kind of
looked at one another
at one point and said, you know,
we wish we were
already doing this,
but it'll be a great day.
And I know, uh...
I know I can't wait
as much as she can't.
PETER: No. I would assume that
rosé will be served.
I would hope at least.
SEAN: There you go, rosé.
You're damn right, Peter.
PETER: Before I let you go,
I asked Anthony--
SEAN: What about some gimlets?
PETER:
Oh, give me a vodka gimlet.
Sean,
I would do anything.
SEAN: Hey, man, just like us--
Just-- I mean, think about it.
When -- When we met up
in New York City
a while ago
is when I had just met her.
And here we are
talking about the wedding.
PETER: It's an amazing story.
Five years ago,
you and I are out drinking
at the Standard Hotel
in New York City.
And here we are.
You're the coach
of the Los Angeles Rams
and you're getting married.
It's incredible.
SEAN: Well, you were getting
ready to say,
"I'm gonna go audition
for this Good Morning Football."
And look at what a big star
you become.
You guys have done
such a great job.
I mean, it's--
It's a crazy world.
But, man, we're blessed.
PETER: We are.
You know,
I want to wrap it with this,
because I do love you
like a brother,
and I love getting to know you
over these years.
And I feel like the Hard Knocks
cameras are giving us
a chance to see
the real Sean McVay
and not maybe
the media creation,
whatever that even means.
But we're getting
just raw actual access
and footage
of how you talk to people,
how you speak to your players,
and how those coaches,
who in some cases
are 10, 20 years your senior,
respect to you.
I asked Anthony Lynn
this last week,
and I want your take on it,
for the people
who are watching Hard Knocks,
who are not
hardcore football fans,
they're just fans of HBO.
They might be Hard Knocks fans,
but they're not
hardcore football fans.
If a casual fan is watching
this show this season
and had no idea
who Sean McVay was,
what is the one thing
you want them
to take away from these
five episodes experiencing,
you know,
seeing who you are
and what you're all about?
SEAN: Yeah,
that's a great question.
I think-- I think
more than anything,
it's-- it's somebody
that cares about the people
that you come in contact with
every day, and...
uh, we're all just trying
to collaborate
to make it a fun atmosphere
that is goal oriented
with-- with high standards.
But I think the number
one takeaway, I'd say, is,
you know,
those are-- those are people
that are enjoying what they do
and they care about one another.
And that's an atmosphere
and a group of people
you'd want to be a part of.
And, uh, you know,
I know that's how
a lot of people feel
or I'd like to think that,
and that's the type of
atmosphere and environment
we want,
is where people can't wait
to come back the next day.
It's not like
they're ever dreading it,
because there's an urgency,
but an enjoyment about the way
that we go about our business.
PETER: It's so good.
That's what I want to hear.
Sean, thank you for the time.
You're the best.
Good luck the rest of the way.
And no more bad language
on Hard Knocks, how about that?
SEAN: Yeah. I don't know
if we can follow through
with that, man,
but I love you, man.
It's always good to be able
to catch up,
and I'm sure we'll talk soon.
♪ (HIP HOP MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
PETER: So that's Sean McVay,
as polished a 34-year-old
you'll meet
and a huge star,
not just in football,
but in the city of Los Angeles
as well.
A guy who is hoping
to be a star in Los Angeles
is the Chargers newest
first-round pick quarterback,
Justin Herbert.
And yes, we get plenty more
of those slow motion
famous NFL shots
of Justin Herbert
throwing a football
in this episode.
It's like he's Bo Derek
emerging from the waves
in the movie 10.
And Herbert does look the part.
I mean, his throws are spot on.
But at some point,
the pads will come on.
And as Chargers coach
Giff Smith says
to Melvin Ingram,
"The bullets will be live."
And the question surrounding
Herbert isn't whether
he can throw a football on air,
it's whether this 22-year-old,
who grew up
and played college football
in the same town
of Eugene, Oregon,
can be the type of leader
that is required
to be an NFL quarterback.
Narrator Liev Schreiber notes
that Herbert is, quote,
"soft spoken."
Anthony Lynn expresses
similar sentiments,
but is that necessarily
a bad thing?
I can tell you
that Herbert wasn't having
any of that criticism
when I asked him about it
before the draft in April.
He told me on the NFL Network's
 Good Morning Football
that any teammate
that's ever played with him
would tell you straight up
he is anything but quiet
and that he is, in fact,
a leader of men.
And as a Rose Bowl MVP winning
quarterback
and the Senior Bowl MVP
back in January,
there's more than just
slow motion shots of him
throwing a football
on his resumé.
But in addition to just finding
his voice in the locker room
and amongst these other players,
he also has to learn and master
how to make play calls,
do audibles and take snaps
from under center,
and not just clapping
out of the shotgun,
as we saw he did at Oregon.
He's gotta do all of this,
learn it all, master it, really.
With just 14 padded practices
on the docket and another
quarterback taking the bulk of
the first team reps this summer,
Chargers quarterbacks coach,
Pep Hamilton, has been around
the game for a long time.
He explains the process for us
in this clip.
PEP: You have to protect
your linemen
from defensive linemen
that are just gettin' off on us.
You can ease, just the inks,
for an offensive lineman,
but just hate takin' charge
and makin' sure that, man...
All right, confidently,
they hear you say
that this is what we're doing.
Okay.
Because, guess what.
Once the ball is snapped...
they still have to try
and block Aaron Donald.
PETER: We love the draft.
We love rookies.
And everyone expects
Justin Herbert,
or Tua Tagovailoa,
the Miami Dolphins
first-round pick,
or Joe Burrow,
the Cincinnati Bengals
first-round pick,
one of these
first-round quarterbacks,
or two of them, or all of them,
to step up and be the man
right away.
We've seen it in the NFL,
rookies do have success
at the quarterback position.
But as we are learning
through Hard Knocks,
it might take a bit
of an adjustment period
before we see any
of the rookie quarterbacks
thrive in 2020.
Remember, they just got there.
And this is
a really abridged off season.
The message for fans
of these players and teams?
I would tell you, be patient.
♪ (SOUNDWAVE) ♪
PETER: This episode also does
a really good job
capturing Andrew Whitworth
and his family's bout
with the coronavirus.
ANDREW: Our nanny, Krista,
had simply got a meal
with a friend, and, um...
You know, come to find out,
that restaurant
had a little bit of a breakout.
And, so, um, she ends up
coming up positive.
And then eventually,
that led to Melissa and I
getting it, and, um,
you know, we decided
to have the kids tested.
And it turns out
all four of them are positive.
And, so, um, you know,
her family decide--
Her mom and dad decided
to kinda just,
quarantine with us,
since they'd already
been around us, and-- and
we'd already exposed them to it.
-(CHILD SHOUTING)
-ANDREW: And sure enough,
they ended up getting it
right after us.
MELISSA: Andrew and I lost
our sense of smell and taste
and other than that,
just had very mild symptoms,
headaches, sore throat,
things like that.
And then my mom did pretty well.
I would say she was sick
but she did pretty well.
But Dad, it just...
It was really, really hard
on him.
Yeah, he spent five days
in the hospital.
And so, we were--
we were really...
Hoo! We were really scared there
for a while.
But he is outta the hospital
and they're back home
in Louisiana now
and doing really well.
PETER: Whitworth has long been
the veteran leader of the Rams
and before that he was
the veteran leader
of the Cincinnati Bengals.
His story is a lesson
for all of us to learn from.
It's not necessarily
your fault
if and when you contract
this disease.
In fact, it could just be
being in the wrong place
at the wrong time.
♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
PETER: Every week
on the Hard Knocks podcast,
I'll pick my MVP of the episode.
This week, I'm gonna go
with a coach
and it's Chargers strength
and conditioning coach,
John Lott.
You see, Lott used to be
the guy who would be
hovering over the bench press
at the combine every year
in Indianapolis, screaming
in prospects' faces.
He's a huge personality
and we get to see some of that
when he's talking to
undrafted rookie,
running back, Darius Bradwell
and telling Bradwell,
he's gotta lose some weight.
JOHN LOTT: You're behind
the eight ball right now.
-DARIUS BRADWELL: Yeah.
-JOHN: With this weight.
-We just gotta lose weight.
-DARIUS: Yes, sir.
JOHN: I mean,
yer stinkin' head coach is
-an ex running back.
-DARIUS: Yeah.
JOHN: So he's gonna look
at you like a German Shepherd
-with his ears up, okay?
-DARIUS: Yes, sir.
JOHN: At an airport.
This pucker's looking at ya,
he sees the possibilities
in ya,
-you know what I'm saying?
-DARIUS: Yes, sir.
-JOHN: We've just got to get ya.
-DARIUS: Yes, sir.
JOHN: You just got to get
yer stinkin' mind right, okay?
Remember, I told ya,
this ain't no
pie-eatin' contest.
Now we puttin' this time in ya,
okay?
Understand that what you do
in the dark,
shines in the light.
-DARIUS: Yes, sir.
-JOHN: So don't be stinkin'
eatin'
no stinkin' tacos at midnight
on me, okay?
DARIUS: Nah, I'm not gonna
do that.
-JOHN: I've put an investment
into ya.
-DARIUS: Yes, sir.
♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
PETER: In addition to naming
my MVP each episode,
I like to wrap the show
by giving you something
that I am interested in
and I believe is worth tracking
for next week.
This week, it's Chargers
defensive end,
Melvin Ingram's contract
situation.
Oh boy, another one of these.
Yep.
Last week, we discussed
Joey Bosa, Ingram's teammate,
getting a brand-new contact,
making him the highest paid
defensive player
in all of football.
Ingram is there, in the episode
and he seems more than pleased
for his friend, discussing
which kind of boat
Bosa should buy.
Hell, Ingram showed up to camp
in a 2020 Polaris Slingshot,
color, blue steel.
We didn't get too much
into Ingram's contract
this episode,
but as of Tuesday's airing,
the star defensive lineman
was in the midst
of what is being called
a, quote, "hold-in." Hold-in?
We've heard of hold-outs.
"Hold-in."
Because hold-outs
are so punitive
under the new
collective bargaining agreement,
that means
there are massive fines,
they're terrible
for the player...
Ingram is trying something new.
He is attending practices,
can't be fined,
but he's not
quite participating.
So he's there,
but he's not truly all in.
Yes, they're calling this
a hold-in.
The word is out that Ingram
wants to get paid
and he wants to get paid now.
Oh, don't worry.
This won't be
General Manager Tom Telesco's
first rodeo.
He's been down this road before.
But it's just another thing
to watch
as the weirdest summer
in NFL history
plays out in front
of our very eyes.
♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS) ♪
PETER: And that's it
for this week's episode
of the Hard Knocks Podcast.
Many thanks to Sean McVay,
head coach
of the Los Angeles Rams,
for taking some time
and joining us on the show.
This was produced by HBO Sports
and NFL Media.
Make sure to check out
the Hard Knocks Instagram page,
at HardKnocksHBO,
for exclusive clips
from training camp
all week long.
You can access even more
 Hard Knocks content
on NFL dot com,
where NFL Network's Dan Hanzus
provides in-depth recaps
of every episode.
And hey, if you're looking
for even more NFL news
and analysis this season,
check out
the Around the NFL
and the Move the Sticks podcasts
on Apple Podcasts
or wherever
you get your podcasts.
And as always, listeners,
we want to hear from you.
Feel free to tweet me
at PSchrags,
that's P-S-C-H-R-A-G-S,
on Twitter.
Give us your feedback.
Maybe there's something
or someone
you'd like to learn more about,
or there's a particular guest
you want on the show.
Give me a shout.
Tweet me.
Do whatever you want.
Just get in touch.
I'm your host, Peter Schrager.
Make sure to watch episode three
of Hard Knocks
next Tuesday
at 10:00 p.m. Eastern on HBO
and stream it on HBO Max.
You can find
the Hard Knocks Podcast
on Apple Podcasts,
Spotify, Stitcher, HBO Max,
or wherever you listen
to your podcasts.
Don't forget to subscribe,
rate and review.
We'll be back
with a new episode next week.
Thanks so much for listening.
♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪
♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪
