Football HOF'er Carl Eller & Rudolph Foods VP Mark Singleton

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Tess here. I've always had problems sleeping and once I fall asleep, I couldn't stay asleep. I searched getting to sleep ASAP.

So check this out. Sleep ASAP is a real product by NutriStrips. It's not a pill or drug. It's this amazing little thin strip you put right on your tongue and it activates immediately. Tastes great too. Best night's sleep ever. Go to mysleepasap.com and discover how you can try a full month's supply free.

That's mysleepasap.com. Carl Eller, pro football hall of famer and he's credited as the Vikings all-time sack leader 130 and a half with the Vikings but had more with the Seahawks as he wrapped up his career. He's also considered one of the best defensive ends in Vikings franchise history. He played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers so he stayed home for Super Bowls. All of them losses. Also played in an NFL championship that predated the Super Bowl era.

A member of the famed Purple People Eaters. I had a chance to catch up with him when he was on radio row and it was really neat to be able to hear him but also I think it's a stark reminder of how age catches up with us and how the game does in fact take a toll. It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio. Carl are you wearing your gold jacket today because that's what I want to know. I actually have on my gold jacket today. I'm looking pretty swiffy actually. I got my jacket on, a purple tie and a purple dotted or striped shirt and so I'm looking pretty fancy. You are the first Purple People Eater that I have ever spoken to Carl and I have to tell you I've been watching some of your videos from the 1960s.

The video was obviously different. The skill is still there so what was it like to be part of that incredible unit in NFL history? That was a great time. A great time of my career. I think it was just a fantastic time for me. It's hard to pinpoint because my career was kind of really just a dream in itself you know making all the awards and all the honors that I achieved during my playing days and now I'm getting the chance to revisit or relive some of those days with the players that played during my time and and that's been just heartwarming for me.

Really a treasure so I'm very thankful and grateful for that. You're a member of the Minnesota Vikings for years obviously after going to the University of Minnesota so you chose to stay there. What's special about being a Viking and those fans in that fan base? I wanted to be a Viking because it's honestly we're still a relative news team and during those days and I felt I had a chance to play soon if not right away and there was just some instruction there and of course I got drafted in the American football league too by another team and there was not just one NFL there's like the American football covers too so I figured I wanted to stay in the national football league which was at that time. You also played in four Super Bowls right? What do you remember about those games?

It's hard to say that the teams who play obviously they were really good teams but we're not sure how good they were. They were excellent teams and we played Kansas City, we played Miami which was undefeated season and we played the Steelers which was a great team and the Oak Ridge and all the teams were really at their peak when we met them in the Super Bowl and the games were close and less than a touchdown or score between the winners and the losers but we just couldn't get that game under our belt as a win game for us so you know it's one of the things that we get about my career but everything else I think was just a great honor. We're spending a few minutes with Carl Eller one of the best defensive ends in NFL history and he was part of the Purple People Eaters and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio. Carl that induction into the Hall of Fame obviously special and puts you in a very elite group. What does that mean to you to be part of that Hall of Fame tradition?

It has an unfathomable meaning because it means everything. That's the highest you can go is that we have a chance to be the best, a credit screen for being one of the best. Wishes you have the judges be the people that bring the judgment on that as a reward and honor that I'm very very proud of and being a recipient of but I have a good career record from my high school all the way through college and all the way up through throws so it's really good to see that continue and be honored in such a capacity. Yeah your list of honors goes on and on.

I can't even get to all of them. The Defensive Player of the Year in 1971, credited as the Vikings all-time sack leader, 130 and a half. I saw a highlight Carl of you scoring your only career touchdown.

Do you remember that moment? Oh yes I do of course I do the first career and I think I only scored that one touchdown or maybe one or two more during the 15-year career with the Minnesota Vikings. I understand when you were done with football that it was important to you to work as a drug and alcohol counselor. You became licensed and you had some different substance abuse clinics that you worked for and with in the Twin Cities. Why was that so important to you? Well the reason that was important for me is because I had a few problems of that sort of my own experience and so they keep not only just football players but I work for the general public but you know it's something that happens and so I needed some professional help there and after I got help I thought that it would be important for me to let other people know to really not get started because it can seek upon you things that predictions or losing some of the intentions you have when you were younger or just speak up on you without you even knowing so it took some professional help you know to get rid of all that and start by life almost over again. So glad you're able to pass on that assistance to other people and I know that that's one of the reasons why you're on Radio Row working with the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund again coming from a different era in football. Why is this so important for players who previously played the game?

Well it's important because some of the things that they have or injuries or medical needs that they have really don't show up while they're playing and so one of the importance of it is to take care of retired players that are basically it was particularly when I did and now maybe there's somebody injuries are showing up maybe the leg or knee whatever it is and now they have travel expenses or they have something else that they need and start getting covered by you know the new health plans that the NFL has or something else. So this is what the players assistance does for them helps you out the pork rind assistance fund helps them recover expenses for other kinds of things that they need. Those pork rinds are delicious aren't they? They sure are. We had a couple of snacks with them earlier today and boy they were the nicest guys enjoyed them. So yes they're funny and you can find that at your local you know store plus you can in the pork rinds they're shipped to you and just if you need more information go to pork rinds assistance fund and that become and you'll find the other information but thank you very much it's really been a pleasure just to talk about my passion with the life of these other players. Thank you Carl it's such an honor to speak with you congratulations on an incredible career and I hope that you enjoy the rest of your time there.

I will thank you very much I really appreciate that thank you. Along with hall of famer Carl Eller the vice president of Rudolph Foods who is behind southern recipe small batch pork rinds and my involvement which is always fun and a privilege for me also on radio row. Mark what have you learned after all these years spending time with the hall of famers watching them operate and then watching them together on radio row? You know what I've learned is that like when I was playing football some of the guys that gave me my best hits also are the ones that extended the hand to help me up and what I've learned about these and what I've learned about these guys no matter how mortal enemies that might be on the field they have an amazing kinship and amazing friendship and their willingness to help each other is unparalleled by anything I've ever seen and it just helps us all remember you know helping hands makes you feel better not just the person you're helping up but the person doing the helping it just it's just a wonderful thing to be able to do. Is that why it's so important for Rudolph Foods to be involved with the Green Iron Grades? Absolutely you know we've got the the real heroes at Rudolph Foods aren't me or Rich or any of the executives the real heroes at Rudolph Foods are the people that made bags during COVID.

You know you can't make a bag of pork rinds from your home in your sweatpants all right you've got to be in there working that fire and and the people that were so ingenious and so incredibly devoted to keeping America fed are like these guys here I mean think about what they went through to keep playing the game and keep us entertained. I just think it's a great brotherhood and and then teamwork that both our team showed and this team continues to show at the Green Iron Grades it's just a real inspiration to all of us plus our employees just really get a big kick out of this. I know it's spearheaded by Mike Ditka and then there's so many different hall of famers that work together and as someone who appreciates the game of football how neat is it to see these guys interact with one another? Oh my goodness when you see when you're after the the event and you're hanging out with John Reagans and Jack Youngblood who like to kill each other on the field but see the real friendship it once again just reminds you that we're all people and that no matter what your background no matter what team you played for there can be some really depth and wonderful friendships developed and and it's fun to watch these guys and their lives Amy.

The other biggest thing that surprised me is the camaraderie of all these lives it's like a separate club NFL players' lives. And yet when you talk to them especially the players who go back to the 60s even pre-Super Bowl era the 70s as well some of these guys are really struggling because it's just not the same in terms of the benefits that they have today. Oh my gosh since 15 years ago we've helped over 2,700 players and the help we give is that Karen and the staff at the Gurdine Greats provide are things you don't think of. Let's say you live in a small town in Iowa but the only place for you to get help with a problem that developed 20 years after you played is the Mayo Clinic. Well you may have health insurance but how do you get to the Mayo Clinic? That's the gap that coach fills doing what it takes to get the players the help they need even to the point of arranging for the medical visits arranging for those doctor referrals.

It's just unbelievable how many people need help 27 everybody thinks once you hit the NFL all your dreams come true and Amy you know that's not true. Mark Singleton is a VP with Rudolph Foods and we're so excited to connect with him again on Radio Row though he's an avid listener to After Hours so I hear from him and we stay in touch throughout the year which I really appreciate. Coming up we've got your 14th annual pork rinds appreciation day what does that mean and how does that tie in Mark? Well you know what goes better on the biggest pigskin holiday of the year the pigskins one of the ways that we get to to support this great group is by selling our product and we've been making it since 1955 we're still family owned and if people go to our website at porkrinds.com or www.southernrecipe.com they'll find hundreds of recipes to cook with during their feeding their family this sunday for the big game including my new favorite Amy and I'm not making this up meat muffins. What meat muffins? Yes meat muffins it's on our website it is the very best recipe we've ever come up with it is unbelievable you will thrill your friends and family with meat muffins.

Okay so I have to try meat muffins but I still need to try blackberry habanero I've not been able to find it so that's the one that I really want to try. Amy I only have one superpower and consider your wish. Speaking of the big game so pork rind appreciation day coincides with super bowl sunday and you get to go you're going to attend the game in Glendale? I am I am I am I am you know we we advertise with CBS sports we sponsor the pregame show for the super bowl and we are so excited to be there at the game this year.

Once again it's southernrecipe smallbatch.com. Mark is a VP with Rudolph foods but just as importantly it's the gridiron greats assistance fund that benefits to try to help out some of these players from different eras. I can hear your giddiness through the phone Mark I love it.

Yeah well our sacks for snacks uh one of your listeners can win um once again if they guess they're a winning team how many sacks they'll get uh they could win five thousand dollars in a year supply of pork rinds. Boom it's always good to connect with you thank you so much for a couple of minutes have fun enjoy the game and we will talk again soon. Amy thank you so much good to be with you up all night. Tess here I've always had problems sleeping and once I fall asleep I couldn't stay asleep I searched getting to sleep asap so check this out sleep asap is a real product by nutra strips it's not a pill or drug it's this amazing little thin strip you put right on your tongue and it activates immediately tastes great too best night's sleep ever go to mysleepasap.com and discover how you can try a full month supply free that's my sleep asap dot com. Tess here I've always had problems sleeping and once I fall asleep I couldn't stay asleep I searched getting to sleep asap so check this out sleep asap is a real product by nutra strips it's not a pill or drug it's this amazing little thin strip you put right on your tongue and it activates immediately tastes great too that's night's sleep Go to MySleepASAP.com and discover how you can try a full month's supply free. That's MySleepASAP.com.

Tess here. I've always had problems sleeping, and once I fall asleep, I couldn't stay asleep. I searched getting to sleep ASAP.

So check this out. Sleep ASAP is a real product by Nutri-Strips. It's not a pill or drug. It's this amazing little thin strip you put right on your tongue, and it activates immediately.

Tastes great too. Best night's sleep ever. Go to MySleepASAP.com and discover how you can try a full month's supply free. That's MySleepASAP.com.