1.3.22 - JR SportBrief Hour 4

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Visit BetterHelp.com slash positive and save 10% on your first month. You're listening to the J.R. Sportbrief on CBS Sports Radio. I'm going to be hanging out here with you for one more hour. This is the first show that I'm here for in the year 2023. It's good to be back. It's good to be here with you. It's good to be here with super producer and host, Dave Shepherd.

And of course, the theme of what we have discussed tonight is surrounding Damar Hamlin. He remains in critical condition after his death. On Monday, NFL hasn't said anything about the rescheduling of the game. It will not be played this week.

And we know that that is the least important of matters. We have received updates throughout the course of the night from his uncle, who unfortunately had to witness this event live from home in the Pittsburgh area. And then he immediately drove out to Cincinnati. There have been a lot of things going on in the world of sports over the past 24 hours. I just told you about Giannis Ataracumpo and his career-high 55 points. I'm sure by now you've heard about Harbaugh having a conversation with his wife. His career-high 55 points.

I'm sure by now you've heard about Harbaugh having a conversation with the Carolina Panthers after the loss to TCU over the weekend. There's Donovan Mitchell in his 71. There's man LeBron James still being a superhuman. There's so many things going on in the world of sports, but they are just all taking a back seat to something that has at least shown and reminded all of us that there's still some good in the world and that there is some humanity. And throughout this situation with DeMar Hamlin, I would say almost universally, you know, outside of a few knuckleheads just, you know, making things about themselves that people have come together, that people have understood that life is more important. There's small things more important. We've seen his toy drive.

For instance, people are supporting a cause that he was or still is interested in having a goal of $2,500 and is now approaching $6 million. We've seen Bengals fans walk over to the hospital to pray. And then we've learned much more from his uncle tonight. His uncle who I told you drove from the Pittsburgh area out to Cincinnati to the hospital. He was watching the game.

And his uncle, his name is Dorian Glenn. It's a tough listen. He just spoke to CNN about an hour ago, maybe a little more than an hour ago. And he talked about what this experience was like at home, you know, watching this game live. He talked about never crying so much in his life.

Take a listen. We were in Pittsburgh watching it on TV, and his little brother was there with us. And when he seen his brother drop like that, and when I tell you, I never seen him cry or scream like that, like, we were trying to calm him down, like, yo, it's okay. You know, he'll go and get back up. He'll be back in the game.

You know, we'll do the woo. Next thing you know, it's 10 minutes later, they're doing trust compressions. It's a half hour later. They still not playing yet. I'm like, yo, what's going on?

What's wrong with my nephew? And then like, when I say like, now we were all in the room crying, man, we were all in tears, man. And I'm not a crier. But like, I never crashed so hard in my life. He also gave us more information as to what actually took place on that field in that he had to be resuscitated twice, both on the field and then also when he got to the hospital. This is what he had to say to CNN. You told me off camera your nephew died twice.

Can you explain? Well, his heart had went out. So they had to resuscitate him twice. They resuscitated him on the field before they brought him to the hospital. And then they resuscitated him a second time when he got to the hospital. So I just want to show my gratitude for the medical staff that were on hand because if not for them, my nephew probably wouldn't even be here.

Yes. And he also shared with everyone that the amount of oxygen that is being sent to his body is now down to 50%, which he's still in critical condition. And I mean, if you want to find a positive, the amount of oxygen he's being serviced with has been reduced. We're still all in the big question mark. We don't know what will happen and we can all just hope and pray, as many people have done. His uncle continued to speak earlier this afternoon, this evening, and he said he is thankful for all the love and support that his nephew and their family has received. A lot of people don't get a chance to see how loved they are while they're alive. So for him to have a situation where he could have been taken away, and he has a chance to come back and see all that love that he got is truly an amazing thing. And I can't wait for him to see all the love and support that people have had for him, not just around the area, but around the country and the world.

It's been it's been amazing. Yeah, you know, even even going throughout the course of tonight is, it's not much that I can do personally, but just try to be positive and encouraging about the situation and send out love to he, his family, individuals who have had to deal with similar circumstances, those who help people in similar circumstances. You know, I thank a lot of our listeners, our current listeners, people who are first responders and deal and work in situations like this every day.

Much love and kudos to you. It just so happens to be that DeMar Hamlin is a he's a person in the public eye, whether you knew him or were not familiar with him. He's in the NFL. There's a big spotlight on a on a Monday night for football game.

And so it's something that we all had to witness up close and personal. You heard from his uncle that they drove out immediately from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati and DeMar. It's it's not like he was a highly touted, you know, first round pick. He was highly touted out of the high school system, his Catholic high school. He attended out in Pittsburgh. He was five years at Pittsburgh. He was a sixth round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2021. He has had to fight for everything that he got. He played 14 games last season and he's been starting this year and growing because of of Micah Hyde and his herniated disk. And so DeMar Hamlin has been making the most of his opportunity that was presented in front of him.

And it's not like the whole world was was given to him through this process. Mike Tomlin, we know he's the head coach of the Steelers. Mike Tomlin has been doing this a long time for the city. He's been in the city and he said that he has known DeMar since he was 12 years old. And he's very proud of everything that he's accomplished up until now.

And Mike Tomlin talked about that relationship. Man, it's a really personal thing for me being a Pittsburgher and that young man being a Pittsburgher. I've known that guy probably since he was about 12. Just got a lot of respect and love for him as a human being.

His commitment to the pursuit of his goals and dreams of doing what it is he's doing right now, which is playing in the NFL and to watch him make personal decisions and make that a realization. It's just an honor to get to know young people like that. I had an opportunity to express that to him whenever I see him. We've played Buffalo each of the last two seasons and he and I get to have a moment because it's just cool to not only appreciate these guys in terms of where they are now, but to know them since they were younger people and to watch their maturation, their development, to watch them, you know, earn what they've been chasing.

It's just really a cool thing. And he's an example of that. I got a lot of love for that young man. And it seems like there's a whole lot of people who who have love for that young man. And we know in the case of Mike Tomlin, man, he's been a Steelers head coach since 2007.

And I don't think he going anywhere anytime soon. And so he is he's seen a lot of young young players come in and out and through the city, especially being ingrained in it. Shep, it's been it's been interesting. You held it down here last night while all of this was was going on live, man.

Yeah, I was I was I was I was doing my best. It was an outer body experience because I've watched sports since the early 90s and I've never witnessed anything like this, where you saw world class, the biggest, baddest dudes on the planet, just floored and shellshocked and had a look of complete fear and uncertainty in their eyes. These these individuals are at the top of the world in what they do, which is a 20 billion dollar a year industry. And for them to feel sold, feel just defeated and deflated. I've never seen anything like it. The question I have for you, Jerry, you've been doing this a long time. Can you ever remember a sports story about an individual being so newsworthy like this has completely stopped everybody, not just people who watch sports, everybody in this country, in their tracks.

I'm having conversations about this J.R. with with family members of mine and friends of mine that could be serious. They don't know who Steph Curry is. I know that's crazy to say on a sports station. I mean, they do not watch sports. They might have heard of Michael Jordan. Might it might have an inkling about who LeBron James is outside of that. They don't know anything.

They know about DeMar Hamlin. Like, can you think of a time where everything just stood still and a sports story transcended any X's and O's and it became newsworthy. And that's all every single person talked about, including network TV, including CNN, Fox Sports, et cetera.

I think I think more recently, because the world has changed and the access to media has changed. I, I remember vividly being on my couch when Kobe Bryant passed away. I remember my phone going off and we didn't even have those details. It was Sunday. It was maybe around twelve, twelve one on the East Coast and my phone was going off. And the next call I got and I knew was was from my program director here in Atlanta.

I was working on one V one or three and ninety to nine the game. And I got a call from the PD and it wasn't even a matter of, hey, what's up? How it was it was like, hey, I'm on my way.

I was being asked to come to the station. And I remember for the next several days. And sure, there was more finality there in that situation, unfortunately, with Kobe Bryant. But this was something that was just all over the news for four days, all over social media.

You don't you know, don't think and never expect. And it happens for someone to be in the prime of their life. Kobe Bryant didn't even meet. He met his athletic prime. But for the prime of his life and what he was getting ready to do and start and what he did begin in the second chapter of his life, didn't probably even, you know, scrape or scratch the surface. He was just starting there. So Kobe Bryant for a modern time comes to the forefront.

I think another time. And this is goes back to nineteen ninety four. But a different era, obviously, when it comes to media coverage, is O.J. Simpson in that chase and how that just took over. Whether you you cared about O.J. or you remembered the juice. I think most people now associate him with that that Bronco ride. The case, then I remember, you know, living up in New York and I don't know, I must have been nine or 10 and watching the Knicks play the Rockets. And it's just like, hey, boom, like O.J.

Simpson. OK, well, what's what's going on here? And the case was on network television for months, months. And so to think about a story that has just just put a hold on on everyone for 24 hours, we have no idea. And that's the that's the part that we don't have control over.

And that's the part that everyone can't do anything but kind of wait with bated breath. Is that, yes, we we unfortunately know what what took place with with Kobe and his legacy is there. And it's be interesting to see, you know, what his his daughters do, as I know one is extremely interested in playing ball. I actually think she wants to go to Yukon, if not has committed. And then, you know, we we see what's going on with O.J.

Simpson here with DeMar Hamlin. We're still in the middle of that as as everybody, you know, you don't have to be a member of the family, certainly on a completely different level of investment when you love them, you know them, you care for them. You brought them up, you chastise them, you had fun. It's one thing.

But there's so many people who are just tied into this. We witnessed this. That I cannot remember. I do not remember watching an athletic event.

And we we can go back to seventy one with Chuck Hughes. But I do not remember an instance just watching a sporting event. And we've seen some terrible things happen in games or broken, broken bones. We have seen concussions.

We we've seen a lot. I do not ever remember someone just just dying on the field to play and being resuscitated. And so to that point, this was arguably the game of the season with what was on the line in terms of the overall seating in the AFC. And in terms of the quarterback play, we're witnessing two of the best three quarterbacks alive right now.

And you had so many different storylines. So all eyeballs were on this game. It was nationally televised. It was Monday Night Football is the it was the Monday Night Football finale. And they had the they brought the great announcers over, Troy Aikman and Joe Buck. So so now Monday Night Football was more popular than it had been in a decade since Mike Torrico. So so it was like, you know, it was like it was like all these things colliding at once. And you had more eyeballs on this game than maybe any other game we've had all season. And so that that elevated this to an even even higher level because so many people were paying attention. Yeah, it's the time of the time of year as well.

You know, I think everyone I certainly was people people settling back in and to to post holiday. It's it's sad. And we all can't do anything but, you know, try to try to pull for him in every single way possible.

And the support that he has received has been positive. And I hope that we can take bits and pieces of this and and try to love each other in a similar way every every day. Easier, easier said than done, because I think it's human nature to, you know, get sucked into the norm. And it takes it takes tragedy sometimes and it takes awful things for us to be reminded. And that's when we that's when we pull together. But I guess that's that's human nature.

We can all try to do better. 8 5 5 2 1 2 4 CBS. That's 8 5 5 2 1 2 4 CBS. We're going to take a break.

I'm going to get some more your calls on the other side. It's the JR Sportbrief show CBS Sports Radio. You're listening to the JR Sportbrief on CBS Sports Radio. I have all the respect for you. First of all, JR, appreciate you bringing the truth every night. I listen to you on my way back from work at this time. I'm a big fan. I just started listening to your show a few months ago and I'm hooked, man. Call in now at 8 5 5 2 1 2 4 CBS.

That's right. It's the JR Sportbrief show here with you on CBS Sports Radio. There's been so much going on in the world of sports. I don't even want to call it the waiting game because we don't know if we might have news tomorrow. We might have news next week. We might not have any news between tomorrow and next week or two weeks. I don't know.

You just have no clue. But as of right now, the NFL has made it clear that they have no idea when this game is going to be rescheduled. If it is to be rescheduled, they did the appropriate thing in saying that everything surrounding DeMar, his teammates, his family is more important. They will not play rescheduled game this week.

The league has not made any changes to week 18 and they will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available. We had one caller tonight who wanted to ask me my thoughts on when they should or how they should reschedule the game. I told him, man, I ain't thinking about that. I don't care.

Not interested. Even the first time, and I'm going to expect them to resume play this weekend. We have some games on Saturday. We have the finality of the season or what should be the finality of the season this upcoming Sunday. Whenever they play football, it's going to be tough to watch, especially given the recent events.

It just doesn't seem to matter right now. 855-212-4CBS, that's 855-212-4CBS. Tommy is here from New Orleans. You're on CBS Sports Radio.

Shep, hey, welcome back, my brother. I wish it was under different circumstances because I know you probably wanted to roll in tonight and tell us you were the president-elect of the Wyantown Hill Fan Club or that you were proud of the Tulane University football tickets because they went in there and did exactly what I told you. You know, I've spent a lot of time over the past two years going down to New Orleans and going by Tulane, and I'm thrilled. I'm going to wear my Tulane sweatshirt tomorrow. I would love to talk about Tulane, but we know what's going on right now. Right, yeah, and I'm trying to put a little levity in the situation.

Maybe I didn't succeed too. Anyway, Tony from Massachusetts, man, I don't know if you're still listening, but amen to you, brother. All you needed to do was look at the reaction from Mrs. Salters and my fellow Louisianians, Tredavious White and Boog and Ryan Cox. I mean, those people witnessed death. Shep, they had the look of fear on his face, like he was going to have to break the news when his phone buzzed that this man had passed away. He looked terrified.

It was absolutely horrifying. I don't know what Demar's medical history is. Certainly, he's the height of his career. He's an athletic thoroughbred, so it certainly points to the accidental thing that occurred when he got hit in the chest because there's no other reason. I personally think, after thinking about it, Gerald, I just don't think it was the man's time.

I say that for the following reason. Right in the middle of COVID, my father had his third heart attack. The first one was about 15, 20 years ago. He called it a flight heart attack, whatever that means. He had a big one right before COVID, and he had a massive one. The only reason that man is alive is because he was in his doctor's office getting a follow-up on what he called an episode. He had a massive heart attack in that doctor's office. It just so happened that the doctor's office he was in was right across the street from Ochsner Hospital here in New Orleans.

Alton Ochsner was a pioneer in bypass and open-heart surgery. He coded in the office. They hit him, and they ran him across the street.

He coded out again in the hallway, and they hit him again twice, and he had emergency triple bypass surgery, and he's here. It wasn't his time, JR. If he had had that thing anywhere else, he'd be dead. He'd have been dead instantly.

You look at people like Pete Maravich, Hank Gathers, Kobe Bryant, Dale Earnhardt. We had a kid down here for LSU baseball, Wally Thomas Jr., died in his sleep. He was going to go to the show, local kid, whatever. They ought to burst into sleep. It was their time for whatever reason.

It's not Demar's time yet. That's why I believe he will pull through this, and he's going to recover to fulfill his purpose here on earth. I truly believe that.

I don't know if it is a pre-existing medical condition. I don't know. I have to believe that in one voice.

None of us know, and we are all certainly hoping that he pulls through and does exactly what you said. Tommy, I appreciate you, man. JR, real quick. They used to run a PSA, not too long ago, on CPR. The tagline was, the perfect compression rate for CPR is to the beat of staying alive from Saturday Night Fever.

I don't know if that's true, but I'm almost positive they used to run a PSA like that. Welcome back. Chef, kudos to you for holding that down last night. That was awesome. Bye, y'all. Thank you, Tommy, for calling from New Orleans. Well, that's certainly a new thing for CPR. Hit him with a little Saturday Night Fever, the beat, okay? That's a little jokey joke there.

I can dig it. One thing that he did mention is Ryan Clark from Louisiana. He was also a stealer, and he did an amazing job last night on the fly doing something that no one wants to do and is very difficult to do.

I had to help do it here in Atlanta with Kobe Bryant, and he had to do it last night on a national audience for the situation on Monday Night Football with DeMar Hamlin. And Ryan Clark, he put it into perspective for what seemed like two or three hours. This is one of his comments that I think was very important in the moment last night on ESPN. There was no more playing again tonight, Yves. There was no more next play because for DeMar Hamlin, there may not ever be a next play. For DeMar Hamlin, they may not ever be another breath. These men tonight in all their years of football saw something they had never seen.

And I heard Lisa Salters talk about what they had to witness. Everybody is going through this right now. DeMar Hamlin's mother, Nina, had to come down out of the stands and ride to the hospital with her baby. Yeah, I know he's 24 years old, but it's never going to change what he means to her. This is about a brother. This is about a son. This is about a cousin. This is about a homeboy. This is about a teammate. This isn't about a football player. The lives of DeMar Hamlin and his family, the lives of the Buffalo Bills, the lives of the Cincinnati Bengals are forever changed tonight in a split second.

That's how fast it can happen. What else is there to say at that? It's the JR Sport Brief Show here with you on CBS Sports Radio. I'm going to get more of your calls in before we roll out. So if you have any any thoughts, if you have anything you want to share, we have gotten some some great information from multiple callers tonight on on learning CPR, where you can be involved in your local community, where you might be able to want to help other people, whether it be the American Lung Association, the Red Cross, your your local fire department. We have we have been able to to find, learn and share some information tonight that I'm sure some people will be able to to take advantage of. So if you have any thoughts, we'll get you on the line in the last segment of the show. It's your chance right now.

855-212-4CBS. I'll talk to you on the other side when we come back. You're listening to the JR Sport Brief on CBS Sports Radio. You're listening to the JR Sport Brief on CBS Sports Radio. Hey, JR, thanks for taking my car. You have a great show. I listen to you on my midnight shift every night.

Call in now at 855-212-4CBS. I appreciate you for listening to me appreciation every place. OK, it's my last segment of the show for tonight.

First show of twenty twenty three. Not necessarily what you expect or think about. You already have, you know, an idea of what you will be discussing around this time of year.

And certainly it wasn't what took place last night with DeMar Hamlin. We've gone through many callers. I opened up the show by telling you, giving you an update. We heard from a lot of the different NFL players and coaches. We've heard from you, you know, and we've a lot of what we heard from you is information as to how other people can help and be involved to help potentially save someone else's life.

And so whether it's going to Red Cross or whether it is going to we're checking out the American Lung Association. One of our callers let everyone know that you can check in with your local fire department. And then one of our callers right now from New Orleans before the break. He said that you can actually learn how to perform CPR on someone with the rhythm of staying alive from Saturday night fever. And I actually got a tweet and thank you so much from Dame Donaldson. If you check out my Twitter at J.R. sport brief, please actually do check it out.

You will see DC Fire and EMS teaching people how to perform CPR to the rhythm of staying alive. And so that's on my Twitter at J.R. sport brief. I just tweeted it out.

Please do safely check it out if and when you can. Please don't jump on Twitter if you're out here driving. Let's get to some of your calls in before I have to roll out. Amy Lawrence will come through at the top of the hour. Let's hit the phones right now. That's eight five five two one two four CBS. Nate is here from Illinois. You're on the J.R. sport brief show. Thanks, J.R. for taking my call.

First off, kudos to Shep last night, home down with Sean again tonight for you guys. I mean, it's incredible. And when it happened last night, unfortunately, I brought back flashbacks.

My dad had a similar situation collapsed in the family room. And I thought the prayers go out to the Hamlin family. I know it's not it's not easy. You know, condolences, prayers, time and energy. I mean, you just don't know.

It's dark and somber. You don't know what's going on. And everybody wants answers. But, you know, you don't get answers right away. And, you know, unfortunately, I experienced the first hand and it's tough to see a family member go through it. But anybody to go through it, you don't wish it upon anybody. But it's just so hard to get any news out of anything because, you know, everybody's so careful.

And you don't want to get told the wrong thing or anything. And I know this is on a bigger magnitude than what my dad went through because it was just a family. But still, I mean, it just takes so much time and energy out of the family and everybody else to try to just pull through this. I mean, it's it's it's terrible what happened.

And it just it brought back so many flashbacks of what happened, you know, with me. And you just take life for granted every day. You know, I got two little girls now at home. And, you know, you just tell them this morning, they're like, Daddy, why are you doing it? I'm like, you just never know, girls.

You just you just never know. And you got to take everything every day, day by day, step by step and just enjoy life as it comes. You know, right. So well, thank you, Nate. Appreciate those words from Illinois. All the best to you and your family.

OK, thanks. I appreciate it. Thank you, Jay.

No doubt about it. Let's go from Illinois. Let's go to Canada and talk to Alan. Your CBS Sports Radio.

Hi, Jay. This is where Roger Goodell is going to be earning his paycheck. I know it's a minor point that at such a time, but you can't reschedule an NFL game like you can with baseball.

Play a double header or or look for an update in hockey or basketball. It's not that you just can't do it. And you and your you and your fellow colleagues, you are all earning your paycheck right now. You're showing your true professionalism.

It's a it's a very, very difficult time. And you're showing the class and dignity and an honor that you always had. I can speak for myself, probably for a lot, a lot of other people. You you're shooting my sadness considerably. And two points I'd like to make here.

The NFL is one big fraternity, whether your teammates or opponents. And what strikes one of them strikes them all. They are all wounded right now, as far as I'm concerned. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually. It's a very, very difficult time right now. And my my heart goes out to all concerns.

It's you know, it's a very, very trying and difficult situation. And I'd like to commend you, J.R., on your you're at your very best under these adverse conditions that they are adverse conditions. And you're doing remarkably well. And I just keep up the good work.

And you're really you're really short. You really are earning your paycheck now and very happy to be listening to you. Thank you very much for everything. Thank you, Alan, for calling from Toronto. Appreciate you. Let's go to Chicago and talk to Rob. You're on CBS Sports Radio. Hey, J.R., first time caller, longtime listener. I was a regular with David Stein back in the day. I'm glad you're here now, Rob.

Go ahead. It's an honor to be on with you for show of the year. You guys have absolutely knocked it out of the park.

Perfect perspectives on everything. I wish we could talk about everything else, like you mentioned in the last segment, everything else happening in sports. Giannis, basketball, the actual football to. Last night was supposed to be an amazing game is going to be until one of the most the most unprecedented event in a sports game ever. There's no comparison. You guys were mentioning O.J. and Kobe.

Those weren't endgame, but sort of the same effect. I'd put Tiger in there, too, that morning. You know, he was going down the driveway.

But the only other reason there is no comparison is Erickson and the Euros, where he collapsed on the field. I was like you sitting on my couch watching the game. I got up and I missed the play. I come back and I just see everyone huddled like, what happened?

He digs his face. Oh, this is this is not good at all. Find the clip on Twitter. It's insanity. Well, we can we can all hold tight and hope for the best results. Rob, I think that's all we all can do at this point. I appreciate you, man. Send good vibes and I'll make this quicker.

I'm sorry. But the build organization and the Bengals, all the fans, the players, just, you know. Amazing, amazing people.

McDermott and Taylor get a lot of props. Tomlin and Rogers said all the right things. The NFL doing the right thing by not scheduling it again, because until we know he's OK. That's the only thing that matters. Not the game.

Nothing else matters except this young man's health. I didn't know. I'm a sports fanatic. I didn't know who he was until last night. And everything that, you know, listening for the last hour on hold, he sounds like an amazing human being.

Yeah, no doubt about it. Well, thank you, Rob, for calling from Chicago. I'm sorry. He's he's hit a pause.

I had the ready to roll. Sorry about that. Paul is here from Rhode Island. You're on CBS Sports Radio. Thank you, Jay. Good luck this year and everything.

Let me get back to what I want to talk about. The NFL was looking for that young man, that human being to twiggle his toes, roll his hands and say a few words, because if it was by the NFL, they would say, well, see, we've had guys cut off in a cut off the field. It took McDermott to look at his team so distraught to see that none of those guys ever saw that. Not in high school, not in college, not in professional football. The man should swallow his pride and be the ambassador and that whole team. OK, for the for the NFL for injury. The reason I say that.

If I was them, I would take that loss and I would use anybody that wants to play me home or away. OK, there will never be another cut off person in this situation. It was unusual, but we've seen this over and over and over the pub. The poor young man is probably numb, but I feel for that mother. I feel for that mother because this is a genuine player that was trying to progress and make money for his family.

In the NFL. And unfortunately, the face of those men. That's not broken bones. That's not a a head injury, a head injury. You can get up.

Flick your fingers, flick your arms like we saw in the past. OK, but I'll tell you this. This is a learning experience under this particular circumstances. That this will never happen. That a coach can obviously say, look at my guys.

You don't want to play this game. I think it was. And thank you, Paul, for calling from Rhode Island.

I think it was a I think it was a joint. I think it was a joint message that we were not going to play this game, obviously. And Aaron Aaron Rodgers said it the best. And he gave credit to Zach Taylor from the Bengals. Listen to what Aaron Rodgers had to say earlier today on the Pat McAfee show.

I do want to say this as well. Like, I think one person who deserves a lot of credit in the situation is Coach Taylor. I saw him walk across the field and just the empathy that I saw in his face and the way he handled that thing. And then obviously because Coach McDermott, I mean, like, oh, this is your guy. Right. Like and he was going through it.

But just the way that he it wasn't even a question. No, we're not going to play this game. What are you talking about? Do you need more time? Do you need any time?

You won't even play. I mean, that felt like that was a conversation right there. So big kudos to Zach for not saying, oh, hey, let's know we're going to play this.

You have five minutes game. I know it's your you know, the there could have been so many insensitive, you know, obviously in the moment and also hindsight for sure. Moments that that could have been had right there. But I thought he handled that thing the exact right way. And whether or not, you know, we can second guess the NFL and all the decisions afterwards. But I don't know how it had not been for Zach, you know, and Coach McDermott coming together where they have not gone to locker room and tried to play.

Because playing at that point was not even close to important as this young man's life. Tim is here from Maryland. You're going to have the last words and you have 30 seconds. Thank you, JR.

I know I'll be quick. I don't know. You probably don't remember me.

It doesn't matter. I used to call all the time, but me, which is a little more than I remember. Yeah, go ahead. The day before Thanksgiving, I totaled my car and and, you know, the first responders had to pry me out of that car. And, you know, I tell anybody, you know, when you get those things in the mail about support your, you know, first responders, please do it. I mean, those people saved my life. And that's the reason I'm able to talk to you right now. And I think they saved that young man's life in that game. And I think that's why he's going to survive this.

I believe that. Well, I'm just talking to you all. It's finally I got to talk to you. Well, I love you too, Tim. I'm glad that you're still here and able to call me. And I appreciate you one more time for bringing up all the people who who save other people's lives for a living. And I'm thrilled and happy to hear from you. I'm sorry to hear about your accident.

I'm glad that that you're here. I look forward. Call me back tomorrow again, Tim.

OK, I will do that. Thank you. Most certainly. Hey, Shep, thank you for tonight. And more importantly, I want to thank everybody for listening. I hope that we can all maybe have learned some type of lesson as to what we can do individually to support tomorrow.

But then also other people who are in similar situations. Much love to he and his family as we all just wait. It's the JR sport.

We show here with you on CBS Sports Radio. Be smooth. Be cool. Be well. I'll be back with you tomorrow. 10 p.m. Eastern, 7 Pacific.

Don't move here. Amy Lawrence. She is up next. If you're feeling down and having trouble getting up in the morning, here's a tip. Brush your teeth.

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