It's the JR Sport Reshow here with you coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network. This is an interesting time of the sports calendar. We're waiting on the NFL combine. We got the NBA season starting up. We just saw the Super Bowl.
But right now, we got to take some time to talk to someone who is very special. This man plays in the NFL. He's a two-time Super Bowl champion. But more importantly, he helps protect all of us all over the country. He's a part of the US Navy. He's a lieutenant in the reserves. He went to the US Naval Academy where he balled out. He's a New England patriot.
It's Joe Cardona. Joe, how are you, man? I'm good, JR. Appreciate you having me.
No doubt. Well, first, besides all that Patriots stuff, thank you for everything that you do to help protect the country. Thank you for doing your part, man. We appreciate you. Yeah, no, it's a pleasure. It's an honor to be a service member. It's an honor to wear the uniform. And it really hits home when we're out there playing and we get to kind of see what it means to secure that right for us to go out there and do that and the privilege it is. Well, before we talk about what you do with the Patriots, what you do in the offseason, you're used to participating in Super Bowls with the Patriots.
You're only like the fourth long snapper ever selected that has been drafted. Do you watch the Super Bowl? Are you tied into the playoffs when you're not participating?
The Patriots are rebuilding, we notice. Yeah, no, it's tough. When I first came in the league, it was routine to be a part of. And that's such a and I understand now the privilege and honor it is to have that to get to play in those games. I definitely miss them, but I can't leave. I can't leave football too far behind if it's going on. So I try not to stay too invested, but I do enjoy watching the games. I enjoy the amount of pressure that those games bring. You know, and I think that's what I miss most is that pressure packed environment, you know, and those are those are the things that that kind of go unknown to the general public.
But but when it's when you're a player in it, it's different level. Joe Cardona is here with us on the JR Sport Brief show playing for the Patriots, like you said, used to being in a Super Bowl. Were you surprised at what took place this past week or last week with the Kansas City Chiefs?
I don't think anybody. It's hard to say you're surprised with one performance or the other, but I think what what really shocked everyone was just how prepared Philadelphia came into that game for the, you know, the emotional aspect of the game. And it, you know, they played in it a few years earlier, obviously lost, but they seem to take the lessons from that game and implement them. And they were prepared for every moment. You know, they had their their players that weren't a part of the last Super Bowl ready, you know, from the opening kickoff. And it was it was it was very impressive to watch, you know, the game they put together and, you know, offensively and defensively.
So I think that was the biggest surprise was just how prepared the Eagles were. Well, Joe, when you're not a captain for the New England Patriots, you have another job, as I mentioned, a lieutenant for the Naval Reserve. What does that job look like? What does a typical offseason look like for you?
Yeah, so for me, off season is off season time to get to work in the other job. You know, I've been an officer in the United States Navy for for 10 years, just as I've been just as long as I've been playing professional football. So as I as I kind of get my footing in the in in professional football and I climb up the ranks and, you know, I'm doing the same on on the Navy side. Now, for me, I've had the privilege of being a member of Maritime Security Squadron, Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron eight. That's my unit. And we are we're based out of Newport Island.
But, you know, we have detachments all across the eastern seaboard and I'm in charge of logistics for the for the whole squadron. So it's been it's been a it's been a really cool experience. You get to see a totally different side of the world, different problems, different issues than we're used to looking at in a football locker room. So for me, it's a it's a little bit of a nice respite outside of the game. Joe Cardona is here with us, the J.R. sport ratio coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network.
How have you measured that balance? Because you participated in football at the Naval Academy. You got drafted to the New England Patriots. That's a real balance to have two jobs.
Most athletes are just doing one. No, I think my training at the Naval Academy really prepared me for the challenges that I faced early in my career. Early in my career, I was on active duty. I was I was doing both jobs. You know, the Navy essentially said you're here throughout the week.
And then on weekends, we don't care what you do. You know, for me, as I roger that, I understand what you're saying. So, you know, that was a grind.
That was a different level. You know, that first year of my career, you know, we made it all the way to an AC championship game. And then I rolled straight down into into some follow on training for jobs, specific stuff the next week. So that was my experience early in my career. And then now, as we progress, I'm reservists just like, you know, so many others out there, you know, so many people, you know, share that same title.
You know, a lot of moms, a lot of dads out there that are reservists that show up on weekends, you know, put on the uniform and then have to go straight to work that next week. So, you know, I've done I think for me, it's it's awesome because I had both jobs to keep me in shape. Both jobs keep me super humble. Like there's no doubt. Like you go out on the field not prepared.
You're going to get you're going to get humbled. And then the same deal if you're not prepared for what you need to do on the military side, there are much bigger consequences. So my take on it is that I have the two greatest jobs in the world. And, you know, it's a different challenge set.
It's a different different different set of problems that we look at. But, you know, there's a lot of similarities. Well, Joe, we know that Bill Belichick is one of the greatest NFL coaches, one of the greatest coaches ever. He's always talked about his affinity of familial, of course, with the Navy and the armed forces.
We know he's down in North Carolina. What was that experience like knowing that you had a guy who was openly expressed his love for our armed forces? No, they the organization as a whole, you know, really, really were super supportive. And I'd say Bill, you know, was a major part of that from the moment I stepped in that building. You know, there is an expectation that, you know, performance was first and that never left. But there is certainly a, you know, a degree of reverence for, you know, our service members and an understanding that what I had to do outside of football was also important.
And I would say that's that that's not always the case. So for me, I'm you know, I had some pretty, pretty special moments. You know, when I got promoted lieutenant, I was in front of the front of the Patriots.
I was in front of the team. You know, I had numerous opportunities to speak to the team about different things going on. But that just be, you know, about about about veterans, about about different challenges they're facing or about, hey, what's going on?
What's going on in the world? You know that when when major events would happen and, you know, it's a good opportunity for us to zoom out and say, hey, we're out here playing a game. It's important.
But let's keep in mind that there's a whole other there's a whole other world out there with a lot bigger issues going on. So Coach Belichick always was sure to have me on my toes on and off the field. So I was always prepared for those moments to step in front of the team. New England Patriot Joe Cardone is here with us on the JR Sportbrief show. We know you have a new coach that's coming in and Mike Vrabel was certainly had a lot of success out in Tennessee and is now back with the New England Patriots.
What have you seen so far that encourages you that things are going to turn around? Yeah, I think, you know, knowing the the obvious resume, the you know, the the respect that, you know, I had when we played his teams in Tennessee, how tough they were, you know, from top to bottom of the roster. That's something we see on special teams, as you see kind of a broad array of the roster. You see superstars out there. You see, you know, practice squad elevations out there.
And every single one of those guys we played with the Titans was tough. So for me, I'm looking forward to proving myself to Coach Vrabel and proving that I still have a place in this league, proving that I'm a tough player. And, you know, I think I think the one thing, you know, we share that common bond of having played for the Patriots, having had success. And I think there's a real motivation and an understanding that, you know, football there in Foxborough, it's supposed to mean something. And, you know, I think we have a motivation to get that back. Joe, you talk about still proving yourself. You've been in the NFL for the better part of of now a decade.
You certainly are doing your part outside of the organization. We know the NFL draft is about a week away. What are your thoughts on on all the young men that are preparing for that, getting ready to to move on from the college space into the NFL? What are your thoughts there?
Yeah. I mean, it's a super interesting time, you know, and 10 years ago when I was getting drafted into the NFL, it was a you know, it was it was a similar daunting task. You're still interviewing. You're still doing, you know, what's what will be, you know, the most important, most intense transition of your life. Leaving college football where your student athlete, where you're, you know, you're you're making sure that there's a lot going on in your life to to transitioning into being a professional environment.
And I think that's one thing that I look forward to interacting with these young men that come in this building. And, you know, there just needs to be an understanding that, hey, this is this is work now. You know, there's no more scholarships.
There's there's no more transfer portal. This is the National Football League. You either, you know, you either make the plays or, you know, this this job doesn't last long. So for me, I just I just want to, you know, encourage them to enjoy this process, enjoy the combine. I mean, I enjoyed the combine. For me, the combine was a week off of being a midshipman at the Naval Academy. And yeah, we had to wake up early at the combine and go work out an interview. And I was like, this is great.
I just got it. All I got to do is work out and not have to worry about my electrical engineering grade. This is awesome. So, you know, for me personally, I enjoyed the process. It's a long process. It's stressful. But then, you know, it culminated with me getting drafted the New England Patriots right after they'd won a Super Bowl. And there is a stark reality once I entered that building that they did not need me, but I needed to find a way to prove to them that I belonged. So it's it's it's a special thing.
Man, U.S. Naval Reserves, New England Patriots, you're doing real double duty. It doesn't sound like you get a day off, Joe.
Yeah, no, trying to enjoy a little bit of the off season now. But, you know, it's it's a it's a pleasure to to get to work. And it's a it's a you know, like I said, it's just about keeping keeping an opportunity to prove myself.
We know everybody listening. They can go to Navy dot com to find out more information if they want to get involved. What words do you have for anyone who might be interested in joining? Yeah, no, I think for those that are interested in joining the Navy or joining the armed forces in general. But but when you talk about specifically the opportunities that the Navy's afforded me, you know, it encourages excellence. It's an organization that when you step into its ranks, you have the opportunity, the opportunity to succeed and the opportunity to succeed at the highest level when it comes to the things that the Navy is going around the world and doing in support of our partners and support of our allies. And when it comes down to it, the United States Navy is always an operational entity. So every time a ship leaves port, you know, it is it is securing the freedom for, you know, the many, many millions of individuals that are here in the United States. So the opportunities are endless. You know, there's there's so many there's so many things that I believe with all with every fiber of my being about about our military. You know, the benefits are great, but when it comes down to it, if you want to do something exciting and important, there's no better arena to step into and encourage everybody to check out Navy dot com. Joe, before I let you get out of here, any advice on me joining the Patriots or is that kind of a moot point not happening, right?
J.R., I think the best thing you can do is is try to learn the long stamp if you're trying to join the Patriots that the guy there is pretty old and, you know, but no, in all seriousness. Yeah, no, that guy that just just keep at it, man. You got a good get going. All right. OK, I don't want to take your job. Maybe you could take my maybe we switch for a day. Let's let's go ask Coach Rabel and see what he says.
OK, sounds good to me. Hey, thank you, Joe, so much. Where can people follow you and everything that you do, Joe? I mean, at this point, turn the turn the TV on on Sundays. That's that's that's the only place I'm out there to prove myself. So, you know, that that's where you can find me, you know, and I'm I'm happily without social media.
Hey, you are living the life. Thank you so much to Joe Cardona, a service member in the U.S. Naval Reserve, as well as New England Patriots long snap.
I am not taking his job. It's the J.R. sport brie show here with you coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network. We're going to take a break when we come back. We're going to get all set and ready for the top six list.
