You know when you're locked in, focused and fearless. Your vision narrows, you can't look away. Every assist, every stop, every logo three. From beyond! And the logo.
Every did you see? See that moment? You can! What records are going to be broken this season? All of it.
Right here. Lock in. It's the WNBA on ESPN, all season long. This is The Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody!
Can't get enough of the Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show?
We've got a podcast, so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part: our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com/slash rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment.
Now, on with the show. Mm-hmm. Live from Plymouth, Michigan. Can the Wolverines survive in advance? This is the Rich Eisen Show.
Michigan, the men's basketball national champions. The Rich Eisen Show. In this hour, Michigan defends it back. John Henry Daly. Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood.
Plus your phone calls, latest news, and more. And now, it's Rich Isen. Hour number three of the Rich Eisen Show from the great state of Michigan is on the air here on Disney Plus, as well as the ESPN app and ESPN Radio and SiriusXM Channel 80. If you've been with us for the first two hours, you know we've been hanging here at the fourth annual Champions Circle Golf Classic featuring the new head coach of Michigan football, Kyle Whittingham. We've been having one guest after another, including Coach Whittingham himself.
And we've been having a pretty darn good time here, if I may say so, as a University of Michigan class of 1990 graduate who is a you-know-what and you-know-what sitting here all first two hours. If you missed the first two hours, there's our podcast version of the show. The show will live on Disney Plus for you to check out whenever you want. And then there's our YouTube channel as well, youtube.com/slash RichEison Show. Later on in this hour, Bryce Underwood, the second-year quarterback of the Michigan football program, will be joining us.
But right now, a new member of the Michigan football team, one of the top portal transfers. Transfers in all of college football, certainly at the edge rusher position, formerly of Utah and BYU football, but now of Michigan. John Henry Daly is here. Good to see you, sir. See you as well.
How are you? Good to see you. Doing fantastic. Loving it out here. You do, do you?
I do.
Okay. All right, now let's start with your story first up.
Okay. Okay. And before how you got here, you are originally from the state of California. You were telling me just before you came on the air here. Grew up in Moor Park, California.
Okay. And then my family, we moved up to Utah when I was in middle school.
Okay, when did you know you wanted to start playing football and rushing the passer? Man, I mean, my dad and a ton of my uncles played football, and so growing up, and you know, I had an older brother as well, who kind of set the tone for me. And I was like, man, football seems like a really fun sport to play.
Okay. And when did you start playing My dad didn't let me start playing.
Well, I didn't start playing Edge till probably eighth grade or ninth grade.
Okay. And then I started playing football when I was about in sixth grade.
Okay. Yeah. And so when did you know this is exactly what you loved to do and wanted to do for you? I think it was probably the end of my sophomore year. I just loved competing and I was able to play with my older brother in high school.
And as we got to the end of the season, I said, man, I think I really love this. I'm ready to, you know, dedicate myself to this sport. And growing up, who was the guy that you said I want to be like in the NFL? J.J. Watt.
J.J. Watt. Yes. Why is that? He's just the most dominant defensive player at the time.
I mean, I think he had two consecutive 26 seasons. And J.J. Swatt, he had all these crazy picks and great sacks. And yeah, I want to emulate his game. You do know that he will not be rooting for you.
As a collegiate football player. I do know that. Like when you were playing in BYU and Utah, you might have been like, oh, okay, this guy's trying to emulate me. But now that you've joined Michigan, He's a Wisconsin badger who might root for you some of the time, but against Wisconsin, that's just not going to happen. That's all right.
It's all right. You're fine with that. It's okay. And are you the type of guy that will seek out somebody who tweets at them saying, hey, I didn't want to bother you at breakfast?
So, you know, yeah, I did see that. That was actually really cool. No, I don't try not to hop on Twitter too much. You know, X, I don't know which one people call it DJ. Everybody's got an opinion online, you know, and so you just kind of got to worry about the opinions that matter.
But he found that guy and said, you know, hey, I'll meet you for a beer. And you actually met the guy for a beer. That's pretty cool. Is that part of your DNA as well? That sort of thing?
Or no? With what?
Sorry. Just meeting people. Oh, yeah. If people want to go take a photo with me or do anything, I'm super excited.
Well, that's cool, man. All right.
So now, when did you?
So you go to BYU, right? Right. And then you went on a two-year mission? I went on a two-year mission right out of high school. Right out of high school.
Yes. So you're 18 years old. 18. In Brazil? Is that where you went?
Yep, it was Brasilia, the capital city in Brazil. What did you do there? Preached the gospel.
So taught people about Jesus Christ and his gospel and things that they can do to be more happy in this life.
Okay. And you were there for two years at a mission? Is that where you were? Yes. Okay.
It was a fantastic experience. Was that your first dorm life? Was Brazilian? Yes, it was. I had a lot of Brazilian companions, had a lot of people from Argentina that I came and lived with.
So it was kind of interesting because a lot of people had these freshman year experiences, right, coming to college. And I guess mine was in a foreign country. in Brazil with people of foreign nationalities as well. No kidding. Are you bilingual now?
I am. You are. I am. I fluently speak Portuguese. You do?
I do.
Okay. Yes. Um do you know how to like maybe Talk smack in Portuguese or something like that? Yeah, talking trash, you know, and you don't do too much of that as a missionary, so I wouldn't say I'm up to par.
Well, you do that as a football player. I do, so maybe I need to practice it a little bit more, but I wasn't playing football in Brazil. How do you say go blue in Portuguese? Uh, viazul. Good.
See? You passed the test.
Now you can stay.
So then you go from BYU to Utah. That's right. And that's where you first met Kyle Whittingham for the first time? That's correct.
Okay. What do you like about him so much? Man, I think I just like that he's old school. I think he's got high expectations, and you know, a lot of people sometimes don't know the blueprint on how to get things done. And he's just like, hey, it's hard work, dedication, and you're going to come in, you're going to clock in every single day, and you're going to build confidence in yourself and also in your teammates by how hard you work and seeing the dedication that others put in.
So I can really appreciate somebody who doesn't kind of go for these outside variables but says, hey, control what you can control, and you're going to be successful.
Okay. And so when he first. Um Hmm. Where do I go here? Because I don't want to get you in any spot.
In any way, shape, or form. But did you get a sense? that when he um left Utah, if that's one way to put it, that he was Not done coaching? Did you get that sense? To be honest, I had no idea.
What do you mean? I had no idea, like, what was going on with the whole thing. I just knew that he had decided to step down from Utah, and I didn't really have an inkling of what his future had helped me. You didn't know that when he stepped down from Utah that that was potentially happening? No, I mean, I was injured, right?
I just suffered my injury, and then, of course, you hear these rumors on TV, and you're like, oh man, like, what's happening? But, I mean, I didn't know anything else other than that.
Okay, so then when he left, though, you were thinking, I now have an opportunity to leave as well? Is that what was going through your head? Yeah, I think I was like, man, you know, he left, and then Coach Powell left, and then I was like, okay. Man, those those are my guys right there. And so, what happened with you next?
Because you're rehabbing a lower, do we call it a lower leg injury? What do we call it? Yeah, you could call it Achilles injury, or whatever. I don't know. I don't think that's dancing around a subject that hasn't really been confirmed in a way.
So, you hurt your Achilles. Uh-huh. Yep.
Okay. Ruptured my Achilles, received surgery, and then, yeah, I went in the portal and then had a lot of different universities reaching out to me. But I think. One of the most important things that you can find, especially in sport and in coaches, is somebody who believes in you, who has high expectations of you, and who's going to hold you accountable to play at a certain level. And I'd already, you know, let these coaches know from the previous year, you know, kind of my expectations on how good of a player I want to be.
And that's something that comes in every single day I try to hold myself accountable for: hey, am I coming in today and I'm being the player that I want to be? And having coaches who not only believe in you but hold you accountable and say, hey, you said you're going to be this dude.
Well, hey, you don't have a lot of energy. I practice today. You better pick it up and stuff like that. I mean, that's just something that you don't find everywhere.
So that's why you were interested in coming here, right? Absolutely.
Okay. And so champion circle as well. That they're the benefactors of today's event, or they're the ones who are running today's event. What are they? come to the table with Outside of what people would think might be on the table for someone like yourself, as talented as you.
What did they. Put on the table to say if you come to Michigan, we'll be happy to link you up with X, Y, and Z. Yeah, I mean, outside of the whole NIL thing, it was kind of like this is Michigan, right? And that was kind of the sales pitch. It's like we have the largest alignment base in the entire country.
And if you come here, you're not only setting yourself up, you know, football-wise, because you're on the largest stage in all the college football, but you have people all across the world who rock the block M, and you're going to have a brotherhood, you know, of. You know, tens of thousands of people who are extremely successful who are going to help you out for the rest of your life. And I thought that was super cool, especially since being here, meeting all the alumni, all the cool people, and just how much of a brotherhood it really is where you want to help out the other person and you pay it forward. And hey, I'm wearing a block M and I'm getting, you know, go blue everywhere, right, across the country. And it's a fantastic experience.
Did they hook you up with commercial real estate during the summer and stuff like that? They hooked me up with a couple internships.
So I was like, that's fantastic. Yeah, I've been super interested in getting into that.
So it's been great. That's that you're already thinking about other things that you want to do outside of football? Yeah, I mean, real estate, I mean, I'd love to have that as a hobby. And then once I'm done with my football career, turn that into a full-time.
Okay, cool.
So just hitting your, you're ready to roll, you're healthy, you're ready to go? I am. Okay, cool.
And so, what do you feel that you can bring? to this team. That's, as you know, you're joining at a pretty crucial crossroads of this football program. Um what do you think you can bring? this team.
Man, um Honestly, I think I'd say I'm a glue guy. I like to bring people together. I like to keep things a little bit light-hearted, work hard, work serious when you need to work serious. But other than that, be able to bring guys together and kind of develop that brotherhood and that friendship in between players. I think as a player, I bring grit, I bring toughness and a relentless motor.
I think I bring high expectations of being able to, for everybody around me, to play at a high level, and that's the expectation I hold myself to, that I hold my teammates to as well.
So I think those are all things I bring to the table.
Okay, so what have you been told about the rivalries here? Man, extremely serious rivalries. I mean, they've been teaching me about it a little bit. The Ohio State won the game, and they said it's the biggest thing you've ever seen.
Okay. Yeah, I can confirm this. I can confirm this. First of all, you know, it's the Ohio State, okay? But if you really, that's the way they refer to themselves, the Ohio State, because they don't want you to get confused with an Ohio State, or you can be totally confused by that.
But if you really want to piss him off, just call him Ohio. Ohio? Yeah. Has anyone told you that yet? No.
Yeah. I'm taking off the state.
Okay. Yeah. So that's something I should just refer to them and not. Yeah, just casual. Just casual.
Okay. Like it would, it would, let's just put it this way. I don't mean to drag you down to my level. You're clearly high class, okay? But it would be great if during the week leading up.
To the game when you're standing at a podium or you're standing at your locker or whatever, and it's just casually. Drop Ohio. Like, yeah, I've always wanted to play against Ohio, you know, or something like that. Or I've been watching Ohio this year. That's great, yeah.
Because they also don't say our team's name. Are you aware of that either? No. Yeah. I don't know.
They call us the school, that school up north or T-T-U-N. That's how they refer to us. They X out the letter M in all of their. Um, in all of their M words for the week, if not just us, yeah, okay, it's dumb.
Okay, just casual Ohio. Yeah, so just don't go down to that level, just okay, just throw out a casual, you know, Ohio. Like, hey, you know, I'll remember, you know, you know, and Michigan State, um, Mike Hart once referred to them as little brother. Yes, that's why you're aware of that. I am, I am aware that really pisses them off, really does.
I mean, from what I've been hearing, it's true, though.
So, I don't know. Yeah, so you're getting the hang of it. And, you know, I told Coach again earlier today, he's got to, he's no, he can't be friends with Urban Meyer anymore, man. Oh, he's got to cut it off. He's got to.
Okay. I don't know if you claim, clearly, that's up. That's that's up the flow chart from you. Yeah, that's out of mind. Has Aiden Hutchinson reached out to you?
No, not yet. I'd love to be able to talk with Aiden, but we've got to get that done. I know. I would love that.
Okay, because he can tell you, he can confirm everything that I've just said. Because his dad played here when I went to school. I'm an old man. Yeah, I'm old. But class of 90, and I'm as.
uh emotionally affected by the um Results of Michigan football today, as I've always been. And I'm excited to have you as part of the program. And I appreciate you choosing Michigan and you hooking up with the program and obviously Champion Circle and everything else.
So congratulations on that. Thank you. What's your goal? Give me, you got numbers? You've written anything down?
You know, I got some personal goals I don't share with everybody. I'd say, as a team, though, you know, obviously Big Ten championship, and then go compete and play for a national championship.
Okay. So, and then for, you know, just some vague goals, just to be dominant. You know, I want to be able to go out there and do what I do every single down and be a force to be reckoned with.
Okay, would you mind trying that one more time?
Okay. Because you gotta before the Big Ten championship and before the college football playoff, it comes. Beating Ohio. You know what I mean? Like, can you casually throw that in?
So let me start again.
Okay. I'm getting you up for practicing. Gotcha. Casually throwing a beat Ohio and then go on with the rest of it.
Okay. So what are your goals for this year? Have you written any down? Yeah, you know, I've written down a bunch, but I'd say more of the team goals is obviously when you come out, dominate every game, and then beat Ohio, go on and win a Big Ten championship, and then a national. Round of applause, everybody.
That's John Henry Daly, everybody, now part of the Michigan football program. Congrats on all that. I wish you the best of luck, and hopefully, I'll see you at the next level as well. Thank you. You bet.
Good to see you. You bet. That is John Henry Daly, right here of the University of Michigan football team. Before we take a break, I just want to let you know that when you run a small business, you don't just do the job, you're also the hiring manager, the payroll department, the benefits team, usually all before lunch. Gusto takes a few of those off your plate quickly and seamlessly.
Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. It's all in one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use. You can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere. Unlimited payroll runs for one monthly price. No hidden fees, no surprises.
Save time with built-in automated tools on top of it. Offer letters, onboarding docs, direct deposit, and more. It's quick and simple to switch to Gusto. Just transfer your existing data to get up and running fast. Plus, don't pay a cent until you run your first payroll.
Try Gusto today at Gusto. gusto.com slash rich and get three months free when you run your first payroll. That's three months of free payroll at gusto.com slash rich. Again, that's gusto.com slash rich. We're back with Bryce Underwood here in hour three of our day at Michigan.
The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Rich Eisen here for Gusto. On my shows, we talk a lot about what happens in the spotlight, the games, the highlights, and the moments that get replayed and debated. But in any successful operation, what happens behind the scenes matters just as much. Small businesses are no different.
Payroll, hiring, onboarding, benefits, and all the details that keep things moving may not be the most visible part of the job, but they still have to be handled right. That's where Gusto comes in. Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. It's all-in-one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use.
So you can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere. Automatic payroll, tax filing, simple direct deposits, health benefits, commuter benefits, workers' comp, 401k-you name it. Gusto makes it simple and has options for nearly every budget. And it's all built to save you time with built-in automated tools for offer letters, onboarding docs, direct deposit, and more. Plus, you get unlimited payroll runs.
For one monthly price. No hidden fees, no surprises. Try Gusto today at gusto.com/slash rich and get three months free when you run your first payroll. That's three months of free payroll at gusto.com/slash rich. One more time, gusto.com slash rich.
Rich Eisen here. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire costs time and money, but the right one helps your business grow. The challenge? Finding that person without sorting through resumes.
That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro comes in. It screens candidates so you can focus on conversations with qualified talent. With Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence and build the team you need. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com/slash Eisen.
Terms and conditions apply. While the world watches the stars at the FIFA World Cup this summer, Hyundai has its eyes on the next generation of talent, future stars who are already turning heads at age 14. Because Next doesn't wait for an invitation and neither do we. Hyundai has always moved the future within reach. We did it when we made advanced safety standard on every vehicle and engineered EVs with ultra-fast charging capability.
Because the future isn't some far-off concept. It's already here.
Next starts now. Hyundai, an official partner of FIFA. And the radio audience has rejoined. I'm having a nice chit-chat with Bryce Underwood, University of Michigan quarterback. In that chair, about an hour ago sat coach Kyle Whittingham.
Yes, sir. I asked him about you, and the first words out of his mouth is: Bryce is our guy. Has he vocalized that to you? Of course. He displayed it any opportunity that he can whenever we have a conversation.
He trusts me fully with the leadership aspect of everything, so that's a great thing to have from a head coach. When did he first say that to you? Do you recall when he first actually confirmed to you that you are the guy here on campus? I really feel like just his first day in office. You know, so just a blessing to have that trust from a head coach.
Of course. So, how did you take the The change with Coach Moore to Coach Whittingham, where did you learn about all of it? Overall, I just took it as God's plan, you know. The first thing I always do, I pray about the situation, you know, and then. Just led me back to where I was, my roots being at the University of Michigan.
So, just like everyone else, just like me and everyone else, you're looking at your phone, you're learning about it, or did you get a call about something? What was up? What was going on? Um. Learned about it, thought about it, no?
I said at the University of Michigan. Did you ever at any moment in time think I'm. You know, this isn't happening here. Like, I came here. It didn't work out for me on this campus in year one for whatever reason.
Now there's a new coach coming in. I'm out of here. No. Never came across my mind, honestly. You know, I came here and I'm going to say it's a switch up.
Well, that's great. Yeah, I mean, I would have thought first, but I'll be honest, everyone was worried, like, okay, Bryce is going to go out. Like, there's Lane Kiffin sitting there, and there were all sorts of folks, you know. Joking around that he would be waiting at the bottom of your, you know, at the bottom of your driveway of your house, basically with a sign saying, you know, you want to try this again. Did that never happen?
No. Okay. So you're here? Of course. All right.
By the way, that's great. That's great to hear.
So, what was your first conversation with Kyle Whittingham like that you're willing to share? How much of a big leadership role I'll be having to step up for this year?
So, you know, he wanted me to be me to be the leader of the team, you know, for this upcoming year. And that was really the first ever conversation that we had. What is my expectation for the next upseason coming up? You know, so. And what about your football?
advancement. How have you been working on that, Bryce? I've been working with Jordan Palmer. Trainer. It's been going pretty good.
I'm having a lot of fun, simplifying everything and just being the best I could be.
Well Jordan's been on the show many times. You picked a great one. Yes, sir. What has he been, what has he been keying on with you? Overall just simplifying everything, you know, making everything as simple as possible, easy as possible.
That's a simple way to put it. What do you mean simple? Like, how does one simplify things like that? Overall, just making the game way easier, you know, not doing too much, just being calm, relaxed, in a pocket, you know, just Was that a problem for you last year, do you think? I won't say so much of a problem, but some things I had to work on.
So, what were the things last year that you're now sitting here next to me? On the outset of this upcoming season, that you're like, I am definitely going to handle this situation. in a more experienced manner coming up this year? Um, I say being mentally stronger. Um I feel like last year was more of like, okay, see if I'm physically gifted and now it's about seeing how mentally strong I can be going throughout the season, no matter Of course, the goal is being one-on-one every single week, but no matter what, being mentally strong every game.
And what about your things like footwork and what have you? Like, are you working on that sort of thing? Of course, like I said, just being calm, being real calm in the pocket, don't look like I gotta be in a rush for everything. Just relax, calm. Yeah.
Who else have you been speaking to? Whose brains else are you picking? Um, honestly, I'm praying a lot more, you know, so I would say I'm picking the Bible a lot with that, honestly.
So it's more more than you have in your life? Of course. What caused you to reach that decision? Overall, I just feel like God has the answer to everything, you know.
So my thing is to go through the Bible, you know, see, find the answer that I need, and everything like that. What other less spiritual people have you been? Have you been seeking advice from? My parents, my family, you know. Did I hear the name Joe Burrow out of your coach's mouth earlier?
Have you spoken to Joe? I train with Joe. That's nice. You train with Joe Burrow. Yes, sir.
Now we're talking here. What are you picking up from Joe? Honestly, overall, when I was training with him, it just looked calm. It just looked easy. It looked simple, you know?
And it was just me watching. I'm like. How can one have the footwork that's so simple and then it's just so effective and so quick, you know? And I just picked it up, just watched this film more and more, and seeing the whys and everything, and then it just came to me. Interesting.
So, I mean, if you could choose somebody who you're like, it looks simple. It's calm. That guy is like that he's the paragon of that. That is his that's who he's he is Joe Burr. He's Joe Cool.
So did he has has has he given you any advice? Have you asked any advice about calm and your Yourself in that regard? Overall, it was me really just witnessing it for the first time, of course.
So I watched and then. I had Jordan explain to me what was going on, like, when am I seeing it? Why is it so simple? It just all clicked. Week one, we're going to see a different rights underwear.
Definitely.
Okay. Yes, sir. How so? I feel like how much time I put into it, honestly, you know, when I'm at home, I do it throughout the house like it's a continuous repetition of everything I've been learning.
So, throughout that, like what? You're walking from the living room to the kitchen and you're stopping and you're dealing with your footwork. Exactly. Like, quite literally, changing directions, going up the stairs, but I don't understand anything.
So, you're looking off the kitchen, throwing to the living room. Yeah, definitely. For sure. Hey, listen, whatever works, I love it. And earlier, just so you're aware, I told your coach, Whittingham, I told him.
I'm like, we've got to get. Bryce throwing on the run more. You looked far more comfortable doing that last year. Than from the pocket. Is that a fair assessment of your game from last year?
We can go with that. We can go with that. So, and it just seemed like there were times where. That just didn't happen. And again, I don't want to throw anyone into the bus here.
which is a way of me setting up an ability to potentially throw someone under the bus. But do you feel that you your talents last year were properly coordinated last year? I feel overall I could have done also a better way of showing That I fully trust the playbook and everything in those ways by staying more. I was in the field more reliable, but I feel like I could have done a little bit more on my behalf as well. I appreciate you taking accountability.
For sure. And which is, by the way, a great trait of a leader and a quarterback. And I don't mean to push you in a different direction, which means I'm about to push you in a different direction. I did ask Coach Wittingham earlier about your last year, and he basically said you didn't have a dedicated quarterback coach here last year. For sure.
Did that affect your development, do you think? Overall, it could have been more of a reason on why. I feel that having an offensive coordinator and a quarterback coach all in one, you know, the offensive coordinator have so much, like, had the game plan, had to get the thing to the receivers, linemen, tight ends, running backs, they got a whole bunch of responsibilities to take care of.
So, I mean.
Okay. You do realize that if you do exactly what you're saying, and Joe Burrow helped, you do know that Joe, despite having thrown 60 touchdown passes and gotten a ring from LSU, he still considers himself an Ohio State Buckeye at heart. Are you aware of that? Mm. I'm sure.
Okay, he does. He does, I swear to you, he does. It bothers me. Clearly, that doesn't bother him that it bothers me. But.
You can Make them very upset by going into their house next year. Do you think about stuff like that?
Well, my goal is to be want to know every game, so. That comes across.
Okay, so one at a time is the way you just went with me, right? Do you think about that Ohio State game at all? One and a half. Every week.
Okay. All right.
So you've page turned, is what you're telling me right now. Definitely.
Okay. Have you run into LeBron again lately? Actually, I haven't. You have not? No, I have not.
That's probably a good thing.
Okay. Because you know, you talked mess to him last year, and there you are with him right there. You talked mess, and then you know. He probably was a happy man on that day in November. Happiest, yeah.
I know. Now he's gone to Philadelphia, so he's got bigger fish to fry. I don't know. Does that mean he's going to be a Penn State fan now that he's in Pennsylvania? Can't be.
I know. Okay, so, you know, before I let you go on the rest of your day here, what is your goal for this year? What do you got for me? First, I'm team first. This thing right here, the national championship, is the main goal.
So that's number one. And then number two, being the best player, best quarterback in the country.
So also the other thing is also being the best leader I can be for my team.
So that's my main three goals. All right.
And we just had Andrew Marsh here as well. Seems like you had a heck of a connection with him last year. How does it look this year? It's amazing. You know, we're consistently working.
You know, all my receivers, the same ones that transferred in, the freshmen that just came in, you know, the receivers that was already there. Right. We're working a lot.
Okay. And Savion Haider. Big side here. Yeah. Again, Jordan Marshall was sitting here too.
He says that it's possible that the two of them are on the field at the same time.
So let's just say you. those two guys, there's a mesh point. Will we be confused as to who has it at that point in time? I don't wanna is that the idea here? Very excited.
Okay. You gonna keep it and run it more yourself this year? Or what? Come on, man. I'm trying to get something.
I'm trying to get something here.
So I know you're looking off to the side here, but I don't want to get, but this is the idea. you know, um Marsh said it's also going to be more wide open.
So give me one thing that you think is going to be different. this year than from last year. Um Other than the fact that you beat me in rock, paper, scissors, which you did not do the last time we run. All 11 players on the field would be electric. That's all.
Okay. That's all I say. Terrific. And everything else in your life is. Ready to go?
Of course. You're good. Definitely.
Okay. Well, Bryce Underwood, I say good luck to you, Ben. I say my best of luck to you. What are you watching?
So that's it, that's there. Boy, that's the second guy that said something like that. You're not, your mind isn't. Anywhere else except football.
Okay. What about Heisman Trophy? Is that on your mind? Of course. Being the best player in the country, I mean, that's what that comes with.
Okay. And what's your goals in terms of for this year? You got written down somewhere? Of course. Can you share them with me?
This thing right here?
Okay, that's number one. Heisman?
Okay, that's it. Being the best leader from my team. That's it. All right.
No numbers?
Okay. 1-0 every week. 1-0 every week. Bryce Underwood, it is great to see you, man. I really appreciate your time, and I wish the best of luck to you.
Of course. You know, and that, you know, I can't wait to have Jordan Palmer on the show, and I'll pick his brain on that. Definitely.
And I do need to do one of these assets. We'll do. Absolutely.
Sir. That is Bryce Underwood right here on the Rich Eisen Show. We're back to wrap this up with my guys from Los Angeles in just a matter of moments. The Rich Heisen Show, the podcast. Need parts fast?
O'Reilly Auto Parts has fast. Need them now? We've got now. No matter what you need, we have thousands of professional parts people doing their part to make sure you have it. We're O'Reilly fast.
Just one part that makes O'Reilly stand apart. The professional parts people. Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, Riley. Auto parts.
Rich Eisen here with some advice. If high interest credit card debt is grinding you down, it might be time to call an Audible with a SoFi personal loan. It consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required. And with as soon as the same day funding, you can make the right play fast. Call an Audible on your debt today at sofi.com/slash debt play.
Loans originated by SoFi Bank NA, member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply, NMLS 696891. Fast funds terms apply at sofi.com/slash debt play. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, live from the state of Michigan. We've had a fun show before we send things back to our friends in Los Angeles to have them rejoin our program for the first time since the opening segment.
I just want to let you know from our friends at LinkedIn that they know, and we through LinkedIn love telling you that running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire costs time and money, but the right one helps your business grow. The challenge is finding that person without sorting through resumes. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro comes in. It screens candidates so you can focus on conversations with qualified talent.
With Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence and build the team you need. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com/slash Eisen. Terms and conditions. Apply.
Okay. Chris Brockman, T.J. Jefferson here in the Los Angeles studios. I know. I'm sorry, guys.
But that's why I didn't have you fly all the way because I knew that there would be a ton of guests. It would be guest-heavy. Yeah, it's pretty. We had them all. Hold on a minute.
Let me lean forward here. We had them all sign this Michigan win tax. Oh, yeah, look at that. This is going to be every guest sign this. This is going to be auctioned off here at the Champion Circle event tonight.
Cool. Hopefully, it'll raise some money for tonight's fundraiser. Yeah, there it is. Has Bryce Underwood grown at all? Is he taller?
Yeah, he's big. Dude, he's a giant. What he seems to have grown as is he's still the same confident. 17-year-old that we met when he was in our studio last summer. You know, um And he's still the same confident kid.
It seems that he's just more locked in and focused on. On the football aspect of things here. And, you know, we've had Jordan Palmer on the show multiple times. He's no joke. He's not going to bring him on and just, you know.
Uh, babysit him, you know what I mean?
So. I don't know what your take from that interview was.
So I don't know what your opinion of that. No, just seems like a kid who's really locked in and getting ready and focused. I do like that he never thought about leaving, entering the portal. Following Lane or anyone else who probably came calling. He set out to go to Michigan to accomplish some goals, and he's still focused on getting there.
So I enjoyed listening and hearing that.
Well, I mean, his ability to step his game up and read a defense in a more calm fashion, basically, that's what he was kept saying: is just keep his feet calm and stay calm in the pocket. And then, of course, having an offense that uses his ability to run and run, move the pocket, I think. You know, I don't think I'm telling any tales out of school. That affects the entire Big Ten this year because, I mean, Michigan goes to Oregon later on this year. That's their toughest road game before Ohio State this year, pardon me, the Ohio State this year.
And if Michigan can navigate those two games, they've got eight at home this year. That could particularly affect the standings. We'll see what happens when they do play Indiana this year. They did not last year, including the Big Ten championship game.
So his ability to actually turn it around and do something can affect the entire Big Ten. And if not, then Michigan will be less of a factor than anybody around here hopes, that's for sure. Later on this year.
So hopefully everybody's gleaned that sort of thing. Turning back to the National Football League, we've been holding this Segment for every single day that I've been in the host chair, the four downs. We'll get to the Saints in a second. But Sean McVay spoke over the weekend. About Aaron Donald's readiness to rejoin the football-playing world.
And addressing the latest on that, here's Sean McVay. I'm sure everybody's wondering about Aaron. He is going through his process and he is putting himself in a position to make a decision. And he's earned the right to be able to do that. And for those of you guys that do know Aaron, he's very diligent.
Anything that he does, he does all in. And so he's going through a very strict regimen and process that was similar to what he did when he played. See how his body responds and feels and then we've had some things that we'll just kind of you know check up on each other and then we'll see when we have more information whether or not we're gonna give it a go or whether or not he's gonna continue to enjoy what he's been doing for the last couple years but if that is something that he wants to do we are gonna you know try to be able to make that happen and so but I genuinely do not have an answer on whether he is or isn't I know he's preparing himself to be able to make that decision and and if he feels good then you guys know he's he's gonna be ready to rock but if not he's earned the right he doesn't owe us anything and and he's a special person you guys know what he means to me Okay.
Okay. Sounds like a teacher. And I think it mirrors yours. Because I had not heard that sound, but I just Mike Hoskins got me here before the show. He goes, We got Sean McVay over the weekend about Aaron Donald.
Like, okay. And I've been in visiting day world and travel world and whatever.
So if there were stories written about it, were put on threads. I missed it.
So this is my purely First blush takeaway or takeaways from hearing that sound, but I Under what circumstances does Aaron Donald go through a process and he comes through it saying, Yeah, exactly. You know what I mean? Like, I'm not feeling it. I'm not feeling it. At what like how does he go through Uh A process that, let's just put it this way.
Showing up to the facility. The only mental part of it is You know, I'm here. I'm envisioning what it's going to be like week 15. After a training camp, do I want to put myself through all of that? That's why I stopped playing.
That's the only mental aspect of it. That and the fact that there might be some car that creeps in front of him and he doesn't get to work faster because some Southern Californian was driving on their phone. You know what I mean? Like that what what what mental aspect of it Will he come through and basically say I don't want to do it. Because the physical can't be it, right?
It can't be physical. It's mental. It's nothing, so you can't do it. Right? You've got to think about it.
You've got to get it over the weekend. It's got to be a bit like this. Hold on a minute. I guess. Yeah.
No, I mean you can't say can't. You're right, TJ. I can't say it can't be, because one does never know. I mean, he isn't he's not, even though he looks like an Avenger, you know, it could be doomsday at some point, at any point with anybody's back, or this, that, whatever's bawky, he's I understand that. I get it.
Um Yeah. At the end of the day, Him maybe not being home, or he's been away all the time, and then he just kind of liked being around at home, being around his family. I mean, I guess it could come I I just don't think That If he's I I part of me just thinks Going through the process and just deciding, I'm going to go through a process means he's already decided. Kind of seems like it, right? That may be an oversimplification and unfair, but Just the decision that I'm going to go through the process.
is enough for me to figure he's handled the mental part already. And the family part already. Conceded. thinking. And that him showing up.
And the video of catching him at the facility isn't like, whoa, no, he's been here before. He's done this over the last few years. No, he's going, like, it's confirmed, he's going through a process. He has decided I need to go through a process to see if I want to do it. And it just seems like: would he go through the process if he didn't want to do it?
I just know how we feel. Like after a week or two weeks of vacation, and you have to go back to work. This guy's been on vacation for two years. Yeah. And to mentally go back to work, you know, that's a lot.
Especially when the mental part and your work, you know, is so physical in nature, and you got to kind of psych yourself up for, especially playing his position, a car crash on every play. That's a lot, right? That's a lot mentally for yourself and your family to kind of re get back into after you've been, quote unquote, on vacation for two years. Correct. Or he just says, I just want to try it one more year.
I got Miles Garrett. Let's do it. Super Bowls here in Los Angeles. I know that we want it. It feels like we want this more than Aaron Donald might want this, but I don't.
It would just be so cool for football. Nice. You know? You don't. I know.
But yeah, you know what I mean? I fully agree. And then the. Yes, sir. Go ahead, Rick.
No, just my one last takeaway because I need to get to my four downs before the end of the show. My last takeaway on this is. When we first came on the air, With this show 11 years ago, or Chris, you and I first started doing the podcast together that. Predated the show 14 years ago. And the Rams were still in St.
Louis. Yep.
And people are like, okay, if the Rams go back to Los Angeles, what would their coach look like?
Okay. And then I saw, like, this is it, right? What do you say? That's straight. Like, this is straight out like if AI existed 14 years ago, like, make up the coach of the Los Angeles.
Like, like Aries, yeah, but this dude's looking ripped. That's it. Yeah. He's got a tight shade, aviators, you know, five o'clock shadow beard. I'd say he'd be a little bit more tanned, but also perfectly.
Yeah, yeah, true. Maybe a little bit more tanny. Slightly better than that. But, you know, like, that's my other take. Not like George Hamilton tanned, but he's jam-past.
Very good. All right, it's time for my four downs on the New Orleans Saints. Hit it, hit it, hit it. Four downs with Rich. Here we go.
Why did he suck? All right, it's our daily look at a singular National Football League team, all 32 teams, all the way up until the playing season. This four downs is about the New Orleans Saints. First down. First down, this is a simple one.
What does a Tyler Shuck sophomore season look like? This kid didn't take the reins of the gig until the middle of last season, and maybe everybody thought he would show a spark, and it would be ups and downs, mostly downs, because this kid was not a first-rounder. And then lo and behold, he damn near took the offensive rookie of the year award away from Tederoa Macmillan. What does year two look like now that he's going to be the man from the beginning, all the reps in training camp, all the reps in the offseason, and now coming in and getting all the reps from week one all the way to week whenever? What does it look like?
And that is a crucial part of all of these puzzle pieces together, including second down. How much gas? Is left in Alvin Kamara's tank because this guy is now second on the depth chart behind Travis Etienne or Etienne Jr., the big free agent splash signing of the New Orleans Saints to snag him from the Jacksonville Jaguars and bring him back to the bayou. How much. Uh Does Chimera play?
Does he somehow, someway have a fountain of youth? He's 31 now. Can he be anything close to the Khmer of old? Because if ETN is like last year and Khmer is anything like the Khmer of old. I mean, the Saints have got themselves a heck of an offense potentially, which leads to third down.
Is how can Jordan can Jordan Tyson stay healthy? Their first-round draft choice, the wide receiver taken after Carnell Tate. A lot of people thought he might be the first wide receiver taken in last year's draft. This kid being brought to New Orleans alongside Chris Olave. And man, I'm telling you too, you look at Their depth chart.
They also drafted, you know, Oscar Delp from Georgia, Chris, being an SEC household. A lot of people are saying he's got kittle in him. And so, put it all together. Uh that leads to fourth down here which is Calendoor year two is it More. Or less.
And the Moors, obviously, with just one O. Because the Saints. Thank you. The Saints last year put enough together in the back half of the season. That they finished just two games out of first.
Now, I know the first place team was under 500, but this team is just two games off the lead of their division. And if Shuck can step it up and Kamara still has gas left in the tank and the tight end room can be as, because Noah Fant wound up there too. as the second string. Um as the second string. A wide tight end that's there.
If they could put it all together, could they even win the division? Or do they take steps back and then we got to reassess things? And that's my four downs on the New Orleans Saints. to wrap up this show from the state of Michigan. Guys, I appreciate the effort today.
I appreciate you punching the clock where you are. I'll be back there tomorrow. We'll do it all together again. We'll be back together again Tuesday on the Rich Osen Show. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eyes and Show podcast.
You can watch and listen to The Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app, The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
