Ryan Leaf: Jim Harbaugh Was My Backup QB In San Diego

In the NFL, as we all know, there is no margin for error.

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I know all about it. I've been around Sleep Number since 2015. My Sleep Number setting is 60.

My wife's is 70. Just 10 numbers apart, but it is the world of difference. We can set the mattress firmness on each side of the bed to the way that we want and get a great night's sleep. So why choose a Sleep Number Smart Bed? So you can choose, again, your ideal comfort on either side. And now it's the lowest price of the season on the top-selling i8 Smart Bed.

Your best savings, plus special financing, limited time. Shop a Sleep Number store near you. Sleep Number, official sleep and wellness partner of the NFL.

See store or sleepnumber.com for details. As a business owner, you're always going that extra mile to pursue your passions. So you deserve partners who can help you go further with premium benefits and rewards. The American Express Business Platinum Card offers world-class business and travel benefits. So you can get more for your business wherever it takes you. With the Amex Business Platinum Card, you can earn 1.5 times membership rewards points on select business purchases. And you can get complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges worldwide, including the Centurion Lounge. So you can keep running your business while you're on the go. See how the Amex Business Platinum Card gives business owners like you the tools and rewards to do more of what you love. Terms and points can't apply.

Learn more at americanexpress.com slash Amex Business. And you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. I want a team that nobody's talking about in the playoffs.

Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. It's the Rams. I don't think we're talking enough about the Chargers.

Touchdown Chargers. Earlier on the show, ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky. Fox Sports College Football insider Bruce Feldman.

Coming up, former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf. And now it's Rich Eisen. Hour number three of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. Dan Orlovsky hour one and Bruce Feldman hour two. Ryan Leaf about to join us in hour number three. Did I miss anything? Oh, yeah. As T.J. Jefferson just said to me while we're around the old Kehrig machine in between hours. Quote me correctly. Two and three. I can't use a bad word, T.J.

He goes, an effing mariachi band. Not as if he was sufficiently trolled or embarrassed by it because it was Karl-Anthony Towns trolling on T.J. for a third time since meeting him and knowing that the Dallas Cowboys were going to be swept by the Philadelphia Eagles, or at least acting as if that was going to happen in the upcoming season. And it did. I think you're just kind of deep down. It's kind of cool that Karl-Anthony Towns is trolling you like it's, you know, like you're Draymond Green or you're, you know, somebody in the NBA. It's definitely not cool. It's definitely.

I think it's I think it's wonderful. It's like I said, this is all Jerry Jones's fault. He said a mariachi.

Let's just listen. Karl-Anthony Towns has got a disposable income. Quite a bit. And a wonderful imagination. Vivid imagination. But he actually had somebody contact a mariachi band in the Los Angeles area. And and they I I proffer to say, having met them, they did not know the Philadelphia Eagles had a fight song.

No, definitely not. So somebody had to like, what, YouTube it or something? I would imagine Carl and his people probably sent them the lyrics. You think so? Yes.

And maybe a YouTube video that goes along with it, like, hey, this is the pacing and the tone. They were terrific. They were terrific. What do we get, three or four? We got three of them. Three or four? I got a triple double. So good. We triple doubled.

Karl-Anthony Towns is making forty nine point two million this year. There you go. Well, what I thought was amazing was the lead singer and the other female in the band were wearing Dallas cowboy colored. No, they weren't. It was blue.

It was definitely it matches my flight. I just have a feeling it was it's just part of their usual garb. I would say the mariachi bands probably lean more towards being Cowboys fans and Eagles fans. You're probably right about that.

You're probably right about that. Just a thought. Oh, and the news gets better for Karl-Anthony Towns because guess who's back at practice today, Rich? Karl-Anthony Towns? Jalen Hurts. Oh, OK.

I got it. Oh, OK. Kat was out earlier this week, so. So Jalen Hurts is back?

Jalen Hurts back to me. All right. Yeah.

A mariachi band. Wow. Yes, sir. That happened. I mean, look, I'll give it up. Karl-Anthony Towns.

You got to give it up. It was amazing. So cool. Ryan Leaf about to join us in studio. I'm about to give you my power rankings going into the playoffs.

Oh, power. But before I do that, let's let's update a story that we discussed at length on Monday, which is the reigning number one player is voted by his peers in the National Football League. Tyreek Hill throwing up the deuces on the Miami Dolphins after losing to the New York Jets and not making the playoffs, as he said for the first time in his career.

I'm out. And he basically said he was out and and he he he doubled down on it by saying farewell at the on the Twitter, Mike, later on. And then the next day, putting on his Instagram header a photograph of him, his head on the shirtless body of Antonio Brown from MetLife when Antonio Brown basically said farewell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the field at MetLife. It was in the bowels of MetLife that Tyreek Hill verbally left the Miami Dolphins. And you know, you know, Mike McDaniel said only what he basically could say was like, you know, these are first blush reactions and emotions and the moments after losing. And, you know, basically I had to speak to him, which is a different version of the I've got to check the tape. I can't evaluate it until I check the tape, can't evaluate it unless they speak to Tyreek Hill. Am I reading this right?

Well, we thought we were reading it right. Mike McDaniel and Chris Greer, the general manager of the Miami Dolphins, both of whom got the got the the release of support rather than getting released. That's what you want. If an owner is putting out a release, you want you want support instead of the we wish him well. And Stephen Ross sent out a statement in the aftermath, Tyreek Hill saying, I'm out. Stephen Ross is saying they're still here.

The general manager and the coach are going to stay put. Chris Greer had this to say about, I guess, putting Humpty Tyreek back together again. I will say Mike and I both had conversations with Tyreek here over yesterday, productive conversations.

I will keep those between us. The one thing I would say is in a frustrating season, he was very emotional in a game where we had a chance coming back from two and six. And I would say that's probably the thing I'm most proud of the players and Mike and the coaching staff that we were two and six and we're playing week 18 to potentially sneak in the playoffs.

And and I think all of that with him playing through his injury just kind of bubbled to a point. And from our conversations, again, we'll keep that private. But we had productive conversations.

Do you like that track? No, I would say, but he never asked for a trade with me. All right. So the last time this happened to a Miami franchise, they suspended their guy for a week or seven days, seven games. This time around there, they're circling the wagons. So they're not going to trade them in a couple months. Here's what I will say. That at this point in time, if Tyreek doesn't tweet anything out and doesn't put any other statement out there verbally or using his thumbs.

Oh, he's changed his avatar back. That's a wise decision, I think. That if he doesn't say anything, the next time a Miami Dolphin official speaks into a microphone is only if they wish to, I imagine at the Senior Bowl. And after that, it will be at the combine, which is the last week of February.

It's now January 7th and 8th, as you know, right? So I will just be walking around the combine and I have a feeling I'm going to be hearing a lot about this situation because if they put the genie back in the bottle for the moment, it may be keeping conversations to themselves. The conversation to keeping themselves might be him talking about his quarterback, having the inability to have his availability, or it could be about money. It could be about a contract. It could be about, I haven't asked for a trade out, but maybe the team says, I'm just totally spit balling here. It doesn't help the situation.

Because if he does want out, even though he hasn't asked for it, then the way out is to remove the photograph of you, your head on the shirtless body of Antonio Brown. And don't say anything. And I just know walking around the combine, I'll keep an ear out.

As you know, I come back with rumors. You ruined my football season. I didn't ruin the football season. When I heard the sense of what Jerry Jones said at the Senior Bowl about we're going all in, is it like we're going to go all in on free agents to supplement a team that just lost and got one and done?

No, they're just going to keep everything the same. I told you that as soon as I got back from the combine and guess what? I was right.

Yeah, you ruined my football season. I also said the Giants were done with Daniel Jones. Guess what? I was right. I also said that the backup plan for the Minnesota Vikings is what I heard at quarterback would be Trey Lance.

Guess what? Very wrong. That's what happens with the rumors. Rich, by the way, couldn't be wronger, but Sam Darnold and Trey Lance did start a week 18 game for their respective teams. You were close. Right. Well, they both didn't play great. Yeah. Very wrong. Guys, you know one thing about this Tyreek Hill thing that no one seems to be talking about, and I don't know how big of a reason this is, but you know, the fact that what happened to him with the cops driving into that stadium, having to drive past that every single day you go to work, I mean, probably he's feeling it in his wrist too, and that's the injury that they were referring to right there. Yeah, but the Dolphins did give a full throated rebuke of those officers. I'm sure. In their local community. But still it's like you, like I have to drive by on my way home to work, to and from work every day. The last place I got hit in a car and like, it's just like you sit there and you look at that.

Now I can't imagine how it would be if I was in his situation, might have something to do with the fact that he wants out of there. Steven A, we'll touch on that in the podcast, by the way. Look at you.

Whoa. Listen, thank you for reminding me to promote Suzy Schuster for asking what the football, you know, and by the way, Steven A. Smith, their guest. That's one thing, because you know, Del Tufo is doing his banking during that podcast whenever he's taking that podcast in, right? You're actually listening to what's happening. So I appreciate that.

And on behalf of Suzy and Amy, I think I'll say I appreciate it too. Were Steven A. and I kind of simpatico there? Eh, not so much. Okay. Okay. Interesting. I don't want to give too much away. On what the football with Suzy and Amy. Wow.

Get it where you get your podcasts or the Rich Eyes and Show YouTube channel. Well done, Rich. Guys, 18 regular season weeks are in. There's only 14 teams that make the playoffs, which means I've got to knock four out of my power rankings. Ooh.

Hit it. Power rankings! All right, I'm going to start this power rankings list, the super power rankings list by feeding the animal across the way. Chris Brockman has been saying, where are the chargers on your list, Rich? Where are the Los Angeles chargers on your list, Rich? All they do is win.

They're number 10 on my list. Oh, finally. Entering Super Wild Card Weekend, the Los Angeles Chargers. I do believe they're going to go into Houston and they're going to win this football game.

How about that? I'm putting my marker down right now. I agree with you. And I'm saying Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert are going to go into Houston, which is going to be lit.

I think that they're coming out with the dub. And if I think they're going to make the divisional playoffs, how do I keep them off of my power rankings list? And I won't. I shan't.

I didn't. Number nine on the list up one spot are the Washington commanders with their 12 wins. I'm not saying the commanders are going to go into Tampa and win this football game.

I'm just saying they deserve to be in the top 10 and they don't deserve to be left out of a power rankings list where there's only obviously 14 teams left in it. 12 wins is no slouch. And Jayden Daniels is spectacular. Terry McLaurin, man. What a beast.

Everybody go check out our interview we had with him in the first third of the season on our YouTube channel. You could just see, he knew what he had, he knew that his long wait for the real deal at the quarterback position, with all due respect to everybody else, all the 19 million people that were thrown at him since he left the Ohio state, his wait was over. So they're number nine. And just to see which way I might be leaning, I have the bucks at eight.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers at eight, the 10 and seven bucks. It wasn't pretty for much of that day in that game against the New Orleans saints, but credit Darren Rizzi and having the saints playing hard for him all year long. Is he interim coach of the year? Darren Rizzi? Yes. Is that such a thing? Is he assistant to the traveling secretary? I would think so. He's interim coach of the year.

Congratulations, Darren. Interim coach. I don't know. I don't think that's part of NFL honors, is it? But Tampa Bay is eight on the list. Up one spot, I've got the Rams at seven.

I'm just- Really? Dude, you know how I feel about the Rams. I know, but seven- Why are you down on the Rams? They lost.

Oh, stop it. And they don't look better than Tampa, Washington, or the Chargers going into the playoffs. Jimmy G throwing to the seventh guy on their depth chart at the wide receiver position is not going to... The hay was in the barn for me, okay? Their five-game win streak beforehand was enough.

That's all I needed to see. Although one thing that I will be concerned about, and I'm sorry to bring this into a sports conversation because it is the real world. I have no idea what's going on with the fires and the Rams and where people are living. They have their facility up- At Thousand Oaks. In Thousand Oaks and in that area. Yep.

In the Midland Hills and some might even live over in Malibu. That said, I'm sending everybody up there my best. Yeah, the league put out a statement today saying that they're keeping an eye on the situation on how it's going to affect- Correct. Monday's game. And so the LA Rams are seventh, though, back in the world of sports. Down five spots is what happens when you're number one and then you lose 31 to nine in a must-have game to have the winner take all. I'm putting the Vikings down at six.

That's where I'm putting them. And I'm putting the Ravens above them. As a matter of fact, before I get to the Ravens real quick, these are the, if you will, the back half of the teams that I think can win and get in the divisional round. I've got the Vikings at the top of that list, right?

Okay. Of teams that have, you know, I've got two division winners behind them too. I just want to put it all out there. Now we can get to the Ravens. They're up one spot. As I said, they are perhaps the best team nobody's talking about enough, even though he says that they're the third betting favorite to win it all right now. They're best outs.

Yeah. The whole business of Lamar's just going to, hasn't done it. So why should we expect him to do it now? I'm not buying into that.

Certainly when Derrick Henry's right there with him. The Eagles are fourth on the list. They're no change. The Bills are third on the list. They're no change. The Chiefs are second on the list. They are no change.

I am just going to throw out anything that you saw in the last few weeks. And I know that the Eagles were playing with their backup quarterback and still look pretty damn good. So why are they behind the Bills? Why are they behind the Chiefs? Because I just think the Chiefs and the Bills are, are loaded for bear too. And I'm, I'm putting them above and the Chiefs are there. Yes, because they did play better in the last stretches of the season. And they're also two time defending champs, but I'm putting the lines number one. What they have done since getting spanked by the Bills and supposedly being too hurt to win, they just keep finding ways to win. We have found the grit, but in the last month they have unearthed deep down, yes, the grit was part of their journey and it always has been.

But now I think that's what they're relying on, right? Not just their offensive coordinator getting in their bag, getting in his bag and Aaron Glenn called an incredible game against the Minnesota Vikings. Lions are number one in my power rankings going into the playoffs and I popped the Packers off the list because I do think that if I were to choose an NFC North team that might have too many injuries to overcome, I'm going to, I'm going to go with the Packers being that team. Packers with better odds and Chargers, Rams and commanders. And I've had them above them all year long, but going to the playoffs, that's where I'm putting it. But if I had to do one more, they'd be 11. 844-204 Rich, number to dial. Ryan Leaf is here. That's next.

This is the Rich Eisen Show. As a business owner, you're always going that extra mile to pursue your passions. So you deserve partners who can help you go further with premium benefits and rewards. The American Express Business Platinum card offers world-class business and travel benefits. So you can get more for your business wherever it takes you. With the Amex Business Platinum card, you can earn 1.5 times membership rewards points on select business purchases, and you can get complimentary access to more than 1400 airport lounges worldwide, including the Centurion lounge, so you can keep running your business while you're on the go. See how the Amex Business Platinum card gives business owners like you, the tools and rewards to do more of what you love. Terms and points can't apply.

Learn more at americanexpress.com slash Amex Business. In the NFL, as we all know, there is no margin for error. One single mistake can change the outcome of a game or even yeah, a career. This proves quality sleep can help boost reaction time, recovery time and overall athletic performance.

Putting it all together. The official sleep and wellness partner of the NFL is Sleep Number, whose mission is to provide players with data and insights to optimize their sleep for the ultimate competitive edge. And you can have it too.

I know all about it. I've been around Sleep Number since 2015. My sleep number setting is 60.

My wife's is 70, just 10 numbers apart, but it is the world of difference. We can set the mattress firmness on each side of the bed to the way that we want and get a great night's sleep. So why choose a Sleep Number smart bed so you can choose again your ideal comfort on either side. And now it's the lowest price of the season on the top selling i8 smart bed. Your best savings plus special financing, limited time shop, a Sleep Number store near you. Sleep Number, official sleep and wellness partner of the NFL.

The store or sleepnumber.com for details. This episode is brought to you by unstoppable discover the inspiring true story about Anthony Robles who defined every expectation to become a national wrestling champion and unstoppable a new original movie from Amazon MGM studios and director William Goldenberg, evoking the excitement and camaraderie of classic sports dramas and thrilling wrestling matches. Unstoppable features an all star ensemble cast, including Gerald Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle, Michael Pena, and Bobby Cannavale.

Unstoppable is streaming exclusively on prime video January 16th. All right, we're back here on the Roku sports channel. The infinity sports network will join us in about two minutes time. So the first of two times I say hello to a longtime friend and a friend of this program, the last mile, a podcast that this man puts together in Sirius XM and a woman I will be doing later on this week, Ryan Leaf here on the program. Good to see you, Ryan. How are you? Good to see you too. Good to see you.

You know what? We're missable, but you know, no, seriously, we miss you too. But good to see you.

I don't know if I miss this weather. I know. Well, it's you're here at a crazy, crazy time, man. Crazy time.

It's apocalyptic out there right now. I'm bringing the, the, the, our driver that brought us over this morning, he was very anxious. And he said after the trip, because of my soothing voice of, Oh, he was, he was very more relaxed. I guess I have a voice for radio or a face for radio. The voice for radio is good. Right.

Face radio. Not so good. Not so good. I think I have both. You got both, man. You got it all. You got it all working. You got gear on as well.

Right. So what's, what are we seeing right now? So I've been doing, you know, because of a lot of help from you, I've, I've been able to do a lot of sports broadcasting over the last seven years or so. And I was feeling like, you know, I wanted to navigate a little bit into a different direction and this opportunity came. I got asked to be on a podcast, simple last mile radio blast October, or for the bag last spring or something like that. Yeah.

And I went in and it, what it was, was it, it was a show based around criminal justice reform. And you know, fortunately, and unfortunately I have, you have experience, experience with that. And by the way, you, you, um, you always wear it, you know what I mean? Which is interesting that there is gear that you can actually wear like physically you're wearing it now. But I think that that's part of your, um, you know, your second act in life success is that you, you, uh, you own it and you talk about it and the way that you're kind of comfortable in that skin.

You know, um, I, I think a lot of people are, are attracted to that. And, um, that's, I just want to say that to start back on the Rich Eisen Show radio network, our radio audience just rejoined us here. Uh, I'm sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk furnished by Grainger with supplies and solutions for every industry.

Grainger has the right product for you. Call click Grainger.com or just stop by Ryan Leaf. Uh, the Last Mile podcast is his latest venture, Westwood One Radio. You can also hear him call some games, um, a veteran of the National Football League and obviously a college football hall of fame athlete. Good to see you here, brother. Now that the radio audience is right back in, I'd love for you to explain the Last Mile and how you got involved in it and what you're doing.

Yeah. I mean, you know, I was kind of looking at different ways to navigate, uh, not necessarily away from sports broadcasting, but that to be really kind of like, you know, the foundation of, of, of what we were trying to do. And I was asked to be on a podcast called the, the Last Mile. And one of the founders, uh, Chris Redlitz was hosting and he brought me in and really it was a criminal justice reform program where they take programming, educational programming and put them in prisons, teach coding, if you can believe that, to, uh, individuals while they're, uh, incarcerated and then, uh, video and audio production because of the technology.

And when you get out, if you've been in for two, three, four years, how much technology may change. And I think that every person who's ever been in, you know, justice impacted when they come out, they just look for some sort of hope. And this program really did that. And so I did the podcast, felt really personal, went and played golf with him. He asked me when he knew I was going to be in Montana during the summer, if I would go into the prison, the one I was actually in to speak to the guys in that classroom. And I said, yeah. And it changed my perspective on it.

And when I came out, I just looked at him and I said, Hey, you know, what can I do more? And they made me, uh, an ambassador. And now I'm the host of the last mile radio. And uh, the purposefulness of the show is what has really just made me through the roof. And, and Anna has been a part of it.

You guys know my, my wife really well. Um, it's like today we do four interviews and we have the new DA of Los Angeles County on the show. Um, tomorrow, you know, tomorrow you're going to be on the show. I am. I don't know the law as well as the new law. You don't need to know the law. I'm well versed.

And um, um, and so the show has been amazing. We had an individual recently named JJ Velasquez. He was wrongfully convicted in, in New York and spent 24 years in Sing Sing. Wrongfully convicted. And my first, you're really good at interviewing people. What do you think the first question to somebody like that on your show would be? To somebody who's wrongfully convicted and had been away for 24 years.

Just how do you go back into life and, and, and, and, and live? My question was, how are you not the most angry person in the world? We interviewed right, Brian Banks, who was wrongfully accused of raping a classmate of his in high school.

And he was a, he was going to be one of the next great USC Trojans and his life just imploded. I went and saw the movie when it came out. That's why he was on our podcast to promote the film of it.

So yeah, I just, uh, the funny thing is to, to do the show and be the host of that and talk to him and ask him that question. He didn't do anything yet. He was the other side of it. I did everything I was, uh, I was accused of, but what got us both out of it and his answer to it was he made it about somebody else while he was in there, he started helping people. He started being of service. It was the exact same thing I did. And we had completely different optics of why we were in there and it goes to show it doesn't matter about anything when you make it about somebody else, your life gets better.

And I didn't, I always thought it had to be about me for my life to get better. And so this has shifted and this has changed, and this is a really purposeful, um, avenue. I'm going down now, but you know, the, the, the sporting side of things is, uh, is what gave me the opportunity. I mean, me sitting in front of your mic for three hours a day when I was hosting it, that offered it up to people to know that he can, he can handle a microphone for three hours. He can do his own show.

He can interview people the way he needs to. So, you know, there's always a ton of gratitude around here for me. Ryan Leaf here on the Rich Eisen show. And now before we, uh, switch to sports here, you're going to San Quentin on Friday. I am. I'm going to San Quentin. What are you going to do there?

I'm going to go talk to the men and try to try to give them what I didn't have when I was incarcerated, you know, some hope for when they get out. I think when you walk into that room, I have to disarm them a little bit because they kind of look at me and go, oh yeah, it was easy for you when you got out. Because you're a quarterback?

You were a famous, rich football player. Yeah. But that, that could kind of be a strike against you as well, right?

I mean, the fact that, that, that everyone knows who you are and it's tough to break out of what everybody thinks you are now. Well, I have to disarm them with that. I have to say, hey, I didn't have, I couldn't rub two pennies together when I got out. The only two people who were there to pick me up were mom and dad.

Now, that's more than a lot of guys have. I had a place to lay my head, but I woke up the next morning and I was looking for some semblance of hope. I slept in a bed for the first time in my hometown newspaper. I opened it up and there's a cartoon in it and it's a caricature cartoon of me, big buck teeth and, and it had a little saying at the top, you know, lock up your medicine cabinets, Ryan leafs out. My hope was just like dashed, like it's, you are on a, on a razor's edge when you get out because then I thought like, oh yeah, this is how everybody sees me.

How am I ever going to get a, what am I going to do? And so my muscle memory was like numbness, go back to exactly what that was. And so good thing for me is the things that I had done in there changed. And so I started making it about service and I went over to the soup kitchen and I started sitting down and the mission of the homeless shelter and talking to these men and women. And I really didn't do anything. I just listened. And a lot of them are not seen or not heard and they just want to be seen and they want to be heard.

And that's all I did. And so that's what my hope is when I go into San Quentin is that I talked to these guys, tell them that it's possible, show them how it's possible, where I was at, where you could go. And it's about choices that you make. You don't have to be defined by your past, you know, and that's very, very hard, especially with the stigma that exists when you get out.

So that's why we're trying to make some changes, especially around parole and probation and stuff. So this is going to be really interesting for me. I've been in a couple of prisons over the last few months working with The Last Mile and this will be one of the bigger moments for me. I am told, I am told that the population is pretty pumped that I'm coming. So I don't know if that means, I don't know if I bring my guitar and Johnny Cash in a little bit. We'll see.

We'll see. Let's show on up, get that radio baritone voice going and bring in Ryan Leifness here on The Rich Eisen Show. Let's switch to sports. You call more pro or college games this year? I ended up calling more college because I ended up doing the CW with Ted Robinson. That was really great. The Pac-12 and the CW and Ted Robinson.

He's a legend. I mean, what's more of a Pac-12 thing than the fact that Oregon and Arizona State make the final 12 after they've dissolved the conference, right? And had the Pac-12 been around, obviously, you know, both Arizona State and Oregon would have had vastly different schedules to play this year. But you know, the fact that Oregon would have been a Pac-12 seed and then there would have been another Big 10 seed, you might've had a different set up with the bye week teams and maybe it wouldn't have been anti-chalk, right? And then you had a future Pac-12 team now in Boise State that gets the bye.

That's unbelievable. And Ashton Gente just declared for the pros, he's going to be terrific, right? I mean, no question.

He's ready for the next level, right? He ran right through my alma mater like you wouldn't believe. It's amazing when you get to see those types of players and you and I have been around so long where we've had the opportunities to see Barry Sanders and you see a guy that just runs through people and makes people miss and he's going to be a special, special player at the next level. So yeah, that was a lot of fun. I had a lot of fun. So I ended up applying to more college, but I had plenty of great opportunities calling NFL so far this year. All right. Before we get to the NFL then, how do you handicap the final four here that we start playing bowl games on Thursday night? I'm going to be honest with you. I don't know if I've watched a snap of FBS football this year.

Is that right? I watched Washington State and Oregon State football. Unbelievable. I watched Oregon State, Washington State football because those were going to be the only games I was going to be calling. And then I watched FCS football. I called the FCS national championship Monday night.

So I was not a fan and I just didn't really pay much attention. All right. So let's turn to the national football league then.

I'm not going to BS you on that deal. I did call Oregon, Michigan in the big house. Well, well, let's move to the NFL then. That really wasn't much of a game.

Yeah. I don't want to talk about that, Ryan. I'd rather talk about their last two games of the year against Ohio State and Alabama.

I really like that. Watch a snap. So let's move to the NFL. How do you handicap the playoffs then? The national football league? Oh, it's been a fun year. I've really enjoyed the NFL aspect of things this year.

And you know, I was a little worried about the lions with the injuries and just kind of how things were starting to play out and then what they did Sunday night. I agree. I mean, they have that grit.

They got it. Dan Campbell last year. And I thought he was very upfront when they lost to San Francisco. He said, I don't know if we can, if we'll ever be back.

This is a lot of times it's a once in a lifetime chance. I mean, he wasn't, he didn't sugar coat it at all. You know, he, he went with what he did last year. I thought it was a mistake not to attempt the field goal on the fourth down. I thought they would be the one in the Superbowl, but they've come back and absolutely ruled. And I, for them to get the number one overall seed, making sure everybody has to come through Detroit. That's a big deal. And and I like the lions in the, in the NFC. You do? Yep. I think that they are, they are there and I have a sneaky feeling it's going to be Buffalo. Why?

Versus the Chargers for the AFC championship. Okay. Ooh. Let's unpack it. Okay.

Why? So it was imperative that the Chargers got the five seat. That was, if they don't get the five seat, it's a different story. If you have to go to Baltimore or Buffalo this weekend, it's, it's done. Well, I mean, just for Baltimore too, for the Chargers, that means Harbaugh for talking about the brothers stuff, which obviously, you know, I love talking about my brother and I'm sure Jim and John do as well, but I guess one of those scenarios, um, is, is is, is not like the other, right?

I mean, the other one, uh, if you're Jim, you're, you're, you're not talking about that. You're going into Houston, which, um, again, narratives are, are, are, are just that they can be completely blown up. I thought Cleveland was going to walk in there last year and beat them. But Houston wound up winning that. And we all thought that, you know, that they could get got, cause here is a rookie quarterback and CJ Stroud, yada, yada, yada. And they, they go to, to Kansas city and, and make the, the final four in their conference.

But right now, I think you, you would absolutely say the Texans are the weakest division winner. I called the, uh, Ravens Texans Christmas Day game, well, the Beyonce concert with football around it. Nice.

And, um, that's what I, that's, I saw that really plain and simple. And then the following Saturday, four days later, I was in Foxborough calling the Chargers Patriots game and Chargers looked unstoppable. How good is that? Lad McConkie, man, he is special. And then they got a special quarterback. And so I've been up, me and Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert have a, a, a good text thread going now for about since he got the job.

And so, uh, it's pretty funny to hear some of the messages that come back from those two. I told them I would take care of the Steelers on week 18. They needed to take care of the Raiders.

They did that. They get Houston. I think they beat Houston. They have no fear of going to Kansas city.

They have zero fear. They lost 1917 last time. They spend a game of their year, uh, every year they, uh, it's hard to beat a team three times in the same season. And I think they get the upset in Arrowhead and have to go to either Baltimore or Buffalo for the AFC championship. You think the Los Angeles Chargers won and done the 15 win going for three Pete Kansas city chiefs. That's your belief. That's, that's my, that's my big, big take. Okay. Um, what can you tell me about this check text chain with you, a, a predecessor or you're the predecessor of this man, you know, as a law, as a San Diego charger quarterback and Jim was my backup.

These are all, that's amazing. Can you believe that, you know, Jim was my backup. He taught me how to be a professional. Like I had really struggled my rookie year. He came in my second year and I was hurt all year and I, I, I saw how a professional behaves acts prepares. He taught me how to be a professional quarterback and that's every stop I had along the way in Tampa, Dallas, and Seattle.

There was never any issues again. Well, what did he say to you when you were, was he still, was he on the team when you, when you had that meltdown with the, no, it was, it was my rookie year, so he, so he came in after that. He came in my second season. Yeah.

All right. At first it was just, just, uh, watch me said he didn't, didn't talk my, just watch, watch how I do this. Cause he'd been doing it for a long time. Cause he'd had, and he'd been really, really successful at it. And so he helped me a ton. And then of course I followed him, you know, throughout his coaching career, how great he was, uh, his championship in Michigan. And then when he got the Chargers job, I just thought it was a perfect fit, kind of a homecoming.

Uh, the Spanos family really felt comfortable with them. And then I, I go golfing with Justin Herbert, uh, every summer up at abandoned and God, he was just so alive with the idea, uh, and having met Jim and what it was going to be. So we've kind of just started this text thread at about, you know, I would just send like messages, great game this weekend, proud of you guys. And then, uh, Justin's like, one of his last ones was like, thank you, good sir. That was like, that's so fitting for Justin Herbert.

I just, if you know him, you know him and that fits right into it. And then Jim's kind of like, he's gotten more eccentric over his time. And sometimes he just has kind of, he compartmentalizes while he's doing things.

And some of the messages are like really straightforward. Like, you know, like he's almost analytical in his response to me about why they won the game or something like that instead of like, yeah, thanks pal. That was wonderful. Appreciate you being there or something like that. He's like breaking down the X's and O's.

Just like we, we, we saw the eight gap. We were going to go over that sort of stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Oh my God.

Michigan man. What's it, what's the text chain called? Former charger quarterbacks or what are we calling? I actually don't have a name for it. Oh, we got to name that. You guys got to name it. Yeah. What are we going to get? Um, oh my goodness.

We're going to name that and the ugly name it. Don't talk to me. All right.

That one. Don't talk to me. Are you talking to me?

All right. My wife said this the other day. She goes, wow.

She's my wife. Hey, Anna said this while we were, uh, she goes, I don't think I've ever heard you say don't talk or knock it off. She goes, I don't know if I've ever heard you say, knock it off to anybody about anything. And she says, knock it off to our son all the time.

And she's like, I say that to our son all the time and I don't think I've ever heard you say it. And in the, and that's your caricature is knock it off. Knock it off.

Don't talk to me. All right. I think we should go positive. Okay. You're right. You're right. You're right. Um, um, I don't know.

26 Superbowl champions. Who's got a better than us. I don't know. I can't say nobody. There's three somebodies.

They're all have something in common. They have all been throwing footballs with a lightning bolt on the side of their helmets. I don't know. Like the bolt QB club or something like that. I like that. Bolt up. Yeah.

Bolt up QB club. Yeah. I like that.

Yeah. You could, you know how to rename it right on your phone. Let's do it. Let's do it. And tell them that was our idea.

I will. You know, don't be appreciative. When's the, uh, it's so funny. Every single time I I've come across anybody that's, that's been around Jim or whatever. I'm like, tell Jim, I said, hi, because again, I, I have nothing but love and respect for him. He can, the people who come up to me after he left Michigan to go to the chargers. They're like, are you, are you upset with Jim that he left Michigan? And I'm like, well, there's a manmade Lake outside of cell phone stadium.

I think he walked on it to sign his contract. Okay. That's how I feel. I'm great. I'm great with him about him. He was great with our run. He showed up to our four yard dash at the Rose bowl.

He was a Prince. He was incredible. And, um, and then just on, on top of it, he was my first quarterback when I was a freshman at Michigan. He quarterbacked the team of my first ever Michigan Wolverine team I ever rooted for.

I'm a freshman. He's a senior jumbo Elliott, you know, and all of those guys. He's on a, he's on a, he's on a different pedestal with you. Oh yeah. Of that. There's no doubt.

No doubt. So I, I, I don't, I don't, um, you know, obviously it would be a surprise if they make the AFC, if they won and done the chiefs make the AFC championship game, go into Buffalo, go into Baltimore Baltimore. Now the hard ball of the AFC championship game would just be off the charts and say, because it's a coin toss. Then you get to one game like that. You just figure out a way like that's, everybody would say it's Buffalo or it's Baltimore, but you get in that place, you get one opportunity.

You don't ever know what's going to happen. So that's why I like, that's why I like, uh, I like Detroit versus Buffalo, which would be an incredible Superbowl. Chris was talking about that just yesterday, that, that new Orleans would be chalk filled with fans who have been waiting for this moment and hope and knowing half of that fan base would go home, sorely disappointed, but the other one would just have the, the, the year of their lives, the year of their football lives, you know, and, uh, that would be insane.

And so that's, I think that's what I would hope for. I don't know if anybody beats Baltimore, you know, but last year I thought no one could beat Baltimore and Kansas city went into Baltimore. And we talked about that earlier on our show about, about Baltimore, a little bit about how, um, not, not, I think not enough people are really giving them enough credit right now because we are all focused on Kansas city and, and, and Buffalo. So I get what you're saying, uh, the last mile podcast, the man's wearing some gear on it. He's going to San Quentin on Friday because he's not just talking about it. He's being about it.

Uh, last mile radio with Ryan Leaf, check it out on Sirius XM. I will be going there, uh, doing it, uh, on, on Thursday. And I appreciate you coming in here, brother. Thank you. I really appreciate you. It's good to see you.

You bet. That's Ryan Leaf right here on the rich eyes and show. We'll be back to wrap this program in a moment, but before we go right here on the infinity sports network, it's time for sports update with rich Ackerman. Welcome to the jungle clones. It's the Jim Rome show podcast, the greatest and loyal fan base ever you, the clones. It all starts with the jungle. We're in it to win it.

And I'm in it to go as hard as I possibly can every day to make sure that you clones get the best possible product every single day, day one, all in let's freaking go. The Jim Rome show follow and listen on your favorite platform. Bravo TV star Lala Kent holds nothing back on the, give them Lala podcast.

No, I have a very short views. Get to know the TV personality. I don't need to watch the show cause I get the real life version from relationships and motherhood. Let me tell you something about breastfeeding to business and beyond. You are scared of failure.

So it prevents you from trying to implement a big set of ovaries and then we obsess follow and listen on your favorite platform. And another thing, we had a mariachi band here today that was, I've watched that video twice now. Oh really? Yeah. Look at that photograph. Yeah. Oh, great shot. Well done RJ.

You know what video I'll never watch? Yeah. That's not true. I get it. Look, tell me that they're not wearing cowboy colors.

Come on. What are you talking about? I mean, are you blind? You see what I'm looking at. How do you know that that's not their usual garb? Because look at this flag, Rich.

Go to their website. Okay. It matches.

It matches. They are a Cowboys fan. They just took the job because you know, we all got to put food on the table. Wow. They didn't seem like they were enjoying it to be honest with you, you know, I'm going to their website right now.

That is not accurate. I mean, I'm sitting closer. I had a direct line. I was on stage with them. They looked like they were enjoying it. They were like, I can't believe we have to root for the Eagles. This is not the look that I got, which I understand.

I wouldn't, I wouldn't do it either. Hoskins just got in my ear and said, cap, cap, blue hat. You guys wouldn't even know what that was. If I didn't tell you, going to their homepage right now, it does not look like that is their usual garb. No, there it is. Yeah.

Normally they're all, normally they're all in that color. So I'm just saying that they're really Cowboys fans and they just had to do the job. Okay. Wow.

We all look, we all got many millions of people got to do jobs. They don't like to do just to get to pay jobs with my rubber glove is going to make sure every one of you are safe. By the way, he did use a rubber glove reference at the end of his landman scene when he was walking out the room.

I said, don't make me get my rubber glove. Is that his normal, is that his go-to well, he's winking at us. Yeah. He's winking at the football fans or the rich eyes and show knowing that that's one of our favorite.

That's our, one of our favorite drops. That was during COVID. Right. When he told everybody to be safe, he said, Oh, Dr. Jones is my rubber gloves. So many. And they're all so great. Is that labeled rubber glove Jerry's rubber glove by the way, space, space, space, Dr. Jones space, space, space, rubber gloves.

Well, the spaces, I don't know. This is the only one that way. Mike Del Tufo everybody. Don't make me get out my rubber glove right now. Sir serving squirrels everywhere is marvelous. You do know he's feeding a hand, feeding a squirrel in his neighborhood, right? Yeah.

I've seen, I've seen like, I respect that man. I say no. Okay. No, no, not in person yet.

I haven't seen it in person because Mike wants to act like it was a completely original thought on his point, which just so happened that the day after the Jerry Jones squirrel thing came out. Sure. Should we get, should we get like the manager or the owner of the local florist that he has chosen to talk about how the Cowboys losing the lines and getting swept by the Eagles so significantly has in fact added to the local economy. Look, as Jason, Jason Feller knows me. Okay. He knows I'm a guy who loves to invest money back into the community whenever I can. Wow.

He's just really spinning today in the form of a crown Royal bag sometimes. But look, the fact that we kept a small business, not stop the fact that we kept the small business in business. I'm okay with this. It's fine. Way to help small businesses. This year.

Tell him I'm big on that next level stuff. The unexpected can happen at any time you need to think about things like life insurance in advance. People will eat those makes it so simple. Just choose your coverage. You can apply in minutes, get covered in real time with no medical exam. Just answer a few simple health questions and you're on your way with up to pardon me, up to $2 million of term life protection with policy starting as low as $2 a day ethos is approving over 2000 families a day for life insurance protection, all online and hassle free try ethos.com.

Get your free quote at T R Y E T H O S.com. Alrighty. Let's go to Spencer in Tampa. What's up, Spencer. Hey, how's it going guys?

Thanks for calling. Uh, I just got to talk about 10 bit Buccaneers and how a few months ago, uh, you all did NSC south predictions, uh, and TJ was the only guy on the show that predicted my Buccaneers when the division, I got, I got to appreciate my man, Spencer mariachi band came in and trolling nothing to do with the Cowboys. Give me my props, Spencer. I appreciate you, big dog, because I'm just getting crapped on today.

So I needed something like this to make me feel that's my man right there. Well, Spencer just had to give some love. Thank you. You know, go buck. Um, you know, really love the show.

I appreciate you guys taking my call. Spencer. Has anyone ever told you you have something in common with Carl Anthony talents?

Uh, no, I do not. Well, you and you and Carl, Carl gave TJ's flowers today. Thank you, Spencer.

Spencer. I mean, you call back whenever there you go. Yep. We, uh, are about to break new ground guys. We didn't do that already. That's true. Breaking news.

No, but break new ground. Um, we never had a bill Belicheck press conference moment with somebody other than bill Belicheck in the press conference moment. True. We have yet to have a Jim Harbaugh moment. It's not press conference moment.

It's right. It's uh, it's his files. We've yet to have a Harbaugh file without Jim Harbaugh in it, but we're about to Justin field. Uh, pardon, Justin fields, Justin Herbert starring in this edition of the Harbaugh files because he's telling a brilliant Harbaugh story.

Sometimes people that are standing on third base like to hit a triple, but they didn't. What was the first time maybe during off season workouts or something that Jim said where you were like, this guy's definitely different. I think when he talked about, uh, remembering the day that he was born, um, was probably the first day that he kind of told us the whole story and how he remembered looking out the window.

And I think it was a cold snowy day. Um, and, uh, I, I really hope he doesn't remember that that'd be pretty cool. Which window do you think that's a fitting first ever non Jim Harbaugh featured edition of the Harbaugh files? I would say so.

It's pretty good. Remembers the day he was born. I really hope that's real. Normally, you know, a head coach tells stories that players have to buy into it.

Right. And when they tell us like the coach is full of it, man, how can we trust him over anything? But do you think there are members of the chargers who believe that Jim does believe he remembers the day he was born?

I believe that Jim believes that, but in no way does he actually remember the day he was born. And then the doctor slapped me like, come on. I don't know. We'll ask you him if the doctor slapped him. Let me ask you this question out of all 32 NFL head coaches. If one of them had to remember the day he was born, it would be both Los Angeles coaches, right?

Sean McVeigh, who remembers every detail. Oh, right. Right. I see. I see. And Jim Harbaugh.

If Dan Campbell told me that I'd probably believe it. Yeah. Yeah. Right? Yeah. Out of fear? Yeah. I just agree with everything he says. Yes, sir.

I remember when I bit my doctor's kneecap. Right. Exactly.

Hey, it's Rich Eisen here. Join me and my compadre Chris Brockman every Monday on the overreaction Monday podcast. You're also saying the record's going to go down. I'm saying the record's going down anyway. I don't think you're off on this at all. Like you're spot on here. I don't think this is an overreaction because we have no idea what we're reacting to. Come react or overreact with us. Overreaction Monday. Follow and listen on your favorite platform. It's game over. It's game over, man.