Steve Largent, Pro Football Hall of Fame Wide Receiver

Fall is just around the corner and home is the center of it all. At Ashley, seasonal decorating's a breeze with their range of designs and materials. Snuggle up on a family-friendly sectional or an ultra-modern sofa. Or gather outside and enjoy the crisp, cool air with a new fire pit or conversation set. From minor refreshes to total overhauls, Ashley has the essentials to make your home fall functional and fabulous.

Shop in store or visit Ashley.com today. You want to know why football season for me started to feel as if it was here? It's not just because we had football back. Last week I got a package to my apartment and it was from my dear friend Mark Singleton at Southern Recipe Small Batch Pork Rinds and he sent me like six or seven different flavors of Southern Recipe Pork Rinds and they are delicious. Absolutely delicious. One of my favorite snacks on a football Sunday. Always love devouring the pork rinds. And now joining us on behalf of Southern Recipe Pork Rinds and Pork Rinds Appreciation Day and also the great foundation, the Gridiron Grates is the Pro Football Hall of Famer, the legendary wide receiver, Seahawks legend in Steve Largent. Steve, appreciate the time as always. How you been? Oh Zach, great to talk with you.

Well thanks so much for coming on. So the entire NFL world today is reacting to the crazy scene last night on Monday Night Football. Horrible Achilles injury for Aaron Rodgers. A great victory though for the Jets. Just watching that game last night, just what were the emotions when you saw the Aaron Rodgers injury?

Well I was not disappointed but really sad for Aaron. He's such a great player and was going to be just a real instigator for turning the Jets around and now he plays one game and he's out. And so when you tear up your Achilles, I think that's what it is right? It's an Achilles injury. He may not ever play again.

It can be that bad. Yeah we always know how serious of an injury that is. We'll see what the future has in store for Aaron Rodgers. The Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Largent is here with us. If you were in that locker room and you still find a way to win the game, the Jets have a good defense, they can run the ball. Garrett Wilson made a great catch.

He's a phenomenal young wide receiver. You being a leader on a team in your life before, what would your message be when you lose your starting quarterback and a guy that was supposed to save the franchise like you were saying in Aaron Rodgers? Well I think in most cases if it's a linebacker or a defensive lineman or an offensive lineman or even a running back or a defensive back, you can say hey we can overcome this. But when you're talking about your star quarterback who is really a Hall of Famer himself and will be, that's a different subject. So I don't know what the coach told his team, but he obviously told them enough to fire him up and keep the team going and win the game.

So I really thought the Jets would win the game, but I thought the Jets would win the game with Aaron Rodgers, not without him. And that's always the thing that amazed me the most with pro athletes. We know the connection and the bond playing this game does bring and when you lose someone so powerful like that, I know it's not life and death, but you have a serious injury, it's kind of crazy how the team was able to block that out and mentally focus back in. It really is a credit to them and to their coaching staff that they were able to do that. So now it will draw into question what do they do for the rest of the season. And if they played the way they played last night then they'll be in great shape, but it's tough when you're a second team quarterback and you're coming in and you're now the starter to keep that momentum going.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Largent is here with us. Alright, let me get to the Seahawks. I was very optimistic on the Seahawks entering this season. I thought they could be the third best team in the NFC. I know it's only one game, but I didn't have high expectations for the Rams entering this season. What a lopsided affair that was on Sunday. How did you kind of react to what the Rams did to your Seahawks?

Well, Zach, I was at the game, so I got to watch it firsthand and see the things that I saw. And I don't think the Seahawks played well at all. And the Rams didn't play that great. But I tell you, when their quarterback got in the huddle and got the offense going, the Seahawks couldn't stop him. There wasn't much of a pass rush. I don't know if he got sacked maybe one or two times the whole game. But the Seahawks have a lot to work on, to say the least.

But I think the Rams do too. So it was not a pretty weekend for me because I was out there watching on Saturday. My golden hurricane, Tulsa University, was playing the Huskies. They got whooped. And then I go to the Seahawks game and they get whooped.

So it was a sad weekend for me. Seems like you need some pork rinds after a weekend like that, right? I need some pork rinds, that's exactly right.

Well, we'll talk about pork rinds in just a bit as the pro football famous Steve Largent is here with us. You know, Stafford coming off an injury, also playing without Cooper Cupp, one of the better wide receivers in the league. I know what you said about the Seahawks defense, it was awful. And you're right, they didn't even get to Stafford once in the game to sack him. But to see guys like Tutu Atwell and Puka Nakua both go for a buck 19, that was really impressive what the Rams were able to do with those two young wide receivers and not having a guy like Cooper Cupp on the field.

I think so, too. They really were impressive. I love watching, you know, I love any receivers playing, whoever they're playing for. But, yeah, they really played well.

And, you know, it really was disappointing to me to see the coverage not any better than it was either. Because there were a lot of times that I was watching the entire field, and if Stafford could have seen the receivers I saw, they were running wide open downfield. But Stafford didn't throw them the ball, fortunately for the Seahawks. But their receivers played really well. So now the Seahawks have a tough game coming up against the Lions in Detroit.

They're already 0-1. You've got offensive line injuries, they're bringing in Jason Peters who's 41 years old. If you were on that team, you know what it's like, you lose a game in the NFL, everyone's going to panic, people are going to start counting you out and writing you off. Just what would your message be to the Seahawks this week?

Well, you're exactly right. I mean, it's one game. And you've got to put it behind you and look at the positive things that you did and then look at the areas of improvement and then try to work on those and make them better for when you're playing Detroit. But I watched Detroit play, too, this weekend. And they have a very good team. And they're going to be tough this year. And the Seahawks are playing them in Detroit, which won't be an easy chore. But Pete Carroll has an uncanny way of getting a team ready and out for a game.

And he's going to have to do it for this week, for sure. On offense, there's so much talent with the Seattle team. The two running backs, Walker and Charbonnet, the wide receivers, Metcalf and Lockett, Jackson Smith and Jigba, the rookie out of Ohio State. The big question is, you know, no one was expecting Geno Smith to do what he did a year ago. People wonder how much regression there's going to be this year. Where's your confidence that Geno Smith can not only replicate what he did a season ago but get even better?

You know, the thing that I was surprised by, I was at the practice on Saturday morning and was out there with the Seahawks. Geno Smith, he's like 6'5 or something. He's really a tall dude. And I didn't realize he was that tall. But my word to Geno is that's one game.

You've got to put it behind you. And he needs to play better next week. But he's a good player. I think he had an outstanding year last year.

I hope he replicates it this year. But I don't know that he will. Let me ask you about Jackson Smith and Jigba. I know he's coming off the injury right before the start of the season. So who knows how healthy he is.

But we know the talents there. The question is can the guy just stay healthy? Unfortunately going back to last year at Ohio State with the injuries that kept on popping up. When you have a young receiver like that making the transition from college to the NFL, just what advice do you give a youngster like that?

You've got to keep your nose to the grindstone and know that you're going to have some up times, you're going to have some down times, and you've got to try to minimize the down times and maximize the up times. But I think that he knows that he's got to play better. And hopefully he will. Who are some of your favorite wide receivers in the NFL just wondering these days? Well, Fred Balitnikov is a name that jumps right off the pages to me. I used to love to watch Fred play the way he'd run his routes and catch the ball. He was my hero. Of course we got to play the Raiders twice every year, so I got to see a lot of Fred.

But he was just a classy guy and a classy football player. But I really liked watching him. Of course Jerry Rice played the same time I did.

He was a little bit later than I was, but not much. And Jerry was just phenomenal. And of course you had Joe Montana throwing to him, so that didn't hurt either. But he was really a fun guy to watch. Joe, the thing about him was that he was not that fast.

People don't realize that he was just not that fast. But man, he could catch the ball and get open. He was fun for me to watch on the sideline. Unless we were playing in the regular season.

And that wasn't fun at all. Is there anyone in today's game that you really enjoy watching when you look at the wide receiver position? You know, I think wide receiver has become such a more prominent position for a team to have multiple good receivers. Because they just don't run the ball. The running game is almost nonexistent in the NFL anymore.

It's all about throwing the ball. But every team has a good receiver. Has at least one good receiver. And most teams have two or three good receivers. And so it's just fun for me to see all of these guys playing.

And there's really not anybody in particular that jumps out off the pages to me. Because I think there's so many good receivers and so much talent at that particular position now. Tell me what you're doing with the fine folks at Southern Recipe Small Batch and also a great organization, the Gridiron Grates, which I've been going to their events for many years throughout the last decade or so. Well, I've been there too. And the Gridiron Grates does a great job of helping players when they're down.

Helping players that just need help for physical maladies that they may have or whatever. And it's something that Mike Ditka started. And it's really gone over great. And these people, the pork rind industry, is basically underwriting a number of efforts that the Gridiron Grates are making. And so I'm teaming up with them. I'll be at the Super Bowl with them. And they're doing a great job and they're helping some really needy guys. And you can follow them on social media at Southern Recipe Small Batch.

Also make sure you visit PorkRindAppreciationDay.com. He's the Pro Football of Famer Steve Largent. Steve, hopefully you see some more winning football when you continue to go to games, alright?

I hope so too. You got it. There he is, Steve.

Thanks for asking me to come. There he is. Steve Largent here with us. Facts are facts. Like how contributing to employees' financial security makes them want to work harder for their company. In fact, according to a 2023 study by Principal, 87% of employers say that better employee financial security means employees are more engaged and productive at work. The fact of the matter is that employees want to feel financially secure in their future.

So consider this. Principal helps you invest in your employees by providing customized benefits and retirement plans to help keep your employees more engaged and productive. When you take care of your team, they take care of business.

That's a fact. Learn how Principal can help you find the right benefits and retirement plan for your team at Principal.com slash benefits. Products and services offered by member companies of the Principal Financial Group, Des Moines, Iowa.

For important information, visit Principal.com slash disclosures. I'm here to tell you about Pom Pom at Home, where comfort meets elegance. Pom Pom at Home is offering 20% off site wide for a limited time. See why so many of the top designers use Pom Pom's luxury easy care bedding.

They have created a timeless, beautiful, coastal living look that incorporates subtle tones and natural fibers offering a unique touch. Create your dream bed now. Get 20% off sheets, duvets, throws and more right now at PomPomAtHome.com. Easy to use, easy to love luxury bedding. Just enter code POMPOM at checkout. sponsored by Pfizer and BioNTech.