Bryan Bresee, New Orleans Saints Defensive Lineman

All right, we continue. This is Zach Gelb show coast-to-coast on CBS Sports Radio coming up in a few moments. We should have Saints rookie defensive tackle Brian Bursey join us on behalf of Sleep Lumber.

So really looking forward to that conversation. So we'll get to that in just a few moments as the Saints. They had a big victory over the weekend going to Foxboro and just beating the snot out of the New England Patriots that NFC South has turned out to be a good division this year outside of the Carolina Panthers. So it's going to be fun to monitor the rest of the way with those three other teams to see how those teams are going to stack up against one another with the fit with the Falcons the Saints and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers getting off to a good start as well to start off this football season. But there's been a lot of sloppy play around the NFL and we haven't had a lot of good games so far through the first five weeks of the season. I was just talking to Tiki Barber about it during the break in the newsroom here at our CBS Sports Radio Studios and Tiki was basically saying oh maybe it's like the extension of the preseason because they barely do any preseason. I'm like Tiki what we're now already in week six. They only play three preseason games to begin with so hopefully we see some better games as the season do progress.

But really the Saints had a phenomenal performance up against the Patriots. Let's welcome in a Clemson legend and a rookie for the Saints and Brian Bursey was kind enough to join us right now on CBS Sports Radio Brian. Thanks so much for doing this. How you been. Good good. How are you doing. Thanks for having me.

Well thanks so much. So how has this adjustment been. You go from a legendary career in Clemson first round draft pick of the Saints. How has this early adjustment been to the NFL. Yeah it's been amazing you know being with an organization like the Saints and you know having having so many guys on the team that that have done so well in the NFL forever. You know having a guy like Cam Jordan to kind of lean on and show me the ropes through through the beginning of this this this kind of run in the NFL.

It's been amazing. Yeah. How about being in that locker room because you talked about Cam Jordan there's so many veterans on the defensive side of the ball that this team is just loaded with talent defensively. Would he be able to pick up from some of these guys that have been in the league for a few years now.

Yeah I mean I would say just just kind of knowing that how to go about your business. You know you've got guys on the defense like tomorrow Davis Cam Jordan Tyron Matthews all these guys who have been doing it at such a high level for so long and and you know you just kind of see the right the right way to go about things with those guys on the defense. So they've been they've been a huge help for not only me but I'm sure all the other young guys on the team Brian Brzee here with us rookie defensive tackle for the Saints on behalf of sleep number we'll talk about them in just a second when you got that phone call that you were getting drafted by the Saints. It's really a new era now in New Orleans with Sean Payton not there the last few years.

Same could be said for Drew Brees so we're trying to see what that next chapter of Saints football could be for them to select you in the first round. What was going through your mind. Just I mean I was just super excited you know.

A childhood dream of mine to get that call and obviously you know hear the commissioner say your name and so so it was just just an amazing feeling for you know not only me but just my whole family. We were just all super super excited going into the New England game last week. What type of game did you expect because I thought that was going to be a close football game that you guys would win it ended up being a blowout victory for you guys. Yeah I mean you know I think going into every week in the NFL you know it's you're getting ready for a dogfight I think. You know everybody's so talented in this league and just just going in and preparing preparing the right way every week practicing hard and and you know just doing everything you can to come out you know hopefully with the outcome you want.

So you know I wouldn't say there was any any difference in preparation or anything we obviously had a good week of practice but we were definitely going into that game ready for a dogfight. I respect your answer and I know how much you respect you have for all the players in the NFL but I say this as a Patriot fan their offense could do nothing right. In the year of 2023 so far like when you were watching them on tape did anything intimidate you about this offense because this offense to me has just been terrible so far this year. I don't think I could I could say I'm intimidated by any offense. I don't think I'm motivated by any offense. I don't think I'm motivated by any offense on that offense. Brian Bursey here with us. How about your quarterback in Derek Carr.

I know he's playing with the injury. We know how tough Derek Carr could be you being a rookie what has really stood out to you about your quarterback. Yeah I mean I would say just that you know watching him you know get hurt and and fight back to be ready the next week and just seeing his resilience and you know how positive he stayed through all that and you know continue just continue to lead for not only the offense but for the whole team and you know we all definitely rally around him. I think we're all trying to figure out what the Saints could be before the season.

A lot of people had you pick to win the division the division's been a little bit better than what people thought it would be you being around that team. Where do you think you guys are heading this year knowing the talent you have in that locker room. Yeah I mean I think obviously we're all week to week here you know getting ready for the next week but at the end of the day I think everyone's goal is to win a Super Bowl.

So you know preparing every week and getting ready for the next game and in order to kind of build that up and get to where we all want to be talking to Brian Brzee right now we'll talk about sleep number in just a second. The next opponent the Houston Texans C.J. shroud has done a wonderful job with the Texans so far we know D'Amico Ryan's has always been kind of that next coach and now he's finally getting that opportunity. When you look at shroud and guys like Nico Collins what challenges can the Texans present this upcoming week.

Yeah obviously CJ's been playing very very well this year. They have a very solid offensive line you know they have weapons on offense so I think just just preparing this week like we do every other week and you know just just getting ready for for all the possible outcomes that we can get from this offense and doing everything we can just to just to prepare ourselves I think at the end of the day that that's really what it comes down to. How comfortable are you right now through through five games when you get ready to start your NFL career. Do you feel like you're caught up to NFL speed yet. Yeah I mean I think there's obviously always room room to kind of improve on that whether you know it's technique or that kind of that kind of thing.

But as far as just kind of game speed goes I think I've been able to kind of get used to a pretty quick and so that's that hasn't been too much of a problem for me. You know what the standard is at Clemson it's to get to the college football playoff and have a chance to win a national championship. Now a lot of us are looking at Clemson differently. What are your thoughts on the state of your alma mater. You know I was I get that you know all the time but you know being back in in Clemson and you know while I was playing there you know when you have guys who had kind of left in and you know look back on it and are in our you know not talking too great about about the team and it can it can be it can be tough being a player there so just staying positive and you know hoping for the best for those guys but definitely definitely a super fan. You're starting a new chapter with the Saints. It's a new game with NIL and the transfer portal like do you think Dabble will eventually adapt and change on those things because right now they have they have one player from the transfer portal like it's tough to win in college football when you're not willing to change with the times. I mean I think coach when he's done a good job you know with NIL you know we started a whole we have a whole building in in the facility just just kind of for that now for the transfer rule I couldn't.

I couldn't really tell you on that I think you'd have to you'd have to go ask him I'm not sure what he I'm not sure if you'll ever change on that to be honest with you. What are some of your favorite memories because it's kind of weird. Now you're playing for a different team you were associated with Clemson. What are some of those memories that you look back on you go wow those are my favorite times being a part of the Clemson football team.

Yeah I mean I would say honestly just just being in a locker room you know you build some of your closest friends in college you know you live with them and so I mean you know those times just being a part of the locker room with all those guys and just hanging out going out and doing doing outside things I mean I would say one of my favorite things was was the night before games we would go and see movies as a team so like just little things like that that definitely definitely I think about when I think about my best memories and then you know winning games obviously is is is something that that we kind of definitely definitely just one from one from one from the team every year. Tell me what you're doing today with sleep number Brian Rosie. So sleep numbers partner or the official partner of of Crucial Catch with the NFL. So you know they they've done a great job raising awareness for for this awful disease. Obviously you know I lost my little sister to it a little over a year ago. So just being partnered with a brand like sleep number and and seeing everything that they do for cancer and everything that they do to to try to stop this disease one day has been really really cool for me to be a part of.

They started this this tool called the defender that is on the NFL dot com that you can go and do a quick test and and kind of see your cancer risk. So you know I think I think just continuing to spread awareness for cancer is something that's that's huge for for all of us and sleep number has been a great partner and somebody who's done an amazing job at doing that to carry on your sister's legacy. What do you want people to know about your sister. She was just you know amazing such a such a happy spirited person always had a smile on her face. Somebody that that you know you couldn't smile you could not smile when you were around her so just somebody that that I look back on and know how strong she was and and and just just the grit that that she had through through that that awful disease that she was going through and and you know obviously somebody that. That we all miss every day so well nothing but the best to you and your family moving forward Brian Brzee have a great rest of your rookie season good health to you and thanks so much for doing this today on behalf of sleep number. Thank you very much.