Kris Jenkins, Michigan Defensive Lineman

Ever notice how feline family members take a backseat to dogs by most pet insurance companies?

Yeah, that chafes me. Cats have feelings too, and it's just wrong. But, hold your horses.

I got some good news here. felikscatinsurance.com is doing something about it. They call it whisker-to-tail protection. Because, look, our cats don't actually have nine lives, and accidents and things can happen anytime. Felix Cat Insurance has plan options for cats of all ages, and it covers accidents, illnesses, emergency care, and more.

Best part? Plans start at under $1 per day. Customizable coverage exclusively for felines.

felikscatinsurance.com. No dogs allowed. Hold up. This ain't over yet. Roll that legal stuff. Insurance is underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company and produced by Independence Pet Group.

Pre-existing conditions are not covered. For all terms and limitations, visit felikscatinsurance.com slash terms. I'm Tony Kornheiser, and this is my show. My friends, come on and you know them. We talk about the sports you care about. Football, and now basketball too, though we don't really pay attention until later in the year, and the absurdity that is our lives.

Line etiquette at your local pharmacy, the current phase of the moon, the importance of talking to a human being on the phone, and most importantly, the power of a box of that. Listen on the Odyssey, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts. Let's go out to the guest line right now and welcome in one of the star players on Michigan, one of their defense alignment and Chris Jenkins, who is kind enough to join us on CBS Sports Radio. Chris, appreciate you doing this.

Thanks so much. How you been? I've been great. Can't complain. I hope you've been doing well.

Yeah, thanks so much for coming on. I love the sunglasses. I'm actually going to take off my glasses now and I'm going to join you here and I'm going to rock the shades with you. I like this.

Those shades are looking good. By the way, you want to know who also was looking good? Kenneth Grant. I've never seen a defensive lineman tracked down a running back like that. When I was watching the games with my buddies over the weekend as a big fella, I jumped off my couch and I said, that's the play of the college football weekend. When coach showed that on film, what was the reaction when you guys watch what Kenneth was able to do? I mean, honestly, you know, obviously, you know, we were, we were going crazy, you know, obviously, you know, it's insane to see a big man move like that. But to be honest with you, I mean, it's not anything unknown to us because this is the type of stuff he doesn't practice every single week, every single day. Like he's always moving, going pursuit, you know, chasing them, running back 30 yards down the field. You know, you see it in practice so much that when it shows up in the game, it's like, it's second nature. That's just what he does.

He's a freak. That was a great team victory for you guys. You dominated all three phases of the game. How do you kind of look back at that performance up against Penn State? You know, we took, we took away a lot of good things. You know, we were faced with a lot of adversity leading up to that game. You know, the fact that we were still able to, you know, wade through the storm, you know, become the storm, you know, still play our game of football.

You know, we really took a lot of good things from that. You know, obviously, you know, we still got ways to go. Like, you know, we're not, we're not that team yet.

We haven't arrived yet. But, you know, that's what we're continuing to build on to become that team every single day. So next week, we're hoping on playing a better game of football. And then the week after that as well.

The scandal has been so public. We saw the emotion on TV after the game from Sharron Moore and also Blake Corum. What were your emotions like after what you guys have been through the last few weeks?

Pretty much the same. I mean, first things first, I'm so proud of us and our guys. You know, I mean, we're, we're so used to hearing noise, you know, every single, every single year, there's always going to be something. But, you know, the fact that nobody flinched and that's something we preach that don't flinch, like don't nothing, you know, if you face with any type of adversity, don't change up, be the same person you you've always been every single day. You know, the fact that, you know, us across the board, our guys, the staff, the coaches, we're all on the same page with that, you know, so proud. It was such a good feeling. And, you know, that all our hard work is starting to pay off.

And, you know, we're just continuing to put more into the, you know, what the conversations have been. People go, oh, Michigan, they're a bunch of cheaters. Oh, Michigan should be banned from the college football playoff. When you hear those things being said by a lot of people around the country, and they're talking about your teammates, your coaches as well, how do you respond to that? I mean, honestly, you know, you got to become the villain, man. You know, everybody's making us out to be the villain.

You know, everybody's entitled to their own opinion, even if it's wrong. But, you know, if they want to make us the villain, then bet, you know, sometimes the villain's going to win. Sometimes, sometimes the villain's going to beat the hero. So, you know, we're going to embrace that. So if we're going to be the villain, if we're going to be known as, you know, the dark team in college football, then bet. So what are these last few weeks been like, though? Just wondering, because this story has been the most covered story, not just in college football, but in all of sports these days.

Absolutely. Well, you know, honestly, it's just been a lot of more, a lot more fire for us. You know, constantly hearing these new scandals and stuff like this pop up, being doubted, you know, hearing opinions about even being allowed to continue playing college football and just having our coaches, you know, just being thrown out randomly, you know, it just adds the fire for us. It's really given us more motivation, given us that fuel, you know, giving us more drive to, you know, just keep doing what we're doing, keep going on that path. So, you know, it's really been a lot more, you know, drive a lot more, a lot more motivation in the lack of room. So when this scandal hits, like we're all reading it, we're all trying to figure out information.

Chris Jenkins is joining us. Did it catch you by surprise? Because people are going to say, Oh, you had the signals. You would know it. Like, did this story when you first heard about it, we were like, what the heck is going on?

None of it makes sense. No, absolutely. I mean, absolutely. Like when we first hear about it, you know, absolutely. You're like, what, what is going on?

Like, what are you talking about? And, you know, I mean, it kind of hurts my heart, you know, as a player for people to consider, you know, us to, you know, be on that, be that type of team or, you know, even a players is being considered like cheaters. Cause now this is hard work. This is, we practice year round, you know, we, we work out year round, you know, we put blood, sweat, and tears into this.

You know, this is, this is grown, man. This is on this honest sport. This is honest ball. So, you know, when we, when we put that much effort into something, you know, we're, we're playing a hundred percent. We're giving our truth. We're giving our all. So, you know, and this is the perfect opportunity, you know, in our opinion to keep proving people wrong, you know, where there's no more excuses, no more excuses, no more adversity. This is just it. Awesome ball.

Awesome. The next man up. When I was watching that game on Saturday, as Chris Jenkins is here with us from the Michigan football team, they're undefeated. They're ranked third right now in the latest college football playoff rankings. I was thinking if I was an opposing defensive player on Penn state, just how demoralizing that was after the game. Cause all you guys did in the second half, I know your defensive player was the coaching staff said, we're going to run, run, run, run, run, and run until the game is over. Like if someone did that to you guys and it worked, you'd probably walk away, just feeling in the worst mood possible, because I don't think there's anything worse when a team just does one thing and there's nothing more maddening when you can't stop it. Oh, absolutely. You know, especially as a defensive player, you definitely going to feel some type of way that you, you weren't able to stop that one thing and they just kept doing it to you over and over and over, you know, that's our, that's our offense's identity, man.

You know, they just, they live by, you know, not only controlling the clock, but you know, that physicality just like coach says, just grinding the meat, just hitting them over and over and over again. Just right, right through you, not around you, just right through you. When you guys landed, cause we all know Michigan, right. Is, is flying to happy valley. You guys have wifi in the plane, probably all that stuff. Coach says how he found out about it, but how did you find out that, wow, Tony Petitti actually did this to our coach and actually suspended him. How did you find out about it when you were on the plane? Oh, the second we landed, the second we touched down, you know, our phone started to go off the little news alerts, the ESPN alerts, and then we're all looking and everybody started, you know, you kind of hear a little murmur and then, you know, a couple of gas on the plane, you're like, you know, what the heck is this? You know, the second we checked our phone, the second after we landed and we see this, we're, we're like, what? So, you know, there was, there was this conversation. It was just a way we found out was so surreal. Cause it was, you're going, you're going on a flight, you're preparing for the game. And the next thing, you know, this news just hits you.

The second you hit Pennsylvania, you know, it's, it's insane. Personally. I thought it was gutless by, by the big 10.

It's like, if you're going to go through the suspension, that's one thing you have every right to do that, but you knew all week. Okay. This team was flying at that time.

I thought the big 10 came off looking like cowards. If you asked me. Absolutely.

No, I couldn't agree more. You know, that was, that was definitely, you know, in my opinion, definitely scandalous, especially at that point in time. Chris Jenkins here with us. I want to ask you about your dad. I love watching your dad play football. Um, when you look back at your dad's career, just what did you remember seeing it from, you know, obviously at a young age and, and a totally different perspective than we did. Honestly, just him being a monster, being a gladiator, you know, you, um, you know, he's a big Teddy bear, you know, kind of like me, you know, you see him in the house. He's always, always got a smile on his face, always joking, you know, cracking jokes. But the second he steps on that field, man, it's that switch flips.

He turns it on. He's a completely different person, you know, just like, just seeing them go on the field and watching the old tapes, even just him being a gladiator, just moving people against say, well, you know, he was, he was definitely a beat. He was a different breed for you. How do you want people to, to know you? What do you want people to know about you?

Because when people hear your name, obviously they're like, Oh, that's the son of Chris Jenkins, the all pro defensive tackle. When you try to create your own story, what do you want your story to be? Yeah. I mean, really, it's just like you said, I just want it to be my own story.

And, you know, only Tom's going to tell, you know, what that story is going to be, and hopefully it's going to be a good one and how that's going to build up. But, you know, I'm just not trying to sit here being Chris Jenkins Jr. forever. It's just being, Oh yeah, you go daddy's child forever. I mean, I love him. I love my dad. I really do. But it's always competition in my family.

I'm trying to, hopefully one day I'm trying to get to the point where I can talk trash to them, where maybe I got five pro bowls, or maybe I even got a super, super bowl ring on them, you know, and just like, just getting to that point, just establishing that name for myself, you know, just, just being my own type of player, my own type of man, you know, is what I'm looking forward to doing. Well, is dad rooting for you this weekend? I know you're going up against his alma mater.

Do you have the support of your old man? Oh, absolutely. Now he's going to, he's going to support me regardless, but I mean, he told me straight up, he might not be wearing a Michigan jersey, but he's going to be supporting.

That's a great answer. Before we let Chris Jenkins run, Maryland has a good team. We know they could put points up on the, on the scoreboard.

All right. I'm going into the Ohio state game, Michigan, Ohio state coming up in, in two weekends. So everyone's attention's already there. You being a leader on this team, how do you guys make sure you're focused in on this Maryland game?

So it doesn't turn out to be a trap game where you have the contest in the fourth quarter. Absolutely. We just continue to give them that respect. You know, they're not a bad team. They're a great team. They got a lot of good players all across the board. You know, it's just being able to give them that respect and then playing them like the team, you know, they deserve to be played as, you know, if, you know, if the way we look at it, if we, you know, if we continue to look at them as a team, where they're a bad team and try to overlook them and, you know, move straight to Ohio state, that's when the scary things could happen. That's when the track games could happen.

So now that's, that's not what we're doing at all. You know, we're giving them that respect, you know, we're preparing for them properly. So, you know, you know, when we play them, you know, we'll, we'll play them and, you know, put on a show. Obviously you guys want coach Harbaugh on the sidelines. We don't know if he's going to be able to get the clearance and get on the sideline this weekend. Is there any difference when he's not there? You guys have been through this before earlier in the season and when coach Moore takes over as the, as the acting head coach, let's say, I mean, absolutely.

There's going to be a difference. I mean, every team's going to want their head coach to be there. I mean, obviously if we could, if we could choose, obviously we want our coach there. Obviously, you know, he's going to, he's going to lead us wherever, but you know, the fact that, and you know, the fact that we've been through this, you know, countless times already this year, you know, you know, the team already knows what we're walking into, you know, we're already prepared for it. You know, every coach has done an amazing job, regardless of the situation stepping up to the plate. You know, if it's being that interim head coach, like coach Moore has done and like coach Minner has done, they've done an amazing job, you know, filling that role, you know, really just getting us ready to play ball. So, you know, that's, that's why props to them and shouts out to them.

Cause you know, that's not an easy thing to do at all. But the fact that they not only embraced that, but they roll with it and get us ready to go, you know, is awesome. Love this conversation. Love watching you play so far this season.

Good health. Good luck the rest of the way. And thanks so much for doing this.

Chris. Appreciate you. Absolutely. Thanks for having me.

There you go. Chris Jenkins joining us from the Michigan football team. I like when guys wear sunglasses and shades to interviews. I think we should do this more often because then I get to throw on the shades and I kind of liked the shades because then people have no clue where I'm looking and things like that. I like doing interviews in sunglasses. Now, Sam, I mean, this is like when Dion was getting called out for wearing a hat and sunglasses.

Now it seems like everyone's kind of taken the D on route and like, screw it. I'll wear sunglasses inside. Yeah. You better, you better not act like Jay nor Velvo and then start lecturing me about wearing sunglasses.

You start telling me I'm not professional. That's a, that's a problem. Jeez. Good stuff there from Chris Jenkins. Appreciate him discussing the whole scandal with us. Really good personality and Michigan having a heck of a football season. And we all know what it comes down to. Do you beat Ohio state?

And then can you take it the next step further? Cause they won the big 10 championship the last two years. They defeated Ohio state the last two years.

Now can they go win those two games in the college football playoff? Walk the dogs, school drop-off meetings from 10 to three, take kids to soccer, then no time left for a jog. When everyone else is relying on you, it's easy to put your needs last. BetterHelp connects you with a licensed therapist online so you can show up for yourself the way you do for others. Visit betterhelp.com slash positive to get 10% off your first month. That's better H E L P.com slash positive. Ew. Got to get rid of this old Backstreet Boys t-shirt. Tell me why. Because it stinks boys. Tell me why. I've washed it so many times, but the odor won't come out. Tell me why. No, you tell me why I can't get rid of this odor.

Have you tried down here? Rinse and refresh. It doesn't just cover up odors. It helps remove them. Wow. It worked guys. Yeah. Downey Rinse and Refresh removes more odor in one wash than the leading value detergent in three washes. Find it wherever you buy laundry products.