Fozzy Whittaker, former Texas Longhorn & Carolina Panther

What's that sound? That's the sound of Downy Unstoppable's scent beads going into your washing machine and giving your clothes freshness that lasts all day long.

There it is again. It's like music to your ears. Or more like music to your nose. That freshness is irresistible. Let's get a Downy Unstoppable's bottle shake. And now a sniff solo. Nice.

Get six times longer lasting freshness plus odor protection with Downy Unstoppable's in wash scent beads. Now joining us, Texas Longhorn, great. Also played in the NFL with a bunch of teams. His last stop was in Carolina and that is Fauzi Whitaker who is here with us, a part of the Longhorn Radio Network. Fauzi, appreciate the time as always. How you been? I've been feeling really good, man. Brought in the new year in a fun way. What an exciting weekend of national semifinal games. Obviously, probably the best semifinals ever from a comparison of both games providing that last play, last drive type of momentum. But man, I am feeling awesome bringing in 2024 the right way.

Well, we appreciate you jumping on board with us. So I was just saying right before we brought you in, it looked like Texas was going to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. What did you make of the last few play calls by Sark and the offense as Texas was moving that ball down the field or about to steal a victory away from Washington? It was a surreal moment because everything leading up to that point, Washington had dominated the football game.

It was at the line of scrimmage. Washington was holding their own offensively and defensively. Michael Penny Jr. was having his way with those defensive backs. The receivers were each having some big games and making some big time plays. Washington forced his two turnovers on the defensive side of the ball. Braylon Trice absolutely got after that Texas offensive line. And for Texas to still have a shot and be in that game late on that final drive, final possession, zero timeouts, four chances with the ball on the 12-yard line.

It kind of was just a crazy combination of a football game transpiring to that one final moment, which was that fourth down play with one second left on the clock. But ultimately, man, I tip my hat off to that Washington team. They face scrutiny all year long, whether it was, oh, they haven't played nobody.

Oh, they are barely skating by. Oh, they only win by a couple of points. Oh, Oregon's going to blow them out in the Pac-12 championship game.

Oh, Texas is favored. This Washington team has answered every bell that has been thrown their way. And it was a truly amazing win for that team, that program.

And what Michael Penix Jr. was able to put on display was probably his best passing clinic from the standpoint of start to finish that he probably has played all season long. So just an unbelievable game coming down to the wire. If Texas would have won, obviously, I would have felt a little bit better. But ultimately, man, I was really proud as an alum of what those boys put out there on the field, the way that they played. Never gave up. Down by 13 points at one point in time late in that game.

And for them to continue to scratch, claw, and fight for every moment, man, that's what you want to see. And so I was proud to be a Longhorn despite the loss. But it definitely was a season that can change the identity of what this program has been. This was the best season that Texas has had in the past 15 years.

So I know, Fosse Whitaker, that you want to tip your cap to Washington. But just getting back to that play calling, there was nothing in the final three, four plays that you took issue with? I took some issue. The real thing about it though, I never really want to question a coach of Sartre's kind of magnitude and his ability to call a play. I mean, at the end of the day, he got them in that position. He got them in that moment.

He got them down there. I really would have loved to see Adanah Mitchell be able to get a couple more attempts down there. He only had that last one that was a one-on-one opportunity.

Speaking with Stark after the game and the press conference, he talked about kind of his play selection and how they were trying to get some isolation, one-on-one opportunities, with Jutavian Sanders and Jordan Whittington. And then obviously going to Adanah Mitchell at the end of the game. But I honestly would have loved to see A.D. Mitchell score that last touchdown.

But I know Sartre and I know he had called up some great plans. Washington had a really good defense. And if Texas would have scored on that last play, nobody would have questioned the three plays prior because it still would have turned out okay. But ultimately, the way that Washington defended it, it kind of made it into a should have, could have, would have moment. But really, at the end of the day, those guys all believed in each other. They had that chance, considering how bad or poorly they had played up to that point with what difficulties Washington presented for them.

And you just kind of got to accept it and hopefully grow from it and continue to get better. But definitely would have loved to see some more opportunities for A.D. Mitchell down there in the red zone. Fosse Whitaker here with us. So clearly, Texas had an extremely successful season. Their quarterback, Quinn Ewers, even having to miss a little bit of time with the injury, had a great season. I would think he would want to come back, but then also there's part of me that's saying, wow, it does feel like it's time to go to Arch Manning. What do you think Quinn Ewers ultimately decides? I think honestly, the best thing for Quinn Ewers in this moment is to stay another year and progress underneath Steve Sarkeesian, get another season underneath his belt, continue to build off of what he was able to build and put together in this past season as he's had his best passing season so far.

I mean, it's only his second year starting. So I believe he can really make some big strides. If he elects to go into the NFL draft, I mean, I must still support him in every single way.

But it is a loaded, loaded, loaded quarterback class that will be coming out this year. So that can probably change the perspective of how he views his future, considering you've got a lot of guys that are first round, second round talents or grades and probably will go in such. But ultimately, man, he'll probably have a sit down with his family, probably have a sit down with Coach Sark, AJ Milley as well, the quarterback's coach and decide a plan, a plan of action that's best for his future. But I would I would believe if I was in that position, I would love for him to come back another season, strengthen up his arm, strengthen up his body, showcase the NFL scouts. He can complete a full season and then also put together a season that is going to be a memorable one in Texas's first year in the SEC. So we know Malik Murphy is off to Duke. Arch Manning still clearly covered highly and right. There's a lot of thoughts of what he could be as a quarterback. If Quinn comes back, I know they just won the big tall championship. They were just in the college football playoff. Is that definitely his job or do you expect there to be a competition where maybe that could open the door for Arch Manning to usurp Quinn? You were next year.

I expect there always to be competition. The first thing that Steve Sarkeesian lamented whenever he first came in with how it's always going to be the best 11 guys on the field that will go out there and play. And if we come around in the spring and let's say we still have Texas still has Quinn Ewers and they still have Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers isn't ready to showcase, you know, the things that he was able to put together late in the season and Arch Manning seems to be hitting his stride, I wouldn't be surprised if Steve Sarkeesian started going out there and then fall camp say, hey, we have a battle going on and it's going to go well in the camp and possibly can name Arch as that starting quarterback. But ultimately, the way that Quinn Ewers went on a transformative offseason from last year to this year where you saw him cut the mullet, you saw him cut the beard, kind of the all business approach. He changed his diet. He locked in and honed in with the team. He became a leader for this offense and for this team. He showed the emotion. He showed the grit. He showed everything that you want to see from a QB one. I would believe he will continue to kind of double down on those efforts this offseason to hopefully maintain his position as QB one in Texas. And hopefully create a run where they can be in a 12 team playoff format and possibly make it to the national championship as they were one game away this past season. On the way out with Fosse Whitaker, I got to ask you about your Carolina Panthers.

I'm not going to sugarcoat this. I can't stand their owner in David Tepper. And we all just saw that video Fosse of him on the road this week, throwing a drink in an opposing team fan's face.

I thought it was stupid. You got to be the adult there and just walk away regardless of what the fan is saying to you, especially when you're a multi billionaire and you're the owner of the football team. They give him a three hundred thousand dollar fine to you and I. That's a lot of money to David Tepper. That's like, what, five cents? How did you react when you saw that did go down with the owner of the Carolina Panthers?

Yeah, I was truly amazed that that was all that it was. Three hundred thousand dollars fine. Like you mentioned, that's a large amount to the average person, but to a guy that's a billionaire that can buy out an NFL organization or franchise. And I mean, that's really more so a don't do that anymore. But that's about as much of a disciplinary action that the NFL took towards him. Anytime you see somebody in position of power or that is an owner of a team act in that manner, it kind of puts things in perspective about where that organization is going or where it has been.

And over the past couple of seasons, obviously you can look at the track record of their wins and losses, the number of coaches that they've had, the number of players that have been rotated in and out of that system. And it doesn't seem like a very pleasant environment for one that's going to generate growth and positivity in this moment. And so it's unfortunate for a lot of the guys that are there. I mean, you look at Bryce Young, obviously he isn't performing to what a lot of people expected from him as the number one overall draft. And it doesn't help that C.J.

Stroud is performing very well as the number two draft pick. But it makes it hard for him to be able to have success whenever you get an owner that act in the way that he does. And obviously brings attention towards himself in a negative light and for the organization. It's just not something that you want to see.

So I was surprised it was only 300K. I'm not sure if there will be some other actions that the other owners or the NFL takes towards them. But that's not the attitude and that's not the representation that that Carolina Panther organization wants to be remembered as or represented as.

So I'm sure it'll get cleaned up quickly. And it was a moment that I'm sure David Tepper wishes he had back. But they got issues within that organization and obviously is starting from the owner's perspective.

But they've got to figure out some sort of consistency or continuity to try to get that program and that franchise headed back in the right direction. And it's hostile right now. Like this fan base, they cannot stand this guy.

And I do not blame them. And I think the only suitable punishment, Fosse Whitaker, would be all the fans. And I don't think there's gonna be a lot of them that go to this game this weekend, a home game for the Panthers up against the Bucks to end this dreadful two-win season. I would let them throw a drink in Tepper's face. That's what I would let all those fans throw a drink in his face and let him know how it feels.

I mean, if they could, I'm pretty sure a lot of those people would. I don't know if that'll still fix the issue, but at least they'll feel better about it. And the issue I think is simple is this, right? This is a guy that thinks he's a football guy and he thinks he has all the answers and he hires football people, but he doesn't let them make the football decisions because he thinks he's the football guy.

That's how I would kind of just really sum this up real quickly. That's what is playing out. Obviously, you bring in guys in the coaching staff that was comprised this past offseason. That coaching staff is supposed to work. And you're supposed to have some sort of success, better than a two-win season in the way that they've been able to play this year. They look awful this year and have no sense of direction. You don't know where the future of this program is going because of the turmoil that you talked about and the amount of experience that they had that was just fired, all the guys that were let go.

It's disappointing. I've played underneath several of those guys on that coaching staff and I know what those men are as coaches and I know what they are as men and their core values and the type of culture that they like to bring and to see the way that it kind of crumbled the way that it did. It's a serious issue at hand and that's something that you never want to see for a program or organization with good men like that. Considering also, you bring in Bryce Young and he's taking a lot of heat as your rookie quarterback.

A drink and a face may help with emotions and feelings, but they're going to need some surgical processes that got to take place in order for this program to get back in a place where it was whenever we played for a Super Bowl back in 2015. Fonzie Whitaker, always great to catch up. Happy New Year. Thanks so much for doing this. Absolutely. Happy New Year to you too, brother. Have a good one. You got it. There he is. Fonzie Whitaker joining us on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio.