Trey Sermon, Colts Running Back

Alrighty, hour number two of our radio program. It is the Zach Gelb show on the Infinity Sports Network. Now joining us in studio from the Indianapolis Colts is running back Trey Sermon. And Trey, of course, played his college football at Oklahoma, also Ohio State.

And he knows a thing or two about the man that just won the Super Bowl MVP in Jalen Hurts. Trey, it's Zach Gelb. Appreciate you coming on in. How you been? I've been great, man. Definitely glad to be out here. It's been fun. So let me start you off with why you're in New York City. You going to Fashion Week?

Is that right? I did. I went to a lot of events, had a great time. So like when you go to Fashion Week, right? Like someone like me, I don't have fashion senses to go to Fashion Week. You know, what are you wearing? Just wondering. Oh, whatever is your style? I know. I mean, this is my first Fashion Week in New York, so I definitely tried to spice it up, kind of switch up my my style a bit.

But I mean, whatever really is appealing to you now. I know that we have similar representation. So you're a Lepselter guy and Max Lepselter, right? He loves his fashion.

We know that. So how did you how did this all come about in terms of getting you here? Like what was it that made you say, oh, this is something I want to go to? Yeah, well, the past couple of years, I've been getting more and more into fashion. So I mean, I just decided to just let those guys know that, you know, I want to go to New York Fashion Week and just kind of get that whole experience. Was anyone cool that you ran into? Anyone cool that you ran into while you were there? Um, I've seen I think I was going to the Shao show and I seen Fabulous there. Oh, cool.

Like that was that was pretty dope. What kind of music you like, by the way? Just wondering.

R&B, hip hop. Now, not to put you on blast here, but it's it's very polarizing. Were you in or out of the Kendrick performance at halftime? Honestly, I really like the performance.

I mean, just the whole dynamic of it. I feel like they did a good job. I enjoyed watching it. Trey Sermon here with us in studio. So let's talk about the Colts. Then we'll talk about your pal in Jalen Hurts.

When you look back at this season with the Colts, I know it didn't go obviously the way that you wanted it to. But there's a lot of questions about the future of Anthony Richardson. You've been in that locker room, you know, and Anthony a lot better than than we do. What do you think Anthony Richardson can eventually become as an NFL quarterback? Honestly, I think he can become I mean, everything he wants to be.

I mean, one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He definitely has the potential and he's grown a lot this year. I mean, he has so much to build off of. And as long as he, you know, keep doing what he's doing, being consistent. I mean, his future is very bright. Now, you've been a young player in this league.

Right. That has to deal with injuries as well. Just mentally, like how do you put yourself when things aren't going your way? You know, in a good spot because you go from big time college football, Oklahoma, Ohio State, right?

Creme de la creme football. And so far in the NFL, right? You've had to bounce around from team to team. So when you had that that little bit of adversity, how do you kind of put yourself in the best mental spot to see the rest of your career go the way that you like it to go? Really, it just comes down to your preparation and your consistency. I mean, no doubt that it's tough. I mean, it's not easy. The NFL is not easy, but I know as long as I continue to get better each and every day, just keep the right mindset.

And I feel like everything will work out. What have you been able to learn from someone like Jonathan Taylor? Because he's had his fair share of injuries, but that's one of the best running backs in the league. So you guys play in the same position. What can you learn being in the same building as him? What I learned from him, I mean, really the past past two years is really just the patience of the game. And, you know, I feel like having really good patience in this style of offense is very beneficial, especially with a lot of the RPO games. So the offensive line, they're not getting off as quick as they usually would on a regular run play.

But I mean, just having patience, letting everything develop and then just trust your eyes. Now, you've been around Shane Steichen in Philadelphia. Now, he's your head coach in Indianapolis. Sometimes when you go from offensive coordinator to head coach with how big of a jump up it is, it just doesn't work out.

Now, I don't think I could say that right now that he's not going to be a successful head coach, but I can't guarantee it. So you knowing Shane from a player perspective, what do you really like about Shane Steichen as a head coach? What I like about him the most is he really does his best to try to relate to the players. I mean, he he's a great guy. And again, he tries to relate to everybody. And, you know, he he'll challenge you to be the best player you can be and the best person you can be. So, I mean, that just comes with discipline, consistency, stuff that you don't really it's required for the football field. But, you know, as a person as well, it's good tangibles to have.

Just curious. I know Joe Flacco wasn't the full time starter this year. He got some starts when when Anthony was bench and they went back to Anthony. But having that veteran presence who's kind of seen it all in the locker room.

Wright has won a Super Bowl, won a Super Bowl MVP. But what does Joe Flacco kind of do for a locker room? What you were able to take from him last year? Man, he does a lot. He's a great team guy. He he's seen a lot of balls. So, you know, just kind of picking his brain, see how he sees the field.

I mean, it's different and it's definitely a good thing to have, especially for younger quarterbacks. So who were some of your role models like growing up? Like, was there a running back or two that you really enjoyed watching?

Yeah, definitely a couple. Lydani and Tomlinson. He was my, by far, my favorite running back growing up. And Todd Gurley. Todd Gurley, too. Todd, man, that's like one of the best what if careers possible because Todd took the league by storm. And then unfortunately, just the injuries caught up to him. But L.T., he was two great options. Right. And L.T. had the Hall of Fame career.

Unbelievable. And Todd Gurley, you know, it's crazy. I saw Todd in Nebraska because his fullback is the strength coach now when he was in college.

He's now the strength coach at Nebraska. And, you know, Todd's my age. He's he's 30. And I see him walk around. I go, you know, I thought he was at least like 35 just because he already had his whole career already already come and gone.

Yeah. So get him back to Richardson as Trey Sermon is here in studio. When that all happened with the tap out and then the right the team, they benched him.

They eventually did go back to him. Did the belief in Anthony ever waver in that locker room? Or once when he got back under center, it was like, OK, that's something we all had to move past. And now it's just full go with Anthony Richardson.

There was no waiver like we all know the type of player he is. And, you know, just the whole situation. I mean, the guy was running, scrambling around the field and like it was a long drive. So I was like, you know, we get it. But at the same time, you know, he he's a great guy, a great leader. So we never wavered from him. And, you know, once he got the nod to be the starter again, everybody still believed in him. And of course, everybody pushed him because, I mean, that's what we're teammates.

We have to push each other. So he accepted that. And, you know, he he gave his all. He continued to show improvement and get better each and every day. And there's going to be turbulent moments.

But now, as you know, we'll see what happens with everybody's future. But if, you know, they go into next season, they I think Anthony Richardson is going to be their guy. He really feels that there's a belief in that locker room, that everything's in front of him and he could still be a great quarterback. No doubt. So, hey, Jalen Hurts is also at one point questioned a lot.

Right. This is a guy that got bench at halftime in a national championship game state at Alabama, which I still don't know why he stayed in Alabama for another year, but then was needed. And the SEC championship game that year because to have got hurt wins the SEC championship game. And then you guys link up when he's at Oklahoma, when Hurts comes in to Oklahoma.

And there's so much said about him and so many people have counted him out. What do you remember about meeting Jalen Hurts and seeing what he was able to do throughout that entire season? Man, when he first got there, you know, he he's definitely more of like an old soul, more of a reserve guy, but he's still a phenomenal leader. And, you know, once he got to Oklahoma, I mean, he he didn't really hesitate to step into that role. I mean, he he knew coming in, you know, the quarterback, the tradition there. So, I mean, he took it by storm and he did a phenomenal job. And, you know, we got pretty close just in that short period of time. And, you know, I was excited to go to the Eagles to play with them again. So he's a he's a great guy, great leader. Yeah, it's kind of wild because what you said about the leadership, he's a great leader, but it feels as if it takes some time to understand his leadership style because, you know, I used to live in Philadelphia.

So I sometimes still get down there to cover games. And there's some times after he wins or I go, you know, it's like Belichick like it sounds like he he lost. It sounds like he's miserable.

I go, it's OK to smile a little bit and enjoy the victories. So how long did it kind of take you to realize, OK, this guy is is a really good leader. And you just got to kind of understand that, you know, he's he's not going to be the loudest person always in the room.

Yeah. Well, to be honest, it didn't really take me that long because we we got pretty close during our time at Oklahoma. So I kind of got to see.

I would say the more goofy side of them, too. So, I mean, it didn't really take me long to kind of see it, but I wouldn't say it's hard for him to open up just because, I mean, he's he's used to it. So he could go to Fashion Week, by the way.

He definitely could. That's that's got to be the best dressed quarterback in the NFL, especially the one hat that he wears that he wore. I think it was after the Steelers game. That's the first time I realized it. That is a I wish I could pull off that look. I think I know what you're talking about, but I don't know for sure. It's like the backwards hat. OK. Kangaroo hat. I have no clue what the heck it's called.

I don't know what it's called, but I know exactly what you're talking about. I'm pretty sure my dad used to wear that. Troy Sterman here with us. So what was it like?

Because you played with them in Philly for a year. You also got a chance to spend college ball with them for that one season at Oklahoma. What was it like seeing your friend Jalen Hurts now two times in a Super Bowl outplay Patrick Mahomes. But this time he ended up getting the victory.

It was awesome. You know, I'm happy for him. He deserved it.

I mean, you know, year in and year out, there's always questions about him. But all he does is ignore the outside noise and continue to get better each and every day. And that's one thing that I really respect about him. And, you know, it was as happy just as him win the Super Bowl.

It was a good feeling. Now, he kept the main thing, the main thing, and it ended up resulted in a championship, which we all know that's the main thing. But now how should we view in your opinion, Jalen Hurts as a quarterback? How do you view him? I mean, I'd be on as you know, he he's one of the best quarterbacks in the league. I mean, he, again, a great leader.

I mean, franchise player. I got to ask you about Sirianni because right. We give a lot of takes here. Sometimes they're right.

More times they're wrong than right. I thought the Eagles should have fired Sirianni after last year when they they blew that that 10. They were 10 and one and one win down the stretch. I just thought they need a new voice in that locker room. And early on in the season, it looked like that was going to be right.

But then something happened with that football team where they started to reach their potential. And Sirianni now is a Super Bowl winning coach and is one of the better coaches in football. Just being around Sirianni, who is such a player's coach, which I think you need to be now, but you can't be a doormat. I don't think he was a doormat the last two, two and a half months. How did you like that one year when you were getting a play under Sirianni?

Honestly, I loved it. I mean, he he's very intense with Shane Stock and is very intense coach as well. But Sirianni, he's very intense.

I mean, he'll he'll get on you if you need it. But he's a very detailed coach. And that's one thing that I noticed.

The great teams have it starts up top with how detailed they are. And, you know, it carryovers and is I enjoyed having him as a coach. So the running back position was in kind of a rough spot headed into this year. In terms of people just thought, oh, running back by committees, you don't need a bell cow back anymore. Then Derek Henry did his thing and then Saquon Barkley really did his thing.

I know Saquon didn't have his best game of the season in the Super Bowl, but they had so much attention on him that it helped out the offense and opened things up in other places. But to see the season knowing how tough it is to play the position that Saquon Barkley had. Just kind of give me your perspective on that being a running back in this league. And being a running back is it's tough because you not only you have a lot to do.

I mean, you got to protect the quarterback. I mean, you got to be able to run efficient, got to be able to read blocks, sustain, help sustain drives. That's the biggest thing. The big players always come. But, you know, the main thing is staying on track, keeping staying ahead of the chain.

So it's definitely hard and, you know, just to see those guys just have so much success. I mean, it's a good feeling just for the running backs in general. I mean, knowing that, you know, teams actually, you know, believe that running back isn't just plug and play.

Like you actually need a good running back to more than one good running back to to help keep things rolling. All right. Well, delay.

I'm delaying it for a reason. Let's get to Ohio State. I'm a Michigan fan. Now, they beat your four straight years in a row.

I'm not one of those people that are like, oh, it doesn't mean anything. You win a national championship, you win a national championship. And even I could say I thought it was a feel good story for Ryan Day. Seeing the way that the player I was on the field after the game and seeing the way the players really embraced him was cool. Seeing what happened after losing to Michigan for the fourth straight year and then seeing them go on this dominant run in the postseason, winning the four games and, you know, outside of the Texas game, not really having that much of a close games, just, you know, playing, you know, a season there.

Like, how did you kind of process that one? Man, I was so happy just to see him get it done. And I was so happy for Coach Day because, you know, he moved into Michigan. It's I'm not even supposed to say the word Michigan, but, you know, just losing to them is it's tough and it's just not what is not the tradition there. So just having that happen and, you know, him bouncing back and winning the national championship.

I was just so happy for just the whole team and him especially. I still know a couple of those guys because they were freshmen when I was there. I think like one and two. Yeah. Well, Jack Sawyer, man, that dude, he seems like he's been there for 15 years, if I'm being honest. And then how about Jeremiah Smith? Oh, man. Unbelievable. I'm a huge fan of Marvin Harrison Jr. And this is going to sound disrespectful.

It's not meant to be disrespectfully. I loved watching him in college, even though he played for Ohio State. I'm like that. That was my favorite player coming out of college for this past draft. It's almost like you forget about him with what Smith was able to do after one year. Man is he was amazing. I mean, just coming in, having so much success early on, like it was a good thing to see. I mean, just his frame, speed, everything about him. And, you know, he again, he's only a freshman, so he has a couple more years just continue to polish his game.

And you know, I'm shocked, but I'm shocked by that. Heartline isn't a head coach yet with the amount of receivers that they've pumped out in the NFL. That guy's got to be a head coach one of these days. I feel like it'll I definitely feel like it'll come. I mean, he he's a great coach. And, you know, me just being there, seeing how detailed he is with his guys.

I mean, it'll definitely come. How was the experience, by the way, playing for Lincoln Riley? I know he's no longer at Oklahoma now at USC, but how do you look back at that? That was fun as well, man. I honestly can say I've been blessed. I mean, just with the coaches and just being around so much talent, just being under coach Riley for three years.

Yeah, it was awesome. I mean, he's one of those offensive gurus. He's a genius. So, you know, just seeing how detailed he was and he was just another one of those guys that like he's a player's coach, but he'll definitely get on you if you need it. Like if the offense wasn't doing too good in practice, he'll start the whole practice over. I'm going to ask you a question.

I think I know the answer to it. But what was your favorite game in college looking back at it? Because you had so many big games and so many stops. And I want to say most people expect me to say Northwestern.

That's what I thought. You had like four yards or whatever it was. But I honestly have to say Clemson because going into that game, I was like, oh, man, I was that was probably the only game I was ever nervous for because I'm like, I just had a crazy game last week.

If I come out here this week and do nothing, then I'm just be so upset with myself. So I probably have to say the Clemson game because I definitely have more passing yards and or receiving yards. My bad. But yeah, I have to say that game. And let's be as great as your game was up against Northwestern. Like we all knew you could you're going to beat Northwestern. Yeah. If you didn't have that performance, I'd be a little bit concerned if I'm being honest with you. They had a good defense at the time, but I mean, we definitely expected to win. Yeah. If it was Michigan or Ohio State who ever used to win the Big Ten, they would go or ever win that game would go on to the Big Ten championship.

And you knew that they were going to find a way to win that game. Well, anyway, appreciate you coming on in today. Thanks so much and enjoy the conversation. No problem. Thank you for having me. There he is. No problem.

You got a Trey Sermon right there in the Zach Gelb show on the Infinity Sports Network. Let's do this. We'll take a time out right now when we come on back. I got to get into the antics of Dan Hurley last night. I'll tell you why I loved it and we'll return after these short messages.