Sean McVay on LeBron, Lil Wayne & life as Rams Head Coach | The Schrager Hour

Sean McVay on LeBron, Lil Wayne & life as Rams Head Coach | The Schrager Hour

What’s up everybody? Welcome to another episode of the Schrager Hour. Uh we are entering week eight of the NFL season. I cannot believe we are already in week eight. We’ve got an awesome slate ahead. We’re going to hit some of those games in a bit. But we have an awesome guest on this episode. It’s Shawn McVey. We’re going to bring him on shortly. I cannot wait to speak with him. I cannot wait to hear his thoughts on what his Rams are doing right now. And we’re going to go down story time. He gave me a solid hour of his day and it’s a busy day, but he’s like, “Of course, let’s do it. Let’s go deep.” And we’re going to and I’m fired up to bring him on. Uh I am now fresh off a wild, wild few days. Um got to Seattle on Saturday and we had our production meeting with the Seahawks. Then had a production meeting with the Texans on Sunday and then called the game as the sideline reporter. did an interview with Sam Darnold at around 1:45 a.m. Eastern and then had one of the great great airport escapes you’ll ever hear about. This is where I want to go deep. All right. If you’ve ever worked in sports TV, you know that the second that game is off the air, there is a flood to the production trucks and then everyone rushes to the airport and tries to make their flights. Now, in the early planning processes of Monday Night Football, I got my schedule and I saw we had this Seattle game that started at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, but 7:00 p.m. Pacific. So, I text my announcer buddy Dan Orlosski, who has certainly done these games before, and maybe can give me some guidance. And Dan Orlosski says, “I’m going to book the 1054 Pacific United flight back to Newark. It’s a direct to Newark. You’re going to make it in one stop and we’re good.” I said, ‘Dan, what if the game goes to overtime? Dan, what if there’s a lot of penalties called? And Dan says, “Shreger, don’t worry about it. We’ll be done with this thing. It’s a three-hour game. You’ll be on at the airport. We’ll get some Caribou coffee. We’ll get a little Hudson News, have a Charleston Chew. We’ll call it a day.” I said, “I’m not doing that.” I said, “No, no, no, no, no. I am going to book the 11:55 flight out of Seattle that is going to then connect in Minneapolis and then going to wait two hours in the Minneapolis airport before dawn and then hop on to a flight to LaGuardia and I will make my kids flag football game and I will not have to even think about this flight during the actual NFL game. Sure enough, the game starts and it goes on to be maybe one of the longest in real time regulation football games you’ll ever see. 24 different penalties were accepted. There were four different turnovers. This game did not end until 10:30 Pacific. Mind you, I have the 11:55 flight. Orlovski told me he was on a 1054. There’s no way he’s making it. I get Sam Darnold at midfield after the game. I’m interviewing Sam Darnold and in the back of my head I’m thinking, can we get this interview done a little quicker than usual? Sam, can we not do the chapter verse on what Jackson Smith and Jigba means so I can get to that car and we get to Just kidding. I did the interview. It was great. Darnold was awesome. But I’m booking it. I book it. I book it. I book it. I get to the car and there’s uh a great great production coordinator, guy named Steel, Steel Southern. He’s like he’s like, “We got it. We just got to wait for ourski.” I’m like, “Got to wait for Arloski. What do you got to wait for Olski?” We changed Orlowsky’s flight from that 10:54 to the 11:55. He’s now on your flight. I’m like, “Great. Dan and I are going to get there. We’re going to be fine, but we got to go.” 5 minutes go by. 10 minutes go by. Our producer, Jeff Define, wonderful producer, great guy. He comes in, slides in the back seat, he’s with me. He’s like, “All right, what are we doing? What are we waiting for?” So, we’re waiting for Orlowski. Goes just did his Sports Center hit. I go, “Okay, well, we don’t.” 15 minutes, 16 minutes, 17 minutes. Here comes Dan Orlovski, tie off already in a t-shirt, strolling down. What are you doing? He’s like, “Shreg, we got this. We got this. And I got this. Don’t worry, we’re good.” I look at the producer, Jeff. He kind of gives me a shrug. If we miss this flight, not only is there no other flights out of Seattle, but every flight in the morning has been booked. We got to wait another full day in Seattle. And if I’m being honest, I’d rather be in New York than in Seattle. So, we’re running, but he’s got this cool, calm demeanor, and he’s like, “Sh, we’re good.” I’m like, “Yes, but I heard that the TSA might be on strike because of the government shutdown. And I heard that there might be traffic because there’s only overnight flights at this point, and who knows what’s coming in from Asia. I don’t know. I don’t know anything. Could we go?” Steel gets behind the the wheel, puts on some Credence, Clear Water, and we start weaving through traffic. We’re making it move. All safe, but we’re trying to get there. Time’s ticking. Time’s ticking. I’m looking at the watch. I get the thing. Your flight is now boarding. We’re not even close to the airport. We get to the airport. We get to the TSA line. It’s about five deep. Some guy showing his passport. They’re giving him a hard time. I’m coughing in the background. Can we hurry up? We got to go. We got to go. We get through it. Throw my stuff in. I’m running to the gate. Running to the gate. Last one to board the plane. Get on. Huge sigh of relief. And I look back. Orlovski went to get a snack. He went to get a snack. He went to the Hudson News. He went to get a snack. They keep the doors open for him. He’s the last one on. I say I text him like, “Dan, are you sure?” He goes, “Never was in doubt.” And that, my friends, is the difference between a guy who has watched sports his entire life and is someone who is a neurotic New Yorker and then Dan Orlosski, who is the ultimate cool, calm, collected backup quarterback, then starting quarterback and now incredible broadcaster who didn’t break a sweat while I was a sweaty, shriveled, disgusting mess on that flight back. Oh, and the layover which I made. And oh yes, I was there in time for my kids flag football game. What I learned though, aside from that amazing firsthand story, is that we have to worry about the Seahawks. I don’t necessarily think they’re going to the Super Bowl just yet, but that defense was for real. And what I loved about this team is that they’ve got two guys that we don’t talk about in the national media that might be the best at what they do. Let’s start with Jackson Smith and Jigba. Right now, if the season was to end, he would be on pace to have the single greatest receiving yard season in the history of the sport. Jackson Smith and Jigba is on pace right now to have more receiving yards than Calvin Johnson did in his record-breaking season. And he does it in silence. You don’t hear from Jackson Smith and Jigba. You don’t hear people talking about him like he’s Jamar Chase or Justin Jefferson, but what he’s doing with all the attention that defenses are giving him is insane. I love speaking with Sam Darnold this week because Sam Darnold says to us, it’s like watching someone figure skate. It’s so graceful watching him run his routes and he rounds them out. He’s not so deliberate with his jag and he is smooth as can be. This dude is so good at getting open. I can’t even speak to the precision on these routes and how his body looks as physical a freak as he is. He isn’t a 6’4 guy. He isn’t, you know, this Calvin Johnson or Randy Moss tall statuesque player. If you looked at him in a lineup, you’d say, “Okay, well, that guy that guy doesn’t look the the part.” And yet, he is right now the best wide receiver in football. JSN put on such a show with not only Stingley covering him, but Lacer as well, and one of the Texans defensive backfields, which is probably the best in the league, and he still ate. He still did what he did, and he still slammed that ball in the goalpost. Uh, I came away blown away with how good Jackson Smith and Jigba is. I also came away blown away by an 11-year veteran named Leonard Williams who is now all the way up in the Pacific Northwest after years of being in this New York market and maybe is having his best season as a pro. Leonard Williams was blowing things up every single every single play. And with him, Nooso and Demarcus Lawrence, this defense is for real. At the very least, this front seven is a horrifying unit to play. So Seattle, I come away very impressed with them. For years, it was like you didn’t want to go play up in Seattle. Then they lost a bunch of games in recent years in that building. It felt alive on Monday night and that defense was feeding off it. Darnold didn’t play great, still got the win. And that is what scares you if you’re an NFC opponent. They turn the ball over four times. They had a bunch of penalties and they still won with relative comfort. Seattle Seahawks eye-opening performance out of them. Uh, every week I’d like to give you a NFL winner of the week and a sports media winner of the week. My NFL player of the week though was Joe Flacco. What Joe Flacco did was really cool. And Joe Flacco on a short week goes in and plays the Steelers and they must win for the Bengals. So, the season’s kind of done and just lights them up. Goes for 300 plus yards. hits Jamar Chase 16 times on 23 carries and then has this great humility and and confidence afterwards as if it was never in doubt. Um, Flaco makes the Bengals an interesting team not only in the AFC North but in the AFC. If they can get that offense going without Burrow until Burrow comes back, they might be a force to be reckoned with or at the very least an annoying team to play. They’ve got the Jets this week that should be a win all of a sudden they’d be four and four and right back in the thick of it. Joe Flacco at 41 years old is our AFC and NFC player of the week in week seven. Sports media winner of the week, my guys, Chris Fowler, Lewis Riddick, and Dan Orlovski. Why? Because they were on it in one of the coolest moments of that Monday night Seahawks Texans game. Here it is. You have this interception from Derek Stingley who’s taken it back and he stiff arms JSN, Jackson Smith and Jigba. So much so that Jackson Smith and Jigba’s helmet pops off. They get to the sidelines and Smith and Jigba wants to mix it up with Stingley. However, there’s about eight different Houston Texans who are ready to go to brawl with him. As this is all happening, a ref jumps in. A side jub r jumps in and protects JSN. That ref’s name was Nate Jones. Take a listen to the call and how our guys in the Monday Night Football booth gave him the love he deserved. The intercepting team. So, the stiff arm. Now, you see why Smith Jippy got worked up. Get Stingley Jr. knocked his helmet off with a stiff arm. He shoves the TV back and then he gets run into. Only one penalty called in all of that and it was on Stingley for the stiff arm. That’s a good job by that official, that referee right there to protect that player, man. I I don’t know that official’s name, but that is outstanding by him. That’s selfish, man. Like he’s beating himself up right there. He’s a former NFL player. Nathan Jones. So, let’s now do a little deep dive on who Nathan Jones is. This is for all of you who are wondering who it is. Nathan Jones played seven years in the NFL. He goes by Nate Jones. He went to Ruckers, seventh round pick, gets drafted by the Cowboys, plays seven years in the league, plays not only for the Cowboys, but then the Dolphins. Also plays for Bellich and has a really good NFL career. Then gets out of football and instead of going into coaching, instead of going into broadcasting, Nate Jones decides he wants to be an official. This is a guy who is living a very cool Renaissance life. He also in 2012 pitched a sitcom, had a TV show idea, went down the road with Hollywood for a little bit in producing a sitcom about being an NFL player and what that would mean and actually had a lot of interest in Hollywood and then goes to be an official, meets with Troy Vincent. And I think it’s really interesting because we always hear about the officials that, hey, these guys are teachers or they’re lawyers and because of their great union, they have the ability to do whatever they want to do Monday to Friday and then they can just kind of dip in and dip out. But very rarely do you hear a former player being an official and what respect they get from those current players. We put this post on social sports center collaborated with me on Instagram. There are overund 100k likes on on us talking about Nate Jones protecting Jackson Smith and Jigba and why it was so cool that a former player is an NFL official. I know the broadcast boot camp has their thing and I know coaching is a nice easy avenue for a lot of these guys because they stay in the locker room, but could you imagine the different dynamic if we had more former players being officials in the NFL? Do you think that these players would be treating them in some of the ways that they do? Do you think the fans would have the same things to say about these officials as we do? And do you think we would have maybe a little different perspective on these guys if they were former players and they did play the game and they go into officiating as opposed to, hey, I I own a law firm or I work at a at a gardening company during the week. Just a thought, maybe the NFL should emphasize fishiating as a second act more so than maybe all the different cool opportunities that are out there for these players. Um, so excited for our guest. Cannot wait to get into it. The one thing I want to say about this upcoming week is that we have this Aaron Rogers Jordan Love matchup and it’s really this Rogers storyline that everyone’s dominating. But I look at Jordan Love. Jordan Love is fascinating to me this week. Jordan Love has a chance to go up against his mentor, which he has openly said is what Aaron Rogers is, and he has a chance to steal the headlines and do so on the road in a game that is huge for the Packers. I don’t get the sense that there’s great animosity from the Packers organization or fans for Aaron Rogers. And I don’t think there’s that great animosity from Rogers to the Packers. Time does heal some wounds. Now granted, he would like to win this game and I’m sure it would mean a lot to shove it in the face to some of those Packers officials who said we’re better off drafting Jordan Love and so on, but I don’t know. To me, this could be the Jordan Love game. Here’s Jordan Love who is right on the cusp, but has been on the cusp for years. What if you go into Pittsburgh on national TV and what was supposed to be a coronation of Rogers against the Packers and you light it up and everyone’s talking about you on Monday morning? I like to zag when everyone else is zigging. In this case, I’m looking at this Packer Steelers game and I’m looking at Jordan Love. That is the storyline of the week for me. Can Jordan Love get it going? And can he steal the moment from his old mentor Rogers? With no further ado, one of the best coaches in the NFL, if not the best coach in the NFL, and he’s enjoying the one by week they get during the regular season, Mr. Shawn McVey. Welcome to the Shreger Hour. I love it. Hey, thanks for inviting me on. I mean, I’ve I’ve been watching the shows and I’m like, what do I have to do to get an invite? I had to beg you to let me come on here on my by-week. Well, you know, we had Kevin Oonnell on two weeks ago and I was raving about what a great coach he is. Best coach in the league. So, I use that same exact intro for you two weeks later. And don’t be assaulted. Hey, that’s just what it is. It’s circumstantial, man. You know, a couple weeks ago, you definitely wouldn’t be introducing me that way. But, uh, you know what? We got a long way to go. But, I I can agree with that on Kevin. He’s a stud. Yeah, he is. And so are you. and you’re in this great spot right now. When you look at what you guys have already overcome as a team over these first few weeks, I look at it as the NFL to do no favors with your schedule. Four 1:00 games on the East Coast, meaning 10:00 a.m. starts for you guys, a Thursday night game and a London game. You don’t make any excuses, but to be sitting at 5 and two, as much as you’d like to be seven and0, you have to be okay with where you’re at at this point in the season. Yeah, I do like it. And and I think there’s been a lot of things, you know, you learn about people when you go through adversity, Peter, and and I’ve always and I told you and we’ve talked about it, you know, this off season. I like this group, man. You know, it’s about the people, and then it’s about how do we come together as a collective, but there’s a mental toughness, there’s a physical toughness, there’s a resilience that you believed could be illustrated throughout the journey that the season takes you on. And I’ll tell you what, you know, we’ve had two gut-wrenching losses, but I’ve loved the resolve of our group. And you know, you could sit there, hey, we could be 7-0. We had some good breaks that I thought in a back and forth competitive game against the Colts. You know, it’s funny. Dick Vermile even texted me after our Philly game. He says, you know, things have a way of balancing themselves out. And then the next week, the Colts thing where we had some good breaks versus an excellent football team, but I like this group, man. I I think there’s a lot of growth still to be had. I think we’re continuing to figure out our identities on both sides of the football. I’m hopeful that our kicking game stuff is is headed in the right trajectory after, you know, really leaning in and having some unfortunate issues that have cost us. But, uh, to be five and two, we’ll take it. And, I mean, it is it is a humbling league and every single week you just better be ready to bring it. But, it makes the buy a little bit more enjoyable coming off, you know, beating Baltimore and then being able to do what we did against the Jags the way our players performed. All right. So, the league is a copycat league. You did something this week that I think uh, might be the model moving forward. You guys have an East Coast game and I would imagine you lobby the league said if we got to go to London, give us at least an East Coast game. They give you Baltimore. So you get Baltimore and then instead of going back to LA or instead of flying over on Wednesday, you guys took what seemed to be the last possible flight to London, got on the field, played a football game, kicked ass, got back on the plane and got out of there. what was the thought process and give us a little insight on the bonding experience maybe it was in Baltimore and what you got to do there and then the quick in and out of London as opposed to the whole weekend the extravaganza it was like a special ops mission man you’re just in and out before they even know you were there but uh no you said it we had done this trip twice before and even when I came to LA in 2017 the previous year in 16 they had played the Giants spent the week out there wasn’t a great experience wasn’t the result they were hunting up and So each of the previous two times we had done it in 2017 we stayed in Jacksonville, played Jacksonville, flew out on that Thursday, and then in 2019 we played the Falcons, stayed in Atlanta, and then flew out and played the Bengals. Well, what we’ve learned is because we’re so accustomed to really kicking off in what’s 10:00 a.m. in our head when we’re playing those 1:00 East Coast games, we said, “All right, well, let’s do this. Our players have handled this really well.” And because we were kicking off at 2:30 in London, it really ended up being a three and a half hour time difference from the east coast if you say we’re kicking off at one o’clock. The way that we looked at it. And so we got all of our game plan in. We had an unbelievable week at Camden Yards. What a cool experience. And hats off to the Orioles for hosting us the way that they did. I’m sure we’ll get into that. But our guys, you know, it’s like, hey, let’s not waste our emotional and mental energy on stuff we can’t control. Here’s what we’re going to do. You know, everybody makes a big deal about going west to east, all that stuff. No, they the team that plays better in the window that you’re allotted, they win the football game. Let’s not let’s not make it a bigger deal than what it is. You get up, you get some sun on your face, you get some caffeine, whatever you need to do. Let’s be ready to go for four to six seconds and reset it about 65 times on offense, on defense, and then about 25 times on special teams. And so guys handled it really well, but it was really our way of saying, “Hey, this is the same thing we’re accustomed to doing. We had done it pretty at a high clip earlier this year. So we stayed in Baltimore, got the whole game plan in and flew on what would have been I mean should it was a whirlwind, but we flew in on Friday night, got there Saturday morning. You go through a walk through. I mean it was eerie, man. You go to Wembley and there’s Jags people everywhere. I said I don’t know how comfortable I feel doing a walkth through. Feel like uh James Gladstone might have been up in the suits watching us. But uh you know so we didn’t really do much. our players made up some cool trick plays that were fake. And then uh yeah, I I watched I said, “Stafer, why don’t you guys make up the coolest thing ever?” He makes up this trick play in about 15 seconds that would have taken me about eight hours to come up with on a Tuesday. I’m thinking, “What the hell? How much of a dumbass am I?” I’m going to put that in though. I mean, it was a cool play. That thing’s coming. You’re going to see that in the second half of the season. But, uh, guys handled it well. And then I thought really, you know, Reggie, Carter, Crutchfield, Brennan Ber, I mean, there’s so many people behind the scenes and really our players, but I thought it was a cool way to handle it and ultimately it worked out in our favor. But we basically tried to replicate what we’re accustomed to of getting in the day before and you know really our players, they’re just they just kind of handle it and I think there’s a lot of trust that goes both ways for us to be able to do it the way we did it and they delivered. All right, give me the Baltimore deal. So you guys in about April or May reach out to the Orioles from what I read and said, you know, if you guys don’t make the ALCS, we’d love to use your baseball field. And then I see footage of like Stafford throwing a nasty curveball off a 9 m. Like, so what was the experience? Cuz I’m picturing you going through I know you you probably came in with the history of the Baltimore Orioles going through Boo Powell all the way to Cal Ripton all the way up to Manny Machado. Like I know the iron man. You know what? I I was I’m a fan of, you know, the consistency over time. Not a huge baseball guy, but here’s what I could appreciate. All right. What you could feel is the culture of the baseball atmosphere. They set us up in the clubouses. We had the defense in one clubhouse, the offenses in another clubhouse, let us use their weight rooms, but it was just a good vibe. You know, you play 162 games, you better have a relaxed atmosphere and environment that’s conducive for guys enjoying coming in. And I thought the guys did that. And then when you get out on the field and you see the way that we had kind of set up two separate fields, you couldn’t get a whole full hundred yards the way that we were kind of staying off their dirt, but their grounds crew and their the hosts, I mean, people were just happy and our players enjoyed it. And then, you know, you’re kind of looking around and you’re appreciative of the magnitude, the setting that it was in. The weather ended up being perfect for us. And and then afterwards, you know, you’re seeing guys that, you know, Emanuel Forbes was a big- time baseball prospect. you know, him and Stson the ball around. Watching Stafford play catcher for Quinton Lake. I mean, Stafford, you see, I mean, this guy was born to throw something, whether it’s a baseball or a football, it just looks effortless. The way that the ball comes out, you threw a nasty curve like that was a real curveball. I saw in the video, watch his first pitch. When he threw out a first pitch against the Dodgers a couple years ago, you’re just like, man, I mean, that you can’t orchestrate a better one, you know? And then you talk to him about baseball. this guy understands the intricacies of it and you know they’ve got these machines now that can simulate the actual spin the access the weight. So you say, “All right, let me set up Kershaw throwing me a curve.” And you got his face superimposed on the screen in the rotation. And I asked Matthew, I said, “Yeah, Kershaw hates that stuff, man.” Because these guys were batting against him before with the technology. I’m wondering I’m wondering why we don’t have jugs that simulate Stafford’s ball the way that it comes out for our guys. But it’s no doubt it’s a cool thing. It It was awesome. And you know, we got our Wednesday, Thursday, Friday practices in and I thought there was some organic just chemistry. Like I’ve never been a guy that you can fake that. Like you set up things where guys have to hang out. It’s like that’s got to organically exist. I thought they enjoyed it. It didn’t take away from the urgency for our work, but man, there was enjoyment and it was the perfect timing for the for that trip. And you know, hats off to Tony Pastors for being able to work with Darlene who’s working with the uh the Orioles to be able to kind of facilitate getting that in in alignment before uh you know, a few months in advance. I think it’s key. So, if you’re not a daily Rams follower, you do this trip here, but in the offseason, you guys all went to Hawaii. And as fun as that might sound, for a lot of guys, it’s like, July, I don’t want to be training camp’s coming up. Do I need to do another team orient? And yet, everyone went to this Hawaii trip too, it’s it seems like this team likes each other, which is huge. And it seems like you guys have a great sense of, all right, we’re all in this. We’re a family, not just an organization that works here as a job. No, that’s right. And I think you know you look at it whether it’s you know with with less Tony with Kevin you know we’re into year nine we’ve got a lot of turnover for the right reasons and then we’ve got other people like the Reggie Scots of the world Brendan Burgerer Carter Crutchfield Dan Demetrien that are in instrumental roles you know we’ve had continuity with our strength coaches with Justin love it and so they like each other they do and we’ve got a lot of different personalities Peter that make up a special collective but there’s still core values and principles that they all can kind of relate to. And man, I I’ve really enjoyed this group. Um there’s been a lot of things that we’ve kind of gone through already in a short amount of time, but you learn about people, especially when you go through some of the challenging setbacks, and I’m excited. You know, it’s nice. I mean, I was just telling Veronica, you know, this is the first time in a while that we’ve gone into a buy with some good momentum. We’ve had some unique experiences the last couple years. Even in 21, we had a three-game losing streak going into the buy. Yes. It’s nice to feel happy uh with the buy. And it’s cool cuz Jordan’s second birthday is on the 24th this Friday. So that’ll be pretty special as well. That’s crazy. I know. Amazing. Happy birthday. I love that video yesterday. That’s unbelievable. I love seeing Mel run around looking like Lamar Jackson. Hey, he’s a lot better athlete than his dad. I know that much. If the listeners and viewers are wondering who Mel is, Mel is my son. and I send NFL coaches videos of his eight-year-old flag football and Shawn McVey is dumb enough to sit there and watch and click through and give commentary. Thank you, Sean. I appreciate. You know what? I’ve watched Mel been doing his thing, whether it’s in basketball or running around in class. I think what’s cool is is the enjoyment that we both have. You know, we’re so blessed to do what we do, but the genuine excitement and happiness that we get from watching our kids have positive experiences, you know, as Jordan’s growing up and even seeing Mel, I mean, it’s it changes your heart. If it doesn’t give you a better perspective on everything, then I don’t know what to tell you. Well, I I could tell you Veronica’s posting on Instagram pictures of Jordan over there in London, and he’s in the Rams jacket with the Rams foam finger, and it warms my heart. like this is so cool and he’s going to be able to see this and you get to see it through his eyes. It’s actually amazing that you’ve got, you know, such a young family and they can appreciate it the rise up for their whole life. You’re going to be doing this job. It’s it it really is. It’s such a blessing. You know, one of the things that made me the happiest, you know, I I didn’t see them for a while because, you know, they had gone to DC and then they went out, but where we were at, I’d missed my family. You see him on FaceTime and I was kind of when I came out for warm-ups, Jordan saw me, he was across the field and they kind of let him run to me. And I mean what that does for you. But he he gets over there and he’s on the sidelines and man, Veronica is having to hold him back cuz he wants to go out on the field and play. You know, he he doesn’t he doesn’t want to see. He wants to be in on the action just like his dad. And he is loud and talkative and uh you know, it sounds pretty familiar. The apple does not fall far from the tree. Uh all right, so just some backstory for everybody. Uh, I would say you and I have a great history together and it starts probably with a random email I sent you about 15 years ago. Do you remember this email or No. Oh, yeah. No, I remember cuz we we’ve talked about it a lot. I think that here’s what I think is the coolest thing about our relationship is how it’s organically grown and it’s stayed the same even in the midst of you know all the success that you’ve had and we’ve kind of shared our dreams with each other and our lives have changed whether it’s the development of our families it was meeting Veronica it was a lot of the different things that have been key touch points in our kind of career trajectories but the one thing that’s remained the same is is two guys that have an authentic love and appreciation for one another and I’m I’m very grateful for our friendship. You know, there’s we’ve talked about it before. There’s the good time friends, there’s the all-time friends, and uh I think we know where we stand. We’re the all-time friends for each other. And I love that and I love you for it. I’ll go back. So, this is it. So, about 15 years ago, I’m sitting there working for Fox Sports One and Foxports.com and I’m literally at maybe it was the combine the year before and I walk by a table and it’s like Peter King is sitting with, you know, all the coaches who are in their 50s and 60s. Jay Glazers with Shawn Payeyton and John Fox and it clicked on me and it’s like I need to start creating relationships with these young coaches. So I go through the media guides of all the different teams and I had heard your name but I didn’t realize you were younger than me and not by a lot but a little bit and I was like I’m going to send a blind email something I have never done before to an NFL coach literally at [email protected]. Like that was pretty uh pretty secretive there. Pretty pretty secretive right there in the open. I send you an email and basically it was like two sentences and I’ve looked at it since. I’m like, “Hey, uh, you might know my work or appreciate what you’re doing. Let’s get a drink at the combine.” And then we got a drink at the combine. It was you, me, and Jay Gruden. Actually, we had a blast and then we kept in touch and the rest is history. And here you’re on this meteoric rise. And I feel like I have been along the way as a support system, but also as just a fan of yours the whole way through. And the one that I love, and I think you should tell the listeners this, the the process of interviewing for the Rams. So, you’re a 30-year-old coach who not everyone knew. You’re at the final steps with the Rams and you go to dinner with, I believe, Marshall Faulk, Kevin Demoff, who’s the president of the team, and I want to say Stan Cronkey, the owner of the team. Can you tell the story of that dinner and how that went down because it’s one of my favorite Shawn McGra, man. I mean, this is this is great because, you know, for, you know, I think the first thing is is you get a chance to be, you know, an offensive coordinator. Jay Gruden gives me that opportunity. And then before you know it, you’re 27 years old, you know, then you’re 28, 29, and then you’re you’re in the midst of a playoff run. And we had just lost against the Giants and basically a playin game. And I’m thinking to myself, you know, Bob Lamont, my agent, does a great job. And uh you get your name out there for some of these opportunities that open up. And I didn’t do a very good job in the game that, you know, you’re trying to get a playin game. were playing the Giants and Steve Spagnola did a heck of a job with he and Ben Mcadoo leading the charge and they didn’t have anything to play for. Their seed was already solidified. They were already clinched. They were playing the Packers no matter what. So then we lose and I’m thinking I’m bummed out because you feel like you let your players down. Well, then the next thing you know, hey, you got a couple teams that want to interview you and I’m thinking, yeah, right. You know, but so you kind of gather yourself together. You go out to interview with the Rams on a Wednesday. They go to dinner and I’m thinking to myself, well, shoot, if they’re going to be open-minded, let’s go swing. Let’s go shoot our shot. I got a phenomenal opportunity to be the Redskins offensive coordinator. So, worst case scenario, what the hell? So, you go out there, you feel good about the rapport. Then, you go interview with the 49ers where they fly you up to New York where they were interviewing with a lot of East Coastbased candidates. And I think that interview went so well, it accelerated the process for the Rams a little bit. And so, they flew me in the next day on Friday. And based on how the first interview had gone, it was like, “All right, man. Unless you just yourself at this dinner, you’re getting offered the Rams job.” And so, in my mind, you visualize and you play this story out and you’re thinking to yourself, “Okay, hey, have a good dinner with Mr. Kroni. I’d heard great things about him. You know, Marshall Faulk’s coming.” I’m like, “Oh, this will be great.” You know, we have a rapport or whatever. Um, so we go to dinner. I’m staying at the montage right across the street from Spago Wolf Gang Pucks restaurant and I’m kind of doing a little bit of background. I don’t know anything about anything other than football, right? But I’m like, “All right, we’re going to go out to LA. You’re going to see, you know, let’s at least have some familiarity. So, if the conversation isn’t just football, you don’t sound like such a vegetable, right?” So, so we go to dinner and things are going great. You know, Marshall and I have a good rapport. You know, I was a huge fan of his. talking and you know and you could feel that was a cool connection. I thought you know Stan and I had a great rapport and obviously Kevin and I had already known each other from our days with the Bucks. there was a comfort level and and Stan heavily relied on Kevin’s basically saying, “Hey, I I think this is the guy.” But Stan’s gonna sign off on it and they’re going to bring Marshall to say, “If you’re gonna hire a 30-year-old head coach, better make sure that a player that has total command and can really say, can he can he, you know, can he do this and command the respect of the players.” So, it’s going well right away off the jump. All right. Wolf Gang Puck comes up to the table because he’s a big Rams fan. He and Mr. Crocky have a relationship, you know, and I I look like I am 15 years old, right? So, he says, “Hey, when are we going to get the new coach?” What are you wearing? Are we Are we wearing like I’m sharp? I mean, I got a nice button down on. I mean, I feel like I’m looking dapper, but I look like more like the intern than the guy that’s interviewing for the head job. So, you could see, you know, I mean, it was such an awkward moment where he comes up, he’s asking, “Hey, where’s the new head coach? When are we going to get the new coach?” And you know, Stan’s kind of hey, you know, and Kevin and we’re all kind of looking at each other like maybe it’s me, maybe it’s not. Surely he’s not thinking it’s me. So, that was a real uh funny uncomfortable moment that nobody knew how to really answer. Uh Spago probably rolled his eyes saying, “This idiot is who they actually hired.” And then the next thing or Wolf Gang Puck ends up probably thinking that. Then the next thing you know, uh, Fergie and Josh Jamal walk up to the table, you know, and they’re they’re big fans and, you know, they’re probably thinking, who who is this little kid that you guys invited to dinner with? You know, the team president, Marshall Faul, and the owner of the team. But I’m like, man, this is LA. You got to get this job. So, the job, so the interview goes great, and I’m thinking to myself, in my mind, the way it goes is, all right, at the end of the dinner, so, hey, Sean, you want to be the new head coach of the Rams? You know, he shakes my hand, I give him a hug. let’s go, you know. Well, now I’ve come to learn Stan is a very patient man and he’s actually helped me with a lot of these impulsive decisions that I typically make where you say, “Let me sleep on it. Let me illustrate some patience. It’s probably why he’s gotten to where he is.” So, he’s got a place over there. So, we’re walking across the street, you know, and I’m and I’m envisioning this. And it doesn’t happen at dinner. So, I’m like, man, I must be losing it, man. I’m like, I thought, you know, you’re a closer, man. You’re not closing right here. And so he says, “Well, when do you head back?” And I’m thinking, “Well, don’t you tell me when the hell I head back.” He’s like, “I really enjoyed it.” I’m shaking his hand, you know. And then the next thing you know, I get back into my room and I’m thinking to myself, “What did you say that you ruined that opportunity, you know, and now I’m having this selft talk. Hey, you got a great job with the Redskins, man. You go back to be the OC.” But I had let my You’re already going back to Washington. I’m calling them like, “Hey, what the hell, man? I mean, you tell me to bring a suit out here. Are you just messing with me?” And lo and behold, you know, Stan, you know, he he needed to sleep on it, but it went well. They offered me the job the next day, but man, I was having a lot of internal dialogue. And uh it was it was a cool deal, but I always I always joke with him, you know, people are thinking, “What the hell were you doing hiring me at 30 years old? It’s it’s put I feel like I’m 85 sometimes, but man, I’m loving all of it.” I love the idea of Wolf Gang Puck being so excited. who is going to be the next head coach and you’re sitting at the table and those guys awkwardly sitting on their hands followed by both Fergie and Josh Demell having no idea who you are also talking about the head coach. It had to be really reassuring at the table. I’ll tell you what’s cool though too is like the belief that people had in you before you were even really thinking that way. You know, like Bruce Allen was a really big mentor of mine. Um, you know, obviously the influence that I had from the Shanahanss and from the Gruden family in general, you know, what Jay Gruden did for my career and the way he looked out for me, I I just couldn’t be more grateful, especially looking back on it. But I remember Bruce Kevin had shared this with me, you know, since they’re like, well, he’s probably not ready or whatever. And, you know, I remember Bruce Kevin shared that Bruce said this. He goes, hey, that’s fine. You know, you can you can wait and say, all right, we’ll wait till we think he’s ready. And if you do, he’ll probably be on a team that they’re they’re probably competing against you and you’re not gonna like it. And I I just respect the fact that they took a chance on what they believed in. Um, you know, and I think that made me to want to make them right that much more. You know, you you want to do right by everybody, but when you feel like I I tell our players and coaches all the time, and when you mean it, there’s four powerful words you can say to people. I believe in you. And when you mean it, and that subconsciously communicated that to me by taking a risk and a chance. And it was like, you know what? I want to do everything in my power. I’m I’m in command. I’m out of control of a lot. But with the vibe, the atmosphere, the culture, the way you try to put these players in the right situations, that made you want to work that much harder for them because of the risk and the chance that they took because uh it was a big risk and and fortunately, it’s it’s gone fairly well. But, you know, that that was a really cool experience. I don’t think I appreciate, you know, what a risk it was until you really are starting to get exposed to such a big swing. It was, you know, and it was it’s a blessing and man, it’s it’s amazing. Here we are in our ninth year on the buy. Yeah. Yeah. Um I would I would go back to that first year. So, you get the job, you guys have like a I want to say it was a Thursday night game against the 49ers and you guys it’s a shootout and it was like you guys win that game and their quarterback might have been Brian Hoyer. Your quarterback was probably Jared or was it Jared and you was like okay and do you realize like all right there might be something here this year like it might not take four years to build like we could do something this year. I thought that was a special game, you know, and there’s you you think about the journey and all the relationships that are built. I think one of the guys that was so instrumental in a lot of the early success we had was Wayade Phillips. I thought he was perfect for, you know, me as a young coach to really be able to have such a steady even guy. Didn’t take himself to so seriously. We were really good on defense under his guidance and leadership. But, you know, that was the third game of the year and we won and it was a back and forth, a lot of points scored and I remember, you know, this is like what epitomizes how great Wade was and why people love him and he just never really, you know, he just had a great way about himself. But we get back in the locker room and the ners, they obviously are great offensively under Kyle, but they had struggled in their first two games. They hadn’t scored a touchdown yet. and you know they they had a bunch of offensive production and we go back and forth and win you know in a tight game late in an offensive shootout and I come in the locker room and I’m congratulating guys and Wade said well we sure kicked their ass and just you know the way that he looked at things and he didn’t take himself too seriously. You could have been doom and gloom. Yeah but he is he was great. I think I thought a turning point in our season where you really realized we have a chance to be good was when the next week we went to Dallas to get the three in one. They were the one seed the previous year. They were rolling. Um and we had a back and forth game. Zerine hit a bunch of field goals. Gurley caught a big seam. That was a real popular play. They kept showing on the highlights and um you know to get to three and one that year that was big. And similar to that season we ended up having a tough loss to get to three and two. ended up going and beating the Jaguars in kind of a you know a weird game but found a way to get it done and then played probably our most complete game against the Cardinals in a 33 nothing shutout in London to get to five and two over the buy and and it’s a very similar trajectory to what we had uh you know this season so far. Let’s fast forward to the playoffs that year. You guys are the story of the of the league. You’re coach of the year. Everyone’s riding high. You go to play Atlanta. you’re home at the Coliseum and there’s a couple special teams issues, you guys lose. What when you look at that now, nine years later, what would you tell yourself then going into that playoff game that you would know now if you were to talk to young 30-year-old Shawn McVey going into his first wild card game against the Falcons? Yeah, I think the biggest thing I would say, especially in really both of those playoff losses that we had in 17 and 18, you know, there was just repetition is the mother of learning. Experience is a real thing and uh and humility is very close and it’s so hard to to, you know, be able to win in those margins and understand what it really takes. And I I think it’s just really having an appreciation for learning from your mistakes and trying to put the players in the most successful outcomes. I think in both of those games I could have done a much better job whether it’s the 17 loss to the Falcons or the 18 loss in the Super Bowl. You know, it was in February of 19, but you get where I’m going. Just, you know, just learning from all right, you know, having a better feel in the flow of the game for you might have a preparation or a plan, but are you seeing it live? Are you able to adjust? Are you able to put your players in successful situations? And um you know, and then being able to grow or like like growth demands discomfort. you know, we had a lot of we had a really smooth sail in both of those seasons, you know, but that did demanded, you know, that discomfort is what demanded, you know, for us to be able to grow and for us to stretch ourselves past some of those manageable expectations. And I’m really talking to myself to have better contingency plans for our players. And, you know, I think I would tell them, you know, keep understanding the importance of leaning into the hard times and knowing that that’s where the real growth occurs, even if it doesn’t feel that way in the meantime. You know, I you’ve already said I believe in you. Those are four words that mean a lot. Um, repetition is the mother. What was that? Is the mother repetition is the mother of learning. That’s a John Gruden. Is that Lil Wayne? That’s John Gruden. I thought that was Little Wayne. Okay. You know, hey, you know what? Wayne has some good bars that he might spit out some. I mean, he’s got some wisdom, but John used to say that all the time. And you know, it’s it’s like, you know, it’s like anything else. you know, whether it’s the 10,000 hour rule with the deliberate practice, but you know, the more that you accumulate that intentional and that deliberate work, um, and you use all those experiences to be able to learn and grow, uh, the better you become. And, and I think it’s a very powerful statement and I certainly subscribe to it. But, you know, John, everything I say, I’ve stolen from somebody else. Uh, whether it’s reading books or hearing from other people. And, you know, we’re all good thieves, these these coaches. I remember I mean that’s the thing I think people see you and they see you as this young but like you are a reader you are a scholar and every offseason whether you go away to Europe or you’re somewhere you’ll come back and you’ll be like I read this great book and here’s a recommendation one time I want to say a lot of it was Ryan Holidayiday for a bit you were really into the Ryan Holiday Stoic stuff is really good it is good and stillness is the key is a special one I thought that was excellent the the book that really resonated with me though is you’re like I went back and this was after I think you guys lost to the Packers in the playoffs and there was maybe the change from Jared to to Stafford. You went back and you read Phil Jackson’s book and I thought that was interesting and that you spoke that spoke to you, Phil Jackson. How do you reinvent yourself after all these years and be a coach of maybe the same guys in certain cases, but to get the message fresh and to keep on going. I thought you your appreciation for the the Phil Jackson book was interesting to me. There’s so much wisdom out there, you know, and and I’m always trying to learn whether it’s in, you know, similar arenas, different arenas, you know, the 11 rings or even, you know, the the sacred hoops, you know, just Phil, what I respected about Phil was Phil had a commitment to a philosophy. He had a connection with his players and he had a security to be who he was and he did it differently. But what he was able to do was he was able to reach players and get people to buy in, you know, because I think a lot of people forget, you know, Michael was this superstar and they had success under Doug Collins, you know, but to get him to buy in and even though he was still able to have these amazing numbers, but to get him to buy in and to understanding how do we use this triangle offense to be able to facilitate, set other people up, how do we play on both ends of the court, how do we match up with these teams like the Pistons, but really it was about the culture, the connection, um you know the meditation the getting guys to really tap into something greater than themselves and it’s it was transformational you know these great coaches and I I I think Nick Sabin has a bunch of wisdom every week on college game day that if you’re really listening you’re like man he’s he’s got some great stuff that you can apply but there’s always opportunities to listen to learn and then it allows you to lead a lot better and that’s what we try try to consistently do you know I’m I’m going to try to read a little bit this by um you know spend some time with my family and and be able to get a, you know, some stuff to work ahead. But, you know, I think there is an element of when you’re growing and you’re progressing for people that you love and care about with the platform you have. That’s a cool thing that you want to take advantage of. Well, I just think it’s cool you went to the basketball side of it. You could have easily read a Lombardi book or, you know, tapped into your network of of coaches, whether it be Gruden or Bellich, whoever. But I you I remember when you first started, you showed me your screen saver. It was John Wooden’s pyramid of success. So like you you’ll look for just great minds in leadership which I think is so maybe not everyone does. No question. And you know what I gotta give uh I gotta give Wes Phillips and really you know Jason Garrett a ton of credit because I remember when I was interviewing and you’re looking into all right what kind of culture do you want to have? Jason Garrett had a bunch of great stuff when he was the Cowboys head coach that Wes Phillips was willing to share with me and a lot of that was foundationally driven from some of coach Wooden’s stuff and you know and even you know coach Wooden had a tremendous influence on Dick Vermile on Bill Walsh and so a lot of these influences that I didn’t really realize they go back and you know leadership is still leadership whether you’re talking about Tim McVey being a general manager of a television station whether it’s John Wooden leading UCLA basketball Jackson leading the Lakers and the Bulls. Um, you know, or it’s us as football coaches, you know, and so I I love learning. I mean, even the stuff that you navigate, that’s it’s all people oriented. And this is how do you deal with people? How do you maximize and help them, you know, reach and realize their highest potential, but have an urgency, but an enjoyment with how they go about it? And, you know, those are things that are worth really fighting for and continuing to learn how you always grow for others. And I think that was a slogan that was behind you for many years. Urgent, what was it? Urgent enjoyment. Was that what urgent enjoyment? Yeah. And you know what, and I think that still is when we’re at our best. We talked a lot about that this past week where hey, there’s an urgency where we’ve got to get our work done, but there’s also an enjoyment, you know, where there still is that ability to go cut it loose, have the courage to go swing, not be afraid of the outcomes, uh, but be courageous enough to trust yourself, trust your teammates, and and go play with a quieted mind and and and, you know, be what we’re about. And I think when we’re balancing and threading the needle on there’s that urgency, but man, I’m enjoying it. I think that’s when we’re at our best. And shoot, the enjoyment part. I got that from Steve Kerr watching the Warriors. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There’s there’s this thin line with you where it’s like you’re living in LA, which is Hollywood, and there’s a celebrity lifestyle thing. You’re also a young, good-looking coach. You’re also this great personality, and yet at the end of the day, if you can’t coach football, that’s got to be the most important part. How do you tow that line of wanting to lean into the celebrity, wanting to do the fun stuff, wanting to be at Soho, you know, Malibu House, whatever it is, and then also knowing at the end of the day, I got to do my job. Yeah. I think I think what’s the cool thing is is you and I both know this. I’m more of a homebody than I think people would realize. I love spending time with my wife, my family, and I love being able to go do those types of things, but there’s a time and a place, and uh football is really important. I think the best thing is my family and the job that I’m fortunate enough to have that gives you real purpose. Um, you know, where you have a platform to be able to help people. You’re doing something that you love, but it’s really hard. And you know, how much can you really just stay present, stay grateful, and keep doing hard things. And you know, during the season, we’re fully committed to doing that. And then when I get free time, I’m spending time with my family. You know, from when you were coming out to LA, you know, you come over the house, we’ll watch some ball, but me getting out of the house is is few and far between. And I don’t ever feel like I’m missing out on stuff. But then in the off season, you know, if there’s a game that you want to go to or, you know, you go enjoy some of the places, it’s pretty cool to live in a place that you feel like people travel for vacation on. Uh but in season, you know, we’re we’re in the bunker and I love every bit of it and wouldn’t want it any other way. Totally. Uh one of my favorite Shawn McVey celebrity stories comes from the sports world and it was before the Cowboys playoff game. You guys are playing the Cowboys in a divisional round game on a Saturday night. You got Buck and Aman on the call. Fox is doing the rare Saturday night. It’s in LA. This is the the Super Bowl season that you guys had and you had those two running backs, Gurley and Anderson. You guys were running the ball and then you get a special visit right before kickoff. Can you tell that story? Oh man, I’ll tell you what. You know, this was when you’re in your second year and I remember even, you know, being kind of starruck and it was awesome to be able to get to know Payton a little bit. He and Josh Kroni have a great relationship and you know this kind of coincided when Payton retired figuring out where do I want to go and he’s got so many different things and so he came and visit us so I got to know him a little bit. Veronica always jokes that I would blow her off. I would blow her off for Pton Manning. Uh but uh you know I I just remember you know LeBron and Pton Manning come in and you know they wanted to use the bathroom because the Coliseum there was some tough stuff and they come in and they kind of dapping you up and you’re thinking holy we got to win this one man. We got some big time people here. This is a this is a great opportunity for us and and that was an electric atmosphere. Our guys came out and delivered in a big way. But, you know, you see Payton and LeBron and they’re kind of dapping you up before the game and I’m thinking I didn’t even know they know who the hell I am. And it was that was kind of one of those cool deals. You’re so, you know, that’s the one thing is, man, I’m a fan of this stuff. You know, you’re you’re a fan of, you know, what guys do. I’m a fan of other sports. I’m a fan of people that have come before us. And so, this is what I love. And I’ve always just admired the way these guys moved. And um you know and it was cool because LeBron was helpful in getting Odell to come commit to us in the 21 season you know with Maverick. Is that right? What’s that story? I didn’t know that. What’s the story there? No I just think you know his relationship in the LA deal you know he and Maverick Carter have a big influence and so I think there was some positive things that they were saying that that helped facilitate. You know he had you know he was a free agent people forget. So he chose to come to us. He had a lot of people that wanted his services and you know it was all those things are really cool that that’s what’s pretty special about being in a big market where there’s a lot of you know special influential people that that you admire the way they move in a similar space. Totally. Totally. I’m going to name some names and just give me some thoughts on these people that have crossed through your life. Aaron Donald. What does Aaron Donald mean to you? You know, I think the most special thing about Aaron, Aaron is obviously I think as much as everybody gives, you know, what a special player he was. Like as as special as he was, people will never understand how consistent he was, how competitive, how much he put into it. And I think that’s why um you know, people don’t understand, well, why did he step away when he did when he was still playing at a first team allpro level? When you give as much as he gave, he was full. He was complete. The thing that I remember and that I’ll always cherish the most, he let me in his life, Peter. Um, I got to see what a special human being this guy is with being raised from a great family and how his parents and his brother and and his just family in general have just influenced the guy that has been so successful but remained humble along the journey, never took days off. Um, modeled the way every single day. But man, this guy is a committed father. He’s an amazing husband. um he gets so excited and the joy that he has to pour into his family and um being able to let me into those things, you know, you really get to see what’s the real purpose that drives him and why he was this just unbelievable competitor that brought it every single day that elevated the spaces that he was in and the people that he was around, but was unrelenting in his approach. Uh but also was this incredible father. He’s really smart business-wise. He’s got a lot of different things, you know, he tried he wants to be the rock to Davelin, but the relationship that we had, the way that he let me into his life. Um, because he’s a a fairly private person, that means more to me than anything else. And you know, you almost come to tears when you when you hear him talk about it too because I’ve heard him share a similar deal where it’s like, man, we had this special bond because we were able to achieve some really unique things uh collectively and together in our football journeys, but it was the relationships that were built in the midst of that journeys and understanding that, you know, what really lasts are, you know, those types of things. You know, he’s the type of guy he’ll be here, you know, for Jordan’s second birthday. He him and his family because he’s got young kids. they were there for for the first one and and he’s the life of the party, but I I just love what he’s about. And then I think he always knew what the moment required. Like it’s not by coincidence that when he gets an opportunity to go to another Super Bowl and really in that in the midst of that journey that he’s making the the plays in the NFC Championship in the Super Bowl to seal those games. Like he just he just willed those things to happen. Um he was his best when his best was required. And it is really easy to always reference him and tell the stories about what does it really look like to model the way uh for a guy that is still so heavily involved. We’re going to honor him when we play the Bucks here. I don’t know when that is, but at some point later this season. Uh but more than anything, I appreciate the person and the relationship that we were able to form and that’s what this is about. I think that’s where I have a healthier perspective on what a blessing coaching is, Peter. But the relationship that we have, but man, as a player, like he would ruin people like if you didn’t if you didn’t slide to him every snap, you would have great players that would just be shell shocked. You know, Kevin Carberry, who was our offensive line coach, who’s doing a hell of a job with the Bucks now. He said he’s like the human Crowder. He gives you immediate feedback. If you miss one thing on him, the snap is over. He’s the best to ever do it. And uh and I am so fortunate to be around what he was, more importantly, as a man. But you talk about competitive stamina. Nobody had better competitive stamina than this guy. Just to to hit the point on Darnold, he wins the Super Bowl, but he does come back and then I remember you guys lose in the playoffs and from what I’m remembering from you telling me, he like hugs you and says, “I’m good. I’m content.” And like you I knew that. Yeah. You know what’s funny is what I thought was the coolest thing that reflects what an elite competitor this guy is. Peter is. So we win the Super Bowl after his eighth season. And I think in his mind going into his football journey, you know, he had accomplished everything he wanted to accomplish. And he was never about the individual accolades. He didn’t care about that at all. He wanted the team awards. He wanted those types of things. And nobody loved winning and seeing the enjoyment of his teammates more than Aaron Donald did. Um, and so we were able to have success. He lo in the Super Bowl in 18, but then you win it in eight years, uh, in his eighth year. And I think in his mind, he always saw him playing eight years. Never was a guy that wanted to be a lifer because of what he put into it. Made the money to be able to take care of his family and parlay that into some of the business ops. So I had to convince him to come back. Well, we come back for the 22 season and that was what a what a humil, you know, a humbling experience that was. He ended up getting hurt and decides to come back for 23. Well, I had to sit down with him and tell him all these changes we’re going to make, all these great players that we’re going to have to part ways with because of some of the financial situations that we were in, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. And I watched him say, “Hey, as long as they care and as long as they’re made of the right stuff, I’ll ride with them.” And watching the way he elevated that group on the defensive side of the ball and watching the way that he poured into his teammates and, you know, and then it coincided, we were three and six at the buy. We ended up going on a nice little run where we ended up finishing um you know 10 and seven that year. The only loss that we ended up having was against a Baltimore team where we went toe-to-toe and they returned a punt um you know to be able to end the game in overtime. But it was watching the way that he just took everything in. You know, when you’re around somebody that you can tell they’re just cherishing moments, they’re taking experiences in. And I watched him throughout that year and I just said, uh, Ian never said a word to me about it, but as soon as I hugged him when he was coming in the locker room after the Detroit game, I said, “That’s it, huh?” He goes, “Yeah, that’s it.” Um, and and we just kind of knew. I I didn’t need to ask him. I knew. I think a lot of people might have been surprised, but I think that’s a credit to the relationship that we had, the way we paid attention to each other. And I think the coolest thing he said to me the next day when I met with him in my office when you’re kind of having the exit meetings and your final team meeting, he said, “You know what’s great is I’m full. I’m complete.” Um, you know, and it coincided with being able to have, you know, his more time with his family. Um, everything he’s put into it. And I think when you put everything into what he’s done and then you’re parlaying that into a chance to really be able to be around your kids more and do some of the things that he’s wanted to do in the next kind of chapter of his life and you know be around Erica more for you know for their marriage. It’s It was really cool. And And that’s why when people are like, “Oh, you want to convince him back?” It’s almost disrespectful to even entertain that because you don’t know what this guy put into it. But to be able to say like what a cool thing to say, “I’m full. I’m complete.” And man, is that true and to mean it to walk away, you can feel like like and that’s the thing that I think’s really cool is is when you talk to him, he’s like, “I love football and it gave me so much. Do I miss it?” No, I don’t miss it. you know, like he doesn’t he he ch but but I think when you’re able to absorb and just soak in every single moment and like I think the thing we talk about to our team all the time, Peter, that Aaron can really just rest his head on the pillow at night being comfortable with himself as a man or when he looks himself in the mirror. No regrets. It’s like I don’t care whether we win or lose, but let’s have the courage to go for it. Pour everything into it that you got. Leave nothing. leave no stone unturned and let’s go commit to the best of our ability every single snap regardless of the circumstances and this guy did that and he can live with no regrets and that’s why somebody can say I’m complete and I’m full when you’re still at the height of your career. I love it. I love it. Uh I remember being in the combine with you and you used to have a room in one of the hotels and you say hey let’s just grab lunch in my room. We’d go, we’d sit, we’d shoot the And you told me, you know, I flew out here on Southwest and you know who ironically was sitting next to me. That was wild. And who was that guy? And if you want, and let’s and let’s go through that story because I I am so proud of that guy, too. And I know you are as well. It’s amazing. Yeah. You know, it kind of worked out where Baker was training. You know, he was already going to be the number one overall pick. It was kind of decided upon. And so, we’re flying out in Southwest. We got the A boarding, you know, so we actually sat next to each other. Uh, you know, it was it was myself, Baker Mayfield, and Dr. Neil Elatro, you know, in a three- row right there. And, um, I just remember saying I said, “Hey, no, we got our quarterback with golf. We’re obviously not in the mix for you. Let’s talk a little ball.” And, you know, you just get to know, you talk about a refreshingly secure, mature man that knew who he was. Um, that has really been through some different things, whether that was his college experiences that led him to Oklahoma, winning the Heisman, becoming the number one overall pick. But there’s a swag, there’s a charisma. This guy elevates people around him. Um, and then, you know, getting an opportunity a few years later in what was a really challenging year to come in and and really elevate and make that month, which was really special, a cool thing. And then watching him go do what he’s done in Tampa. You know, I still keep it I I have a lot of love for Baker and I’ll always have a gratitude for what he’s done for me. But that that experience of just getting to know him before he’s even gone through any of the things that he’s entailed in his NFL journey, I’m not surprised because of this guy checks the boxes and all the things that that you’re looking for with how he’s mentally wired. And I think the more you do this, the more you realize the importance of the above the neck wiring and this guy’s a special dude and um it’s awesome to see him do his thing. So he’s riding high right now. There’s a guy that I would like to ask you about because you introduced me to him many, many years ago at one of those Bob Lamont combine dinners. Um, Mike McDaniel’s going through it. Give a good Mike McDaniel story about when you guys started working and why you think in the end of the day, Mike McDaniel is going to be just fine as an offensive coach in this league. Well, he’s a great, first of all, he’s so smart. You know, it’s one of those deals that I remember getting around Mike and getting a chance to work and I had always heard about Mike. You know, Mike and I coached in the UFFL at the same time. he was coaching for another team, but I remember hearing about this really young sharp coach that had been, you know, working with Kyle and then uh and then when he came on our staff in Washington, this guy had ownership of all 22. I think the cool thing about that staff that we had, whether it was Mike, whether it’s Raheem, Matt Lafleur, you know, Kyle, you know, all the different coaches that we’ve had that have that have gone on to do some stuff, we positively pushed each other. you know, Mike coming in and his ownership of all things run and pass game, you know, challenged and inspired me to want to learn a little bit more. Um, and I think we positively pushed one another, but I think the consistency of which he worked, the wit, you know, he’s always been the same. You know, just cracking jokes and, you know, you talk about Baker being refreshingly secure in himself. Mike knows who he is, who he wants to be. Um, he’s a really good coach, incredibly innovative. He is so much smarter than me. you know, he’ll say some stuff some every now and then and I’m thinking, man, I am really, you know, like just this guy is I mean, this is Yale and this is, you know, my me being idiot, you know, and so yeah, but but I think what I appreciate about Mike is is the consistency and even just, you know, you you go through some challenging things and he’s come out on the right end and I think these are small adversities considering some of the stuff that he’s overcome that he’s very, you know, open about that I respect a ton. fun. Um, you know, and and you’re always rooting for these guys, you know, and unless it affects the Rams, you know, you’re always rooting for your buddies to do well. And it’s amazing what a blessing it is when you step back and you look at all these relationships that we’ve had and you realize it’s such a small circle. I mean, my grandpa got me opportunities that I never deserve. But, you know, the the small circle and what a blessing it is to be involved in this NFL. Mike McDaniels, a really good coach, incredibly smart, um, you know, and consistent in who he is, and I think that resonates with people. I love it. And, and the other guy I would ask you about is the one you mentioned early on and how you take so much from him. Um, John Gruden is such an important piece to so many of you guys around the league, but I feel like no one more than you. What What did Gruden mean to you working for him all those years back, and now the relationship is, you know, generations strong going back to your father and him? Yeah, the thing that the thing I would say is that Gruden family has done so much for me, Peter. You know what what I learned from John when I got this exposure. I got on right away where I was basically like a secretary, you know, and I remember thinking this was really poor emotional awareness on my part. I remember thinking, you know, he’s notorious for getting in really early, you know, that 317 alarm and he’s there at 3:30 and that’s when he’s firing and he likes to kind of I appreciate now as a head coach, you know, that’s when you can get a lot of stuff done before a lot of the unforeseen things come across your desk. And I was a secretary at the time and so I remember thinking, well, you know what, maybe I’ll try to beat him in one time. And it’s like, you know, I don’t know really why. It was like, you know, a stupid ass like teacher’s pet type of move. That was not a good idea. That pissed him off more than it was. So I I’m like I’m like in this desk, you know, right outside of his office and I’m there at like 3:00 in the morning one time, you know, and I’m just waiting, you know, I my job was to hey to wait until somebody told you to do something and then you do it with a little bit of an urgency and a smile on your face. And so I think it pissed him off and I’m thinking, yeah, that’s not a good idea. You know, what what are you doing? Uh but but this guy’s capacity for the game, the amount of work he would do, he taught me to see the game through an all22 lens. And then after that season that I worked for him, Peter, where I really learned everything was at that FFCA. Me and Jay Gruden would go over at the Tampa Bay uh you know, the facilities that the Lightning and uh the Tampa Bay Storm played at. And they’d bring coaches through, but he would challenge you. It was like you’re doing an interview every day. I remember I get up there and he’s like, “Hey, teach me 96 power.” You know, I get up there and I’m drawing the squares, the circle. He’s like, “Those are the shittiest circles I’ve ever seen in my freaking life.” And I mean, just buries me. Take some pride in your circle. You know what I did though? You know what I did? I went and bought a whiteboard at the Walmart and I put it in my office at the little condo that I had in Tampa. And I’d practice drawing circles and you’d practice presenting. If people were My neighbors probably thought I was nuts because I’m talking out loud. you’re practicing your presentations and you know they thought you were a serial killer. That’s exactly right. But but man, what he did, he challenged, he pushed, he cared. Um, and what I learned in that six-month period, I’m forever indebted to John and my relationship with that family, you know, got me opportunities along with, you know, my grandfather John McVey and Jim McVey senior or Jim Gruden senior worked together at Indiana with the NerS, you know, so there’s a lot of family connections. Um, and he didn’t want to let the family down. He wanted to do right by the ops that, you know, whether it was the McVey family or the Gruden family. And John was instrumental. He challenged you, he pushed you. He’s a great coach and and he really taught me the foundation of what I know about this game. And then what I learned from Jay and the way he protected me and helped grow me into learning how to call plays and his feel for the flow of the game and his just natural instincts for the game and the right time to dial up certain things. That family has been unbelievable to me. And you know, I I loved the experience I had learning from John and and I really cherished the opportunity to work under Jay and how close our relationship was because that that meant a lot. Jay’s a damn special coach. We had we had Kevin Oonnell on earlier on this show and he spent a good five minutes talking about how Jake Gruden’s the most underappreciated coach of this era. I think so. I mean, because I think he’s definitely one of them that doesn’t get the credit because I think, you know, I obviously, you know, I love Kevin Oonnell and and the two years that we had together, the way that we were able to play off of one another, learn from each other, and watching the way he’s doing his thing with the Vikings, he’s one of my closest friends, but hey, who did we learn from and who was an, you know, instrumental part in teaching us? It was Jay Gruden. Um, you know, and and you look at Kevin’s the reigning coach of the year, what he’s done with that place, and you talk about like a culture and a vibe that you can feel with the way that he leads. I love that guy so much. And and I love Jay for what he taught us and how he helped, you know, shape us and put us in positions to be able to handle, you know, the challenging times and the good ones. And um and I think the other thing was the security that Jay had to empower us, you know, like where really he was secure enough to to protect you, but to also lift you up in some of the good times and then give you an opportunity to learn how to call plays, but shield you from some of the criticism that you can have. Like I can’t speak enough about just what he did for me behind the scenes. You know, as you’re a 27year-old offensive coordinator, he lets you start calling plays at the age of 28. Um, but he protected you. He helped you grow. And he always subconsciously communicated, “I believe in you,” but was challenging in the midst of it. And yeah, no, Jay Jay just means so much, Peter. He He taught me. He ended up protecting me. He ended up really having the security to be able to challenge you, but also subconsciously communicate, “I believe in you. I love him.” And he was instrumental in a lot of the things that, you know, we’re doing with the Vikings and Rams. You know, for myself and Kevin, we talk about Jay all the time. I love that. I love that you’ve got this great little tree now and it’s growing and it’s growing and it’s growing. I I did, you know, Seahawks Texans and I’m sitting there and there’s Nick Kaye and he’s spending 10 minutes on what you meant to him and I have to think now it’s almost like paying it forward. There are so many of these young coaches around the league that are coming from the McVey tree, quote unquote. Do you take pride in seeing all these guys have success? And is it has it hit you that you already have a whole legion of guys that look to you as that dude? Yeah, I think I think the way I look at it and you know this is is we work together. You know, we’re we’re working with each other. We’re learning from each other. I just so happen to be fortunate enough to be in the role of head coach, but that doesn’t mean, you know, that that’s just a title. You know, we we lead collectively and we work together. We work for one another, not for each other. And so, I’ve learned from these guys, but yeah, if you say, you know, is there a willingness to share, you know, from the mistakes I’ve made or from some of the successful outcomes? Am I always trying to learn from others? The answer is yes. And you know, when you work with people and you spend the amount of time that you do with them, you develop relationships and you love these guys and so there’s an investment in them as human beings and then you want to see them have success. Um, unless we’re playing them, you know, and so and so, you know, that that is something that I think it’s more of just your friends that have been instrumental in a lot of the good times that we’ve had with the Rams. you wish them all the best and I think you’re just humbled by the opportunity to continue to get a chance to do this and you realize how hard it is and how volatile it is with the competitiveness of it and it seems like it’s even more and more difficult and I think that’s why you’re seeing the parody of this league because the margins are thinner than they’ve ever been. You’re going to dinner with three other NFL head coaches. Who are those three coaches if you have to fill the table out? Oh, you can’t do that one to me. I Here’s what I would say. I I I’d ask you that question who you take which you hey I know Peter Shger at the table and I and I’m I already have to be there so you don’t have to just you don’t I don’t have to guilt trip you into saying me. Who are three outside of of us two? Here’s who I would want. I would want stories. I would want entertainment and then I would want like life lessons. So like I’m I know I’m going Sean Sean Payton’s on that at that table with me and he’s just going to tell me stories. I’m going Mike Tomlin because his words might not be as he might not be as long-winded as Sean, but everything he says out of his mouth, I’m hanging on to every word. And I think that last one, current NFL head coaches, you know what might surprise some. I I would think I’m going Dan Quinn. I’m going DQ. I feel like he’s got a lot to offer and he’s got incredible lessons and the things that he talks about really resonate with me as well. Those are that those are three men. And I’ll tell you what, when you talk I’ll tell you what’s great is I love Shawn Payeyton, Mike Tomlin, Dan Quinn. Those are all amazing answers. I got a chance to spend I’ve gotten, you know, it’s weird because, you know, Sean and I both now have places. I’m always kind of copying Sean. You know, he goes to Chileano Bay, now we’re going to Chile Bay. Uh he goes to Gazer, Idaho. Now we went to Gazer, Idaho. So I kind of just follow where he goes because he’s got all the good vacation spots. But we’ve gotten a chance to spend some time together. Sean was always great to me when I first got this job. I always respected him from afar as an offensive mind, whatever. But you talk about storytelling. He’s got a hat that he wears at Kazer that all his buddies got him there. That’s SPST, Shawn Peyton story time. And so, but his stories are unbelievable. I mean, you know, Whit and I were talking about this because Andrew Witworth was there. We traveled there with his family. And um Sean is amazing. both he and Mike, you know, when we get the those coaches deals together, you know, those two guys are holding court, telling amazing stories. They have an amazing amount of wisdom and experiences, but uh I love listening to Sean. Give me Give me Give me This is good. Give Give us the Mike Tomlin that maybe we don’t see on TV or at the podium because I think Tomlin is incredible off camera and I don’t think everyone knows that guy as well. Well, I Well, he’s funny as hell. I mean, this the the one thing is is you can see how damn smart he is. You know, you talk about emotional intelligence and a guy that just has a command for the room with just his voice inflection, but his timing and his awareness, you know, he’s just a he’s a great guy. Uh you see this guy that’s so eloquent and articulate and just like you’re like, man, I would follow that guy as a leader when you watch the way he handles himself, whether it’s during games or even in his postgame pressers. and he’s so articulate and he says things where you’re just like, “How the hell did he think of that?” You know, excuses are tools of the incompetent, you know, but his timing and his wit, you know, and is is just unparalleled. He’s got this great contagious laugh, too. Um, you know, and his ability to tell stories, you know, I I’m not going to say who, but I remember asking him about, you know, some challenging players that he’s coached, you know, and I said, “Oh, hey, how about this guy? you know, you managed them, they went somewhere else. And he said, “Oh, no, no.” He says, “Those guys were emotional.” And then he gave two names of some other guys and he said, “Those two guys diabolical, you know, so like he’s he’s got like it’s just he’s so funny and his timing and and I mean, if you don’t like Mike Tomlin, then something’s wrong with you.” And uh I feel that way about Shawn and and Dan Quinn’s the same. I mean, you talk about just the belief like how do these teams nicest guy in the world. I think all three of those guys you mentioned, you watch their teams and you’re saying, “I want to be a part of that team because they take on the personality of their head coach, whether that’s mental toughness, resilience, belief, a connectedness.” I mean, that Giants that Giants Broncos game was unbelievable the other day. You look at what the Steelers have done under Mike for so many years. You look at what, you know, Dan’s done with the Washington and just their belief and their culture and then you hear Kingsberry talk about him too. That was a cool thing. You know, we both have obviously a special relationship with Cliff, but I think one of the coolest compliments you can give DQ is Cliff will tell you that um you know that some of the experiences he had, he kind of gets sour on football. A guy like DQ reignited his love for coaching again. That’s purposeful, man. um because of the way that he is, the vibe that he has, and those are easy guys to root for. I’m Hey, I I like to have a seat at that table with you three and uh and you, Peter. It’s pretty good. And I, you know, and in doing that, I I left off guys like Raheem Morris, and I left off guys like, you know, Pete Carol. There’s a lot of different names that the names that we did not include there that go. We’re gonna wrap with you soon, but some fun ones, some fun ones that aren’t necessarily football, but I think are good. Like I love your relationship with Al Michaels. It’s almost like this like big brother in LA type deal. And I know you know I went to your wedding and Al’s there and he’s he’s like crying because he’s such a proud friend but also like not father figure but like older mentor in this little world of Los Angeles. What’s Al Michaels mean to you? Man, Al is such a special human. You know, I I really enjoyed listening when Al came on here with you. Um and Al and I’s relationship, you know, really with he and his wife Linda. Veronica and I would go to dinner and they would, you know, I mean, they kind of put her arm around us and there’s a similar trajectory in terms of, you know, like what Linda shared with Veronica in terms of just the requirements of committing to trying to do something that you’re passionate about and at a young age and you’re moving around but you’re getting exposure to stuff and you got hard charging driven individuals. the stories that Al would share and the wisdom that he has. Like I will tell you this, you know, you’ve heard the phrase that people have forgotten more than you could ever learn about something. Al Michaels is the first person I’ve ever come across that I’m like, I understand that. When you talk to him about, first of all, his range of just knowledge of different things. It’s immaculate. and he’s had so many different experiences, not exclusive to the sports world, but this is an incredibly intelligent, interested individual that has an opinion, but an etiquette on all things that you can talk about. But then when you talk about the range of all right, hey, I’ve done the baseball, I’ve done basketball, I’ve done boxing, you know, I’ve done hockey, I’ve done football, and the different personalities and the people that he’s come across and his interests. And I I I learned so much and I enjoy his just zest for life and for learning. And I love Al Michaels. I love Linda and And I love our times. And you know, we go to dinner and it always ends up you look at your phone, you’re like, “How have we been here for six hours?” And so is it this late? Those are special times. Um and Al is um Al’s the best at what he’s Al is the greatest to do what he’s done, but there’s always I’m just impressed with his competitive stamina. We talked about Aaron Donald, but likeelievable this guy loves it. Um, he’s authentic. He’s got incredible timing and really like, you know, I’ve always talked about being interested in that stuff. Um, you know, way down the line. I couldn’t be happier coaching right now, but like this guy’s, you know, willingness to share and like the amount of people that reach out to him to be able to kind of just understand his space. Al Michaels means a lot to me. Um, I truly love him and I cherish our relationship, you know, greatly and, you know, I consider him a close friend and I’m really, you know, fortunate for the times that we get to spend with he and Linda when we go to dinner. Right on that same queue, you got him as play-by-play guy, but how about Troy Aman? I know you guys have a relationship as well and I love that you two are friends, too. Yeah, Troyy’s awesome. And really, I would say a lot of that relationship was developed from, you know, you kind of getting us connected. We obviously have always enjoyed each other in the production meetings. You know, I didn’t like him when he was a player because I was always rooting for the Niners growing up with my grandpa and he’d just break our hearts. You know, that was when I was old enough to know what was going on when they went on those amazing runs. But, you know, what a straightforward shooter. What a guy that just is refreshingly. You don’t have to wonder what he’s thinking. I I just enjoy he’s a he’s a nononsense. He’s a man’s man. Um, and that’s what I respect. And and I think I think one of the cool things is our relationship was really developed from, you know, the the love that we both had for one person and that’s Peter Scher. There you go. Those are my guys. Uh, you know, and I and I love watching that relationship blossom. You know, what he means to to you and you mean to him. I I also this is a weird one for you and I don’t want you to get too emotional on it because it’s I think it’s important to the story of Shawn McVey, but we had Sam Darnold in a production meeting on Saturday. It was Texans Seahawks and I’m talking to Darnold and he’s just he’s been through so much and he’s 28 years old and he’s like can I say something like the truth is I’m engaged to the love of my life. She makes me full. She makes everything right. We live in a home together that we bought together and it’s like I’m free. I could do what I got to do. I found my soulmate. Talk about Veronica, your wife, and what she has done for you as a coach. You know, obviously as a father and a husband, but for you as a coach and what’s made you better professionally based on what she brings in the personal in the home. Well, I’ll tell you what’s special about you asking about that is our relationship, you know, means so much and you were always somebody that, you know, even though we were in different spaces, but a similar arena that I could confide in. And I met Veronica the night before I came and saw you in New York when, you know, you’re getting ready to go into a really important season as offensive coordinator for Washington. You had the possibilities of this GMFB thing, you know, getting ready to start up. that was, you know, an amazing opportunity that you just slam dunked and aliooped and did all the things to just smash that, you know, opportunity in a great way. But I remember just feeling like there was something different about her. And I don’t think it’s by coincidence that everything in my life has gotten better since she’s been brought into it. And whether it’s her patience with me, you know, even I think my mom said something. She said, “Watching the way that you handle Shawn after games, particularly when you don’t when we don’t get the result that we want, I would have been a better mother to him if I had seen how you handle him.” And she just she’s such a blessing. She’s so sweet. Uh but she’s firm, you know, like I watch her even with Jordan. And it’s this amazing, you know, experience and example that she sets as a loving mother, but a firmness of there’s going to be discipline. Um, you know, you’re going to, you know, you’re going to do right. You’re going to be a well-mannered nice little boy. And in a lot of ways, that was kind of the way that she treated me. You know, she inspired me to want to be better for her. Um, she’s been patient through all my idiocy and my craziness. But I I’m so fortunate just like what Sam said, you know, and I know you feel the same way, too. You show me a great man, I’ll show you somebody else that is really leading and keeping them accountable for who they want to be every single day for their family, which really gives you purpose. And Veronica is the biggest blessing. and you know, the relationship that she has with my parents. Um, the way that she just handles all these things and and how she is still so refreshingly I’ve used the word secure a lot with people that I admire and have such reverence for. And my wife is so refreshingly secure in who she is and so supportive, but it’s not her identity. And I think that’s perfect for me and for our marriage and and it’s only getting stronger, you know, as we’re building on this family. And we got another little maniac that’ll be here on December 15th. Let’s go. I know. We got a date. When is it? December 15th. Yeah. You know, we play the Lions. It’ll be a great challenge for us. I never get too far ahead. You know, we’re just focused on enjoying these couple days, but we’ll induce on Sunday night after the Lions game and then go play uh Thursday against the Seahawks. That’d be a wild week for the McY family. That’ll be something. That’ll be it. That’ll be something. I’m happy for you guys. I’m so happy for both of you. I’ve known Veronica very as long as since you met her and she’s always been the same person, which is the coolest thing. And I love what you said, her identity is not coach’s wife. Her identity is I am who I am and I just happen to be married to an NFL head coach, which I think is so huge. I And it’s perfect for for us, too. And it just works. And, you know, I’m glad that you asked about her because that does it it gives you a perspective of, you know, you always are able to be grateful when you’re reminded of how lucky you are. And I know you feel the same way. I do. Uh let’s wrap here with one last question. Um, you mentioned broadcasting in the long-term future. Obviously, there’s been opportunities here and there along the way. What keeps you going to keep doing this year after year after year when you know that there are so many other endless opportunities for you that don’t necessarily mean putting on the headset and drawing up plays in May and June. the people, you know, the opportunity to do this and and to really, you know, work towards something and and help people. You know, obviously the season represents a journey, but there’s relationships built in the midst of that. Um, there’s values and principles that are upheld that are challenged and stressed in the moments that you don’t necessarily get the outcome that you want. It’s the relationships with these players, these coaches. It’s the opportunity to lead um and to really, you know, to to try to be the person you want to be for others and the platform it provides. And I think that having a family has given me a much better perspective, you know, being able to see Jordan on the sidelines of those games. And hey, if he doesn’t like football, great. If he does, um, you know, but this game has given me so much. And I think, um, you know, and I’m still so young, you know, like I I just think there’s a much healthier approach to this. You know, we’ve talked about, you know, what a great influence, you know, my family, my close friends, but a guy like Chris Peterson has been on to kind of just reshape and reimagine, you know, what does it really look like to be transformational, not transactional, and to know that while all these things are blessings, you know, what really defines who you want to be as a man and the impact that you want to have on the people you love and care about. And coaching does that. I love this. Um, I think that, you know, the the challenging moments, it’s a beautiful torment. Um, but it always is challenging and it’s always worth it. And even in the the moments that are hard, you look back and you’re saying, I don’t know where I would be without those tougher moments. And and that’s what coaching provides. And so, I’ll tell you what, you know, I I always joked, I won’t be a lifer. I I know this. I couldn’t be happier coaching and working with the people that I’m working with. And what I’m not going to try to do is get ahead of myself. And you know, we talk about all the time, let’s be present, let’s be grateful, let’s keep doing hard things. I’m being present, but I’m loving the opportunity. And I think there’s a lot more gratitude and appreciation and and perspective that’s healthier on, you know, why you do this in the first place. And I think there was moments when it’s been in alignment. Um, but I think I’m more consistently being that person for others, even though I certainly have my moments that I’m not proud of. I hear you. Um, Little Wayne referenced you in a rap song this year. Did you know that was coming? Was that a complete Oh, man. I’ll tell you what. You know, there’s a lot of ah there’s a lot of really cool moments. That was about as you know, you start getting some credibility with your players. You know, I’m LA like, you know, bombs bombs away, baby. I loved it. You know, I mean, it was that was cool. So, and I’ve always been a fan of Lil Wayne and for him to reference and I you know, Puka and I were talking about that the other day because he referenced Puka in one of his other songs and um you know, the Carter is is a favorite on repeat in my uh on my phone right now. I love that, man. I love that. Uh, okay. Let’s wrap here. That was so good. I appreciate you taking a full hour of your time. I could do this honestly. We could do it weekly like we did a couple years back. That was fun. You know what? That that never seemed like work. That never seemed like work. And you’re so good at this. That was that was that was a fun journey, man. But the sher hour is Hey, you’re you you deserve to be a standalone host. Thank you. It’s time. Let’s go. Uh, one of the great things you told me though that totally readjusted a lot of the way I look at my career and I give you credit at this and it might have been a Teddy Roosevelt quote, but you said it to me when I was going through contract stuff last couple years and I was frustrated with NFL Network. You said what? Comparison is the thief of joy. And I think that is what dude dude that is a powerful quote and it’s you know what it’s amazing how easy it is to say all these things and how hard it is to apply. But what I think is really cool is is you know the belief and and how you know hard you work and how how good you are at what you do. But to see all the success and and the journey that you’re on. Um you know it’s why everybody loves you, man. And I’m I’m so happy for you. And I was grateful that it timed up for me to be able to come on here because I’m jealous of all these other guests and I’m thinking, man, what what do I have to do to to guilt trip you into inviting me on here? No, it’s funny. I you know, it’s always that ask of like, do I ask Sean? Do I ask Sean? Do I ask Sean? I got you in a good moment after a win in London. I think it was 3 minutes off the field. I texted you and said, “Will you come on this week?” Hey, the great friends know the right time, too. Timing is everything. It’s everything. Uh, congrats on everything. Congrats on the amazing family you have and congrats on the great start to the season. I always rooting for you and and always so happy to see you smiling even in mid-season when I know sometimes it could be some dark times. Oh, man. It is. But it’s but it’s all worth it. I love you, man. I’m happy for you and I appreciate you having me on. You’re the best. Shawn McVey for the Shrager Hour. Thank you, sir. And that’s why we’re doing this show. This is different. We can’t do that in a Get Up segment with Shawn McVey. We can’t do that on NFL Live with Shawn McVey. Oh, I don’t know if any other podcast is going to have the openness and the cander that you just got from McVey. Um, things that obviously stand out, the the path he took and what Gruden meant to him. I thought that was really cool. the idea of Shawn McVey on a whiteboard at home in a small one-bedroom condo in Tampa drawing circles over and over again so that he could impress John Gruden. Uh and then this this great sense of reflection from such a young guy. The fact that he can, you know, look at the relationship with Aaron Donald the way he does. The fact that he can look at his family and what that means to be married to Veronica and what that is. And gosh, for a guy his age, you know, now welcoming a second child in December, congratulations to him. uh to have such perspective and to kind of have a full view of things. It’s really inspiring. Um as you can see, obviously he and I are friendly. I I don’t think I show great bias towards the Rams. I don’t think I show great bias towards Shawn when we start talking. Like I don’t get super It’s just he’s an important person in my life. He’s been very good to me. We are very close and for him to be doing this show meant a lot. Um and I do always wish him well and uh he’s got that Super Bowl championship and who knows what’s in the future for him. Sounds like he’s a coach though. I don’t know. Well, part of me wishes he was doing this with us and maybe in the future he will. But in the meantime, he can do a little bit, he can dabble, and that’s what he did on the Shragger Hour today. Uh, as always, thank you to the fine production staff behind the scenes. Thank you for the listeners and the viewers who are watching. Uh, thank you to our music man, Mr. DJ Leverage. And then, uh, most importantly, uh, thanks for giving us a forum to do this. This is really cool. Uh, I hope you’re enjoying it. I hope these go, uh, onto YouTube and this could be clicked for years to come because I think McVey offered some real pearls of wisdom. Uh, till next week. Enjoy week eight. This is the shaker out. [Music] [Music]

Peter recaps an enlightening trip to Seattle, where the performances of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Leonard Williams leaves him wondering if the Seahawks are way better than they’re being treated in the media. He gives his player of the week and sports media winners of the week before highlighting why Jordan Love can ruin the Aaron Rodgers Sunday night extravaganza in Pittsburgh this week. Sean McVay joins for an all-encompassing discussion on his 2025 Rams, his coaching journey, his influences, his love for Lil Wayne and Al Michaels and what a special human being Aaron Donald is. McVay is an open book and details what the concept of family has meant to his coaching abilities, why he isn’t leaving LA for the broadcast booth anytime soon and which coaches he loves hanging with the most.

0:00 Welcome
0:36 MNF adventures in Seattle
1:05 The great northwest escape
5:46 Seattle is for real
8:27 Week 7 Player of the Week – Bengals QB Joe Flacco
9:20 Week 7 media winner – Chris Fowler and Dan Orlovsky
10:37 Interesting life of Referee Nate Jones
12:47 Week 8 storyline Jordan Love vs. Aaron Rodgers
14:00 Rams HC Sean McVay joins The Schrager Hour
14:45 Rams off to a 5-2 Start
16:22 Mindset staying on east coast before heading to London
18:49 Atmosphere playing at Wembley
19:53 Experience practicing at Camden Yards
21:17 Rams players showing off baseball skills
22:51 Training camp in Hawaii
24:03 Happy heading into bye week
24:31 Mel Schrager up and coming prospect
25:19 McVay Family enjoying London game vs. Jags
26:21 How the Schrager-McVay relationship started
28:32 Hiring process on becoming Rams HC
34:31 Mentors during his early years of coaching
36:25 Looking back on 1st Year as HC in LA
38:46 1st year as HC making playoffs
40:34 Stealing coach-isms along the way
41:24 Coach McVay a gentlemen and a scholar
44:06 Different coaching influences in all sports
45:55 Sean McVay the family man and living in LA
47:26 LeBron James and Peyton Manning pay a visit to Rams locker room
49:04 LeBron helped Rams land Odell Beckham Jr.
49:43 Thoughts on Rams legend Aaron Donald
53:44 Aaron Donald decision on retirement
57:21 Meeting Baker Mayfield on Southwest flight to NFL Combine
58:41 Baker’s success in Tampa
59:12 Thoughts on Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel
1:01:35 Jon Gruden’s impact on his coaching career
1:05:24 Jay Gruden impact on Kevin O’Connell and Sean McVay
1:07:28 McVay coaching tree
1:08:45 3 NFL Coaches you would have dinner with
1:10:57 Mike Tomlin behind the scenes
1:13:52 Relationship with Al Michaels
1:16:32 Relationship with Troy Aikman
1:17:28 Veronika McVay the backbone of the McVay Family
1:21:20 What keeps Coach McVay motivated
1:23:46 Street cred with Lil Wayne
1:26:22 Recap of Sean McVay on The Schrager Hour

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