Zack Baun on Re-Signing With Eagles, Super Bowl, Vic Fangio & More | Exciting Mics Ep. 5

Zack Baun on Re-Signing With Eagles, Super Bowl, Vic Fangio & More | Exciting Mics Ep. 5

i just remember Iowa at least when I was there they always tried to be like us Like they they always they were like our little brothers that that tried to play the style of football that we played Wisconsin wanted to be like us They they wanted they wanted to be as tough as we like big rivals They wanted to play hard football like us What was the trophy called That was a boring game to watch about Uh it was a bowl It Yeah we called it the pig No we call it the bowl That’s why we play for a pig You play for a pig We played for a pig against Minnesota We play for a bull against you guys Oh okay A what A bowl Oh a this big bowl B U L L Yeah B U L L Oh B U L L with horns on it I thought you saying bowl Say it again Bull Bro it sounds like you’re saying bowl Bull Bull Welcome back to Exciting Mics presented by Vanda Pharmaceuticals I’m Cooper Deene and I’m Reed Blankenship We have a very special guest today on this episode Y’all know him as the bald eagle Mr Zack Bond Stay tuned for that And don’t forget to follow Exciting Mics on all platforms Like comment and subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts Let’s get it started What’s exciting you Coupe What’s exciting me Um well a new F1 arcade opened in Philly this past week I believe I got to go with some of my teammates What is It’s like a It’s like a little VR F1 racing thing It’s kind of sick Is it something that we need to go to Yes we do You have to drive with both your feet Oh So you you like gas pedals Gas You’re going like 200 some miles an hour and then once you hit a turn you got to press the brake with your left one Turn You got worry about shifting gears Speed up Well I’m I’m just on beginner right now so I’m not to the point where I’m shifting gears I got you I got you And stuff So and we’re nearing the end of OTAAS and we are going to fly the nest and go home before the I don’t know if it’s exciting that Yeah we’re leaving each other We’ll see each other again because anxiety Yeah No maybe not because I have a wedding Reed’s getting married You’re coming to it Yeah Where are you going for your honeymoon Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Yeah Have you ever been there before Never been No customs either I know part of the US That’s kind of sick Yeah I’ll be representing I get to go back home and be the grand marshall in the Creek Days parade Creek Days parade It’s like a little town you know That’s an old like small town saying It’s like a town day parade Town celebration Nice You know so we got we got games Usually they play like knockout three on three bags tournament cornhole Um they got you call it bags little rides Yeah bags Cornhole right I call it bags Aren’t you having a camp in Iowa too And I’m having a camp Yes I had a camp out here in Philly and there was about 300 kids Wow So we’re going back to Iowa Um to do it there So now we’re going to get into the quick hitters Quick What What is your plan for this off seasonason What’s the What’s the best things to do before training camp hits the break that we got Obviously train Training is most important Be in shape But putting that aside make sure your mental is clear because it’s a long year and this is I mean this was your first offseason so like obviously it was longer than normal So uh make sure your mental is is clear Like once you come back you should be mini vacation maybe Like a mini vacation I guess You know be sure to at least take a couple days go go go somewhere But this is the important time to where you need to get really good in shape stay in shape because training camp is a a long conditioning test when we come back Absolutely And then the MLB is investing into a pro women’s softball league Good for them It’ll be good actually Yeah You ever watch College World Series Women’s uh softball here and there Yeah It’s actually pretty fun to watch here and there Some high level softball Yeah Something that I can’t do apparently Yeah we all saw that video I need a little practice Our teammate Saquon Barkley said that he’ll likely be one of those guys to just retire out of nowhere I just saw that and a lot of guys honestly say that though like I think Slay has said that before you know BGE people like that Yeah I mean if it’s if it’s over it’s over I guess but I mean to even have that I don’t I don’t think it’sion anytime soon No no I don’t think so either but like anytime soon he’s in a great position to where if it if he was man he’s put his put his time in man then Yeah he’s he’s done a lot And then we got the Stanley Cup final coming up Edmonton Oilers versus the Florida Panthers I’m taking the Edmonton Oilers I think the Panthers won it last year Why not win Um and I like Conor McDavid I got the Panthers against you I always go against you Arguably the best player in the league right now Conor McDavid People say he’s like Kyrie on skates Really He’s always like that Like that Mhm Yeah So we’ll see what happens It is time for exciting bites presented by Cooper Cheese It’s not just any cheese It’s Cooper That was nice That was nice Today we have a pizza from Cafe Carmela Um it is a family pizzeria here in Philly owned by Joe and Amarie Oh Um I think it’s got Let’s see what we got Ooh it’s got some So at first sight we got what tomatoes banana peppers um cheese Cooper cheese right Cooper cheese Not just any cheese It’s Cooper It’s Cooper That’s pretty good too So yeah We’re going to rate it 1 through 10 and let y’all know this crust looks how it is I like the way this crust looks I do too Oh yeah Here we go That was good Never really been a fan of banana peppers or tomatoes It’s kind It’s time to We’re going to try it out Broaden your palette M Mhm Little cheesy I tell you one thing What And it’s crazy cuz I’m a generic pizza guy as in cheese pepperoni more sausage You put a combination like this it’s honestly pretty good It hits all flavors It is to me And the peppers were juicy It’s every like you don’t expect it My rating I’m going to get an eight There we go It’s a wow factor in your mouth I’m going to go with a 7.1 Wow I’m more of a plain pizza type of guy like Yeah But you know so that’s why I’m going to go with 7.1 I got you I got you It was good pizza but very good pizza Go get you some Cafe Carmela Shout out to our exciting bite sponsor Cooper Cheese You can find that at any deli section at your nearest grocery store We have some cool merch or Cooper Cheese Yeah I mean make sure to go to cooper.com to find the nearest Cooper Mhm to you Yeah Exclusive merch Also get your exclusive merch that my boy Reed Blankenship’s rocking right now man Go check it out We’re excited to welcome one of our friends and fellow members of the Eagles defense to the exciting mics You guys may know him as the bald eagle Fresh off his three-year contract extension keeping him with the Philadelphia Eagles Let’s give it up for Mr Zack Bond [Laughter] Welcome to the show brother Thank you Thank you guys for having me Let’s talk about a little bit of your background and where you grew up You grew up in Wisconsin Yep Born and raised Where in Wisconsin Grew up in Westbend and then in high school I transferred to a small town outside of Milwaukee called Brown Deer Brown Deer Brown Deer Fun fact I played some AU basketball tournaments at Brown Deer High School Oh At the Blue Back Center How far is that It’s a big uh It’s like outside of Milwaukee right Yep Yeah a lot of kids geographically I don’t really don’t know where from Iowa it’s like 6 hours You play that you traveled like that bro You like fun fact It was uh it was it was a good time though I really didn’t want to transfer right So I stayed with uh a good family friend of ours the Mickels Uh they took me in So I finished the semester there and I still didn’t want to transfer But then I ended up transferring and I was actually going to quit football What cuz I’m like I got to meet new people I got to get my grades going Yeah And then it wasn’t until like halfway through fall camp that I’m like “Okay I’ll give it a shot.” Yeah Dude crazy When you were younger did you play all types of sports Like did you play football basketball Football basketball soccer Really When I was really young my mom had us do dance Like we did dance for some reason Jazz and tap Yeah Yeah We got to find a picture of Zack Yeah I got a video I got a video of it Yeah that’s that’s Dude you got to show You got to show us That’s it That’s it Yeah we got to see You got to do something that I don’t know Tap bro I don’t know I don’t know Like what Like I keep that under wraps cuz I don’t Yeah you don’t get out So like the jazz part like what how do you describe to me I don’t know how what’s a jazz I don’t I don’t I don’t really know exactly I think dancing is just dancing Uh cuz jazz is not going to be compared to hip-hop I think jazz is like a slower style of dancing No Yeah but it was really just methodical I was like five years old It was like a bunch of kids just running on the stage and messing around I guess Hey you learned But you learned how to dance though in like tap dance I can’t I can’t dance worth a lick now You think it helped you in football though No I don’t think so You say it helps I don’t think so You don’t think so I don’t think so You can do ballet now Like Nicoie Yeah I thought you all be taking dance lessons together bro Chill chill chill That’s my dog But chill chill I I ain’t doing that Uh how many siblings you got Uh five others Yeah Five other siblings Yeah Five How what are what’s the ages Um my oldest brother is 37 and my youngest sibling we adopted him 10 years ago and he’s 10 Wow Where are you in this in this range Um I was right in the middle but then we adopted my younger brother He pushed you up Pushed me out Yeah Pushed you up I’m the oldest now Yeah That’s sick Yeah Going into high school you did you only play did you play football and basketball or did you play baseball And football basketball and then I ran track Yeah The football classic The football coach was the the track coach had to go Yeah Do you do like what 100 meter or 200 meter The one the two and then I high jumped as well High jumped Yeah I jumped 6 So you were pretty 68 68 You did not Yeah Wild right dude There there’s videos There’s videos Yeah How much did you weigh at this point Probably 190 Oh okay 190 I could see it then 190 as a junior Dude I was like a buck 70 as a junior in high school Aren’t you a buck 70 now What’ you play in football You played quarterback right Quarterback in football Yeah What What kind of offense did you guys run Run right I was dropping back knowing I was going to just take off and run every time That was that was the type of ball we were playing And then on defense did you play linebacker A little bit of defense Little You only played one side Yeah Yeah When you hand the ball to your best player when you go to a small school like my school had like 500 kids in it I think I assume you just give the ball to your best player every time Yeah The most athletic dude I’m not being cocky I’m not being cocky I’m not being cocky I’m not being cocky You went to a small school I went to a small school I played quarterback too So okay But we we ran five wide We had He just dropped We had other that could that could catch the ball We ran five wide Yeah We threw it like 30 times a game You love sitting back there and throwing that thing Loved it If I literally had probably like two reads and if they weren’t open then I was taking off And usually it was a deep ball If the deep ball wasn’t there I was I was taking off running Well you played quarterback too though I did play quarterback We all three play quarterback Yeah it’s all small But I played I played quarterback and safety And then at I played safety too At times my running back would be the quarterback and I would be the receiver and we just throw go balls Oh my god He just throw it to you Oh my gosh bro The whole the whole county knew Yeah If you’re a defense how do you not stop I’m like that You just got it over Wait So you play quarterback too How did you get recruited to play I played safety also Okay But like wouldn’t if you say we’re scouts and I see that you’re from a small school and I see the guy playing quarterback like obviously he’s a great athlete and you did track you did b like you played all these other sports like obviously you know he’s a good athlete So that’s going to be the first thing I go to They used dude some of the coaches actually come to my basketball games Yeah Same Yeah Yeah You know they was they weren’t wor worried about what I did on the field They were more worried about like basketball and stuff See how I moved Yeah Yeah Were you like the punter in the in the kicker too No No I was PP for the fakes We ran hell of fakes Yeah I just snap it right to me I just hit that You got a Is it I was supposed to say it was huddle invented back then but you Oh man I was the I was the I was the quarterback I played safety punter punt returner and kickoff returner That’s what you do now bro Yeah Right has a chance One of one of my greatest touchdowns came on came while I was back at punter You’re at punter They snapped it over my head Went back went back like 15 yards and I just took off with the ball and the rift man It was fun That was on your highlight too wasn’t it Bro high school football is probably some of the Would you go back like to play high school football again Oh yeah Yes Yeah That’s what I tell everybody Yeah If I could have one like was there like a specific specific game that you would go back and play in You’re just playing with your boys Yeah that’s that’s what I’m talking about I didn’t know if there was like a game too if you had to choose You don’t have to tell everybody but just think in your head A game One game Like I would go back and play one more game Yeah I’m thinking rivalry games It’s different man People don’t understand it though Yeah How the smell dude Oh my gosh The paint dude The fresh cut grass The locker room The locker room bro locker was terrible Terrible But like did you run through paper I don’t know if you or We only did that on homecoming Dude the paper The smell of the paper You guys did that You remember the smell of the paper You very nostalgic Oh man What Okay I loved it That was the best part Yeah High school football was a blast You think you think playing multiple sports in high school helped you become a better football player like as you went on in your career Yeah definitely again and in other sports like I get I don’t know if you get asked the same you guys get asked the same question but they’re like you play quarterback in high school How did that help with you playing defense And I’m like and and I’m like now yeah and I’m like I wasn’t reading defenses I didn’t know what what they were in cover two was No no idea So I always say it didn’t help at all You’re just out there having fun at the end of the day Do we have his stats for uh when he was playing Oh we do Oh yeah Look Come on Reed 3,923 yards Pass Rush for 3,000 I did pass I say I ran a lot but I did pass You rushed for 3,900 yards Yeah like I said I was taken off I played quarterback my junior and senior year too I played Well you’re not sophomore I played receiver my freshman and sophomore too Yeah I did too Twin Two bro I played corner my freshman year Oh who do who do you think Coach Seriani would trust to go in go in as quarterback if we needed one of us to go in Like the whole team or us three Us three right here Not me Yeah you Not me Wait we talking about Oh you you’re already playing 12 positions Yeah he’s playing Dline too though So I’d love to go drop back and sling it to sling it to AJ Brown You think you could complete a pass over like 10 yards Yes You think so Throw it to AJ Brown on the stop route and Okay but you’re not accounted for what dude You not accounting for what The D line in front of you We got the best offensive line in the National Football League I’m saying that we don’t I’m saying the height Are you Are you able to throw over 61 Oh yeah Actually like he’s like 5 Whoa whoa whoa whoa Vander Pharmaceuticals is a global biofarmaceutical company with headquarters in Washington DC Leading from our nation’s capital Vanda was founded 22 years ago to develop innovative therapies to improve the lives of many utilizing technologies including genetics and genomics to inform drug discovery and development Vanna’s commitment is to challenge the status quo and propel innovation forward in pursuit of happiness From groundbreaking therapies to players making history we know excellence is derived from exceptional people coming together as a team A true maverick in the pharmaceutical space Vanda Pharmaceuticals is proud to be the title sponsor of this podcast Vanda Pharmaceuticals innovate in the service of people’s pursuit of happiness This is Cooper Deene and Reed Blankenship and we personally want to thank Ace Hardware Home Services for partnering with exciting mics From our team to the Ace team we thank you for being helpful to the homes of our Philadelphia football fans Is your AC not keeping you cool Got leaky faucets and pipes Outlets that aren’t working They’ve got the person for that Cuz now they’re not just the helpful hardware folks they’re also the helpful home service and repair folks From plumbing and electrical to heating and cooling they’ve got the trusted pros to keep your home humming all year long At Ace Hardware Home Services they’re bringing helpful home the help you love from the store now to your front door From Philly to the Jersey Shore visit Acehardware Homeervices online at aceh hardwarehomeservices.com to get started on your next project Welcome back to Exciting Mics presented by Vand Pharmaceuticals What was it like getting recruited to Wisconsin Was that your dream Dream home Stay home and play Yeah Wisconsin’s only got one D1 school in the state so it’s like where everyone wants to go Yeah Yeah It’s a heavy D3 uh state Yeah there is a lot of D3 schools There’s white water White water Yeah Um you’re from Wisconsin But the the recruiting scene wasn’t too big for me because I was playing quarterback but I I didn’t look like a quarterback you know so they knew I’d play a different position Um so they were trying to they would they would be taking a risk on me Yeah Switching positions but I didn’t go to the camps I didn’t I did this the Nike Spark combine but I did like I had like a 83 or something as a quarterback or as a quarterback Yeah What Um Wisconsin was my only other offer besides uh South Dakota State And I actually accepted on a gray shirt to Wisconsin Wow Do you know what a gray shirt is Yeah You got to like stay come you come like halfway through the year It’s weird Yeah So you don’t you don’t go the first football season You don’t come to You’re just a student You’re just a student Yeah But then right before signing day they upgraded it to a full ride Holy That’s sick And then I registered Yeah Oh What did did they recruit you to play linebacker Right To outside linebacker Yeah Yeah So they played outside linebacker outside I was I was an edge guy Yeah Wow But they had brought other guys their other outside linebackers that they had there were also quarterbacks in high school like Joe Schert um Vince Beagle quarterbacks in high school So they’re like okay you can come in red shirt watch these guys and just kind of wait your turn because it was the room was loaded TJ Watt Andrew Vaninko was there Oh my gosh I was I was legit to ask you who was there at the time TJ Watt was there TJ Watt Oh my gosh And was there too And when I first got there he was playing tight end and they had just switched him to to outside linebacker So we were we were like learning the same position at the same time What year What year was this for you Uh 2015 So 2015 was your first year Yeah That would have been his sophomore third red shirt sophomore year or red shirt junior year That was my So you were was my eighth grade That’s your sophomore year That was your eighth grade year Damn Making me feel old So you’re not old dude I’m young I’m I know I’m bald and [ __ ] but I’m young I’m young I’m young I look old but you’re young Yeah we know Hey I’m a young soul Oh we know So you played four years at Wisconsin Five years Yeah Five years Yep Yep Red shirted one and then played four Yep So I red shirted and then the next season my red shirt freshman year I was just like special teams guy and then my next year I was supposed to start hurt my foot in training camp so missed that whole season and then my junior year I started I played okay cuz I was just like just getting to play I was nervous and then my senior I it really wasn’t until my senior year that I just blew up First team all Big 10 Yep All American too First team all-American Mhm So they just been Dude they were hiding that talent dude Yeah they weren’t hiding it I had to develop I had to develop Yeah everybody has to develop but it’s like I mean once you got your your chance and your opportunity I guess I mean you took it and ran with it That’s what it was That’s all you need dude It’s sick I did not crazy Wow What do you remember playing about the un playing against the University of Iowa Playing for the Bull Iowa I just remember Iowa at least when I was there they always tried to be like us Like they they always they were like our little brothers that that tried to play the style of football that we played So they’re right next person right Statewise kind of like this Yeah bro Wisconsin wanted to be like us They They wanted They wanted to be as tough as we like big rivals They wanted to play hard football like us What was the trophy called That was a boring game to watch about Uh it was a bowl It Yeah we called it the pig No we call it the bowl We play for a pig You play for a pig We play for a pig against Minnesota We play for a bull against you guys Oh okay A what A bowl Oh a big bowl B U L L Yeah B U L L Oh B U L L with horns on it I thought you say bowl Say it again Bull bro It sounds like you’re saying bowl Bull Bull All right How What was your record against Iowa in college I don’t know I had to look it up Probably a lot Did it happen I don’t know I don’t know But yeah you guys always try to be like us You guys always try to use the tight end Serious I was tight end you Why would we not use our tight ends Damn you’re right Thank you But like what was So what was your record against Wisconsin My record was one or two and one Two and one I had actually had like one of the one of my best college games against Wisconsin My senior year My sophomore year Yeah I think I had a pick pick six against Wisconsin too Your sophomore year Sophomore year No it was it was night game at Blackout in Iowa City So like obviously there’s songs right That that What’s y’all’s like cuz at practice the other day he was getting like to jump around He was talking mess to you about something He said “This gives me juice or whatever.” What What’s that about This reminds me of when we were beating Wisconsin’s ass Oh come on Do they played it still No we we never I don’t think we ever beat their ass At the end of the third quarter they do the jump around So the students usually don’t come into the game until like the third quarter Really And then they and then they do the they play jump around and then they leave Insane It’s insane And then they leave Yeah Yeah Yeah It’s literally It’s literally empty and the students are filing in the whole first half Is it like a tradition or just they’re out tailgating and then Yeah I think it was in the late the late 90s or early 2000s and they made it a thing Dude that’s sick And there was nothing like whooping whooping on a team especially Iowa Jumping around and then just seeing the other side the other bench just like demoralized Demoralized Yeah we played it in Iowa City when we played them and we were beating them in Iowa City Yeah cuz like we were we were beating them and Oh you played jump around Yeah we played jump around That’s messed up Oh y’all did That’s messed up as we’re running over to grab they they they 2019 they gave they gave us Oh you played you played Iowa bro We played this was our schedule I think it was in 2018 or 2019 We opened up with Michigan Got smacked Yeah Went to Iowa Got smacked Yeah bro Started off hot man I think we played Vandy that year too But you know you know how Vandy is still Now do you go in to those games expecting to win or Hey man competitive or see where the team’s at You go into those games be competitive I don’t I don’t like no runnerup trophies but uh you go in there saying “All right this is some of the best of the best.” Not saying there’s not there’s plenty of great players that’s come from a group of five whatever you call it schools and whatever but it’s the best film bro go against like I said the top dudes now Iowa man they just ran ran the ball the whole time bro the next I swear to you the next uh the next it was a Sunday for film study I walk in my father-in-law now uh I say man I said some grown ass men y’all had what’s his name what was tall quarterback at the time Nate Stanley dude he was freaking huge Wisconsin Really Yeah Yeah He’s a Wisconsin guy He went to Iowa Yeah man Some like beef between that You mentioned TJ Watt and Andrew Van Ginkle Do you have a a Mount Rushmore of players that that played at Wisconsin And if so who who would you put on there Who even went to Wisconsin I forgot Like they had some good Melvin Gordon was good Yeah Uh who was Ron Dayne Yeah I put Ron Rond Monty Ball dog Mhm Um I could do Mount Mount Rushmore of just running backs You could Ron Dayne Monty Ball Melvin Gordon James White Oh yeah Uh Jonathan Taylor dude Oh I forgot about Jonathan Taylor too That’s five Well Mount Rushmore was is it five Four Four Four But sorry Add five for our running back We got too many running backs I didn’t even think that all these running backs went there Mhm It’s cuz they run the ball Well that’s true Same thing with we don’t have one thing you want to do go up north You want to come down south though SEC ball What are What are some of the some of the best football college football stadiums you played in while you were at Wisconsin You think playing at Nebraska was always fun Yeah y’all have That’s always crazy There’s a trophy for that game I actually got put on on a bulletin board material for saying some stuff about Nebraska cuz we have beat them like five years in a row and it’s a rivalry game for us right And I said to the media like they asked me if I saw it as a rivalry game I’m like I don’t really see it as a rivalry I mean we’ve won this many times You’re making downplaying it a little bit And I went into like I thought about what I said after I’m like oh [ __ ] Yeah And I made sure we did not lose that game Do you ever play at Penn State What are you laughing at Yeah Yeah I played a super cold game at Penn State It was like a noon game Oh noon game Yeah So you never Yeah You’re you never you didn’t play against Penn State was cra was a crazy atmosphere too It’s just a it’s a huge it’s a huge stadium You didn’t play against right I did You did I did Yeah Wow What was your experience with the wave at at Were they doing it when they were doing it when you were there Right Come on man I’m not saying age me Yeah they were doing that That’s super special That that that and Jump Around are top two traditions I think so too Yeah That was very dude It was a It was a tear almost a tearjerker for me before we went and played But like it’s crazy cuz you see it you know you watch it you watch it on TV I think looking up and seeing the kids in the like at the top floor of the hospital is pretty cool And they’re all they all make signs and stuff up there You know who else has a really cool like inner or song What Virginia Tech Inner Sandman Inner Sandman bro Have you played Yeah we played there by you guys I’m sorry for you up there man They played inner sand man Chills I was like let’s go man So what year did you come out 2019 or 2020 2020 CO During CO how was that It was the worst It was the worst So you were you back home I’m assuming I was back home Had a little party with my little 10 people or whatever we could Nice Um but the worst part about it was we didn’t have rookie mini camp We didn’t have OTAAS We didn’t have normal mini camp You couldn’t So I’m like I played edge edge in college So I’m trying to transition to off the ball cuz they wanted me to play Mike Wow So I’m like how am I going to learn this stuff without actually doing it you know And it’s so different And it really put me behind the A+ because I mean obviously you start on the line then you move back That’s a different level Different level You see stuff differently Yeah You got to see everything dude People It’s hard to understand right Wait so you did play off the ball in in New Orleans Yeah Yep Yep A little bit What What did you get drafted Third round 74th pick Was it on Oh yeah Cuz that’s when that’s when Roger Goodell was like in his home He was in his basement Yeah Jaylen was on Zoom too I think Right Yeah And then there was high expectations Like you’re a third round pick We drafted you because we need a linebacker So they needed somebody ready to play I lined up first day of training camp First day of training camp Ever taking reps with this new defense And I have freaking Malcolm Jenkins behind me Marshon Latimore Oh my god Demario Davis next to me uh Cam in front of me like I’m just like stuck Like they’re trying to get me to make the call and I’m stuttering They’re laughing I’m like “Oh man.” Yeah They gave me the green dot The green dot first day Oh my gosh Yeah Wow Yeah That’s kind of And then first game Did you start right away I didn’t I didn’t start No I was on special teams but there was no fans so I didn’t get the true like NFL atmosphere Yeah it was weird It was a weird time What was it like then going into your second year Like playing with the fans Then you really felt the atmosphere and you could really like Yeah In the dome In the dome Yeah The dome Sick How many years did you play there Five Four years Four years Four years Yep Whole rookie contract You played with You played with Jameus Winston I play with Jameus Yeah How is he The best teammate ever the best teammate ever The best freaking teammate ever Is he the funniest teammate ever He is the funniest team ever by far So you have no idea what he’s about to say You have no no idea Like he was my locker neighbor What He just And I’d be I’d be untying my shoes after practice and he’d just spew some random like fact or just some random just some random just something You don’t you didn’t know what it was going to be And and the thing is he’s so genuine about it Like he’s not trying to be funny That’s just how he is the pregame speeches I remember there’s there’s always like you you go out to the field to warm up and then you come back in and Jamus would always say something always say something to like everyone some crazy stuff Um so I I always made sure I like recorded I I was like recording the ground but I’m recording his voice saying whatever he was going to say Yeah Yeah That’s hilarious What was free agency like Like did you have is it like recruiting in college like did you have options of where you wanted to Yeah to go There was a a few teams that were kind of in the mix but um obviously Philly jumped on it quick I don’t know what they what vision they had or what they saw cuz I I didn’t take I wasn’t playing many snaps in in New Orleans Um but for me it was just prioritizing fit Mhm Um I knew that I didn’t fit in the traditional 4-3 scheme and that same linebacker position was really limiting cuz I was only going in for like 12 personnel 21 personnel Yeah So I could have played two snaps a game or I could have played 15 So it was all about fit I’m like I played a a 34 in college Let me get back to that Whether I I’m going to play edge or whether I’m going to play inside like let me just get back to that scheme And playing with Vic Vic had Andrew Van Ginkle in in Miami so I’m like maybe I’ll play that role Um but I got here and they just put me right at inside linebacker So you you didn’t know where they were going to put you when you got here I had no clue So they didn’t even tell you like be ready for this that or No No They said come ready to play where Yeah There’s opportunities And I’m like all right there’s opportunities Let me just go And next thing I know I’m shaking BK’s Bobby King’s hand at at the front door playing inside linebacker BK’s funny He’s a good coach Great coach Like throughout training camp too Like the b the position battling and finding out who’s going to be where Like honestly at the time you were kind you were quiet Yeah But quieter You freaking dog though I was just locked in I was just locked in I was like I’ve been playing special teams I could play 10 years I could play 12 years as a special teamer or I could really grind at this position stuff and like really try to make my name for it Um and this would be the time So I was just locked in I didn’t really talk to anyone I wasn’t really like doing the hoopla and all that which you don’t need like you don’t need there’s other players on the team that can do that But bro you were freaking You were locked Dialed Dialed It was crazy Was dialed Training camp we go to Brazil and then boom You You had what 15 tacks first camp Did you 15 tackles two sacks Yeah two sacks Good god In the game sealer Yeah But but watching that film to this day every time I coach turns it on I’m like dude everybody was everybody was just out there freestyle And I remember coming to the bench and plopping down next to Nico and we just look at each other dude And not say anything bro It feel like 10 years ago Yeah I remember watching my four snaps that I played on defense that game and it was It’s crazy Look how far you got It was ugly It was ugly We needed that that Yeah What was your first like interaction with coach Fangio Did he did he like sit you down when you came in and and talked to you about like the defense and your fit at all or or No when I came in to sign last year um I’m like walking through the upstairs of the the complex and shaking everybody’s hand getting to know everyone and I walk into Vic’s room I didn’t know anything about Vic and I walk in there like “What’s up coach I’m Zach Nice to meet you had to be here High energy I just met everyone in the building trying to be as nice as possible And he’s in there watching like some old 206 Baltimore Ravens defense clips And the whole time I’m talking to him I’m pretty sure he’s still watching the clips It was a short short interaction And then from there the next interaction was probably through OTAAS I asked him “Hey when am I going to get some snaps on on the edge?” You know I used to do that in my past like that’s kind of where I’m comfortable He’s like “We’ll see We’ll see about it.” Yeah He had a vision before He did He knew what he was doing He did He did You’re right What do you think it is about him that allows our defense to to play so well together I feel like it’s I feel like it’s the way he coaches meetings Like his old school coach Like he’s not afraid to stand on business you know to put it like that and be real And like we’re bought in though like we can be coached hard Yeah that’s definitely what it is And then Bri I think our defense is so young that we like a lot of guys just came from college and that’s what they’re used to Yeah And they don’t know any other way Like the Georgia guys like they’re used to being coached hard and they can take coaching and stuff like that But I think what makes Vic really special is the way he calls the game Like the plays he calls in certain situations Yeah I don’t think we were in a split safety in a run versus a run that second half of that whole season He was just calling the game right He’s a He’s a good dude know like Yeah And like he believes in us too Like Super Bowl we played like two coverages the whole game Yeah You want to play fast pretty much Summer is here More sun more light more time to do all the things that make summer so special And the number one thing you don’t want to be doing all summer spending hours cooking inside That’s where Factor comes in Factor’s chef crafted dietitian approved meals are ready in just 2 minutes taking the hassle out of eating well Factor meals arrive fresh and ready to eat Perfect for any active lifestyle over summer and beyond With 45 weekly menu options you can pick gourmet meals that fit your summer gains and goals Choose from options like calorie smart protein plus keto and more Factor empowers your day sun up to sun down with nutritious breakfast onthe-go 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as in store so you get the groceries you need when it’s convenient for you And you can get your shopping done without ever leaving the house Order for flash delivery or pickup and get your order in as soon as 30 minutes Shop now at acmearkets.com or in the Acme app Welcome back to exciting mics presented by Vanda Pharmaceuticals Like throughout the year obviously you have a couple games under your belt but like when in the season did it like okay I’m comfortable I’m out here being confident Yeah Through C training camp even I’m like I don’t know We’re going to have to see about this I don’t know I know I’m looking good right now but we got to see when the bullets start flying Uh I I don’t think it was until the third game for me So what was that It was the Saints Saints Saints game The Saints And we did a lot of I was on the edge a lot Maybe that made me feel real comfortable Okay Like I’m like out here playing and that makes sense cuz we did do a lot of that I don’t know It was really insane It was really insane all year dude Yeah I mean more than insane You’re probably you’re one of the best proven one of the best linebackers in the league in my opinion And I’m sure I’m talking for my opinion too In his opinion too And probably a lot of people here It makes a big difference when you have dudes that can that can fit the run fit the gaps bust out and cover Like communicate dude Communicate You know how many times we can just look at each other and like even in practice like be ready for this like we we just play off each other Like once you kind of build that relationship bro Yeah I don’t know It it makes like I I get confidence from from you and obviously I get confidence from other players on our team too as well but like you’re one of the guys that gives me my confidence when I’m back Oh that’s saying that’s what’s up So I mean I appreciate being biased you know I mean Coupe gives me confidence too You know it’s just kind of how it’s how our defense rolls Yeah how our defense rolls our team rolls and Yeah how we like to operate Yeah Once the communication started getting better I started getting more comfortable like communicating with Coupe Like I’m always to Coupe side Yeah So there’s things like me and him are both looking back for the call We get on the same page He alerts something like you’re picking the Super Bowl Yeah I love that play cuz there’s so many lay there’s so we’re in basic coverage but there’s so many layers of defense There was like me and Orin down low Coupe kind of had that middle section The corner’s back the safeties over top That was wild Yeah Just playing off Simple coverage that has a lot of layers That’s a good way to say it Yeah Like that’s a part of what coach Seriani is talking about too Yeah like every single day talked about connecting and building that culture that that we have in our in our locker room Um to be able to to play so well you know and play together and you know play with confidence I think what makes it so cool is that there’s no like like in college I I’ll relate it to college there’s no like upper classman lower classmen you know like we’re all on an even playing field anyone could say anything they want right Whenever they want no matter how young or old they were and it was respected you know Yeah I think that’s what helped me is you like you guys allowing me to talk and ask questions I mean yeah that’s all we we want we want to see success We want like that’s one thing I feel like this team has like regardless of who you are like what position you play you might have played the same position as me I want to still see you have success You know what I’m saying So like you have that Yeah bro What was your first impressions of me and Reed when when you first when you first met us and got you guys of the of the exciting whites Yeah I was quiet I was quiet I was quiet I was in my own name Did you even know my name Yeah I knew you Come on man I don’t think I really talked to Zack I didn’t I didn’t talk to Zack Um I’ll be honest I It was with you Reed It’s interesting because I played with a guy in New Orleans Pete Warernner and I used to clown him every time you came up on the crew he saw you guys’ tape I’m like you guys are like the same person bro And now meeting you with you guys aren’t the same person but it was just funny Thanks man Means a lot And then Coupe you were hurt I was hurt You were hurt So I was like I need to see this guy You know it’s probably so fresh I know I felt Yeah Yeah You see him in the Bengals game Him Yeah Yeah Everybody did Jeez Fresh legs I was I was excited I was excited I I I hadn’t watched your film or I hadn’t see heard a lot about you But [ __ ] you got here and you got right to work You understood the defense You understood the defense faster than like I ever seen anyone And playing nickel that is not an easy spot to play fit in the run What’s your favorite part about Philly though What what was your first impressions when you first got here And like did you know anything about the fan base How passion is it different Like is going from New Orleans to here or is it kind of like the same atmosphere Yeah it’s different for sure Uh outside the stadium New Orleans didn’t have like a parking lot so it wasn’t really like a tailgating culture It was more of like just walking It is nice where walking and the fans are partying They’re they’re wearing they were wearing Saints gear but most of them were like just dressed up wearing black and gold just like partying at the games and it gets loud Um but here Yeah the fans are different If you don’t say go different If you don’t say go birds to somebody they’re like you’re not Yeah I see it every time I walking around and say go birds Go I’ll be like go birds Yeah Crazy The best the best way I’ve heard it described is passionate They’re just passionate Win or lose they’re passionate That’s how I describe it And when we’re getting booed I’m like we deserve to get booed Like we got to step our [ __ ] up No you’re right So you come here in free agency and we go throughout the whole season You play in New Orleans obviously week three and then we end up making it to the Super Bowl We’re back in New Orleans What what was that moment like knowing you know that that you had played there You couldn’t write it any better Yeah Um and it was cool winning that game early on in the Super Doome cuz I kind of got those feelings out you know like I went I’ve been there I’ve been back We won All right let’s forget about it First time back Yeah that makes sense Um but Shawn Payeyton came back last year He’s a head coach in Denver now Came back to New Orleans I was watching the game Mhm I barely ever watch NFL games but I watched that one And he had a comment that’s like “It’s only special if you win the game.” Oh You know so that was kind of my mentality going into it What were your favorite moments from the whole Super Bowl Like the game and the celebration Do you have any The parade The parade Where were you The parade I was I don’t even know where I was I don’t even know where I was I was out I was in I was out I was in I have no idea where any of like obviously the people on our bus I do but like other than that I had no idea where anybody else was until the steps and by that time everybody’s laying laying down ready to go home Oh I was dude I was you was one of those I was out I was I was down bad like but anyways the game though I remember seeing the the miked up video after the game of of you um calling out your your interception That was That was kind of sick I love the the bald eagle celebration Yeah That’s what that is right I just started doing that Yeah that’s what that is The bald eagle I feel like it is Yeah When like when what game was it I don’t know I was trying to figure out what celebration I want cuz I wanted to have my celebration Sweaty’s got his Nolan started to get his going I’m like I need something And the bald eagle Yeah Now you got it Dude that’s so tough though It is tough Yeah Someone people were calling it calling me the bald eagle in my Instagram comments I’m like being bald you either got to just embrace embrace it or forever Yeah be guilt like I don’t know Yeah Let it haunt you Let it haunt you So I just embrace it I feel like I got a good shaped head You do nothing crazy going on You know that was genuine That was genuine I’m be real with you Yeah No So obviously after the season you signed you signed the the big three-year deal to bring you back to Philly What was what was that process like And what is like what did that mean to you to be able to come back here you know where to a place that kind of you know you got your you got your swagger back I guess Yeah It was tough because you want to get paid what you deserve and you I also didn’t want to leave Yeah Yeah And it was just it all aligned perfectly where they were able to meet me where I wanted to be and I get to stay here So it was an easy easy choice for me to be like “Yeah I’m coming back to Philly.” How can you win a Super Bowl I know you know It’s tough And like Yeah I know It’s tough but crazy Crazy What uh Have you Have you bought anything cool You a spender I’m not a spender I’m not a spender I drive my my 2020 Honda Accord Nice I drive my Honda Accord You going to drive a Honda Accord I do I see you driving a Jeep around That’s That’s my wife’s Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah What do you think your your motivation is to you know coming back now you know for for this next season For me it’s always been like personal like a competitor I’m driven internally to just be the best at whatever I’m trying to do M um and then obviously watching last year tape from last year like I had 150 tackles or whatever but I’m like but I missed 29 of them you know I could have had this or I I dropped this or I could have punched at the ball here So I there’s always stuff to get better at and and I think we have a lot to do as a defense too Like to think that was our all of our first year in that scheme Yeah 100% crazy Like what are we going to do next year I know already I feel like we’re miles ahead of where we were last year at this time No we’re miles ahead which is a good thing great thing We’re we’re having these high high level conversations in OTAAS you know we haven’t really been thrown in the fire We’re not even like planning for who like our offense like a lot of whatifs Yeah That could help us Yeah To have those conversations Yeah Major shout out to Zack Bond for joining us on episode five of the exciting mics Make sure to follow Zack Bond APZB the bald eagle Mhm On social media Zack Bond capital Z capital B CK CK Yeah Appreciate you bro Appreciate you coming on tomorrow Thanks for having me See you tomorrow See you tomorrow brother All right we are back with another fan Q&A today Mhm Our first guest is Michaela Mitchell Okay So I was asking if your life was made into a movie who would play you I got two You go first or me I got two people If my life was a movie I think Reed Blankenship would play me in in the movie Let’s be real though A real movie star Mine would be Matt Damon or uh Bradley Cooper Mine would be Miles Teller Oh I would want Miles Teller to play me in a movie just because I love Miles Teller Okay And we kind of No we don’t We don’t look like Do you think I look like Miles Teller at all Maybe like the littlest bit Maybe She said maybe like a little bit I We both got curly hair Anyway thank you for joining us We appreciate it Great question I still think Reed should play me in in a movie about my life but I guess he doesn’t want to I will I don’t care Anyways thank you Appreciate it Great to meet you Bye Go Birds Our next guest on the show will be Mr Mike Buchanan What do you got for us today Well obviously this past year was amazing with the pinnacle being the Super Bowl but I feel like my favorite thing about this year was how great you guys were as a team on and off uh the field So I guess my question is when you guys joined the Eagles who was the teammate that really made you feel welcome and how so That was a well that was a very well phrased question I got a handful of guys You can go first In my room I’ll just go to my room So I had James Bradberry Avante Maddox Andre Shasher Marcus Eps Slay Anthony Harris Dude that’s six guys off the bat You’re talking about bringing somebody in like under their wing dude Great Phenomenal And I talk about them all the time because people ask me you know and when I tell you dude they showed me the way and like especially Marcus EPS and Andre Shasher like I had questions all the time like I could go ask them about anything and they would tell me So uh shout out to those guys man Teammate that made me feel most welcome Um it’s probably the guy sitting right next to me Uh he helped me he helped me open up um and feel you know part of the guys Appreciate you He was talking [ __ ] to me every day even though he didn’t even know me Um that’s one way to get to know somebody though But now now we go back and forth so it’s so it’s great Um so Reed um Slay probably he taught me a lot on the field U that’s for sure Um then Maddox also I’d say those guys um you know really made me feel welcome and um you helped me feel comfortable in in the locker room and and on the field Yeah So it was great Great teammates That’s a good question Like that’s a great question Appreciate that brother Thanks for joining us Of course Of course Appreciate it Hey what’s up guys What’s up man Hey this is Clark I’m a big fan of the show How do you How do you pronounce your last name Francza Francza Wait who What What’s going on here Hey you got a dollar waiting on a dime over here Do you guys know Go ahead Go ahead bro We got our last guest for the fan Q&A His name’s Clark He’s joining us right now with his captain What kind of hat you got on Captain hat on And the shades What do you got for us You don’t want to say my last name You’re scared to mess it up Don’t you guys like editing Why Can you hear Hey go for you [ __ ] Clark or Mark The name’s Clark You figure out the last name buddy Bro I didn’t know what he said Rose branches It say See it says something on the screen and then you pronounce it a different way So I was I was a little uh a little confused there Oh dude But yeah I got a question I used to live at uh Penrose and what is it Patterson and Penrose Right by the Penrose Diner Have you guys been Yeah Penrose Diner Shout out dude I used to go there all the time Yeah that place is money That place is money The diner mall But uh yeah the real question is speaking for all Birds fans We going back to back with or we just everybody’s got their own show now You know we’re turning into the Chiefs You know everybody’s a superstar I got a microphone I got a buddy We start a podcast Yeah we get it You’re champ Come on That’s what’s the deal What do we got Yeah I think I think we’re just going to focus on going back to work and uh you know putting putting in the daily deposits each and every day Yeah Nice job boys Yep Thanks for joining us Clark Appreciate that Thank you Clark Clark Thanks Clark Love you guys Bye See you Peace I knew you guys were [ __ ] with us too Everybody started laughing I’m like thank you for tuning in to another episode of Exciting Mics Remember to like comment and subscribe to our YouTube and wherever you want to watch our podcast Drop your questions in the comments section below and you could be joining us next week live in the episode to ask us your questions And we always say this we appreciate your love and support and we’ll see you next week

Zack Baun joins Cooper DeJean & Reed Blankenship on the Podcast Exciting Mics Episode 5 to Talk about Eagles Winning Super Bowl, what it’s like playing for Vic Fangio, Re-Signing with the Eagles & More! Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun joins Exciting Mics Ep. 5 to break down his journey from Wisconsin to the NFL, his breakout season in Philly, and what it’s like playing in Vic Fangio’s defense. Baun opens up about his re-signing with the Eagles, the Super Bowl run, life in the locker room, and his bond with teammates like Reed Blankenship and Cooper DeJean. Plus, hear Baun’s thoughts on Jameis Winston, dancing in childhood, and the Philly fan experience. Don’t miss this candid, hilarious, and insightful hour with “The Bald Eagle” — like, comment, and subscribe for more exclusive Eagles content!

Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
1:12 – What’s Exciting You This Week?
3:02 – Quick Hitters
5:13 – Exciting Bites presented by Cooper Cheese
7:22 – Zack Baun joins the show
7:40 – Zack’s upbringing & tap dancing
10:30 – Zack’s track and field career
11:09 – Zack played QB in high school
13:54 – Would you go back and play high school football again?
15:21 – Zack’s QB stats
18:17 – Zack’s recruitment process to Wisconsin
20:47 – Zack’s career at Wisconsin, playing Iowa
26:00 – Mount Rushmore of Wisconsin players
26:58 – Best college football stadiums/Zack’s bulletin board material quote
28:58 – Zack’s draft process to Saints, playing during COVID
30:50 – Playing with Jamies Winston
32:02 – Free agency process, signing with Eagles
34:47 – Zack’s 1st interaction with Vic Fangio
39:06 – 1st season with Eag;es
42:30 – Zack’s 1st impression of Cooper and Reed
43:47 – 1st impressions of Philly
44:52 – Winning Super Bowl in New Orleans 45:43 – Parade memories, Bald Eagle celebration
47:25 – Re-signing with Eagles
48:34 – Motivation for upcoming season
50:05 – Fan Q&A

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