Reviewing The Steelers Win & Looking Ahead To Bengals With Bill Cowher | Not Just Football

Reviewing The Steelers Win & Looking Ahead To Bengals With Bill Cowher | Not Just Football

What did you tell Coach T when he first got to the Steelers? I’ll give you the same advice that Chuck Null gave me. None. Figure it out yourself. And good luck. If you ever need a call, call. I never called Chuck. He’s never called me. We always have a beer and we get together and just talk about how a great job we have. Oh, wow. It’s a good idea. I like that defense. I go, “Next time will you tell us we’re going to do this shit?” He’s wiping his shoes with our terrible towel. And that’s the only thing I showed tonight before the game. Support for this show comes from Starbucks. It’s finally here. No, I’m not talking about fantasy football. Four words. Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes. Embrace fall with this seasonal classic pumpkin spice latte. Handcrafted with Starbucks signature espresso steamed milk and real pumpkin. Then top with whipped cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. Get it while it’s hot or iced. All right, guys. Welcome back to Not Just Football. I’m Cam Hayward. You know Hayden walks as well. Uh, and today we are joined by Super Bowlinning head coach Bill Cower. Uh, coach, I gotta say I have this podcast and people like to think I just like to hear myself talk. I get to talk to some pretty cool guys and you are one of them. I am very thankful to talk to you today, coach. Oh, listen Cam, you know, uh, I’ve watched you for your 15th year now going there. You came right after I left and you know, no one has represented that team better than you have and I’ve said this to you before. what you’ve done for the community, the organization. You you know what it’s like to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. And listen, your your dad went to Pit and so you have that Pittsburgh blood in you. Well, you got that Pittsburgh blood, too. Yeah. Yeah. Uh and I got to start off, you know, we we played the Browns yesterday. It’s a little late, but uh coach, we got to talk. What are you thinking about the AFC North right now? Well, you know, um, listen, I I think right now what you have, I mean, certainly with Joe Burrow going down to change a little bit of the landscape in Cincinnati. I know you have them this week and going against Joe Flacco. The only team he hasn’t played for in the AFC North has been the Steelers, you know, so tell Aaron, you better be beware if he has a good game, you know, Mike might might go out and get him. He can complete the cycle. But, um, you know, but I I think I think when you look at the Browns, they’ve got a good defense. They they got a young quarterback. Um I really I think you guys did a great job with Co Kosan Jutkins. I think he’s a really good running back and I thought that was a big challenge for you guys. You still look at Baltimore and I think the rash of injuries they’ve had and you know kind of they’ve dug themselves a little bit of a hole right now and so you know I just think where you guys are right now you look at your schedule and I know you have to stay in the now. Michael makes you take his thing. But, you know, I think as you’ve been down this path before, it’s important for guys like you in that locker room to take nothing for granted, not to get too complacent and too comfortable. Um, but at the same time, just recognize the opportunity have. And as I I’ve said this before, I’d love to see you guys start utilizing a lot more bodies so that you you and TJ and Aaron, you guys, and and you know, uh Jaylen, you’re you’re healthy in December, in January when we need you to have some fresh legs. You know, I used to sit there and just like try to shorten a game by running the football at the end of a game just to eliminate eliminate the snaps because, you know, the less snaps you have, the more you’re going to have at the end of the year, right? So, you only have so much in that body. Coach, you talk about being complacent. Um, John Mitchell used to always tell me, my old Dline coach. Yeah. Uh, that you would, you know, go after the assistant head assistant coaches to go ahead and poke at all the players. Is that true? I was hard on the assistant coaches. I I I you know, I was there was a lot of good cop, bad cop, and I was probably the good cop, and I but I made the the coaches accountable. We watched every film. There were times they would watch the film over and I would sit there and I’d go, “Wow.” And and I’d stop the film and they and all a sudden Coach Leau would say something like, “We’re going to be okay.” I go, “We’re going to be okay. I just saw four mental errors. I got five guys that don’t even run into the football and we’re going to be okay.” I go, “What bothers me is it doesn’t bother you. It’s I go, “No.” I go, “No.” I says, “And if we I go, you know what? You maybe we’ll just take half this stuff out. We’ll play two coverages and we’ll play two defenses because if they can’t handle this mentally and all a sudden they get lacadasical. Okay. Well, let’s see how you go in there and just play with and have no complexity with what we’re doing. So, I was and you know, coach Lebo, Coach Lo was always like he was very laid-back. We were like I I would walk out of the meetings and slam the door. I think it was a terrible practice and but so the message was sent to them and it obviously it trickled down to the players. Oh, you are a puppet master. I love that. Um, you know, you’ve had a lot of Hall of Fame players. Um, was there anything special you did with the players? No, you know what, Cam, I think like it was just getting the right guys, you know, I mean, I look at that defensive line. I always thought I’d start at the line, you know, that was it to me, you know, getting Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith and Keel and Keem Bonah Huffen. I mean, he was these were guys that were like, you know, Mitch had them. Listen, man. I got Mitch. I had Mitch, you know, he was with me for 14 of my 15 years. And, you know, getting with him, it was like Mitch would let me know. And I’d say, “Mitch,” and I’d give him that look. He goes, “I know. I I’ll get on him. I I got to practice a little bit better. I I go, I know. I I go, I’m good. I I go I go, “Mitch, give chemo off.” So, you know, you have to know where guys are. You know, they don’t need to they don’t need to take a nine on sevens. They’re good. I I know they’re good. Let’s get these backups in play in time. And um but it was the lines to me was really what represented really reflected us was the offensive and defensive lines. I always thought the game worked from the inside out, not the outside in. And you know, we could we could have we had our receivers and guys like Hines who was almost like a like he reflected us so much and just how he played the game. And you know, he loved he loved a good KO block as much as he loved the reception, you know. So it was like the blocking for the running game and you know it’s funny guys you know this cam because I said you know we get into u you know later on we had Willie Parker so I had like Jerome kind of was like a closer for us you know in the fourth quarter you chase Willie all day and bring Jerome in but is 255 pounds I mean now you’re not he’s not running away from anybody now you’re you’re so tired he’s running over you and all the guys would get in there and they’d get on the sideline and big h and and and they’d be going oh it’s bus time it’s right coach it’s time to ride the bus. I said, “I I got you, H.” I They wanted to see that clock run. Just tick tick tick tick tick. So, we were not the most explosive team, but we found ways to win games. Gritty, tough. We didn’t beat ourselves. Very, very big on that. Making sure there was no pre-nap penalties. Get a feel for how they’re calling the game. Um, and we can’t turn the football over. And that really was kind of the basic fundamentals that we played the game with. Coach, I’m interested. How do you think the current Pittsburgh Steelers are? Obviously, we’re six weeks in. How do you think they’re trending this season so far? I like it. Listen, I I I think the biggest thing is just the identity that A-Rod’s given you on offense. I think he’s given you some credibility for the first time since Ben. Um, I think he brings a little bit. It’s not up to Cam and TJ to have to like lead that group now. You got a young offensive line and I just think that line if we can keep those guys together, they’re going to get better as the year goes on because the communication and the feel for one another, the confidence they have. I think continuing to get the running game going a little bit. You’ve got a few guys now. I thought Caleb ran really good the other day, which is good to see. But, you know, Warren is just he he’s just a little rolling ball, but I think getting that running game going and and Aaron didn’t take many hits. I think keeping him upright, having that balance on offense. I think defensively I love what you guys did, Cam. I mean, I think you’re getting a Jaylen Ramsay. You and I think Patrick Queen played his butt off the other day. He was all over that field and then you got some depth on the inside. I mean, like where you are. I think the front seven, you guys are two or three deep. And I think that’s going to pay dividends down the road. And I think secondary wise again with Darius and Jaylen I think you know uh I thought th Juan Thordon I think he was a good player when he was he was he won a championship with Kansas City. So you’ve added some veterans who’ve been there before who have a lot of experience and on they’re on the the other side of their careers and I think there’s a lot to be said. I I I kind of made this analogy. It’s kind of like where the New England Patriots were when they were running those Super Bowls. You saw guys like Rodney Harrison. You saw guys like Andy Moss. You go saw guys like Junior Seal. They went there because it was like they started to appreciate that the window of time was closing. Where can I go where it’s it’s all about championship football and that’s that the vibe is when you walk in that building. And I think that’s what you kind of had I think this off seasonason with Omar bringing in the guys he brought in with the with what the current group that you have right now. Cam, you being that leader in that locker room, and correct me if I’m wrong, but I just feel like it was a good mix. You got young guys, but man, you getting that pedigree and getting more than one or two and particularly on the offensive side of the ball, I thought was important. Yeah, you know, I think having a guy like Aaron um and DK, they just bring a level of professionalism to the group. um you know they the way they compete and the way they work during practice um isn’t talked about enough in the communication they have uh and then bring in a guy like Jaylen who you know he’s a Swiss Army knife he can be all over the field just allows you to you know be that you know versatile in your group um you know we’ve had trades like this like before but you know it’s kind of similar to like when you guys brought you know Jerome over and James Frier uh speak about Yeah. I mean, and and I I think that’s I think that’s huge. I think it’s, you know, when you can have some guys that have been there and Drone was there and even to to the end like when James Frier came in to to to be able to run that defense. I mean, he was a big part of what we were trying to do. And then, you know, getting Chris Hope leads to bring Ryan Clark in a veteran guy that can because we had to let Troy kind of do his thing. You know, Troy was going to be one of those guys. He’s going to take chances. he’s going to do those things. But, you know, I I let him do it. I don’t want to harness greatness, but you know, he’s going to be wrong a few times, too, you know. So, sometimes you got to tell me though, like when Troy first did it. Yeah. What were you thinking when Troy would come out of the deep third and he’s blitz them? Well, can I tell you here’s a great story. So, we’re playing against the Cincinnati Bengals and Carson Palmer and Troy’s up there in the box. We have cover two call. He’s in the box and all of a sudden he’s still in the box. And I said, “Troy, okay, I I’m big on disguising, but man, Troy, you’re taking disguise to another level, man. Like, you can’t be playing half the field at the snap. You’re the A gap.” I go, “No.” So, you can’t be doing it. So, we’re sitting there and all of a sudden we’re going cloud cloud cloud and Troy’s going like this, like this. The ball’s snapped. I go, “Dick, he he didn’t get the call.” And we we balls throwing the flat and Troy goes in there and and and he makes a tackle. I go, “Troy, it was cover two.” He goes, “I know it was cover two, but I thought if I was in the box, Carson would think it’s a three deep defense. I just told the Shay, you play half the field. I’ll take the flat.” I go, “Oh, wow. That’s a good idea. I like that defense.” I go, “Next time you tell us when you do this.” So, so I was just like, you know, but you know what? He was that type of guy that, you know, sometimes, you know, he’d get in there and he would just he would go for it. I mean, he may have the flat, but if he could get to the quarterback before the quarterback could get the ball in the flat, you had to cover up for him. And so, you know, when Ryan, you know, Ryan came out, I did remember Chris Hope, I said, “Chris, you just got to you got to kind of just let him do his thing.” I said, “If it’s if he’s if he’s up there, just get deep.” I said, “You, you know, just just just keep backing up and just be the safety net for him because he’s going to be right like nine times out of 10 he’s right, but he’s going to be wrong every now and then, too.” I said, “But I I know, but I can’t I don’t I don’t want to stop him. I I because he’s got too much football instinct. He’s earned the right to do that.” And not everybody was him. It was, you know, and I and I made sure they understood this is not for everybody. And I and I would just say in the go in the video the next day go Troy you’re wrong here but I know you’re right most of the time and good job Chris hope by covering them up but Troy be careful and know there’s situations there’s times when you don’t have to do that so situational awareness was really really important for us and I said you know there’s times early in the game I get it there’s times late in the game when we don’t want to have to sit there and and take the risk of giving up a big play so situational awareness down in distance time in the game score. That dictated a lot of the decision-m I was hoping he would make. Another guy I think was like the heartbeat of y’all’s defense, Joey Porter. Um, speak on that guy and what he brought to the group. uh pezy like he was, you know, another guy that was kind of like he had, you know, Joey and I went back when we drafted him and, you know, he sat there and, you know, he was behind Greg Lloyd and and he he kind of paid his dues and all those guys came. I I made all those guys come in. They all played special teams their first year. No one really became a starter. Even, you know, even the the times Ward was covering kickoffs his first two years. And you know, I made I mean, I listen, I was a special teams player. I wasn’t going to let anybody You know what? I don’t care how you got here. You want to appreciate the game of football? Let’s cover some kicks and let’s maybe block for some returns. So, I’m going to put you out there on fourth, Don. That’s where I made a living. Just to appreciate the fact that the other guys are out there doing it. So, and so coaches still got me appreciating it on field goals. So, hey, what about you’re still doing it, right? Hey, this wor more block kicks this year than I’ve ever seen before. Oh, it’s crazy. I mean I mean nuts. I mean, but I mean because I mean the ball’s getting kicked lower. I It seems like the ball’s getting kicked lower. I think that these they’re trying to kick the ball further. Yeah. Yeah. They’re they’re going for distance. I tell you that. I know. So, but any Joey Joey was a heartbeat of our defense. I mean, really heartbeat of our team. He’d get up and talk and and you know, when he talked, everyone listened. We almost had like him and Allen Fanick on the offensive line. Jerome would talk. Um, Hines would talk. Um, you know, Troy would say some things periodically, but he really didn’t like to get up. Casey Hampton was one of those guys, too. Casey, I give you a great story on Casey. So, you know, Casey would come out on third down. He was he was totally a first and second down player. So, he came off the field after second down. Third down, they get a first down. I hear him going, you know, cursing a little bit, running back out. First down, we stop him. Second down. Third dime comes out. I throw the dime back out there. Casey’s running off and he’s like, “Okay.” All a sudden I get a first dime. Now he’s cursing. He’s running past me, cursing in my ear. What the? I go, “Hey, hey, listen.” I go, “I’m not out there, man. Don’t yell at me.” So, first time, second time, he comes off. He stops. He goes He stops right at the right at the numbers. He goes, “You guys better effing get off the field. I’m not coming back out here. I’ve done my job. I’m tired of you guys giving up the third down. He was pointing I go I go see I said I said I I they’re not listening to me. Coach, I want to move on. Um you know your story, you know, being from Pittsburgh and then as an undrafted free agent signing with the Browns. How how does that happen? Well, it’s really funny. uh can I um so I went I was with the Eagles initially and I got cut and I was in 1979. I was a free agent at 12 round draft. I got cut in the last cut. I went down got in school and I I was a GA so I was actually a grad assistant coaching linebacker was my first time I ever coached with NC State. And so because Carl Peterson um knew um uh uh Ernie Aorsy were good friends in in Cleveland, he said give this kid a chance in Cleveland. So I I got a signing bonus of $1,000. They took out the taxes was $678. I had that check in my office for my entire 15 years. So when guys came in and started talking about their contract and the fact that there wasn’t enough guaranteed money and that there wasn’t enough upfront money, we used to get up out of the chair and walk over to the to the wall. I says, “There’s a lot of great pictures here. Look at this the old three stadium.” I says, “You know, there’s some great hall of there’s a Super Bowl pitcher there from Arizona.” I go, “Oh yeah, there’s a check.” I go, “What’s that?” I go, “Yeah, that that was my check.” I said, “It was I played for $1,000 my rookie year when I played on the cardiac kids in 1980. I because I loved the game. I really didn’t think, you know what? I haven’t even cashed that check. Look at that check is right there.” I didn’t even cash it. I didn’t I I didn’t I wasn’t playing for money. I blame I love the game. I said, “So, come on back. Let’s go back.” What were we What were we talking about again? So, but we um played for the Browns, played for the Cardiac Kids my rookie year. And my parents still live in uh in Craftton. And so when we’d come down, we played my first time we played in Pittsburgh. My dad went, you know, my dad was a big fan and he was like wherever I was at, he was going to be that fan. And he put like a Cleveland Browns sticker on the back of his bumper. I said, “Dad, that’s probably not a good idea. You you really you don’t have to do that. I know that you love your son. And I know that you’ll follow us. He goes, “No, no one’s going to tell me what to do.” Well, they he that’s when you had the aerial the car every we every year, every week we played him that week, somebody that night would come and they would take his aerial and put it into a pee and like he would he was going to stay up every year two years after that when Pittsburgh when Cleveland came to Pittsburgh and I was on the Browns, he stayed up every night the night before the game to see if he could catch that guy was he was taking that aerial and making it a pee the day of the game. So he was but then when I then when I came to to Pittsburgh and I end up uh you know end up coming back there. So I I mean I played there for three years. I got traded uh to Philadelphia, played there for two years. And then when Marty Shottenheimer took over, he called me up and asked me if I wanted to get into coaching and I was 28 years old. And you know, I was a special teams player, so I was always thinking about life after football and what I’d want to do. And I always when I had that little taste of coaching at NC State, I thought, you know, maybe being a teacher and being a coach and hopefully maybe coaching college would be nice. So, um, I had that had a chance to go back. I was I, you know, special teams captain, but it was it was just too good of an opportunity and it was my fifth year and I had three knee surgeries and they’re all all orthoscopic, nothing that was serious, but I just wanted to get into it and I can. So, I started with Marty. spent two years there and uh coaching special teams, two years coaching secondary. I went with Marty to Kansas City and coach Derek Thomas and Neil Smith. Um I was a defensive coordinator there with uh with Kansas City. Tony Dunie was the defensive back coach with us there. And then I I came in 1992. Um and it was 34 years old coming back there. And I mean it was pretty pretty surreal, you know. I remember getting the call and I came in there and and Mr. Rooney offered me the job after like a couple weeks and I remember going back to Kansas City and I was laying in bed with my wife. I said, “Wow.” I said, “Man, if I don’t screw this up in three years, I can go back to my 20th high school class reunion as the head coach my hometown team.” So, my first goal was don’t don’t get fired in the first three years. So, so, so that was that was my that was my first experience. And then obviously, you know, matter of fact, ironically enough, that year was uh was 95, my the third year, and it was we had just lost the championship game um against the uh San Diego Chargers. And we had our 20th class reunion. So, my wife at the time was there was having this on a boat. The Gateway Clipper was down there. So he must be having a dinner right there on the boat. So I told my wife, “We’re going to stop by.” And she goes, “Oh, we’re not going to stop by there. All they’re going to do is tell you how great you are and this and that.” I go, “No.” I go, “Listen, we’ll just stop by and we’ll go to dinner afterwards.” We had a dinner reservation. I said, “Stop in and say hi.” So I stop in and all of a sudden Tom’s saying hi, everything, and the boat takes off. I’m going, “Oh, what’s going on?” He go, “It’s a dinner cruise.” I go, “Oh shit.” I go. So now my wife’s over there and she thought I planned I go I really I really didn’t know this was going to be a dinner cruise. I said I So I was on that boat for three hours and all the buddies I went to high school with by about the second hour after I’ve had a few drinks started telling me all the bad calls I made in the championship game and and why I don’t give them tickets for any of the games. So everyone became unfiltered as they had more drinks in them. And so on the way home, I had my friends I wasn’t even talking to. My wife wasn’t talking to me cuz she had she didn’t even want to be there. So, so, so it was my 20th high class union. I will never forget. Oh my gosh. And so the 90s, you guys are in the AFC Championship, don’t get a chance to win a Super Bowl. that 2005 team winning that Super Bowl. What did it feel like to finally reach the mountain top? You know, it’s it’s it’s interesting um with that, Cam. I said, you know, the year before we were 15 and one and Ben’s rookie year and we beat the Jets, but I could kind of tell it was like it was just not our Ben’s best game and and it was just hard to keep it going. I mean, we kept, you know, it’s like one of those things sometimes, I always said, you know, sometimes a loss is not the worst thing in the world for you. It kind of keeps you centered. We lost it, we lost that championship game to the Patriots, and, you know, we were still preseason favorites to go back. We had everybody coming back. We added a few people. Um, and we got off to seven and two that year and we lost three straight games in the middle of that season. Got to seven and five. And those three games, we felt like we hit the bottom. And I just remember we had four games left. We was 12 games, seven and five. We used to have the goal board. I just said, “Listen, you know what? There’s no more sitting there looking at goals. The only goal we have is to win the rest of the time. We’re playing this. We’re in the playoffs. It’s one game at a time.” And we beat Chicago at home. And with the snow coming down, they had won six in a row. And Drum had the infamous run over uh Brian Erlacer. um which kind of set that tone. Next week we had to go to Minnesota. They had won like seven in a row up in Minnesota. We won that game like 20 or 18 15 to I don’t know 18 to 12 or something. Very close. Then we had a then we went to to to Cleveland and we beat them pretty bad. And then we had to beat Detroit at home and we won that game. So he went in there as a six seed and I always remember that that six seed that at that time they said listen no six seed has ever gone to a championship game let alone gone to a Super Bowl. So don’t get your hopes up high and just remember that you know they’re going to be one and done even if they win this weekend because they’re open up against Cincinnati which was the last team to beat them. So we came into to the meeting that that Monday after that game we’re playing that weekend and I just told him on that actually on that Wednesday I think I gave him my Monday off. Um and we came I said before you starting to look at the game plan just keep your book shut. I just said I’m not going to sit here and be naive you know for you guys not to know that you’re been listening to the fact that we’re a six seed and no six seeds ever done anything. So I went on to tell a story about Christopher Columbus and the fact that Christopher Columbus went on this trip, surrounded himself with a bunch of people, believed in him. They told him, “Don’t do it. It’s a death trip because the world is flat.” But he thought there was something else out there even though they told him that that’s not the case. Well, he went on to discover America. My point was very simply this is don’t let history dictate your future, but let your future make history. just because nothing’s nothing been done doesn’t mean we can’t do it. And so we kind of used that theme as we went through it and it was first Cincinnati then it was Indianapolis then we went to Denver and on that run it was like we were the underdogs and we were backed into a corner and I just kept reminding I remember no one’s ever done this before and I said when someone tells you you can’t do something isn’t that the greatest motivation in sports? Isn’t that the greatest motivation in life to be told you can’t do something? Everybody who’s done anything significant has been told you probably shouldn’t do it or you can’t do it. And that always has been the extra motivation we’ve always needed to prove people wrong. And so that was something I rode that theme and that theory about all that right up until that last game. And you know, and certainly after winning we win that game, it was just like, wow, my first Super Bowl and it took 14 years to get there. M but you know what though it was a group of guys we had guys like you Cam who embraced every one of those journeys who embraced the the the getting knocked down but said you know what they’ll be no more defined by how many times we continue to get back up and you become resilient you become tough mentally tough we were I didn’t worry about being physically tough I knew but I want us to be mentally tough I want us to embrace challenges I want to be comfortable being uncomfortable you know and being told OBN you can’t win the big one. You can’t do this. You haven’t won this. Don’t tell don’t let anybody tell you what you can’t do because your mind and you have a group of people that think like you is powerful. Powerful. And so I just think you can surround yourself with people who think the same way you do, who don’t let the outside people affect or deflect what you have focused on, you can accomplish anything. Damn coach. Coach Damn. Coach, I want to know honest opinion. When Jerome Bett has fumbled that football, what was your first reaction in the Indie game? Jerome, seriously. And then, you know, he fumbles up. Hey, how about this? We’re I’m coming back, Cam, for the alumni. I won’t see it because it’s night before the game. I have to go to Buffalo to do the CBS stuff, but my my um my wife is coming in and my my son my daughter’s coming in. and my my my grandkids are coming to that game and you guys are playing the Colts. And I said that game that’s the game in that in that playoff run that it was Detroit Troy. I mean Troy had an interception that they said wasn’t an interception. It was Dr. We’re up by three. All you got to do is hold on to the football. Drum hadn’t fumbled all year. He fumbles all year to a guy named Harper who was stabbed the night before. You can’t I can’t even make this up. And then you got the only guy that def the the best athlete on the field is Ben who’s running backwards and he has to make this lunging tackle just to trip up Harper. Now Peyton’s got the ball at midfield with three shots going in the end zone. Who’s he go after? Our rookie corner right corner Brian McFaden. And and Bmac makes some of the great plays in that game. And then you had the most accurate kicker in the in in in NFL Vanderjack is coming out to kick the game winner. Ice him. I call time out and he’s going and he’s like pointing at me. I’m like, “What do you think I’m going to do?” Like I’m like like, “Yeah, I got a timeout left. I might as well shit.” You know? So, and he kicks the thing wide right. And I’m thinking, “Oh my gosh, maybe we maybe I didn’t you in the back of your head, you’re just thinking, man, all the all almost anything that could have happened in that game and we kept overcoming it. You start to think maybe we are team of destiny. I wouldn’t let that enter into our thinking.” But you you started to start thinking, you know what, we can do this. We’re going to do this. because we had gotten embarrassed on Monday Night Football that same year, Indianapolis. It was like a revenge tour. Cincinnati TJ Hoosmanada is wiping his shoes with our terrible towel and that’s the only thing I showed the night before the game. We I said, “You know what? I’m going to leave you with one thought before you go to bed.” And I showed that and we had Tyrone Carter and every time TJ would catch the ball, Tyrone Carter was like stepping on him or just doing something. And then the second game was Indianapolis embarrassed us on a Monday Night Football. Then we had to go to Denver and Denver had beaten us in so many years denied us in championship games twice. Man uh and Ben um you know you know a year before you draft him and you know that draft class having Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben. How do how did you wind up having Ben Rothllessberger be the best out of all three and you know you guys had the best you know kept secret. Yeah and it was you know he he he fell to us. I mean can we were very fortunate honestly I said you know when you looked at Eli and you look at Philillip they played at major colleges and you know they come from the DNA of their families of of obviously Eli with Peyton and Philip’s father was a high school coach and he was married with kids and you know Ben was kind of the raw one had all the ability but you know was he he probably would have to sit and wait a while so we end up he gets to us and I’m thinking okay we we still had Tommy Mags and Charlie Batch and so we We get into camp and all of a sudden Ben’s going to be number three, which is fine. I said, you know, he’ll take some of the one minute and stuff. All of a sudden about the third preseason game, Charlie Batch gets hurt. I’m like, “Oh, okay. So, he’ll he said he should be back around the fourth week.” I said, “Okay, well then we’re okay.” I said, “We’ll just give Ben like a he can back up Tommy Maddox, but we’ll give a little bit of time.” Well, in the second game, we go to the go play the Ravens and Bard Scott knocks out Tommy Maddox. I mean, he’s out. I mean, all said, now we got his Ben and Ben just knows the one minute. And so, all of a sudden, Ben comes in and he just starts going up and down the field. I’m like, “Wow.” And we had like one of these, one of the audles we had called was a um anything that a number that ended in nine, it was a go. If it ended in one, it was a hitch. So, he calls this uh uh nine like 789. It was like head nine sometimes was the first number or the second number and whatever you call in the huddle listen to the first or second number and listen to the last number and it’ll give you the you know the was the route. So he calls nine and all of a sudden he goes back and we take off and he throws the hitch and Mallister picks it off for a pick six. I go, “Ben, what happened?” He goes, “Coach, I called the nine and he goes and and the receiver he just he didn’t he didn’t run the hitch.” I go, “Ben, nine’s the goal.” He goes, “Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.” I go, “Okay.” I go, “No.” I go, “Listen, we’re good.” I said, “You know, Whiz, shut it down.” I said, “We He’s the only guy. He’s the only quarterback we got left.” I go, “We have no one left.” And so his week three, we went down to Miami. It was like a big storm. We ran the ball and the rest of the time, you know, Ben came in and we kept giving a little bit more um as he was doing it. But Allan Finnick will tell you a great story. story. He says, “I don’t think he says it was till like week eight that he first time he saw Ben’s face in a huddle because everything he was doing was reading reading the uh the plane. His head was down and on two and he’d go up and everyone’s leaving. So he got So um but I tell you what, he he he really was he really was one of those guys and it was funny because the first year when he got he would felt more comfortable out of the pocket. He wanted to play street ball. So we’d get down, we’d play a game and you know, this is when I became the bad cop and Whiz was the good cop. I pulled Ben in. I watched the game on Monday. I said, “Ben, you got to go through your progressions. There’s a check down right here. Your reads from here to here, too high, see the safety.” I says, “As soon as anything gets a little little yucky in the m in the pocket, instead of stepping up, you want to get out here and just play street ball. Throw the crossing ball over here to Plex or throw it down here to Hines.” I said, I go, you know, that that’s just not sustainable. and they walk out of there like, “Oh, we won, didn’t we?” I’m like, “Yeah.” I go, “I know we won. Just understand what I’m trying to say. I’m trying to get you understand it.” Then I’d go down and tell Whiz after I get done with Whiz, I go, “Whell really not that mad.” I go, “Just keep doing what he’s doing. I just I’ll I’ll be the back cop.” I go, “He don’t have to.” I go, “But just tell him he’s okay. He’s okay. So, I go, I’m okay. He can be mad at me all he wants.” I go, “I’m good.” I go, “Just make sure he’s in a good place because you’re with him all day long.” Oh my gosh. Coach, you you you were plotting the whole time. I love it. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, see a young player, right? Just a young player. And you know, I think it’s like right around the time cuz Troy started was right. It’s like you start to see some of these guys that come along and you really don’t want to harness them, right? It’s like, you know, maybe it’s because it was later in my career that early on, come on, just do what you’re supposed to do. But sometimes a player has to play better than you can coach them. And I just felt like that was something to me that I realized that probably as I was coaching longer that the more freedoms within what they’re doing and let them take ownership over it that there’s certain guys that you have that they come along that you have to let them do that. I mean Cam, you’re there for 15 years. I mean there sometimes you do the things you do. It may not be what was exactly designed, but you have a feel for the game because you love the game. you see certain things and you start to understand and certain players just have that feel and chemistry for the game that you don’t want to harness greatness and you don’t want to pull back from a guy that just all of a sudden he has something that’s special and let him let him do it man it’s like like an artist like you yeah you have guardrails you pull the guardrails in when you need to but at the same time let him paint I dig it coach uh you know there’s been plenty of times coach Mitch made sure our technique was was flawless. He was always about the, you know, the little things. Um, right. But, you know, over the years, you earn that trust because you saw things you saw things in stances. You saw things in Knuckles, right? Yeah. Knuckles. Um, you you started looking at play awareness and what a team likes to run. You know, if you can predict that, you’re going to have a lot of success. You studied you studied the formations, which was amazing. Listen, I had we had Aaron Smith. Aaron Smith to me, Aaron so many times with all the blitz zones that we used to run, Aaron always had the remaining back. So, so you know, so I always said, Aaron, you always have number three. I go, he goes, number three. I go, yeah, number three. There’s one, two, three strong, one, two weak. Just find number three. to see if there’s just find number three from and so but Aaron I go Aaron you can’t be stand up before the snap looking in the back field because I know it’s going to be a blitz because you’re looking for a coverage I said I said so even if you’re rushing then just stand up a couple times and look in the back because because you I know like I know if you start looking for something they know we’re bringing some kind of blitz because you’re looking for the guy you have to cover coach I know what play you’re talking about you’re talking about dime away weak Cobra white you Do you guys Do you guys still run it? We don’t still We don’t run it anymore, but I’ve ran it. That was it. That’s the one I I I love that it was dime away Cobra White. Yeah, cuz it’s it’s quarters coverage. It’s It’s a It’s a roll into the weak side. Dime away and you’re playing quarters on the front side. So, the funniest thing about that, I’ve heard the story about how Aaron had the back. He had the back and we’re supposed to give it up if it goes straight to the flat, right? and we’re just going to drop to the to the hook, right? But he went straight to the flag and nobody was there in the flat. And so Aaron came off bitching about where the hell was my help? No, he did. I says, I when’s the last time a defensive line was talking about where’s my help in the flat? And I said, Aaron was Hey, if Aaron was 100% right. But you know what though, he started when he he first started doing that, he started looking at because you know we you have tendencies with formations, right? You mean you see certain, you know, 3x ones and 2 by twos and where’s the back and like the depth starting to look at the depth of the back. Is he six yards? Is he seven yards? You know, so you’re looking back there. I go, they go they quick snap, man. You’re going to get hit right in the chest right now. Well, coach, that same play call, I remember we were playing Kansas City. Um, and this is when they had Kareem Hunt, right? And he started out flat, but then he worked to a seam. And did you have him? Yeah. So, you you were the you were the Aaron Smith. Yes. And all I did was hold my hands up like this, praying to God that they did not throw this way. And so, they threw it. Alex Smith threw over his head and he didn’t catch it. And I went, “Thank God we’re off the field right now.” I, you know, I I was gonna say with Mitch, I said, “When Aaron left, you would have been the natural one to take that over. Just because just give can number three. You got the you got the remaining back and and what if they go empty?” Well, then you’re going to have to go empty. Just if they go empty, just push. We used to push push the linebacker out. Don’t worry about the weak side. Now you got to think strong side. Yeah. I love when the back stayed in the back field and then I could add back to the rush. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, if he didn’t stay in the back field, the quarterback wasn’t holding the ball that long because they didn’t have enough guys to block it. So, coach, when you watch teams now, are you watching coaching? Are you watching players? Are you watching schemes? What What is it like through your head and watching these teams now? You know, I I like watching them just develop and see who they are. I always think like I think I said this before and like, you know, I talk with a lot of coaches around the league and and you know, I I love the game, Cam, and and and I love to see Kai succeed. So, it’s like it’s just watching them week to week and so many times in the studio like sometimes I think we speculate on a lot of things but you we don’t know what’s being said in that in that room and in that meeting room on on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and whose responsibility is it the receivers’s fault? Is the quarterback’s fault? What was the coverage? Should he have carried them, not carried them? So I I just like to see the teams that are playing fast and playing confident and you know the teams that aren’t beating themselves and I think that’s a very good sign. You know the the can you adapt to ponies and you post snap penalties to me that’s like you’re going to push the envelope a little bit on that. You’re going to find out how they’re going to call the game and you got to adapt and adjust. I Joey I think Porter Jr. I said you know Joy’s just got to get a feel for are they calling the hand check or not. We we play bump and run all the time and some referees will let you kind of play around and get handsy with them, but some people get the with they get they don’t let you do it. So, I mean, just respect the fact where they are and and so um I just think the pre-nap penalties is also a reflection of focus and being able to like come on beat yourself and turn the football over, you know, just and just seeing the mentality and just seeing the teams that that they play hard. I’m impressed with Tampa Bay and what Baker Mayfield’s done and and you haven’t had a chance to see them, but you know, um I mean, Larry Foot’s down there coaching that secondary and I mean I I I have so much respect for Todd Bulls and and what he’s doing and and listen, I think, you know, like like where you guys are right now, it’s just like you’re getting a feel for it. I love the fact that you’re blitzing a little bit more and just moving some things around. I just I I like creativity and doing things. I think that’s today’s game, whether it’s motion on offense or pressure on defense and not to be predictable. I mean, I grew up that way. I think I think it’s more chess than checkers. I like to make it chess, which is like I want you to be able to have to think about who’s coming from where as a quarterback. And I think when you have a lot of motion and doing some things from that side of the ball, you know how it can get a little when you have when defenses have to communicate, there’s always a chance for miscommunication. So the more you can make them communicate, there’s always a chance for something get miscommunicated. So that that was always kind of a theory that I had and I like gimmick plays and I just like seeing creativity and and watching teams grow through the course of a year. Let me ask you this question. going from 16 to 17 games. How significant was that? I think it’s very significant. Um, you know, you just it’s another game added on, but it kind of shifts when the playoffs start, shifts when your division games are. Um, and you know, it’s another toll on your body and and as you take away more from the preseason, um, it’s more of just getting ready for the regular season. Right. Right. Do you guys do do you feel Let me ask you, do do you feel the first month of the season is almost just acclimating yourself to the speed of the game? I It’s so funny. I said the first game of the season. All these guys, they’ve not played a full game yet. Yeah. So, it’s it’s almost I mean this is their it’s almost like the first like this is their first full game. So, let’s not let’s not get too prricked and let’s not pass too much judgment too fast until you get to after really that first month of the season, right? Yeah. Coach T, you know, I think he’s seen so many times where he’s lost players in preeason that, you know, he kind of he told me before the season, he was like, I just got to get you out of the out of training camp and, you know, I’ll deal with whatever in the first month, but you know, I I’m scratching a claw when you get on the field, but like, you know, he kind of sets the the tone and it’s, you know, get ready for week one. Right. Right. and and you know and I think again I said this before like where you’re at you know somewhere along the way I just think you have to think about snap counts and think about somewhere in the middle of the season if you not not that you’re going to take a game off or do anything like that but I mean if you can have a game where you can start thinking about substitutionwise and just thinking about a way to keep people fresh. I mean, sometimes, you know, people that get early here hurt early in the season, you see them come back and they’ve only played 12 games maybe, but but they’re playing their best football at the end of the season because they got fresh legs because they, you know, I mean, it’s hard to play 20 straight games and being at the same same quality of play that you were from week one. So, just trying to monitor that, I think, is probably just another element of the game today that that I think would be interesting that you I think you’d have to think about. I mean, as a coach, so I I’m always thinking about, you know, when I watch a game is the strategical part of it. Um, you know, how you would handle certain situations and, you know, and seeing some of these guys dropping balls before they get into the end zone like, wow. I mean, that that’s something I’m sure that Mike brings to your attention on Monday. Like, I’m sure you guys won’t do this, but I got to show this to you. This is this is happening right now in the league, right? Oh, he’s showing every gaff. Um, you know, he wants us to be well aware of what’s going around the league. So either we can weaponize it or we make sure we’re not doing it. Right. Right. Right. Right. Coach, I’m curious. You’re super into You obviously are still really into the game. Obviously, we know you still covered us for CBS. You retired at 49. How close were you to ever getting another head coaching job, whether it was college or pro? Oh, I never I never would have entertained college. I I I’ve had a lot of chances to entertain the pro. Um, you know, I stepped down and, you know, I lost my wife three years later. Um, and I met pretty much pretty quickly my current wife. And, you know, I so I kind of moved up to New York City and got involved with this part of the game. And, you know, as much as I thought about it to be quite honest with you, um, I I stepped down from Pittsburgh, I can never see myself in another uniform or coach for another team. You know, I was just that just that wouldn’t have seemed right. I you know I I I walked away on my own and you know to that day m Mr. Rooney and and the Brunies have just been they’re just great people and I just I couldn’t even imagine going to another place. It was just a unique atmosphere walking in that building every day and you know Mr. On was like a father to me was like a friend to me um and got no Pat and Art is still the same way and I don’t know growing up there and everything else. So I did talk because I just wanted to make sure I you know but it was like it’s at the time um I was fine you know I I I said you know it was 15 years and u we won a championship and I left it in a good place left in a better place and I found it and it’s great that Mike came in and pretty much it was a lot of the same staff and and so it just it was just I I had to make a decision personally and three years later after being out having an off season um had a little bit of animity up here in New York City. It was kind of like, wow, okay, this is a kind of a cool life. Like I can go to the grocery store and you know I can I can pick out cantalopes and tell a little ladies how you pick out a cantaloupe like you know if you press the top of a cantaloupe and it’s soft. That’s how I was a good it’s like oh thank you sir. I’m like oh no problem I got I learned I learned done crafting so it’s okay. But you know what you know New York City is a great place still living here today. um married and we’ve got uh I got eight grandkids so you know and it’s just um life is good and I love my platform at CBS my 19th year there love the guys I’m with and you know I like to use that platform as an opportunity to kind of being a guardian of the game from the standpoint of being able to inform players and team the the people about what it’s like to be in that building what it’s like to behind those doors because I was there and I know there’s a lot that We don’t know and we’re just speculating and so like you know a lot of times we make the noise a lot louder on the outside than it really is on the inside because you get kind of conditioned to block it out and because you’re pretty much tunnel focused on what you need to do and you know that’s the best organizations are that way. So, you know, trying to bring a sense of reality and like, you know, kind of just realness to uh to the people out there. And at the same time, you know, I sit there with Nate, with Matt Ryan, guys that have played the game, get to watch all the games every Sunday. It it so it’s it’s it’s great. And I think we all have a great appreciation for being in the National Football League, what it stands for. for guys like Cam who’s Walter Payton man of the year and man that that that’s what the NFL is about because guys like like Cam like they’re going to you know you sit there and they’re going to give back to the community. They understand the platform that they’re on and they make your city a better place because of who they are because how they were reared um and because of very fiber who they are as people and great players. Yes. Better people. No question. Wow. Coach, you were very nice. Um, last question for me and then I’ll let Hayden finish with our a quick little game. What did you tell Coach T when he first got to the Steelers and how did you prepare him for it? So, so, so we we we met and I said, you know, I’m going to give there I said I’ll leave you one thing. There’s a Iron City beer in the refrigerator and I said, I’ll give you the same advice that Chuck Null gave me. None. Figure it out yourself. I go I go and good luck. If you ever need a call, call. I never called Chuck. He’s never called me. We always have a beer and we get together and just talk about how good how what what a great job we have. So, you know what? You you figure it out. and you know so much respect for Mike and what he’s done and going through this and you know and it’s just you know just being with Kevin and Art and just the whole Rooney family and that it’s the city of Pittsburgh. I mean it’s just there’s something pretty special about that and you know and so then you know the band you you know a lot of players have we’re not going to go anywhere else and you’re not going to go anywhere else. I remember talking Hines out of Sina somewhere talked to Troy out of signing somewhere. I said, “Just be a one helmet guy, man. Just like I I was, you know, could I have gone somewhere else?” Yeah. But I got to be honest with you. I said, “I just could never see myself not being a Pittsburgh Steeler, to be honest with you.” And I said, “It’s just there’s something pretty special about that.” And that’s why I think you’re seeing people recognize that when they come into that building. There’s a uniqueness to it. There’s a history to it. There’s a tradition to it. There’s a beauty to it. And I think that’s to me what the Pittsburgh Steelers stand for. Where were Hines and Troy about to go? That’s that’s the question I really got to know. Well, I mean I I think they, you know, they were at a point in their career they probably could have gone somewhere for another year or two, you know, because, you know, it’s like sometimes you have to make that choice and it’s those are the tough decisions you have to make and you know, and and so but I you know, you know, again that I think that there’s something special about being with one team. I think personally I think there there is like there’s something about that and I don’t know it’s just it’s it’s it makes it uniqueness about that building. Cam you’ve been going in there for 15 years you know very well very little has changed some things you probably probably some things you wish would change but like like the turf on the field. Coach, what’s your take on the turf? It was bad when you were there. How is it still so bad? Well, I Well, because you have the high school teams that play there. Pit plays there, and I mean, usually it was right around Thanksgiving because So, it’s a little earlier this year. So, yeah, the state championships are played there, right? Yeah, the Chase State Championships are played there, but it was, you know, so but you it’ll be fine. I mean, so, but was it bad though, Cam? It was bad. It was very bad. It doesn’t help the pass rush. I know that. So, I think offensive lineman like Huh. A lot of digging. A lot of digging. And And B I don’t think Bos liked it very well either. Oh, poor Bos. But he’s a kicker. He’ll survive. That’s all right, coach. We like to play a game here with all of our guests. It’s called this or that. I give you a few options. You got to pick one. Okay. Okay. All right. You ready? Yeah. rather host a playoff game at Three Rivers or Hinesfield? Three Rivers. More intimidating, James Harrison or Greg Lloyd? I don’t want to make either one mad. Both. Better pass rusher, Kevin Green or Joey Porter. Kevin Green. Got to pick one to man your middle of your defense, Leavon Kirkland or James Farrier. M. Is it short yards or long distance? [Laughter] All right, coach. Better secondary, Rod Woodson or Troy Palamalu? Uh, wow. Um, that’s great. I’ll take them both. One’s a safety, one’s a corner. Give it a bow for me. All right. Better athlete, Cordell Stewart or Hines Ward? Oh man. Oh wow. I Cordell played he was he could have been a Pro Bowl receiver. And he was a I’ll say Cordell. All right, last one. Who do you enjoy beating more? The Ravens, the Browns, or the Bengals? That’s easy. The Ravens. I love it, coach. I love it. Coach, I gotta say thank you so much for coming on. you have been a joy. Um, you know, we all enjoy you on CBS, but man, spending this time with you is really special. Well, thanks, Cam. And listen, I’ll get a chance to see you when we come back to Pittsburgh. And hey, good luck the rest of the year. Seriously, I mean, you you’ve you’re a legend in Pittsburgh and I you need to to have an opportunity to experience what I had the joy experience in my 14th year. So, you know what? It’s around that same time. It’s your 15th year. So, this is your year for you. So, and you know what? Sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder. So you haven’t had it for a while. You’ll appreciate it even more now. Oh, I will. I promise you that. All right. Thanks, coach. Appreciate you. Thanks, man. Thank you, man. Thanks, coach. Bye. Now, support for this show comes from Starbucks. The real pumpkin spice latte is now in season at Starbucks. As a football player, the end of July through August is always challenging. It’s the dead of the summer. I’ve got coaches putting me through drills as we get ready for the upcoming season. It’s a part of the game I love. But only one thing gets me through the season, and that’s pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks. That’s right. Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes are officially back in the starting lineup. Handcrafted with Starbucks signature espresso, steamed milk, and real pumpkin, then topped with whipped cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I was able to get my hands on a few PSLs. I got to say, they’re pretty awesome. So, now that PSLs are back, coffee lovers everywhere can enjoy all the fall moments that happen at Starbucks all season long. Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. Get it while it’s hot or iced. All right, Cam, it’s everybody’s favorite segment of the of the show. You’re contractually obligated to answer any question asked and ask Cam anything. And everyone, please remember, go to our socials, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, YouTube, wherever else you find us, and ask Cam a question. Use the hashtag ACA and Cam will answer anything. Cam’s going to go ahead and tell you that. I’ll answer questions, too, but nobody to ask me questions because nobody cares about Okay, let’s go on here. Cam, you ready to go? Let’s go. All right. Who is the one player you never got to play against that you wish you had? Play against? Oh, man. Um, man, I’ve played against so many great players. Uh, yeah, 15 years makes that tough. Oh, thanks. Uh, I would say the one player I wish I got to play against Oh, man. Um, what are you thinking here? You going offensive line, quarterback? Like it’s it’s got to be one of those too, right? It wouldn’t be like a receiver or anything. No, it wouldn’t be a receiver, you know? I played against Brady, played against Payton. Um, I’m trying to remember. Shoot. Like, damn. I’ve played against so many almost everybody. I would say the one guy I I never got to play against Elway. Oh, I mean, yeah. No, I you know, I wish I got a chance to play Brett Favre. I was gonna say it’s got to be Elway. No one thought you were that old. Elway. Yeah, I was Brett Favre. Um, you know, I you know, I think we I think we almost overlapped early in my early on my career, but um yeah, I wish I got a chance to play against Favre. Um, you know, he he did everything in the league. Um, you know, playing against that Favre team with Reggie White would be pretty fun. Looks like you missed him by a year. All right, next question. Thank you for that. What is your go-to pumpup song before games? Oh, man. Go-to pumpup songs. Girlfriend by Ara Lavine. No. No. I’ve been really into a lot of Beethoven lately. Get out of here. Are you serious? I I I listen to some classical music like when I get on the field and it’s actually really good. Um I can actually I have a it’s on my playlist right now. Wait, so when you have like this angry look on your face and you’re warming up, you just got Beethoven on the headphones just Yeah, I got Actually, it’s not Beethoven. I just made that up. Um, but I do have a lot of classical music. Um, okay. If it’s not Beethoven, who is it? Who? Oh, yeah. Not familiar. Four seasons. Um, Four Seasons. I know. What song you The Four Seasons Night? No. Concentro. Yeah. Uh, O Fortuna. Do you know that one? You’ve heard that one. I don’t think I have. Play it. Or I don’t know. Copyright might not allow. Yeah, we can’t play it. But is very good. Um, but there’s a lot of stuff. That’s how I start off. But I I listen to other show. You know who’s who else has a favorite pumpup song? TJ Watt. What is his pump? Uh, turn down for Watt. No. Oh. Knife talk. Drake and 21 Savage. He has to listen to it every single game. That and Mob Ties. He loves Mob Ties. Those are his Wow. his go-tos. Wow. Thanks. Anybody else got good go-to songs? Oh, man. Um we we went a lot of alternative rock for this this past game. We we mixed We had some We had some uh Oh, there was some stuff on there. I was like, whoa. We went We had Red Hot Chili Peppers on there. where we had um Creed. Creed was played. Uh no Nickelback was played. Um how about Switchfoot? No Switchfoot, but Creed was played. Um Papa Roach, Last Resort. Oh man, everyone liked that one. It was time. Lincoln Park. Uh we we were we were in the bag. Who was in charge? Who was in charge of this week’s playlist? Do you guys have like themes? Is it like each week themed? I don’t know what I was feeling, but I was playing a lot of stuff all over the place. You were in your white girl phase there or something like that. I don’t know what that was. That was the white girl phase. I was just all over the place. I was playing a bunch of slaps and everybody was Mason Rudolph was digging the slaps, I’ll tell you that. You know, Rudolph and Coots probably. I’ll guarantee Coots enjoyed that. Yeah. Oh, Foo Fighters were playing a lot, too. Nice. Wow. You wanted uh uh Hero. Hero was a was a big uh favorite. What’s the theme this week if I can ask? Or is it not ready yet? It’s not ready. Um there’s a Young Jeezy song. It’s called Who That Okay. It It plays into what we’re about to do this week. Raw Dog in it. All right. Anyway, let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go. Uh let’s go. Top. You’re not very good at list. Let’s go to top five trash talkers uh you’ve played against or in the NFL right now. Uh however you want to do it. I got a couple on the team. Top five trash talkers in the NFL. Once again, you are not very good at list. Just going to be honest with you. So TJ Watt, is he good though? Is he good at it? Yes. Okay. He’s good at it. Okay. He has my respect as when it comes to trash talking him. uh Nick Herbig as well because the the trash talking between those two has been epic this year. Are they talking trash to each other? Yes. Yes. During the game? Uh not during the game, during practice, but then it they talk a lot of stuff on the field. Um Deshawn Elliott, shout out Delhi. He seems like it. Yeah, Deli is very keen on that. Um you know, it’s funny. I thought Jaylen Ramsay would be over a talker and he just is very quiet. But like then once he gets turned up to a different level. I got to say though when he started talking trash and told him to put in Shador Sanders, I laughed at that. That that was that was taking it to a different level. That was topnotch right there. Well, so okay. So I saw a video on the internet after he got the sack. He allegedly pointed at Shadore. So he really did say put in Shadore Sanders right there. Or is that what you’re saying? I think so. And that is that is pretty good. And I’m gonna give you one more Steeler just because I’m saying Okay, you’re thanks for this list. This is just all Steelers. You ready for this one? Yeah. You’re not going to expect this one. Chris Boswell. No, that’s not shocking. You’ve told me. I mean, the serial killer comment or whatever and then a couple weeks ago we were talking and you were like, “Yeah, Bos was talking mad after he hit the kick week one.” And I was like, “Oh, he talks shit.” And you’re like, “Yeah, he never stops.” So, yes. Just imagine them him like kicking it through the uprights and then just looking down being like boom in your face. A lot of curse words, a lot of everything, but it it hits home. Okay. Now, what was his reaction on the miss on Sunday when his foot went into the ground? Homeboy was slipping through that grass. Uh I looked back, I was like, damn, what the hell happened? But uh man, luckily we ain’t we ain’t hurt him on that, man. The divot he took there. I will say too, I did see you fall a few times too on there. That that field service, man. I I don’t mean to harp on it, but that clip goes viral of Bos’s foot just going into the ground. It’s tough. Um, one more thing on this question. Who is the most What’s the most clever thing somebody’s ever said to you trash talkwise? It’s not really clever. Like a lot of times old linemen just like want to talk because it feels like it gets me out of my rhythm. um like have just a regular conversation like how the how’s the wife and kids or just like they just want like me to like talk back to them and I just kind of completely just shut up and I don’t say anything because it feels uncomfortable talking to another team really. I’ll tell you one thing. We were in and KB is probably going to get mad at me. Uh we were in Ireland uh and we’re playing the Vikings and we’re on field goal block and they have like some O lineman going in on field goal and I see Keanu uh like give him a like you know dap him up for a second and for some reason I just got really pissed off. I was just like don’t you shake his hand. I was just and like I I was I was barking at KB for the rest of the game. Uh he ended up balling out after that. But like I remember being like I don’t give a damn if he’s your nephew or your brother or anything. Don’t shake his hand in the middle of a game. You say you do that after the game. Like we are in the middle of a game. I am pissed off. You should be pissed off too. So you do not like teammates showing pleasantries during the game. No, not at all. I love how too you took credit for Bent Benton’s big game after you told him off there. You were like, “Oh, he had a good game after I told him off.” I told him off, but he bowled out. He He played great that game. That’s That’s great to have. All right. Well Well, thank you, Cam, for Ask Cam Anything. Everybody remember, Tik Tok, Instagram, YouTube, wherever you find, not just football, use the hashtag askam anything, and he will answer your questions on the show. Thank you for your questions. And now it’s time for Ask Hayden Anything. Okay. The favorite part of the show. Mhm. Are you ready? Yeah, sure. What is your favorite Steeler game of all time? Oh, favorite Steeler game of all time that I’ve attended or just watched all time. Um, all time. Uh, it wasn’t a very well-played game, but it would probably be the um the Super Bowl 40. I was lucky enough to go to it in ’05. We actually talked to Bill Coward today, so that was a really cool thing. But yeah, got to go to that game with my family and really see the Steelers, a team I’ve watched my entire life, win a championship. That was great. Um, but if I’m going to go game that you played in, I think my favorite would be that playoff game uh the in Cincinnati. Oh, you went to that, too? I was at that one. Yeah, I was at that one. That was That’ probably be my favorite one. Didn’t think I would make it out of the stadium alive that day. I cannot lie. It was very hostile. Saturday night in Cincinnati is a dangerous place to be. But uh no, that game and the fact that you guys were able to win that game, uh it’s probably my favorite game of your career. Um but yeah, no, the Super Bowl 40 would be it for me. It was just uh my first Super Bowl I ever went to and got to see a win with my family, which means a lot to me. So yeah. What were you thinking walking out of that stadium after we won that game? Uh Cincinnati. Yes. Uh the wife my wife was with me. So it was really get my wife and her cousin out of that stadium without causing too much of a problem. Like I was very excited but it had to be like you had to like really limit how happy you were cuz Cincinnati was not happy because we won we won that game. Mike T was thinking the exact same way. He said get the hell off the field. Get to the locker room. We’ll celebrate there. But man that was a hostile environment to be a part of. I know we’re playing there. Um, a lot of respect for the jungle, but man, that was an up and down game that was pretty epic. So much to remember Ben got hurt that game, got wheeled back to the locker room, ended up coming back out. But remember, there’s a clip of somebody throwing a beer at him as he’s getting wheeled out to the locker room. Perfect intercepts the ball, runs to the locker room. Obviously, the melee on the field with Joey Porter, who we’ve talked to with about several times. So, just a very crazy game. I mean, like I said, when you get a Saturday night game, no work the next day, playoff game, division rival, the booze are people were sippid and it was it was hostile. Wait, was the booze or the booze? I don’t I booze. There was people booing. There was There was There was also booze. It was all of the above. Okay. I mean, what a crazy game that was, too. If you think back to like Shayier gets the huge strip of Jeremy Hill too late in that game when it looked like it was over. Then Ben comes rolling back out and it was a an unbelievable game, but I will say I was worried at times, but it was a very probably the most hostile place I’ve been to in a football game to be honest with you. Very hostile. They got to do a 30 for 30 on that game because there are a lot of things that happened that game that are just hilarious to talk about. Well, you know, and in a sad part, you know, poor AB got lit up in that game, too. It just felt like that fueled that rivalry. That rivalry was really nasty those couple years there. You know, there’s the, you know, Drake Kerpatrick kind of going at Levon, Berick going at Bell or Brown, and then obviously, you know, Yeah. Well, then before that, you have, you know, the hip drop on Le’Veon. Yep. Um, and then you watch Berick and Dastro go back and forth. You watch Ju Guu take out Perfect. There are so many like little plays from different games that just culminate to that game. It’s It’s crazy. Yeah. Wild game. But yes, that that would be my favorite game of your career. So, but I’m hoping to change that this year. Hoping we can get to bigger get better games this year. How’s that sound? That sounds great. I like what you’re thinking. That’s what I’m thinking. Well, guys, that is our Ask Cam Anything and Ask Hayden Anything segment. Uh, I want to say thank you so much for having the great Hall of Famer, Super Bowl winner, uh, Coach Cow on. Um, he was awesome to talk to. U, you know, drop a like, subscribe on YouTube or wherever you, you know, get your podcasts. Thanks for Starbucks for their support. There are three things that always define the fall. Football, cardigans, and Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes. It’s time to embrace fall with this seasonal classic pumpkin spice latte. Handcrafted with Starbucks signature espresso, steamed milk, pumpkin, and then topped with whipped cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. Get a while. It’s hot or iced. [Music]

Steelers legend Bill Cowher joins Cam Heyward and Hayden fresh off a big win over the Browns to talk about coaching greatness, locker room leadership, and what it takes to dominate the AFC North. With a short week ahead, the guys also preview Thursday night’s primetime matchup against the Bengals.

In this episode:

🏈 Recapping the win over the Browns — key defensive plays and why it meant more than just another W

🎤 Bill Cowher on building championship culture and what he sees in today’s Steelers

💬 Cam and Coach Cowher trade stories from the early 2000s era and discuss how leadership has evolved

🔥 The mindset heading into Thursday Night Football vs. the Bengals

🧠 Preparing on a short week — film study, recovery, and mental toughness

😂 Coach Cowher’s funniest sideline memories (including one that still haunts Cam)

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0:00 Intro
0:27 Starbucks Ad Break
0:50 Bill Cowher
1:40 Steelers Chance In AFC North
3:21 Cowher’s Assistant Coaches
4:48 Getting HOF Players
7:04 On The 2025 Steelers
10:06 Getting Veteran Players
10:45 Coaching Troy Polamalu’s Freelancing
13:22 Joey Porter: The Heartbeat of The Defense
15:02 Casey Hampton Story
16:05 Cowher’s Playing History & Getting Into Coaching
21:50 The 2005 Super Bowl Team
29:18 Drafting Ben Roethlisberger
35:18 Aaron Smith
37:22 Covering A Route
38:28 Watching Football Now
41:32 Dealing With Injuries As A Coach
44:22 Close To Ever Coaching Again?
46:29 Living In New York & Working With CBS
48:08 Advice To Mike T When He Became Coach
49:52 Being A One Team Player
50:40 Steelers Turf Quality
51:30 THIS or THAT
53:41 Starbucks Ad Break
54:31 Ask Cam Anything
54:57 One Player Never Got To Play Against
56:21 Go To Pump-Up Song
59:30 Top 5 Trash Talkers
1:02:29 Keanu Dapping Up Other Team
1:03:55 Hayden’s Favorite Steeler Game of All Time
1:04:40 Steeler @ Bengals Playoff Game Hostility
1:07:40 Outro
1:08:03 Starbucks Ad Break