Bryant McKinnie, Wally Williams reflect on life in the trenches as Ravens offensive linemen

Former Ravens Bryant McKinnie and Wally Williams join Nestor and Luke on Radio Row in Minnesota Super Bowl 52

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

play, ray, baltimore, ray lewis, rookie, squirrel, miami, calls, steve, scottsdale, draft, day, guard, williams, minnesota, brian, pressure, mentality, john, tony jones

Nestor Aparicio  00:00

Welcome back WNSG Chassin Baltimore and wn St. dotnet. We are on radio row at the Mall of America. It’s all brought to you by our friends at Howard bank as well as our friends at Royal farms and Ruffo. And the app as well as the Maryland Jockey Club. Where else would you expect to run into wildly Williams and Brian McKinney, two random offensive lineman, a decorated guys, I thought you still lived in Baltimore, Wiley Williams,

Wally Williams  00:26

8

you know, I make my guest appearances. I can’t just let the place go. So, you know, I’m always there for enbloc I’ll be there this year for the health expo as well. So I’ll be spending a little bit of time and I got to come back and see the guys play every now and then. So I was there for to the Steelers games this year. So you know, I can’t let the players go. But I spent a lot of time now in Scottsdale and a lot of golf now.

Nestor Aparicio  00:48

I got a lot of respect for B man because I mean Jersey, goes down to Miami, play some ball and then settles up here in Minnesota where it’s 20. Right, we’re part of your house tonight you’re just remembering why you wanted to leave. What kind of climate is this? Man?

Bryant McKinnie  01:11

I’m glad y’all get to experience this too. Because now you see what I dealt with for nine years of you know, with the windchill is negative to money is is different but I mean I got used to it because I mean I had to be here so experienced I’m glad that brackets experienced as well it

Nestor Aparicio  01:28

was a really different to being like a packer where at least when you’re out during the week you get to the car you get to you know you play inside the end of the week. So that’s

8

Bryant McKinnie  01:37

definitely a great thing here. I’m only thing the only time we really prayed is outside of that we had to play like Green Bay or somebody who was going to have a climber similar climb. But other than that we were in the dome, you know, for at least, you know eight of our games and you know, so it wasn’t too bad.

Nestor Aparicio  01:54

It was crazy while he was playing back in the stone age. So was Tom Brady. Is he still doing this?

Wally Williams  02:01

I have no idea. And he is the last remaining guy. You know what? Adam Viteri is another one. Those are the last two remaining guys that actually played against really in the NFL. Yeah. So you know, hey, I don’t know why

02:15

8

and how well farms gonna come back.

Wally Williams  02:20

It has to happen. I mean, it doesn’t have to happen. But that longevity and to be out there as long as they have been I mean, look, I couldn’t I could barely get to 10. Well,

Nestor Aparicio  02:29

that’s ketchup. You’re in Scottsdale. You’re clearly in Miami, or on a boat somewhere off

Bryant McKinnie  02:37

me I don’t know.

8

Nestor Aparicio  02:39

Why would have given me on radio. I use your life. As a serious you. You’re with us in New York. It’s right back from a wife Becky, you saw my wife went up to you. And I’m like, he doesn’t know you had cancer. He doesn’t know you’re my wife because your hair. You had no idea who she was right? Not right. So last time I saw he was in New York. So it was four years ago. And we were asking you about epi and out in New York, whatever. And I said nothing good happens after midnight in a club. And you said I’ve met some great people in this you can you just play third downs or something? I don’t know.

Bryant McKinnie  03:23

Third down,

Nestor Aparicio  03:23

where’s your life taking you Brian McKinney

Bryant McKinnie  03:26

8

right now have a limo service called My ride in the app form in South Florida. So West, palm Broward and Dade County. So basically, so you don’t have to spend the money where you got to do like a four hour minimum, which is reserved almost like Uber, but you can reserve it ahead of time. And then I have a hangover remedy that’s about to come out. Oh, I

Nestor Aparicio  03:43

needed that Wednesday.

Bryant McKinnie  03:44

This fits me. So it makes sense for me and make sense to me. I got it. That makes sense. And then

Nestor Aparicio  03:50

how much do you take? You take a whole pill? No, it’s a drink.

8

Bryant McKinnie  03:53

So it’s a four hour, four ounce? To an ounce.

Nestor Aparicio  03:55

You’re taking a picture for me. You’re not just taking a couple of shots. Right? Right. Hager where you start drinking again. Just kidding. I need an eyedropper. If you’re drinking.

Bryant McKinnie  04:10

Then I’m going to show on VH one called Love and Hip Hop Miami is the first season so I do a lot of pop ups on this season and next season you’ll see me getting back into music and stuff like that. So that’s kind of direction I’ve been now I guess television and

04:22

8

music has been a passion of yours for a while you were still doing that at the end of your playing career.

Bryant McKinnie  04:26

I was in actually the artists who he was in the group pretty Ricky. He’s on the show as well. So it’s group so that’s why I worked with so that’s why next season you’ll see a kind of more tie back into me getting back into music.

Nestor Aparicio  04:36

It’s what got you into music man. Did you ever play or just love it?

Bryant McKinnie  04:39

Growing up? I took piano lessons and I wasn’t Yeah, I played in the band like

8

Nestor Aparicio  04:45

piano here right now. Could you play anything on it or not? Camptown races?

Bryant McKinnie  04:49

Nah, I had to go back to beginners and like stuff like that. I haven’t played in a while and then actually I’m taking DJing classes and scratch Academy keys I know but I’m in the music I like music DJ DJ is the DJ and it is that is the school now tune yes

Nestor Aparicio  05:07

to one of your part I mean you’ve always I mean look we’re not professional anymore you know you’re all doing your thing I want to come to one of your parties and South Beach we missed out we were in Miami for the all star game this year we should have we didn’t think Superwoman being

Bryant McKinnie  05:19

8

Miami two years so

Nestor Aparicio  05:21

that’s true. Well, I mean you better know me sorry, you’re gonna look over over top for the ring and I’ve had a bunch of guys come by five years. Five years. Literally today tomorrow beat the five year anniversary we’re putting rain a Hall of Fame you got a little baby face rain. You knew rain from back in the day and the you by the way I want to wear that blank one time turnover is pretty awesome

Bryant McKinnie  05:55

guys went away like motivation. Oh yeah, they

Nestor Aparicio  05:58

would go nuts on the sidelines. Yeah thoughts about Ray Lewis you know your key Mesabi teammate you played with so many of you because he played so long Yeah. I think you know and and Brian was by earlier so many everybody sort of shares in this a little bit you know and Ray and I are not always on the same page media why he coming by kiss my answers. We are not sitting here my phone be everything. Everything about this everything the Ravens everything your ring, your early days, the ring, everything emanated no offense to John or, you know, anyone involved. It all really started with Ray, the Raven thing? We would not we might be no offense to Cardinals or the Jaguars or whomever Eddie without Ray. Right? Well,

8

Wally Williams  06:39

there’s no doubt about it. I mean, look, when when we made the move from Cleveland to become the Baltimore Ravens, we were 18 Not only without a mascot, but without any kind of marquee player, right superstar player and nothing for you to hold on. Because as you guys remember, Andre risin, and pepper Johnson, all those guys out there gone. So we came back and finally settled. We didn’t know who was going to be in that locker room. And you go out in the draft, you get a Jonathan Nagaland and you get a ray Lu, which I think is firing ice, and was the perfect combination to build a program on. And Ray came in with the kind of established leadership even as a rookie, that we actually need it now. We had a veteran kind of team as well. So there were a mixture of guys like we want the rookie to shut up. But that was the best guy that we had on the defense. And you know what? He showed up every week.

Nestor Aparicio  07:47

He wanted to show up show up to about one o’clock on Sunday, and then you were real glad they drafted 52 we drafted a running back named Alan McElroy. That was the other guy that because we needed a running back. We didn’t draft Lawrence Phillips remember exactly we had EB was 100 years old is

Wally Williams  08:05

that well, yeah. I mean, we wanted to run it back as well. Don’t get it wrong. Sure. Okay. Here’s another thing. So we’ve seen up on the board at the draft party for our first race

Nestor Aparicio  08:14

8

at the Sheraton that day. We had the sheriff I was brought loose

Wally Williams  08:18

and they are making a move and we’re thinking they’re going running back. Okay, so I’m sitting next to Tony Jones. Okay, I’m sitting next to Lando Brown. I’m sitting there okay. And that’s it, man. We’re dropping a tackle Jonathan Island. Number four roll so we’re meeting look at Tony he’s like He is broke out into a sweat. So what’s going on next with Joel says yes. But what really happens is he

Nestor Aparicio  08:48

voted already beat death. Exactly. He comes back from

Wally Williams  08:51

that. So what happens next is that tear Marcia Broto comes on the screen and says hey, we’re going to keep Tony Jones and move Jonathan Ogden to left guard. So really the reality who was benched was me. And I had to move from left guard over to write ever was there and Steve ever was at center and Orlando play right tackle. So that started at a guard. One year you know, played his entire season at love and he taught him

8

Nestor Aparicio  09:27

everything he knew about guard. Work, you know what the dumbest phone call I’ve ever had from a caller was back in 1998 99. guy calls up and we still stink, right? We’re no good. You were in New Orleans by the guy calls which is, you know, they drafty John Ogden and I don’t know what the hell they were thinking moving him from guard. He was a fine guard. You know. And I think we still have some educating to do here.

Wally Williams  09:53

You know, he was there. But you know, like I said, you know about Ray and, and you know, Ray was a little overmatch We initially got to Baltimore at least dealing with us. We were a rugged group of guys on offense.

Nestor Aparicio  10:05

Nobody was happy to be bald being mean but like there were a lot of guys were landed with a lot of bad things about David and about the move and about Baltimore. Wearing to me machine uniforms and white helmets with a black stripe. They looked like they were in prison. Steve ever

Bryant McKinnie  10:20

8

learned a lot today,

Wally Williams  10:21

Steve. Welcome to practical right

Nestor Aparicio  10:24

now John Ogden 1996 football. Oh, look at the picture of John dinse football card 1996. He looks like a member of the Penn State Nittany Lions in an NFL uniform, because they didn’t have a logo nothing they didn’t even have permission from the lead really to move because they still had the leasing problems and clean and you guys know a little bit of this.

Wally Williams  10:44

Like, you know, Steve ever saw the world and then you know Tony Jones at times who were loyal brows, Joe. Steve, our very first game as a raven had a brown bandana up onto his Hill. Yeah. Oh, wow. Okay, and that he’s still

8

Nestor Aparicio  11:00

in there. All right.

Wally Williams  11:05

That’s what it was, but probably from

Nestor Aparicio  11:07

OTAs. And it was his first practice.

Wally Williams  11:13

8

For first practice right there, rookie camp and everything.

Nestor Aparicio  11:18

The first hat we had in history that John was I own it. John took it off his head and handed it to me coming off the riser 1996 at Carroll was there and the phone the bat phone if you go back watch any video of John Auggie every table had a helmet phone right? Remember that our helmet phone was white. And it was a black black strip on it. It said ra v and s and it was just on it. That was April 1999

Wally Williams  11:43

along with somebody may even have a Baltimore Browns head Baltimore buff some there was some of that stuff. They didn’t know what the logo was pirating. Right, right. But that came up some you know, somewhere down the line. But even with all of this stuff going on that didn’t have anything to do with football, this young, five two guy, okay. Just want to come out there and knock your head off and ask you what other ways can I figure out why and get that done? And I think that’s probably one thing that was different from practicing with Ray is that he would do something and you will get him. He’ll come to you after the plan was like, Hey,

Nestor Aparicio  12:22

how did you know that? How do you know to do that? Yeah.

8

Wally Williams  12:24

What did you do? What? And I said, Well, what you’re doing is looking at me and trying to guess where I’m going. And what I’m gonna do is I’m gonna look this way, but I’m gonna run that way. So you better get on your keys a little bit better. And that’s what he would do sell, sell, watch and study, get in there and get it straight. And that’s why he became what he is today. You saw that brewing as a rookie, if you were paying attention, because as offensive lineman, our group, he would chastise us every day and figure out how do we get our hands on him? He did not like that. You’re gonna test it out. You don’t like want to avoid his career. Right? Okay, so that was what it was as a rookie that he was going to figure that out. And what was his comment? Like? Hey, you give Jordan his weapons right? Let me do his thing. Let me do my thing. And hey, he did his

Nestor Aparicio  13:19

thing he met when did you meet Ray Lewis for the first time?

Bryant McKinnie  13:23

I met him some time and I think I was in Minnesota still

Nestor Aparicio  13:27

8

and but you never met him at the you at the you know, and you guys were both in the league remembers

Bryant McKinnie  13:32

meeting him at the you I might have but I don’t really remember. But I know. I was in the league and I came to something for Willis McGahee and he was there and he was there and I met him then that you you and and that’s when I first met him. Yeah. Did you reach

Nestor Aparicio  13:46

out to him before coming up? Did you know him well enough. I mean he could add you there were a lot of guys from the canes on that team

Bryant McKinnie  13:52

did that every time when to come to Baltimore where he reached out to me like soon as I left from here from Minnesota he recruited you he did he actually act like he didn’t I didn’t have an option to get a day or so like try to look at the roster. I don’t know anything about the teams come on, don’t you that kind of Michael was here like I got this part. And I like okay, because I’m actually I forget the name the library read from you into from UNM who the library we got traded by the time I got here to Vaughn reached out to me first and said Hey, Ray Lewis wants me to give you what’s your number? Can I give it to him? I was like yeah, and then Ray hit me up immediately. And like bro, you need to come here you’re missing pieces and other and I Okay, let me check you know. Let me test the waters let me just see if I’m a good fit there. And then here everywhere every hit me hit I broke my leg back up. have tried to get a championship together. Isn’t that does sound good? I said about the team. So then I was looking at the team. I said, it could be a good fit. But now I got to see how am I go? Or if he’s okay, we’re moving because I don’t want to play right? Because I’ve only played left my whole life, right? So I don’t know how effective I will be playing learning to play right in the middle of a season. And then Ray was like, oh, no, don’t worry about that. We got that taken care of. You need to tell your agent. The Raiders were hitting my phone a lot. Like Listen, this was it. I was like, this must be really used to reason you can’t. The reason he had everything done on that side of Baltimore, he started telling me you need to talk to your agent and get us moving faster. Was everything you say? Yes, I got to take care of my dad.

8

Wally Williams  15:44

Who was really the

Nestor Aparicio  15:47

same thing he did to Dr. Tanya, who’s her lawyer. Same thing, Woodson and sharping. You know, the recruitment for Ray? Yeah, and all and rods out here. And you know, all the players that have played with him Bart stops and then they all came over, you know, first got, you know, Eddie Hartwell all those guys got their, their bones because they played with him. You know, he went other places had mixed success. But I think it really speaks volumes. There’s nothing, there’s nothing you can take away from Ray Atlanta notwithstanding on a football field. No one has come here and shot any holes and Ray Lewis, his Hall of Fame, Kansas

Wally Williams  16:19

City, I mean, look, he’s always had that infectious mentality. You know, it sucks you right in. You want to play with that kind of spiritual self. And if you see that resonate with somebody like that, you’re going to gravitate to that, right? And

Bryant McKinnie  16:34

8

every week, you don’t always feel your best every week, when you go out there. Right after his speech. He

Wally Williams  16:39

was like, well, let’s go.

Nestor Aparicio  16:42

That’s all I need to ask right now, and you don’t have to demonstrate but we do have a video camera have either one of you done to squirrel and if a real app or in a club or after, let’s say 15 drinks for you. You have a good impression of him doing the pregame speech? Yeah, that would be good to

Wally Williams  17:02

see he may have the pregame speech. He wasn’t really able to do that. In doing my time, because like I said, we had other guys. He was hovering. Yeah, he was waiting on his chance. Okay. And every now and then see at Eric Turner. Oh, say late, great. Great. guarantano will say, Hey, get up in the roof because this gonna be your deal. All right, when everybody else was going out of here, so he was he was kind of getting them in the mix. And you can see it bubbling up because he wanted it. Okay. He wanted to be that focal to train. Oh, yeah. Yeah, then I heard some 1996 Put that damn thing that was always undercurrent until he got it. And by the time he got it, it was gone. And everybody was on board. You’ve never done

8

Nestor Aparicio  17:54

the squirrel. I want to see you to beat man, man.

Wally Williams  17:59

This is a Florida hair. So have I done a squirrel? Yes. Yeah.

Nestor Aparicio  18:06

So we know about a man of your size do this.

Wally Williams  18:09

8

Every county in Florida can do this. Yeah. If you if you if you grew up in Florida, from from 1985 to about 19. Now, let’s say 2002. Yeah, you know how to do the squat? Yeah. Because I learned

Nestor Aparicio  18:26

for all of you former teammates that are going to meet us at canton in August or honor re I’d love to see a group squirrel would kind of like the the Foo Fighters tribute right now in Europe with the drums Right? Like, let’s have everybody through the squirrel,

Wally Williams  18:43

Obi Wan get that go?

Nestor Aparicio  18:45

Great. Great.

8

Wally Williams  18:46

Oh, yeah, we can get

Nestor Aparicio  18:48

any of that at the after party. Everybody, that will be great. Yeah, that’d be the ultimate Super Bowl here. Any chance Eagles gonna win this thing for all of us?

Wally Williams  19:00

They got a chance. They’re here. Yeah,

Bryant McKinnie  19:02

8

I don’t think this is my thing. I think I feel like a lot of teams that play against New England is when they get in the fourth quarter, they get into a let’s try to hold on to the league lead mentality instead of keeping your foot on the gas. And once they have that mentality, and then say if New England scores, then they get nervous, like, oh, here we go. You got to just keep going and keep going, what you’ve been doing the first three quarters and not get into a hole, let’s play safe. And let’s just hold the lead type of thing because he’s going to slowly start picking away because he’s saying watch for three quarters what it is you’re doing and now he’s gonna expose everything and he’s going to catch up and beat you. So you got to just don’t have that aggressive mentality where I feel like a lot of teams kind of let up off of being aggressive. And now it’s trying to be like, just safe.

Wally Williams  19:44

So yeah, I think I think Philly has some kryptonite there. And they can play the same kind of way that the Giants play. They can put pressure on a quarterback with four. Okay, and that’s it. All right, and From what I’ve seen with the Patriots offensive line, they are average at best. So if I want to look at what’s going to happen look at the Giants

Nestor Aparicio  20:10

Brady’s gonna get rid of the ball quick we know that

Wally Williams  20:11

well but and get that inside he may not have anybody to throw it to right because I don’t think they’re receivers or guys that can really get away and get space their smallest guys, you know Hogan is their biggest receiver I think and they’re they’re got that as Gronkowski but I think if they get pressure on Brady, and make them uncomfortable just for then you’re gonna see some New York Giants stuff where they’re not able to move the ball like they like they usually do. And they’re going to have problems in the red zone we can play in the perimeter all day. But getting into that red zone and scoring points is going touchdowns they could not do that. I guess New York and this is what the same formula may present them if the Eagles can put pressure and they go deep. He goes like you know like ad right with the linemen and they can put pressure on the quarterback so we’re gonna see a

8

Nestor Aparicio  20:58

lot of rotation a lot of rotations anybody who questions he intellect all football players you live in Miami, you live in Scottsdale and I’ll go back to ball while we love you appreciate your ears as always split there with the main machine at Bing Cambridge teach you a little purple history which is good

Bryant McKinnie  21:18

right a trainee that

Nestor Aparicio  21:21

was learned some things

Wally Williams  21:22

8

it was it was a big deal.

Nestor Aparicio  21:25

And Brian such a difference maker in our championship team. I thank you for your partnership all those times came out did radio will appreciate you man Thanks for visiting Thank you for having me. Be Mac and while we Williams joining us here it is all brought to you by our friends at Howard bank and royal farms real fresh real fast in the Maryland Jockey Club as well. We are on radio row Minnesota at the Mall of America. We are wn st dotnet am 1570 wn st Towson Baltimore and we never stop talking. Baltimore sports