After playing 12 years in the National Football League as a solid linebacker and the only two-time captain in Alabama history, former Ravens’ standout Jarret Johnson knows the emotions and demands of playoff football. He joins Nestor in discussing ways to contain Lamar Jackson and the proud Crimson Tide legacy that Nick Saban built since he left Tuscaloosa two decades ago to play with Ray Lewis in Baltimore.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
ravens, team, play, alabama, lamar, ball, people, destin, coffee, players, fish, running, oyster, crabs, baltimore, years, talking, fishing, maryland, losing
SPEAKERS
Nestor J. Aparicio
Nestor J. Aparicio 00:02
W n s t Towson Baltimore and Baltimore positive I should say welcome home. We were gonna bout to have a homecoming year where we’re doing something really cool. Radio row weeks we did for 28 years for Super Bowls. We will not be in Las Vegas this year. Instead, we’re doing our own version of a crab cake row here. beginning of February the fifth, we’re gonna go eight hours a day of live radio off of the Maryland Food Bank. We’re calling it a cup of soup or bowl. We hope that folks come out, have some soup and donate some some food for folks who may have some muscle food insecurities. Certainly in the cold part of the year we’re going to be featuring 100 charities during the week of February 5, telling stories having ways you could donate it’s all brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery in conjunction with our friends at when donation 866 90 nation and of course Jiffy Lube, multi care. I love when the Ravens play so well that it has to go bother old football guys. And you know that Saban retires and there’s this whole Alabama thing. Then I Googled Jared Johnson and like I forget things because it’s been 21 years since you were drafted old fart. But you are the only two time captain in Alabama Crimson Tide. Is that true? Only two times
01:13
it was I don’t I don’t know if that’s still true. It’s hard. When it happened, I was it was kind of because I didn’t they never even talked about it at Alabama. And then the Ravens told me that and then turns out it was true. It would be hard to believe there hasn’t been another one you know
Nestor J. Aparicio 01:34
I love you when all but it feels like somebody there stayed two years and was made captain but you
01:40
would think you would think especially with all the great players and all the leaders and all the stories but that’s had to that’s had to been repeated. But it’s interesting like the don’t really Alabama never brings that up.
Nestor J. Aparicio 01:54
Probably only made a senior captain right like just period didn’t matter who you were and are a lot of players Greater New dare I say it, but just was a senior thing. Right? Had to be senior to get it there for so how’d you get it as a junior dude, like a lot of people didn’t like Saban, you are always. But I mean, with him leaving him it must be to your right to right.
02:15
Yeah. And I mean, so. And that is true that it was always a senior thing. Dennis frangioni Was there my junior and senior year. And Dennis just had an open vote with a team vote out. You know, I was a vocal guy on the team was kind of an up and coming player. And they just voted me Captain as a junior and didn’t realize and obviously it was repeated Captain again my senior year. But I didn’t even at the time never even never even dawned on me until few like few years later ended up with the ravens and and but yeah, it’s kind of been repeated though. So I don’t know. I have to look into that. What
Nestor J. Aparicio 02:55
do you make of the whole Saban era? Like the whole thing? You know, like you had a lot of fun being in Alabama. You weren’t an Alabama kid. Right? You were Florida kid. You didn’t. We used to joke about that. When you came into the league. You’d come into my show on Monday night. Yeah. Alabama, to think that anybody could stick anywhere in the SEC, given the stakes, and then the old days when they had the slush funds. Now it’s the NFL. I mean, I I’m still trying to understand this. I’m sure you are too, right.
03:22
Yeah, no, it’s it’s, it’s interesting. You know, I got drafted in 2003. And you know, both are, Alabama was definitely some up and down from Baldo years. And, you know, it’s funny, I mean, when people from the Northeast when they find out from the south and played at Alabama, they, you know, some stupid attempt at a bad southern accent or, you know, some sort of some sort of, you know, backhand, you know, just just kind of digging at you a little bit because definitely doesn’t come in a lot of respect. And then when saving got there, I mean, he won his first national championship in his first two years. 2009 you want it? And the tail end my last year with with, with, with the ravens, I mean, you’d mentioned you went to Alabama, and it was like, Oh, my God, man, did they like validated as you play? Well, you must be good. You know, even today, I mean, people ask me where I’m playing college ball. I tell them, they’re like, holy cow, man. I didn’t, I didn’t think you were that good. But it’s funny, you know, nothing’s really changed. It’s just, you know, people’s, the national recognition and the, the notoriety that you get being associated with that university. And it’s, it’s all due to how much he raised the bar and his consistency and the amount of great players that he brought in. And, you know, it’s pretty astounding that in modern air, with so many eyes, you know, so much. There was regulation until now, but so much regulation, I mean, you it was hard, it’s hard to stay consistent for that long and, you know, what he was able to accomplish and it’s amazing, you know, when I am in Baltimore, how many, you know, bartenders or, you know, kids you meet that either, you know, went to Alabama or going to Alabama or You know, they dreamed about going to Alabama and you know, they now even from a student body draw from around the country, you know, kids today want that game day South Eastern Conference game experience and they the the tuition is or the enrollment is through the roof and when I was there as 19,000 students today it’s over 40 You know, so the what he’s created there is pretty, pretty remarkable. Well,
Nestor J. Aparicio 05:27
I got three friends with kids at Alabama and I asked why and I guess it’s because they watch him play football and so I mean, I don’t know why you would throw a dart and say I want to go there but I mean for a year at least. Jerry Johnson is our guest he went there he was here he’s back there it’s still cold there. Thoughts of all of this and watching Lamar on TV I mean, you you were broadcasting for a little while on 98 Rock BHEL and with the broadcast stuff like that, how close are you in and out to doing this? Because I don’t see you around much. They don’t see me around much. But where are you in all this in your real life is a 40 something and retired and all this but still love the game? Still involved?
06:05
Yeah, today I’m just a fan. Just a regular fan. I don’t, I don’t, you know, I don’t know all the players on the roster like I did when I was doing the broadcast. I don’t, I can’t break down their scheme and and I don’t know, the young backup up and coming players to watch out for I simply watch it as a fan from afar. I keep up with them, we cheer for them. And we put on our ravens gear when they play and you know, obviously I still have friends and organization and people I’m close to I try to get as much as I can. But you know, you know like you said I’m 42 I got a kid that plays travel sports and running a small business so there’s it’s I have gotten up to Baltimore twice this year, which last year was not able to come up you know so it’s a lot of coming back into town but but overall I’m just just a fan you know I watch a pull forum and and hope the best for them and organization. What’s
Nestor J. Aparicio 06:58
going on your real life you just dropped kids small business I listen. I need to know I need to know you know, ya
07:07
know, so I you know, I was doing the broadcast full time 2019 And then we were actually moving back to Baltimore. At the end of 2019 bought a house we’re at our house here on the market we’re gonna get back in the ball and COVID kind of shut the whole thing down you know, just kind of in limbo didn’t know you know if there was even going to be a season so we ended up staying down here bought and sold that house up there without even stepped foot in it which is a whole nother story but so yeah, was 2020 state and Florida where we live now live up in the panhandle. And got into I don’t know if you’re familiar with black rifle coffee, but it’s a veteran owned Coffee Company. They went public in 2022. So a small publicly traded company, but I was able to get a franchise and black rifle and I own a local coffee shop. So
Nestor J. Aparicio 08:06
we have a great coffee Double J Come on now. Oh yeah.
08:09
Yeah, man. But yeah, so doing that run in a coffee shop and I’ve got what town is that
Nestor J. Aparicio 08:15
in so when I drive I get some coffee. Yeah, so we’re
08:19
in Niceville, Florida, which is if you’re familiar with destin destin is between Panama City and Pensacola on the beach. And we’re a small community just on the north side of the bay. So we’re about 15 minutes north of Destin, which is a beach town, but it’s a military community as Eglin Air Force Base here, there’s six military installations within 20 miles of here. So it’s a big military presence, all our friends and, and people that we hang out with and people in our sports team, pretty much everybody is either active prior or they’re contracted with the military. So big thing here, you know, and I’ve got a local presence with, with the, with Army Special Forces here with seven groups, Special Forces, and, and I have a presence with them. And I do a lot of charity work, and I’m honored battalion commander up at the base. And so I’m always amazed doing different, you know, fundraisers workouts, Memorial events, you know, so it’s, you know, it’s kind of become a big part of my life.
Nestor J. Aparicio 09:26
How much you wind up talking about the NFL or people talk to you about is it? Is it an everyday your life thing that people know? Or do you just sort of meander around down there relatively anonymous at this point? Well,
09:38
you know, I’ve been in this community now for 12 years. I was we moved here when I was still playing with Baltimore, here for two years. And then, you know, my three years in San Diego so we were, you know, transit we were back and forth. Obviously, I was gone during the season. So then we you know, at that point, it was a cool thing, you know, NFL player moves to the small community And that was you get the question all the time. They want to talk to you about ball but they want to know why you’re here. You know how you ended up here like whatever, but we’ve been here and
Nestor J. Aparicio 10:08
it was really it was a fishing let’s be honest, right? It was
10:10
fun. I mean yeah, there was a big part of it. I mean it was the fishing you know, I grew up on the water wanted to be back on the water but even though we’re in Florida on the coast, we’re only an hour from my wife’s family. She lives in South out her family’s from South Alabama. So logistically, it was a perfect place to live you know, they got a small regional airport that you can get to you know, Atlanta was
Nestor J. Aparicio 10:31
a secret to don’t tell anybody how pretty the beaches aren’t Destin, don’t tell. The oysters are, by the way,
10:38
every everything. I mean, the fish in you know, it has been discovered it is just like everywhere. I mean, there’s no secrets anymore. I mean, summertime, this places is a madhouse. But um, but yeah, it’s, it’s a great community. For us. Schools are phenomenal. The sports are phenomenal. You know, so it just, it just kind of worked out to hidden gem for us. But yeah, I mean, it used to be, it was a daily conversation, you know, not only while I was there, but about my career and sports in general. And now, you know, just people kind of noticed, because we’ve been here so long people just kind of notice as the Johnsons. And, you know, there are people now that, you know, because it’s military community, there’s a lot of people moving in a lot of training, a lot of turnover. And it is odd when, for people when you know, you might be on a sports team with somebody and you’ve known him for a couple years, and then they’ll find they’re like, wait a minute, you’ve played in the NFL, like, for a long time. You know what I mean? So, you do have that conversation pop up, but it’s definitely not as common as it was when we first moved here.
Nestor J. Aparicio 11:39
Derek Johnson, you know, number 95 in the program went out to San Diego now making his life then in the Florida Panhandle kids. What’s what’s what’s your kids play?
11:49
My oldest play soccer. She did play soccer and tennis, but she’s all about soccer. And so she’s on a travel team and plays for the school and all that stuff that keeps us busy. And my little one, she plays soccer and tennis but she’s she’s only nine and we’re trying to you know, kinda ease her into it. I think the travel sports gets a little aggressive too early sometimes and she’s fine with me she’s way more laid back than my oldest one my oldest one is all ball. I mean, she’s, she’s all about it. So yeah, it keeps us busy. We you know, we travel all over the southeast. And you know, it’s pretty wild. Just travel sports. You know, being especially coming from a prior professional athlete and I’m shocked at the level of intensity and the scrutiny and the demand and travel sports but the world we live in you know
Nestor J. Aparicio 12:39
well for you with the Ravens you got two girls got a family you got a coffee shop you got hobbies, you got charities. I know you’re fishing, right I’m wondering whether it’s good I know your what’s your level involved with the Ravens it take me soup to nuts, leaving the radio thing COVID All that appointment viewing for you. Have you seen every game, Lamar? I mean, where are you? And if so, where are you on the Lamar train because this has been you’re on the oh six team and we know how good that team was and the disappointment and Ray Lewis was talking about the other night in the Mani cast. Having played on that team. Lamar hasn’t won. We’ve won as a fan. I’ve written two books, one on Dilfer before you got here one after you left you were part of and you know, you and Weddell still swear it was Ray Rice didn’t get that firsthand. You know, that’s been 11 years, you’ve been out of the league 10 years. Lamar has changed the game, right? I mean, even at the time you get in the beginning, right. Yeah,
13:36
I mean, so I think obviously that 2000 2019 team is very, very common to the 2016 that I played on. Obviously they’re more dominant on offense where we were dominant on defense you know, set a lot of records it’s actually you know, there’s teams are extremely comparable because it was Rex Ryan’s first years coordinator. People you know that spinner front style blitzing from all different areas, the 46 the old school 46 front we were so multiple had so many different personnel groups so many different ways to attack you. People didn’t know how to deal with it, and that’s very comparable to the 2019 ravens offense Where is then seen anything about like Lamar Jackson, I mean, you can compare him to to Michael Vick, but Michael Vick didn’t play in the zone read open style he played in a in a traditional pro style offense. These offensive today are combining old school, you know, West Coast style offense is with a vertical passing game with, you know, the the zone read, you know, all the stuff coming out of all this stuff coming out of college, and people weren’t ready for them. They didn’t know how to defend it. Well, you know, we all know what happened in 2018. You know, I was a part of the broadcast team and got to witness it firsthand. And you know, that team was a, you know, was a was a big disappointment going into playoffs because of how dominant they were in the regular season. I can’t remember if they take the took the full week off, or if they had limited practices on their bye week. But they were not prepared, I felt like there was a lot of distractions going into that game between the organization and the team. And, you know, as you know, watching football for so long, is all you have to do is get to the playoffs. But once the playoffs once you’re in, everybody’s even. And it’s amazing that the toughest team tends to win in the playoffs. You know, you could go back to those seven New England Patriots that set all kinds of records. But they were not the toughest team in the NFL that that was the the New York time at Giants was extremely tough team. And that’s what happened to the Ravens is they go against, you know, a big physical team in the Tennessee Titans. And you know, that running back and they just they couldn’t stop. And I think that that this team has learned from that I think this team is going to be much more prepared on how to handle the bye week because you do have to utilize that by week especially with a 17 game season elements, such a long, brutal season, they dealt with a lot of injuries, you have to utilize that downtime, but you cannot lose momentum. You cannot you lose your confidence you not you cannot get complacent. And you can’t just walk into the playoffs without without some juice. And, you know, a lot of things if it’s not handled right, that first round by can almost be can almost be a negative thing. I have from talking to a few people in the organization, John Kaplan and in house, they weren’t allowed to go home. They stayed local, they address their injuries, I think this team is going to be much more prepared to handle that first round by going into a divisional game much more prepared. And then the 2019 team was at
Nestor J. Aparicio 17:13
a better more balanced team right and Lamar and a better congressman, a player’s mean, that was a very one dimensional running team. If they got behind you knew they were going to have problems. I would say this about this thing this team never gets behind hasn’t gotten behind all year. But if they got behind if it’s 14 to three at 515 on Saturday afternoon and it’s cold out a pick a fumble block this miss that special teams this or that they have the ability to come back i Well, they
17:44
they’ve never had weapons on the edges like they have now. I mean, the amount of options that Lamar has to throw to, um, we haven’t seen anything like this in Baltimore history. You know, I cannot remember the receiving corps in 2019. But it was nowhere near the caliber now losing Mark Andrews is obviously you know, a big loss you know, because he’s been his go to since day one. But the amount of options and their ability to, to, you know, that that team when you get into the analytics, that 2019 team, you know, Tennessee times were able to break down where they’re going with the football based off their alignment, their motion, that type of zone reads they’re running. You can’t do that with this team. I mean, they’re constantly changing the math attacking from different angles, they’re much less much less predictable than that team and then oh by the way, when play does break down and Lamar keeps the ball he is still the most dynamic explosive athlete in the NFL hands down which is always you know, their ace up the sleeve you know, I mean like you can figure them out you do all your analytics but if that guy keeps the ball you still somebody still got to catch him and it’s unbelievable how dynamic a player he is and open field what
Nestor J. Aparicio 19:10
would you what’s the ball coaching you say Jerry? What would you know if you’ve seen these up you’ve been in those rooms you’ve been a guy that might have been spy ish even though you couldn’t catch him you may be able to contain them nobody could catch him you know they didn’t put anybody with the speed on him certainly not a guy your size you know but but what what are you thinking about in play to play about what you need to do to at least not let him get by you but I guess the issue now is he will stand in the pocket he will pack the ball you will move like Roethlisberger and by time whereas before he would just take off and then you will be chasing him now containing it’s not good enough because you have to worry about the guys behind you. Riley allowing his a flowers to beat you right? Yeah,
19:55
well, he put he puts a lot of pressure on the back end in my opinion because It takes all 11 to defend the run. And if you’ve got that many eyes on the front, it’s going to put pressure on your outside guys, because they’re going to have to either they or they’re going to have to, you know, carry more weight either by coming up in run support, or in safeties leaning more into the box and being more one on one in coverage. So you’re they’re locking on the outside of those eyes, focusing on the box, because they need so many extra people to defend the run and the zone read and all the different things coming out of the backfield, it just puts a lot of pressure on the back on the back end, there is no taking one guy and in spying and being effective, you have to rush as a whole now, you can spy but there’s not a guy on the field that is going to be able to run with him either if you’re there as fast as him you’re too small. And if you’re as big and as physical as him then you’re not going to be as fast so it takes everybody up front you’re rush lanes are probably the most important thing on the field. And then you know, if you are going any sort of man coverage and your backs are turned, it just puts a ton of pressure on that on that front pass rush to stay in your lanes you have to collapse the pocket as a whole if one guy gets up field and he’s able to dip out you got to be a first
Nestor J. Aparicio 21:27
down right your first a fresh set of downs. And
21:31
the problem is with him today is that that he you know before he would you know kind of a one read and then take off running. Not doing that. I mean he’s he’s a little bit more like Ben Roethlisberger. Where is nobody would ever say Ben is scrambling quarterback but he was he was he moved phenomenal in the pocket his feel for where to be. But Ben was always running to throw. Lamar seems to have applied more that to his game where it used to be one raid, coverage broke or the route either was was not open or something happened. And he would just take off and it worked. Now he seems to be more patient moves more fluidly in the pocket, but his eyes are staying downfield, he’s not so much just one read and taken off. He’s being more patient and is finding things downfield, he’s finding things late in the down, which is even making me more explosive. It’s reducing the amount of hits the amount of stress he’s putting on his legs, which in order for him to have a long career he has to do and it appears that they’ve that they’ve been able to apply that to his game and he’s he’s more of a thoughtful quarterback. He’s more of a patient quarterback, which is for a defense coordinator is not a good thing. You know, so, yeah, you have to be multiple with his guy. I mean, you have to bring all sorts of different fronts. But the end of the day, I mean, he is a nightmare to defend. You know, I’m glad I’m not a coordinator in the league going against
Nestor J. Aparicio 23:07
Jared Johnson is here he is our guest. He is down in Niceville you are always nice. You never wanted to be known as a nice guy because you’re a tough guy. But you were always nice. Nice are those guys. You know, you moved in Niceville I love that. You know it’s a coffee your dark roast out we give me a little coffee. I didn’t know you were coffee guys. Not me.
23:28
Yeah, no, I’m, I’m a dark dark roast drinker. I drink everything. Like we have a lot of different rows, but um, you know, Yama Domina I’m espresso guy I’m a traditional coffee drinker. It’s one thing you learned about being in the coffee world is that Starbucks has changed everybody’s verbiage on what coffee is I mean, really, they want to milkshake with a little bit of milk a little bit of coffee and a lot of milk substitutes and all the the flavors and the sprinkles and all this stuff. But I’m a traditional coffee drinker La La espresso and I like lattes but I like my coffee strong use ago half the mill double espresso and then as far as just drip coffee you know I’m a dark roast just black nothing in it. Hello take
Nestor J. Aparicio 24:13
it give me a fish story you caught anything you lost anything you put anywhere exotic fishing yeah we miss what’s going on?
24:20
I mean not really. We you know fish a lot of tournaments down here during the summer time so we do a lot of marlin fishing la tuna fish and
Nestor J. Aparicio 24:31
stuff coming up to the Marlin open up here Ocean City or no?
24:34
Yeah no I’ve always said it’s a dream of mine I got a bunch of buddies that I fish with that come up and fish they open and they’ll freelance on boats up there or whatever boat from up here they’ll run up and go fish to some of the boats will go up and fish East Coast circuit. Different style efficient and we do down here but so they learn a lot but a lot of the guys that go up there and do the White Marlin thing if they just spend one season over there. They come back better fisherman just because the the techniques they use are way different than what we do here and there’s a lot of guys that go out there and we’re freelance on boats just to change their game and learn different stuff but it’s definitely on a on my bucket list to go up and fish it Viet be able to do it I’ve got invited several times but it’s right there at the beginning of August and we’re getting ramped down with school and always got stuff going on and and obviously the fishing is still pretty good here. So I have yet to do that. But I will at one point get up there and fish that tournament. I
Nestor J. Aparicio 25:32
was reading it your families of your family Waterman. And I think we had talked about that back before I really understood that I’ve been doing this Maryland crabcake tour. Really last five years I’ve been all over the state learning about the invasive catfish year and the crabbing industry and the oyster and oyster recovery just to learn that stuff like to your point you like try to learn stuff, because I you know, I didn’t do well in biology is I had my high school science teacher on talking about you know, chemistry and the periodic table of elements. I said this can be horticulture you know, keep it keep it low level science for me. But I’ve learned so much about the water and about crabs and crab cakes and freshness and summer and all of that growing up for crabs with you when you came to Maryland was a Maryland crab or that style unique to you or do you eat your crabs that way? Because I don’t know if you’ve ever talked much about I’ve kidded you about oysters because I know Apalachicola Bay and like what what but But you love to fish, but we never talked about eating seafood either. Did you love Maryland crabs? Up here? Crab cakes?
26:33
Yeah, so my dad when he was my dad was a commercial fisherman did a little bit everything. I mean he grew up growing up traditionally my town was a was a small fish and small fishing village. But traditionally, it was a gill net. They Gill netted and mainly from mullet and they trout and pretty much everything but mainly was mullet and trout back in the day. My dad once he got older, he commercial commercial grouper fish and crab and oyster was the main thing he did and he was also a guide he guided in the Florida Keys and then up and Cedar Key where I was from. But um, but yeah, a lot of crabs, you know are delicacy a stone crabs. We did eat blue crabs, because my dad was a crabber. So we had blue crabs, but our big thing was Stone crabs. So we did eat blue crabs, but they’re definitely not as passionate about it. If you saw the way that we eat it because we cleaned them before we we bought them or before we steamed them. So you know, pick shell off clean on the lungs and all the stuff out season them and then steam, which is as I know, is a big no no in Maryland. But no, it was not foreign. I did not when I first got there. I did. I did heard of Maryland crabs. I did not understand the passion about it until I got there. And it was funny being the son of a commercial fisherman crabber. And you constantly get asked like do you have have you had Dewey blue crabs even know what a blue crab is? I’m like, Yeah, do you know where they come from? You know, am I my dad?
Nestor J. Aparicio 28:10
How do you get this in the middle of winter? Right? Literally, Louisiana and your part of the world, right? That’s right. All our
28:17
blue crabs were the big market was in was in the northeast, into the middle Atlantic where we would keep our blue crabs. It’s kind of funny as a kid. My dad was always involved in local politics, city commissioner, whatever. And when he campaigned, he campaigned he would take a wonderbread low loaf batted a bag from an old Lofa wonderbread. And he would put about 10 Stone crabs in it and he would balk ball them up tight and Nonie put it on the bottom shelf of our frigerator and during campaign season, he would have them all filled with blue crabs and that was his campaign and click crap crap. So when he’d go door to door and talk to people, he’d hand you a bag of stone crab claws. But Stone crabs were our delicacy. That’s what we prefer. And we also do low contrast bowls and I would say oyster roast are the big thing in my area, you know a big bonfire of the grill on top, dump a boat Bush oyster oysters on top. And everybody sits there and and picks their oysters and season them the way you want them or you know their level of doneness. Some people like a bar like rubber and some people like them just barely charred on the edges but still raw in the middle. That’s the big social because that’s what blue crabs not only are they delicious, but it’s a it’s a social meal. I mean, you’re you’re sitting around talking and it takes a long time to eat them takes a long time to clean them. It’s a social event. Our social meal is low country bowls. And oyster rose but oyster roast is the big thing in the wintertime. You know, somebody would have an oyster roast, everybody comes over we stand around a fire and drink beer and, and roast oysters. So
Nestor J. Aparicio 29:59
you It’s just like a Kid Rock song or something. It’s almost like he grew up grew up outside of Gainesville in the water map looking at where Cedar Key is and like I’ve never been I’ve been to Gainesville but at Tampa up and I’ve been to Pittsburgh and I’ve been to Destin never met your, your place is a little different place to access where you grew up. Right and grabs you got that most are going man. That’s nice. That’s beautiful.
30:20
Yeah, yeah, I mean, Cedar Key, you know, it’s right there on the south side of the big band and called Nature coast. And, you know, people don’t realize how big Florida is, how diverse it is. And, you know, many people here you from Florida like, Oh, you’re from Boca, you’re from Fort Lauderdale. I was like Nah, man, like, you know, you won’t even recognize my part of the state, you know. So it’s a small coastal towns and islands, only 1500 people. It hasn’t grown much. It’s grown a little bit. You know, the locals don’t think that they think it’s, you know, they think they’re getting overrun, but they should come to Destin or go down south to see what real changes. But yeah, it’s a cool town. I love going back. I don’t get back near near near enough. Appreciate
Nestor J. Aparicio 31:02
you, man. Thanks for always being good to us here coming back and visiting and telling some stories. So we got at this point, dude, as we get older, so a couple of weeks from now, maybe the Ravens that you expect him to win the Super Bowl?
31:14
I don’t I mean, if they did it, it would it would be it would be a big disappointment because they’ve got the defense. I mean, what they’re doing on the defensive side of the ball is remarkable. They’ve got some killer D lineman, they’ve got some young talent that they haven’t had in a long time. I mean, they’re getting production from all levels. My boy Tony Weaver’s back coaching the D line doing a phenomenal job. I don’t think he’s getting enough credit. You know, but the the amount of pressure, the angles, they come at you. You know, the the addition of row Quan Smith, I think is, is I know, it’s it’s staid and people understand it, but I don’t think that they understand that, you know, this team needed, you know, when you come off of, you know, 18 years with Ray Lewis, and then you go straight into CJ Mosley. I think that’s one of the biggest things they they missed was a bar center, like ro Quan, and he is that guy. I mean, he is he is an unbelievable player, but just his presence. And the physicality that he brings, is, is what I think is what they’ve missed on the DS even started the ball. And it’s been a tremendous help. I
Nestor J. Aparicio 32:28
called it a heart transplant to do it on the trading deadline and give him money. And then they fought with Lamar and wound up like figuring it out. Right. Like all of that that we went through last year feels you know, like that’s that’s the trials and tribulations you have to go through to sign the best player in the sport. But nobody wanted Lamar, right like that. In all of its bizarre, I’m not writing rain three this time around, like I wrote Purple Rain, so I’m not writing, but boy, what a book it will make if they Well, I mean,
32:57
the problem is, is those people because I was saying it to those people are not wrong, you know, because the traditional the traditional method is, is you have a young quarterback that’s got talent on his rookie deal, because he’s on his rookie deal. The salary cap allows you to go out and get all these supporting cats when the offensive line in Seattle Seahawks, I mean, there’s 1000 You know, examples of this, but I think the Seattle Seahawks are the the biggest example is that, you know, Russell Wilson on his rookie deal, you have this dominant defense, you have one of the best offensive lines in football and you have a great running back and receiver core. They win a Super Bowl. You pay Russell Wilson, that roster gets gutted the they go from the best to the worst offensive lineman in football, and they got the defense well now the pressure is on the quarterback so everybody knows that. And that’s what everybody’s fearful of
Nestor J. Aparicio 33:58
an example of that here, right? I mean,
34:01
that’s that’s exactly what happened with Baltimore and you have to
Nestor J. Aparicio 34:04
handle the shot pyramid you have to you have to handle
34:08
way more pressure on those big name guys, you do not you cannot miss on your first round picks. Your quarterback has to play to that level. These new salary caps and the way they’re structuring these deals. Yes, there is some purge. Yes, there are some players that have to go. But they’re still I don’t know how they’re done. They’re obviously smarter than way smarter than I am. They they’re figuring out ways to pay those key guys, and still retaining talent around them. Kansas City, Kansas City Chiefs are doing that. The Baltimore Ravens are doing that. I mean, there’s countless teams that are that are paying guys, unbelievable deals and then still being able to retain talent around them. Now you still have to get production out of your middle to late round. Picks. The ravens are doing that I don’t understand it from, from a salary cap viewpoint, but they are doing it. And it’s it’s impressive to see. It’s it’s, it’s, it’s another example of how good our personnel staff is. I mean, they’re, they’re just phenomenal. And they, they, they are not going to have consistent losing years. I mean, they just, they’re amazing their ability to evaluate talent and structure the team in a manner that’s that they’re going to be productive. Well,
Nestor J. Aparicio 35:30
part of that is just the longevity keeping good people around. Right. Like, they
35:34
treat people, right. They treat people, right. People want to be there. You know, I mean, just from top to bottom, I mean, in my opinion, I’m biased, because, you know, it’s played there for nine years, but they are by far, in my opinion, the best organization in football. I mean, it’s, it’s I think the only team that can, you know, compare to him is probably the Steelers.
Nestor J. Aparicio 35:59
I don’t really know. I mean, eagles are always thought to be great, and they want it but now they’re in disarray, right. Like,
36:06
the coach, he was 10 and one, it was in the Super Bowl last year, and they’re talking about firing the coach, you know, I mean, you know, it’s clearly just injuries that have that have, you know, come back to bite that team. But, you know, is, you know, I was lucky to get drafted the ravens and, and, you know, but their ability to withstand, to sustain, you know, losing good players to free agency losing good coaches, to other teams, losing personnel staff that gets picked apart because of the success they’ve had. And they just keep plugging along. And, you know, it’s the big three that that the leadership that’s in place is why they’re like that, you know, obviously John Harbaugh, Eric Acosta slash Ozzie Newsome, and then, you know, the man himself, Steve Bushati, that’s where it starts. And it’s the reason they’re successful. You know, so it’s, it’s, I think we’re all just lucky to be a part of it.
Nestor J. Aparicio 37:01
Go have a coffee thaw out, get ready for fishing season around the corner. Jared Johnson is down in Niceville Florida serving up black rifle coffee. If you’re down there fishing, hunting, driving through on your way to Pensacola or Tallahassee, stop by and say hello, come back up visit us we got a chip AFC Championship game 1971 So while we’re one one away from that, I know you know how that feels to be that close to all that we’ll see how they they play this week. It’s always good to visit with you. Your families go well your house doing okay, you look happy you look sorta like me. So keep it up. Keep fishing, brother. All right. All right. Thank you have a good one. Jared Johnson joining us here today where I tell you what we’re gonna be doing our crabcake row beginning of February 5 Talk brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery. I’ll have some scratch offs, some peppermint up some peppermint. Pay out multipliers as well as the Oh snap. They smell like gingerbread. I gave a bunch of these wait Hollywood casino on Saturday that went up to watch Joe Flacco play and to avoid giving peacock money. Don’t have to worry about that this weekend for games on all weekend long. Luke is out in Owings Mills, monitoring all things, ravens and breaking news happening to WNS D tech service make sure you are thinking about joining us the week of February the fifth as we do crabcake row a cup of soup or bowl for the Maryland Food Bank. I’m Nestor we are wn st am 1570, Towson Baltimore. We never stop talking Baltimore. Positive
