Fifteen years after the fact on Radio Row at 2016 Super Bowl in San Francisco, Nestor wound up having an impromptu gripe session with two guys who have strong opinions on the 2001 Baltimore Ravens. With Bullies of Baltimore on ESPN, this very candid chat with Ogden and Stokley is a must-listen if you loved the Super Bowl 35 champs.
This conversation is from February 7, 2016.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
game, baltimore, year, ring, run, stokely, week, ray charles, day, quarterback, people, coach, talking, ravens, brandon, big, playing, anymore, bit, man
SPEAKERS
Brandon Stokley, Nestor Aparicio, Jon Ogden
Nestor Aparicio 00:00
Welcome back, WN st Towson, Baltimore and wn St. dotnet. We are live in San Francisco. I got world champions with me to have you look at you guys, you know, no disrespect to the 13 Super Bowl because you know I love everything about New Orleans.
Brandon Stokley 00:16
We were the first unit right? So
Nestor Aparicio 00:18
reds and whites. Brandon’s Stokely returns and only to hang out with John, what’s your headset? Yeah, All right, Hall of Famer John Ogden and he will say about the Hall of Famer
Brandon Stokley 00:34
doesn’t get better than him. I mean, you know, when you can find a player that you can just lock down that left side, and not only pass protection, but run blocking. I mean, he did it all, you know, for as long as he did it. You never had to worry about your blind side. And you always knew that that side was taken care of. It’s such a luxury for an offense.
Nestor Aparicio 00:52
We know that we don’t have him anymore. Exactly. Exactly. I mean, there’s been a little shuffling around Chantel how you feel man You doing all right.
Jon Ogden 00:59
I’m great, man. I’m doing you know, just living the life right now. A little bit of media stuff here and there still, but mostly just living in Vegas taking care of the kids Hall of Fame
Nestor Aparicio 01:09
ring. That we’re here’s your prize. I have both rich dad Hall of Famer, you’re world champion. Hold
Jon Ogden 01:17
on. Let me break it out for you. I got them. I got them both. All right. I mean the thing.
Nestor Aparicio 01:22
Baltimore, man, I’m proud he been in the Hall of Fame at all but has never seen one of though Billy the ability was here yesterday. There we go. He’s got them both. He’s got his cowboy thing.
Brandon Stokley 01:34
The other one we got another one. Oh, that’s
Nestor Aparicio 01:37
right. They gave the Broncos that year. Oh, yeah. pinball machine in here man. You
Jon Ogden 01:49
know what it is, is I have really appreciate every ring this one the Super Bowl ring has a lot of meaning, obviously, because we played on that team. And this man caught the first touchdown. Everybody remembers that it was spectacular. Over the middle beat my SWD
Nestor Aparicio 02:01
told you who told you to breakfast on Thursday that week and you were gonna catch touchdown? Probably you
Brandon Stokley 02:06
it was me probably I gotta say you I’m on your radio show. It was you definitely that’s definitely that was you.
Nestor Aparicio 02:12
And I was just gonna sit and talk to Jay Oh,
Brandon Stokley 02:16
and have a good conversation and then I busted my way in here and I’m gonna run this thing.
Nestor Aparicio 02:21
Running it. I mean, you’re picking up the pace. That’s okay. But do you want to get chippy with me? I mean, toxin Broncos. I just had Deontay Wilder here a little bit of rubbed off. Oh yeah. So this is the interesting part you Stokely by the way he doesn’t wear his Raven ring.
Brandon Stokley 02:39
Listen, I brought my I’ve only bought one ring here. I don’t have an assistant follow me around with my other ring. Okay, so I actually got to take care of my rings Alright, so so I could only if I had to I would go crazy. Okay, because I can’t wear
Nestor Aparicio 02:54
nice rings right? I mean, Jay you got three obviously
Brandon Stokley 03:00
one to bring
Nestor Aparicio 03:02
because you work so hard to get it and then you get it. And it’s really it is a difficult thing to wear even they’re made for just like that. Challenge finger not mine. Yeah, exactly ostentatious. And do you remember how big it was the night you got the one and a one the night when the helicopter landed? Rice modell brings that stuff. It was the biggest thing you’ve ever seen it it looks like a P against the other two rings.
Jon Ogden 03:26
Oh crazy. You know, because if you hold the first one up the 2000 and you see it by itself like this is a great ring. And then you look at the Hall of Fame ring. Like this is unbelievable what they’ve done over the last you
Nestor Aparicio 03:39
look at my wedding ring like a regular Right exactly. But they were with me throw
Jon Ogden 03:44
in the rang from Oh, I’m so jealous and that is just ridiculous. Debo shot. He went over the top way obviously.
Nestor Aparicio 03:51
But I’ve always wanted to wear one of each. You know and do the flaming mm. You know, the middle finger, say to the Steelers fans? Yeah, I got you right here. Right. I got you right here. You know, but these beautiful, look at that.
Brandon Stokley 04:04
Unbelievable. I’m jealous about especially last that Raven broke my heart.
Nestor Aparicio 04:13
I said can I ask both you this because I have my memories of that day and that experience. We celebrated 15 years last week, right? 15 years ago last week. When I first when you look at the ring when you think of the memory what what do you think of John, when you think of that day? Do you think of Ray Charles do you think of you know the confetti? What’s the memory for you of that day?
Jon Ogden 04:38
Both of those you actually mentioned are two of the things I actually remember very vividly. There’s a lot of stuff that went by in a flash that whole week. But I remember Ray Charles singing and I remember I
Nestor Aparicio 04:48
remember the hair on the back of my neck. Yeah, Ray Charles was saying and oh, oh everybody home just gotta chill
Jon Ogden 04:59
out gray but we all can remember everybody just covered the one it was it was a great experience and I remembered the end of the game when the confetti started to fall and we are the champions started to play. And I said there’s no other game we’re done there’s no more mountain to climb. This is the top of the mountain right now. Now what do we do? And when Yeah, exactly like are we? Are we off next week? What are we We’re taking a week off. I mean, so it was just a crazy feeling. But it was just the best feeling where I remember the game. Once the game started it’s got to be another football game real quick because once you get once you get hit, or you hit somebody you like back into what you’ve done your whole life mode let’s get this game going but a man when it was before game, halftime was really long and post game was just crazy. The party when we won at the hotel was just
Nestor Aparicio 05:44
show Brandon the other day the pictures of all of us. I had the picture you and me. I posted it the day I have never shared those pictures other than like, there’s a couple on the back of the book, but not of you because I had different pictures you
Brandon Stokley 05:55
there was no Instagram or Facebook.
Nestor Aparicio 05:59
They were picture photos, right? So I put them all in an album and on the 28th I shared 15 pictures from the postgame party me kissing Flynn. You know, I mean, it was hilarious. Brenda for you is is that night about the catch? Because you’ve seen it? You have to see it.
Brandon Stokley 06:19
So yeah, you know, it’s about the catch was awesome. But But more than that, it’s just after the game sharing the moment with your teammates, I brought my girlfriend at the time but wife now on the field. You know, just sharing that moment with with with her. And then the after party like Joe said, for me. That’s That’s what I remember most is just you sit at a table. You got all your family around. You agitate your
Nestor Aparicio 06:40
families in my picture there, right? Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
Brandon Stokley 06:43
I mean, my sister, you know, and you are like, half sister. She’s great. She’s like me, does she not think she loves you? She loves you. You got to understand we’re from South Louisiana. So I always factly me too. I messed up. I got not I’m not even going to say you messed up. So no, I joke with my wife. My wife’s from Cali. Okay. And so
Nestor Aparicio 07:09
like a valley girl. Yeah, wish they all could be California.
Brandon Stokley 07:14
That’s right. No, but but but having that memory of being at that table, and you have my grandfather and my dad. And then my sisters, you know, everybody that helped get you to that moment was right there. And you get to celebrate with them and just let them know how much a part of you being there and winning that game, it wouldn’t have happened without them. And so that, to me, is what’s so special?
Nestor Aparicio 07:34
Well, it means the world to me, You guys always stopped buying. And two decades later, we’re still we’re still at, that’s
Brandon Stokley 07:38
the kind of bonds that you farm, especially when you want a Super Bowl. And even without the Super Bowl, we’d have great bonds. But when you win the Super Bowl you have it’s like brothers long, long, even when you see you might not see anybody for 10 years. You see him, you know Billy Davis, and if I see Billy Dee right now, you know, at the
Nestor Aparicio 07:53
table yesterday, and I saw him and I’m like, wow, you know, what’s he doing here? Right? Yeah, and I got a big warm hug. And like all that, you know,
Brandon Stokley 08:00
it’s awesome.
Nestor Aparicio 08:02
You talk about that. I guess as we get older, all of us that week was fun talking about it bragging the whole year, I was nationally syndicated that year. And I would always say broadcasting from Baltimore, home with the world champion. I got to say that for a year, and I got to say it again a couple years ago. But all you got when it’s over with is talking about what used to be right unless you’re gonna live your life right? I mean, literally 15 years later, they’re all memories now you’re not gonna play anymore. It’s all done when you’re in it. I think that’s the hardest part to understand that then Billick you know, that speech that he gave the night you guys one was we’re never gonna be team again. We’re never gonna get everybody together again. I mean, guys from the team have passed away now. Gone away. Can’t find some of them. But, but you know, I know you guys are still close with the guys that as you said 15 years later, you still keep these relationships right? Yeah,
Jon Ogden 08:51
I remember we had the 10 year reunion five years ago that was great. I don’t know if we’re doing anything for 15 That’s ready. You weren’t there
Brandon Stokley 08:56
right? No, I was still working I was in
Jon Ogden 08:59
the past there was a special day two. Oh, that was a lot of fun.
Nestor Aparicio 09:02
I found those pictures the other day I’ve gone through my pictures my wife got ill and I bring you gotta run man you got your boy here you want to hang out? Well, good.
Brandon Stokley 09:09
I’m enjoying myself. He’s he’s he’s a big boy. He can wander
Nestor Aparicio 09:15
shows up to Yeah, lately. You come back. I run into you in Baltimore way more than I probably should for a guy that doesn’t spend a lot of time. Right. You know what
Jon Ogden 09:25
I’m very economical with my time in Baltimore. When I’m there, you’re done. I’m out and I’m being seen and doing things and making sure that my foundation stays you know, relevant in the community making sure that I’m promoting Baltimore the best I can when I’m there. But when I’m not there, I’m in Vegas. I am relaxing at home with the wife and kids on the golf course in the yoga studio trying to get my little downward dog on
Nestor Aparicio 09:49
high you do hot yoga, hot yoga man.
Brandon Stokley 09:52
That is that is that the way to go this let me tell you to try that. Yes.
Nestor Aparicio 09:55
So so the person that turned me on to it. I went out had some margaritas with on Wednesday Brian balding 1999 You know when I was syndicated Baldinger became my co host. And you know and he had just retired it still looks good. He looks better now than he did then phase lost more weight. Right? You see every swing now. You see Mike Flynn now that they are smaller guys jail you ain’t ever gonna be small. I know. It’s just where it’s at. I mean, you never been small.
Jon Ogden 10:22
No one ever wonders if I was taking drugs and I play they look at me, man and like, you know what? He’s just a big dude, you are a drunk. Exactly. You know, but but I do what I can to try to be moderate with my food and try to live a good healthy lifestyle and try to work out because I’m not going to deprive myself completely of things. I like just a little bit when
Nestor Aparicio 10:43
you walked away. wisely. We still needed you. And I we say what your Pinky Winky toe and like all that, and how much pain you ran with all the weight? You must be happy you went when you went?
Jon Ogden 10:54
Right. Yeah, 100%, I could not have picked a better moment to walk away from the game. I mean, it’s not that, you know, there was a change coming in Baltimore with John Harbaugh. Not that I was scared of a change, but it’s changed the change. And then you know, you couple that with the fact that my entire 12 year, I was in the training room every single day, nothing worse, something done on my toe, which you know, and that just starts to drive you crazy as a player. And then when you’re out there on the field, you know, you’re not playing to the level that you should be you’re capable of because of your injury. I can I tell you the moment I knew that
Nestor Aparicio 11:30
this is where we come to the Peyton Manning. So this is good. I mean, right into the moment
Jon Ogden 11:34
I knew it was time for me to walk away was we were playing Seattle that year in Seattle. And we were coming out of the TV timeout. It was a
Nestor Aparicio 11:42
second Atlanta. It was a last row game Brian coach Exactly. Christmas week.
Jon Ogden 11:45
Exactly. And I was already having a miserable season. You know, as for me, I was playing okay, but I was hurting and I wasn’t playing like I should be playing. And I’m sitting there on the field, we’re coming out of a TV timeout, I’m looking around the stadium, the 12th man gets going, I can’t hear a thing. In my mind. I told myself, I don’t really want to be out here right now. I mean, it was kind of surprised me a little bit. But when I said that to myself, I said this is it, it’s time to go. And that’s when you know, you know when it’s time to go especially offensive lineman, because the body just says you know, just can’t do it anymore.
Nestor Aparicio 12:18
Brandon, you you wanted to hang in forever and you know, tried off your back. With Peyton right now he’s clearly where Joe’s talking about being witches beaten up, can’t get on the field wants to get on the field, when he gets on the field, he can’t throw the ball the way he used to. But he’s in the middle of the fire here and got to make it through an hour to get to the other side. You know what it was like to be an aging player where it’s a
Brandon Stokley 12:43
grind, it’s a total grind, you know, first of all, your skills have diminished a little bit. And you know, yeah, and the injuries that come up that used to take a day or two now take two weeks. And then you know you rush back from them. And then now you look at four weeks and and being in the training room at six o’clock in the morning. And then going through a whole day and then being in the trainer room after practice for the
Nestor Aparicio 13:08
bishop just came over and grabbed like Ray Lewis grabbed a ball from
Jon Ogden 13:19
somebody that was a good that was a good as a good player write me a few times. He would come down in that box, his legs would bow
Nestor Aparicio 13:31
move that guy and he would talk to Tennessee Titans
Jon Ogden 13:41
rival but you know what, though? Back in the day, man. Oh, man.
Brandon Stokley 13:46
That was those are fun games. But going back in your there late at night, and it’s just a grind, you know, and it becomes like, Jalen, it’s not fun anymore. And when it’s not fun, and it’s a grind. You know, it’s just not worth it. And so that’s, you know, that’s at the end there. And my last year in Baltimore, that’s what it became. For me, that’s when it
Nestor Aparicio 14:05
becomes an easier decision to make. Yes. Without a doubt,
Jon Ogden 14:09
no question.
Brandon Stokley 14:09
So you look back and you kind of I think it helps when you look back and you say, You know what, I wasn’t having fun anymore. And it if it’s not fun, I don’t want to keep doing it. And that’s where I was and that sounds like that’s what happened to j o n e
Nestor Aparicio 14:23
n this. This piece we’re doing is going to air after the Super Bowl because I’m gonna play two people here next week. But in advance of Payton’s last game, win or lose, Jay Oh, man, he was always in our way. You know, I and I know Stokely that’s his blood brother there, but he was always in the way, beating us trying to beat us playing in January. Even if you knew you got to January you’re gonna have to beat him. Because he’s gonna be there. It’s unbelievable. Dude, you’ve been out of the game. 10 years. He’s still playing.
Jon Ogden 14:51
Yeah, it’s amazing how long that guy stuck around. In my mind. I really think that he’s already decided he wants to retire. But I don’t think he wants to be the story kind of like how Ray Lewis was the story Ray when he announced it and up until the whole suit will run I think Peyton just doesn’t want that’s
Brandon Stokley 15:04
a great point to be the focus as far as you know, you know if he does no he’s not going to say anything and then he won’t say anything after the game you know, win or lose because he doesn’t want to take that spotlight from away from his teammates and for whatever they accomplish at the game so
Nestor Aparicio 15:18
so he’s gonna do it by fax by tweet.
Brandon Stokley 15:21
Price back for him. Yeah, he doesn’t tweet he doesn’t Instagram he doesn’t Facebook any of that stuff. So probably fax for him
Nestor Aparicio 15:28
on a Papa John’s pizza. Pepperoni. Yeah. For where the ravens are right now, going into this offseason This is a precarious place. Right. You know, there’s ups there’s downs, there’s changes, you would point out that this was a rough year and this this is a really key offseason. I mean, Ozzy’s got work to do. And I think they all have
Jon Ogden 15:50
acknowledged they all understand that their last couple drafts have not been quite as successful as the earlier one
Nestor Aparicio 15:56
you can’t tramp to hall of famers in the first round.
Jon Ogden 16:02
But I mean, but it hasn’t been as bad as people made it out to be in Baltimore, either. But, uh, you know, they’re gonna have a high pick this year. I think number six, is it I guess, five or six? You know, and when you have a pig that high, you can’t miss. So they’re gonna be doing a lot of work, I’m sure, but they need help but a couple of positions. So I mean, it’s gonna be a fun offseason to watch with the Ravens do because, like you said, this is easier to kind of, I don’t want to say prove himself, he’s proven himself, but he’s got to kind of reestablish himself a bit. Well,
Brandon Stokley 16:30
you guys, nobody better than than that, you know, Ozzy, and everybody he has underneath him that that personnel department, I mean, the consistency of having those guys there, they’ve proven what they can do. You know, they’ve had a couple lean years here and there, right, but they always seem to bounce back. They really do. And, you know, we talked about it a few weeks ago, they’ve had some tough injuries this past year, you know, some really tough and a lot of edge and some and some horrible calls along the way that that screwed those games. Yeah, screwed America. They won that Oakland game that game was over. And they call it a bogus pass interference call on for
Nestor Aparicio 17:03
Jacksonville on Doomer Ville with the face. Clock it already right.
Brandon Stokley 17:07
So those two games right there, you know, and we’ve compiled with the injuries, it was just a tough year, but they have what it takes they have everything in place to just reload again, they’ll have a fine year this year. I have no doubt about it.
Nestor Aparicio 17:21
You know, I spent a lot of time talking to media people the national meeting people who you know if they’re gang tackling their own coach or the general manager or the ownership and a lot of places they don’t have rings, I mean, look at Cleveland or just that’s the prime example. But in other places like Jacksonville where they haven’t won but they liked the coach and they’re gonna hang in a lot of places hung in this offseason right? I mean, Indianapolis, Chuck’s gonna be back in New Orleans look like pain was gonna leave, it’s gonna be back. You know, not everybody has the confidence that they’re going to be resurrected. But when I talked to national people about the Ravens that everyone was like, you’ll be fine, they’ll be fine. They’re gonna come back. That’s that’s really what you have a quarterback those plates you
Brandon Stokley 17:58
have a quarterback. And that’s, that’s the biggest piece and you have consistency in the front office, the owner and the head coach. I mean, right there and you have people that have done it, not just consistency you’ve had you got winners all across that organization. So that on top of having a great quarterback, that’s why
Nestor Aparicio 18:16
Majan if we had Joe like 10 years early, no disrespect trend or whatever, but it would be like last night right. And, you know, as he said, The reason I’m on TV and not because I didn’t have a quarterback. We couldn’t, we couldn’t Well, let me
Brandon Stokley 18:31
let me bring this up to both of y’all. The move from Dilfer to girl back
Jon Ogden 18:36
one of the worst moves ever made. Yeah, I mean, one of the worst moves that’s the worst move Brian Billick ever made as a coach was not bringing the man back who won the Super Bowl giving him a chance to win his job back I mean, if you want to bring in competition bring us in for how did you feel about it at the time? I felt terrible. I thought it was horrible. Then I felt you don’t do that to the chemistry that we had like I understand was that bill for wasn’t a great quarterback but he was a good guy Aurora and you believe in him? I didn’t Elvis look. Elvis was not the most.
Brandon Stokley 19:09
He wasn’t our guy. You know, he wasn’t. He wasn’t a guy who was really he was a good guy, but he wasn’t a locker room guy. And the thing about Trey was that reputation a little bit right. The thing about Trent Dilfer was, he was perfect for our team exactly what we were right. You know, we’re a defensive football team. We’re gonna run the football. He was just a hard nosed guy and we rallied around him offensively, you know, he knew what it took, and defensively they loved him. And so when you have that, and then you break that up after one year without even like jail said without even giving him a chance. You know, I look back at that. I’m like, Man, I wish we would have had him for one more year at least give him give the guy a shot. What can we have done?
Jon Ogden 19:48
I mean, if elements can’t take competition from Trent Dilfer, then what is he worth anyway? I mean, honestly, as a coach, people talk about quarterbacks need to have this bubble and no BS. Everybody needs time. repetition you know show what you’re made out of. Because you have to on that field man you can’t be out there being weak minded you got to be out there tough and a little competition from somebody isn’t going to you know make it impossible for you to play so I thought that was just mostly almost everything else Brian Billick did the way he ran the ran the organization what he did for us he’s my favorite coach but that decision right there I just thought was just was bad
Nestor Aparicio 20:23
you guys made a good decision and stopped by here. Yeah. That all up here leg Thank you love you both purple forever right. You know thanks for all the kindness over the years man. That was fun. Good times. Good times. J Do I still have the hat? I still have the 9696 the original silver and black ravens Hat No logo no nothing bad the draft? I love a sad one a draft sadly I was the first guy from Baltimore John Ogden met Yeah. And here 20 years after you set the precedent precedents like this. These are the people have to put up with because everybody there short. Hey, appreciate you guys. Man. John. The Brandon Stokely always champions here and obviously a lot of rings going on around here. Brandon can lose that one with the horseshoe on it unless it says 71 on. We are wn st dotnet am 1570 wn st Towson Baltimore. And we never stop talking. Baltimore sports
