Wow, Jordan and Jake.

I go good, I'm excited, ready to go the bump stops.

He throws at a crossfield.

Guess who, George Gross.

Here are your Panther Hall of Honor members, Jordan Gross and Jake Dilome.

Jake's training camp is officially over.

Can you believe it already came and went?

That's what I heard.

Yeah, I didn't even you know, Jordan, I'm sorry.

Maybe I'm the old guy.

I didn't even realize.

I guess that it was going on, you know, after the first preseason game or fan.

You know, it's like, okay, it seems like it's kind of done.

It's hard to.

Tell because it's like, okay, now we're out of training camp.

But then the next day is the exact same, same facility, same you know, type of schedule.

So to your point, it does.

It's hard to know, but I know the announcement is then it's officially over, Jake.

Much different than driving home from Wafford for the last time, but either way, it's done.

Ended yesterday Tuesday.

Record this on Wednesday, ended on what appears to be a pretty lively practice.

Jake.

Some fights.

Fists thrown by j C.

Horn extended final period, Cuba Hubbard making the whole offense run gassers for pre snap penalties.

I think that's awesome.

Yeah, I think it's great.

And it sounds like it probably got a little testy.

But here's an issue, and I don't know why it sticks with me so much.

Oh, they want to.

Talk about the fight, and tell them, so what, Let's talk about the practice.

Somebody got mad, they pushed each other.

I mean, I don't know, Jordan, is it me?

Why does it like?

Oh, it's it's not a fight of a helmet on.

Well, here's the thing we had.

Listen.

Okay, it's been funny being a football coach of a high school team alongside the current Panther regime because my timeline has been very similar.

So my messaging to my team has always been, we got to compete in practice.

You got to go after your your teammate and make him better.

You show him you love him by kicking his butt.

We want to be aggressive, we want to arrive angry.

We want to attack with violence, you know, using all the keywords to get these guys to pick it up.

But we had our shrimmage, intersquad scrimmage on Saturday.

Guess what we had happened between one of my starting receivers and a starting dB A fight.

It's ripped off and Jake I ran over there and I am all smiles.

Okay, So we're gonna talk through why this is important on the Panthers team on the last day of camp because coach Canalis has been saying since a guy here, like, hey, we want to have energy a practice.

We got to compete a practice.

We want to arrive angry.

We want to make our teammates better by how we compete against them.

And with that, Jake, guys get pissed because you're going your hardest.

You're not holding back.

You're not the old term.

Hey, don't brother in law each other, right, which is hey, I'm going to easy and you go easy so that we don't have to work hard.

Well, that seems like it's out the window.

Whether it's the secondary, whether it's the line, whether it's linebackers, whatever it is.

Coach Canalis, now he gets to coach like, guys, that's too intense.

Yeah, that's what I was able to do with my high school team.

Like, guys, we can't do that.

Here's why, because if you throw a punch in a game, you get thrown out, you know, get injured.

It's a penalty, you know, all those things you say, But like, hey, guys, we want to live right underneath that line.

So yeah, I've been saying aggression, aggression.

Coach Canalis is saying aggression.

You know, intensity, Well, now we got to control it.

So the dream for a head coach is to have to tell his guys, hey, it's too much.

We're going too hard, We're competing too hard, somebody's gonna get hurt.

You always want to pull guys back.

It's exhausting trying to get them there.

So to me, it's like a culmination of two years of preaching out of coach Canalis.

Even the reading the storylines that train.

The meeting going into that day yesterday, was that he was pumping the guys up.

It's our last training camp.

What's in with a bang?

Let's compete?

And man, he sure got it, Jake, So I love what's happening.

Yeah, okay, I'm listening to you, but I'm sorry, I just don't ever remember you and Julius Pepper's throwing a punch at each other at practice, and you can't find two people that practiced with the most intensity and with intent, with everything to make themselves better than y'all two, And there was never a punch thrown.

I don't know, Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

That's me was there, Jake?

I guarantee there was punches thrown the year before you and I got there, when John Fox came in and said we got to be nasty and aggressive and all that kind of stuff, and there was a guy on our team that was throwing punches like crazy, your radio or your TV call, buddy, Steve Smith.

Right, So it'll happen from time to time.

I'm not saying we need it all the time.

Just watching from the outside, it says to me that we're competing hard at practice, you know, the moving forward from now on and that's done.

We're in season pre much once we get through this game.

But I don't know, Jake, I like the way it sounds.

Okay, good.

It was an intense, chippy practice.

Great.

We wanted to kill each other the week of the Super Bowl.

Remember we will practice.

We wanted to kill each other.

Okay, Well, we were ready to play, well, Edgie, we're ready to play.

I mean, I don't think We're gonna throw a punch at somebody's helmet and that has a helmet on with our hands.

Dumb.

Yeah, I mean you know, like, what are you gonna do to that person?

Yes, First of all, we've covered all this in previous episodes.

All right, so now the camp is over, we know that we're not going to have any starters playing on Thursday.

The quarterback battle for the backup role has gotten way more interesting with Bryce Perkins being signed the UFL MVP, so him and Jack Plumber are gonna get all the reps.

Andy Dalton had the elbow thing in the game last week.

They said he's fine, but he's not gonna play either.

Did we get what we needed out of this preseason with our starters, Jake, and then segueing into the game, you're gonna be calling what we expect?

Well, that's that's a great question.

We just don't know, Jordan.

It sounds like from all indications, the joint practices were very effective, some really good work.

Certainly, I think Houston is an extreme quality opponent, Let's let's just put it that way.

And I just think you saw in the game, you know, I know there's some frustration and even coach Canalis, you never see him really kind of waiver too much on the positivity.

But I thought it was pretty I don't know, the way he said it after the game was like hey, like okay, I know we want to do when is it going to happen?

We got to do it.

That to me was like screaming, like that was the pirade according to the way Canalis speaks.

And you watch that game and hey, we dropp him past.

That's a big first down of completion.

To j T.

Sanders, that's something that.

You want to see him make that play because all we've heard on campus, he's dropped the weight, he's looked great practice, he's done really well.

Well, we'd like to see that, you know, make that play.

You see Andy get in real quick and here's Ted McMillan on an out and up on one of the premier cornerbacks in the National Football League and he gets in the byite and he's wide open and he's letting it go and he gets them push in his face and gets hit on the elbow and the ball flutters.

So, I mean, you'd like to see us execute one of those plays you feel, you know, you execute one of those two plays.

You just feel a little bit different, right, You just feel just a little bit different, and so you know, I get it, understand, and maybe it's a good thing that has just been so so on a couple of the games that you had, that practice that they participated in on Tuesday when it got really chippy and it sounded like it was great work.

Because that's it, Jordan.

I mean, after the game Thursday night, it's opening day.

There's not another there's not another preseason game and things like that.

It's we gotta go and we got to see what we can do.

We gotta play a full game.

And I don't know if any teams are truly ready anymore to be quite on it for week one.

So I'm anxious to see tomorrow night.

There will be some position battles up.

For graft who makes the play, like which guy?

I want to see Jack Plumber come out and I want to see him fling the ball around.

He had a couple of picks the other day, one deep in the red area, and he looked like, you know, there was some questioning in his mind.

I want to see him play loose and play free and let it go.

Bryce Perkins, what a great opportunity.

You get signed.

There's no pressure whatsoever.

I believe coach Canalis said there is some crossover with terminology from what he kind of ran at the Rams.

Well, let's let it loose when you get to play.

Let's see what happens.

You just played all spring long, you're the MVP of the league.

You were in like, I'm pulling.

For this guy.

That's I'll go back to my NFL your days.

So I want to see this guy go out and sling it in play.

But let me see some of these young guys, these rookies continue to make a play to show up forty Thornton.

I want to see it again.

I want to see Lathan Ransom the safety.

I'd love to see Evans are tied in.

Come on at and I think there's something there, a little running back.

I mean, I know we have Rico, and I know certainly we have two, but this at and T he catches it effortlessly, and the way he can kind of stopped, start and maneuver, he looks like he might be a pretty good fine for us.

Well, plenty of things to watch.

You're calling it right.

You got to do your production meeting right, after we get done with this podcast, busy man, but looking forward to hearing you on that, Jake.

One thing that that was interesting in this softseason, excuse me, this preseason.

Coach Canalis you know all about development coaches on his staff and really takes a lot of pride in that.

So, Brad, is it called the plays these previous two preseason games.

Coach Canalis is going to do it today.

On defensive side, Coach Cooley and Hanson, they both took turns calling the defense in the preseason games.

Now ej is going to do it.

We were we ever part of teams?

Are we part of teams where they handed off that play calling duties.

It seems to me that everywhere that every preseason I was a part of our OC called the plays.

It was just business as usual.

I think that's super interesting that coach Canals is doing that, and also interesting that he's going to decide to call plays now when his starters aren't in there.

What are your thoughts on that, Jake?

Yeah, I love it.

I think he called the coaching development and I think that's it's unbelievable.

And I just go back to Pete Carroll.

I mean, that's where he learned it from.

There's a reason Pete Carroll has been extremely successful.

He's about developing players, but not just players.

The coaches, and so, I don't know.

I think that's great.

I love that Izick was able to call the plays.

He's a young guy beyond intelligence, he's got a really high intelligence.

And let him get his feet wet and calling plays.

And same thing with Cooley and Hanson getting the call plays.

And now I like that Dave's Paul in the last game.

And so is EJ.

And I'll tell you why, Jordan, Because I.

Truly believe there's five or six roster spots, maybe more that are still up for grabs.

We don't know.

And you want to give those people, whoever they may be.

The chance to perform their best, yes, and to hoop better than to call the plays.

And the offensive coordinator who is our head coach, and the defensive coordinator who's coach?

Eva let them call this is my defense, this is what I'm gonna call.

I want to see how these guys react in this situation.

What if there's a safety or a corner or a nico or linebacker that EJ wants to put him in a tough spot.

I want to put him in a tough spot.

I want to see if he can make a check.

I'm anticipating this certain call.

I mean things like that.

The same thing with coach canais what if he wants to see a receiver run a certain route or something like that are tied end.

We just don't know.

But I like that they're calling that.

No.

I think it's outstanding and it just speaks to me the coach canallys is continued trust and belief in his system and his process.

You know, there's no hiding it.

Bryce Young's got pressure on him this year to perform.

You know, he's no longer a rookie.

Kind of the excuse is that, you know, with the changes and coordinators and head coaches and all that, like, Bryce got to have a good season.

Coach Canalis needs to have a good season.

So but to still just say, hey, here's how we're going to do this in the preseason, here's how we're gonna do you know, our with our coaches, calm plays.

I just I love that he's true to what he believes in Jake, and it's you know, I'm just a slat out.

I'm just rooting for him like Tracy this season and looking forward to you know what we're gonna look like in a real game with our real guys.

Still a couple of weeks out, Jake.

I wanted to mention.

Though, just go down memory lane a little bit on this.

We've played the Steelers the final preseason game every year.

I mean, I don't know when did it start, when the team started, Jake, I mean it's been forever, right.

Yeah, Jordan.

I think a lot of it is proximity and relationships certain owners have with each other.

And I think we all know the high regard mister Richardson Hill the Pittsburgh Steeler franchise and mister Rooney, and they were like best friends.

And I just think he always wanted to model Carolina after the Pittsburgh franchise, and so.

I think it's like that.

But we always played.

Them the Thursday night, the final preseason game.

Yeah, one hundred.

I have a lot of things to remember about this game.

One we went up there one year, Jake, you were a quarterback.

We always knew with John Fox that we were going to do one drive, correct that.

I know where you're going.

We're at Pittsburgh Jake, one drive, you're thinking, the dream drive is like seven plays, touchdown or field goal.

That's the dream opening drive.

If you go three and out, you're always like a shoot, are they going to have a student?

And for those listening, it's not that we're trying to get out of doing work.

You're just if you're still active for the fourth third now but used to be fourth pre season game, you're healthy, like all you want to do is get this thing over with so that you can get into the regular season.

But you're though, all right.

With Foxy, we had one drive we go up there that year Jake, maybe it was oh seven eight, I don't know when it was.

We went on a dog gum seventeen play.

Was it seventeen?

I mean, was seventeen.

I thought it was eighteen.

It's seventeen or eighteen.

Were thinking, like you're so torn because you're like, this is this is great, we're producing, but somebody getting the dang in zone.

That's what I'm thinking the whole time.

And Jordan and I don't know why this sticks out to me so much.

I remember and fox he was like.

Hey, we're gonna run it a lot because we had some injuries.

And backups.

He was like, we're gonna try to run it on this drive.

Let's just get out of here.

You know, if we do throw it, just be smart.

You know.

It was one of those like he had to talk with me before the game.

Well, Jordan, every it was like first down, second down, third and short, get a first.

I mean everyone, Dave Padella offensive lineman, he had to start because we were just down a lineman.

It might've been Jeff otom might have not been playing.

Whatever it was.

Cadella's face, his cheeks were so purple.

He was so ghasted.

And because it was almost the whole first quarter that and it it was just like we came to the sidelines and Fox who looked at us and goes, well, I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, he goes, but yo to go up the whole.

First quarter, I mean it was comical.

And then nothing better though than than that that fourth three season game when you did make it through healthy, you finally got that drive done.

You got to stand on the sideline, eat your sunflower seeds, sneaking into the training or the equipment room at halftime, getting the hot Dogs, crushing two hot Dogs, and like, all right, the regular season is finally here, Jakes.

There's just so much nostalgia right now to me with this time of year.

The opposite of that eighteen play drive was one year I got when the night before that the starters were not playing correct.

So this was was I can't remember if you run this team or not.

So we knew that was happening.

So me and the old line went to the Permante Brothers sandwich place that right, and that's the place where you get like the sandwich with French fries on it.

I mean, it's like the worst food for you health wise, And we celebrated that we knew we weren't happen to play tomorrow with like four of those things, Jake.

I mean we were like in a coma in team meeting that night, couldn't even breathe because we were so happy that we knew we made it through the preseason.

So tons of nostalgia right now, and then true there was quickly pivot into the regular season.

I got a game this weekend though, really yeah, week one, we play the team that we lost to in the playoffs last year.

In overtime.

We go there and play Kimberly Bulldogs probably heard of them.

Now, Sedjart, My question for you your schedule you make it out in the spring summer or is it like you have a one two three year contract type of situation.

Two years at a time.

Okay, yeah, all right, yeah, so this is like called week zero.

You can play like you don't have to do a jamboree or you know what I mean.

So we only have leven practices and then we play.

So yeah, the pretty pretty highly contested matchups.

The next time we talk, I'll either be celebrating your you know, little salty that we didn't get to win.

But either way, it's football time.

This morning woke up, Jake, and it's like the morning light looks like fall.

I know it's still summer technically it's still hot here, but things are definitely changing.

Got my fantasy football draft.

Do a little father son league this weekend.

Yeah, so we got that dialed in.

Started my started boon, my young guy his practice.

So get this, Jake, we go.

I go from high school practice.

It's two hours plus you know, some time at the beginning.

As soon as it's done, the third and fourth grade tackle team are warming up on our practice field just off the like at the edge of our backfield.

We roll immediately into the other practice.

Jake, I'm four hours of straight practice right now.

Oh my gosh.

You must not want us to say a word when you get home, like all, I don't.

But you gotta because you got to get some minutes in.

John Matsko, one of my best DeLine coaches, every said you got to get a thousand words a day.

Wife.

I love it.

I've never heard that advice before ever.

I love it.

I think I was short yesterday, Jake, I was wiped out.

It sounds like Tommy Trimble's a good possibility to play week one, Jake, is that you're hearing?

Yeah, it kind of sounds that way.

Coach canalis, and it's not saying anything that's private.

He on the first preseason game when we did our conference call with him, he talked about Tommy and he said, listen, he's trending in that direction.

I feel really good for him week one, and I don't think a coach will put something out there in regards to that, so that's a positive.

I just think Tommy I loved his development.

Maybe the first year or two didn't develop as quick as we wanted with the coach rules situation, and then Frank it was just, you know, get into a system.

But you're kind of watching Tommy and Cuba.

They developed that relationship, that work ethic that I think kind of resonates with the team.

And Tommy's that guy.

He's got some juice with him and loves ball, not afraid to finish a block.

He made some nice catches for us last year.

Anxious to see the continuation of his growth.

And then Damian Lewis sounds like, you know, a little more coy with his status and maybe he's been out for quite some time, but that but yeah, yeah, he had this season, but we don't know.

Yeah, And but I think we feel very fortunate, Like Kate Mays, I think Kate Maids is a player that I'm lucky.

I think we're very lucky we have him on this team.

Competed with Austin Corbet at the center position, but he can kind of play those positions.

And Cade's a big man who's strong and really knows and I'm aniced to see him.

Zavalla.

I'm hopeful he gets some plays tomorrow night.

He got hurt early in camp, so you still want to see some of these guys again.

I get so fared after the last preseason game, Jordan, and I know offset of at nauseam, like guy's lives can get changed on this game.

I just I go back to Marlon McCree if you remember him.

He was an afterthought that we signed with coach Fox in the offseason, after thought, backup safety.

That's it.

Well, he made play after play in practice and then you know what happened in the preseason game.

Play after play the last preseason game we're playing Pittsburgh, he was making interceptions, he called special teams tackles.

He calls the.

Fumble on our sideline, and I remember John Fox at one point looked around after he calls the fumble and he goes, if people don't understand how important opportunities on the field under the lights mean, said, then they're.

Just not watching.

And sure enough starts for as signed there like a three or four year, twenty one million dollars deal in the offseason with the Chargers, like and after thought, we bring the camp, made plays after play, played a ton in the season, and then was able to sign a great contract after the season.

So there's so many opportunities available tomorrow night, I mean Thursday night.

Yeah, tomorrow night when we're taping this that I'm just so looking forward to it.

See that's the different street me and you, Jake.

You were on the sideline of the fourth preseason game, paying attention to that stuff.

I was scheming up house, gonna get my training room, hot dogs.

I don't know about that.

I just I'm not saying it anymore.

I know what those guys are.

Going through, what you do, and you know what they're They're lucky to have you, to to be able to have some connections with this time of year.

And see, I'm sure you share that message with those guys when you're on the field pre game tomorrow.

Uh, but have fun, man, say hi to everybody for me.

We'll be back talking about the regular season starting next week.

I'll give you a report on how my game went.

Uh.

Looking forward to talking with you next week, Bud, Absolutely, Buddy.

Y'all have a great day and best the luck, all right, sah right,