Interview With Mark Schlereth From ESPN

  Posted 7/1 by Cecil Lammey and Sigmund Bloom, Exclusive to Footballguys.com

CECIL LAMMEY: Welcome back everyone to the show that you know and love, it is The Audible. I am your host Cecil Lammey, joined with my co-host, the great Sigmund Bloom. We talk football nonstop on this show. Let's go to the VIP line, talk to a very special friend of the show, it's Mark Schlereth from ESPN. Stink, baby, what's up?

MARK SCHLERETH: I've got a couple of weeks off here. And I'm trying to get about two offseason's worth of work done in two weeks. So my wife has been cracking the whip, we've been out every day in the yard for, I don't know, eight, nine hours a day, just getting different jobs done, because when you live your life on the road like I do, things tend to pile up on you. So, trying to get everything done here. It's been a lot of work, but it's been a lot of fun too.

LAMMEY: You know the 'honey-do' lists never get any smaller man, no matter how much work you put into it. Let's start off though, down in Arizona, a quarterback who has been a big topic on this show recently - Matt Leinart. In your opinion, does he get it? Because at times it seems as though Matt Leinart is going to go the way of Rob Johnson. In your opinion, do you think it will finally click for him and he'll become that good, solid quarterback than the Cardinals expect or is it going to be Kurt Warner repeat all over again?

SCHLERETH: You know, I'm on the latter side of that with the Kurt Warner repeat. I just - I really didn't like Matt Leinart coming out. I like him even less now. And you know, a lot of big expectations when you're a first-round draft choice, and you've got all the hype that he had coming out of school but his arm strength has always been a question. Not that that can't be overcome. Not that you can't get by with timing on that, but what you see Matt Leinart facing a lot of times is tough, tight press man coverage and blitz and basically daring him to throw it into tight windows - something that he really never did at USC. And when I broke him down at USC, what you saw oftentimes where he'd go from his first read to his second read and if they were tight throws or tight coverages, what he ended up doing was dumping it off to Reggie Bush. Reggie Bush would break three tackles and take it 47 yards for a touchdown, so in the scorebook it looks like he was 1-1 for 47 yards and a touchdown. And the problem being is that he really didn't make a lot of the throws you have to make when you're in the National Football League. So that was one problem, and I really don't see him overcoming that problem anytime soon. And then the other issue that I've had with him is I've seen him fold up like origami when he gets pressure around him. And another thing that he really didn't face in college, but you play at USC especially over the last few years you know, you have one or two tests per year and other than that you are so superior to everybody else on your schedule that you never face those kinds of pressure situations. And you never face the kind of pressure that he's faced as a quarterback with the Arizona Cardinals. And I just haven't liked what I've seen when it comes to facing that pressure, kind of staring down that gun barrel if you will and making a tough throw and getting hit, knowing you have to pay the price. I've seen him shy away from contact too many times for my liking. And if I'm an offensive lineman sitting in front of him and we're out there bleeding for him and he's folding up like a tent, that doesn't sit well with me. And as an analyst, it doesn't sit well with me. So I'm just not a big Leinart fan and I really think that even though Kurt Warner doesn't have some of the skills you need, you know you can't throw it over my eyes that 'oh, this is a Matt Leinart package and this is a Kurt Warner package.' That tells me you don't have a real quarterback.

SIGMUND BLOOM: Stink, one of the stories we hear a lot in the offseason is about certain player reinventing himself; he has a new approach to the game or a new work ethic, and this is going to be a new player that is going to play a way that we haven't seen him play before. From your years in the league and your experience, how often does that really happen? How often are these stories just offseason fluff, or do guys really come back successfully reinvent themselves and create success where there was failure before?

SCHLERETH: You know it doesn't happen that often. It does happen. Usually a change in environment is what it takes. It happened in my career. You know, leaving Washington where I was basically told I was no good, that I couldn't play and we didn't want you anymore and coming here to Denver. That reinvigorated my career and I had something to prove. At least to myself I had something to prove. Maybe not to too many other people, but I did to me, so it did. It helped me reinvent myself and reinvent my game. But you know, you have to be a player that is not only gifted as far as athletic skills are concerned but you have to be a real student of the game to reinvent yourself. Because normally what happens is you start to lose some of that athleticism your skills start to diminish so you have to make up for it by being a savvy football player. So that's one of the things I think oftentimes that you have to have. Sometimes just a change of environment, guy's not happy and just feels underappreciated where he's at, he gets to change teams and he comes out like a house o' fire. So I've seen that happen plenty of times. Now there's also the 'I'm in the best shape of my career, things are going to be great' speech that you hear every year and those are things I am wary of. But when a guy changes his environment and has a chip on his shoulder and feels like he has something to prove, then I think that can be a place of power for a guy. So it just depends on the situation and who we're talking about and what kind of skills that guy has and what kind of student that guy is.

LAMMEY: Let's go now to Houston, Stink and talk about Alex Gibbs there, the line coach with Coach Kubiak. Of course, you worked with both these guys. If Ahman Green is fully healthy for the season, what kind of production can they expect down their in Houston and what great news to reunite Kubiak and Gibbs.

SCHLERETH: Yeah, you know it is. And Gibbs is just the best. I mean, he will get those guys up front playing as a unit. And even if they're not the most talented guys, I guarantee you they'll all be on the same page and things when he's done there. Ahman Green, you know what? If he's healthy, you know he's a real threat. But if he's healthy - that's the big key there. You know he's always been a guy who can catch it and also run with it, so you've got a double threat guy in Ahman Green if he can be healthy. But he just hasn't been healthy yet, so it's going to be interesting to see the direction they go. I think the kid they picked up from West Virginia, Slaton? I think that kid may fit well into their system. I know he's kind of undersized, but let's not forget that Terrell Davis was 206, 207 pounds when he went on a four-year run that not many guys have ever gone on in this league. So, I don't think you necessarily have to be a huge guy and I guarantee you one thing. The thing about having Alex Gibbs there is not only with the offensive line, but you're talking about the whole team in general and that running back position. He'll be coached a certain way, and he'll be coached to run the way you're supposed to run in a zone system - that one cut, down hill. And if he doesn't do it correctly, Alex Gibbs will be up in his grill. He is an enforcer that way and so, you can survive, you can be an undersized guy and have a lot of success. And Slaton from West Virginia, as you guys know, was a very dynamic player - a very exciting player to watch, so that could be an interesting situation to see how that kind of pans out as well.

BLOOM: It seems like this offseason is going to produce a great Hall of Fame class down the line. And from that class there are no bigger shoes to fill than Brett Favre's, and that job goes to Aaron Rodgers. Now the Green Bay Packers drafted Brian Brohm in the second round, so it seems like it's now or never for Rodgers. I mean, he has to do it in 2008 or it could be Brohm's job. How do you think he's going to do with that monumental task of leading the Green Bay Packers in the wake of probably the greatest Packer in the last 30 or 40 years?

SCHLERETH: You know, I really have some confidence in Aaron Rodgers. And I didn't have a ton coming out of college, in him, but my biggest fear for him is the injury factor. You know when he has had an opportunity to play, which isn't very often, he played really well against Dallas last year for what? Three quarters. But he's gotten hurt a couple of times already. And he's gotten hurt and hasn't even been on the field, so that's a kind of scary proposition if you're a Green Bay Packer. But the great thing about the Packers right now, they've got one of the best young offensive lines in the National Football League. Their tackles are a little bit older and they're awesome. But their inside three guys are very young, very efficient. They've got a good running back and a good running game. They've got a great tight end in Lee, and probably, if you put them man for man across the board, four or five deep wide receiver-wise, they're probably the wide receivers in the National Football League. So he's got all of that on his side, plus he's got an outstanding defense, with a great defensive line, great linebacking corps, and a good secondary. So he's in a position to succeed and I happen to think if he stays healthy, he'll do very well. He'll lead that team to the playoffs, I don't think they'll repeat the record of the Green Bay Packers last year but I think they are a 10-6 team, an 11-5 team. And I think they are NFC North Division Champs and they're moving on down to the playoffs.

LAMMEY: You're listening to The Audible, on the VIP line, it's Mark Schlereth from ESPN. Now Stink, my final question for you today has to do with this wild ride we've had this offseason. Maybe not necessarily a good thing. A lot of the time you turn on ESPN or NFL Network, looks like you're watching some kind of police blotter type of show. In your opinion, is the NFL going to step up and try to do more to help not only the rookies, but the veterans as well. I know Lorenzo Neal has a company called Safe Ride Solutions where they'll come and get you if you've had a few drinks. They'll come pick you up. Because we're always hearing about these DUIs. The Javon Walker thing, Lord knows what the real story is there. Do you think that Roger Goodell and the NFL step up and say 'Hey enough of this stuff, let's get you guys out of the headlines for the wrong reasons'?

SCHLERETH: Well, you know, he's tried to do that, but let's face it. It's interesting. We as a society look at a kid who is 22, 23, or 24 years old - whatever he is - and comes from maybe not the best background. Maybe a situation where he didn't have any wealth, maybe a situation where he kind of grew up and didn't have all the support that he needed. And wasn't really educated that way. And then we as a society and as a League dump millions of dollars on that kid. And then we as a society expect that kid to act like a model citizen. And so I think the equation there is a little skewed because money is dumped on you does not mean all of the sudden you become the model citizen. It probably just exacerbates the problems you have because now you've got the same problems, but now you've got a boatload of cash to do whatever you're going to do about those problems. And normally, a lot of those kids as you guys know, grew up in neighborhoods, grew up with the guys that they feel like they can trust when money gets dumped on them. And that kind of posse mentality comes with those kids. So it's a tough situation. I think Roger Goodell has acted fairly admirably. He's been out there on the front lines, trying to rectify this league. But guys are still going to get themselves in trouble and there's not a whole lot we can do about that other than try to educate the guys and try to help them along the way. But it's just kind of the way it is right now. I think Roger's tried to do the best he can do and I'd also like to see even when you're doling out those penalties and doling out those fines, you've got to basically stand up and do the same thing for yourself and penalize yourself and look at yourself very critically. And I'd like to see the NFL do a little bit better job of taking care of the older guys who helped establish this league who are hurt right now, financially that are hurting right now because of medical bills and those things too. So, there's a lot of things going on right now and I think Roger Goodell has done as good a job as he can but it'd be nice not to see the police blotters but that's just not probably going to happen.

BLOOM: Stink, for my final question, I want to ask you about another situation that's affecting the whole league - the labor situation. It looms in the future as kind of a boogie man that could threaten everything that this league is producing. All the entertainment, all the money, all the revenue for so many people out there. How do you think this is going to play out? Do you think it gets dark before we find a solution or do you think that cooler heads will prevail?

SCHLERETH: Well, I think that over the last few years, we've had several things come up as far as labor negotiations are concerned and collective bargaining is concerned. And usually the guys in this league are smart enough to kind of collect all the data and look at the mistakes of other leagues and not follow those mistakes so to speak. I mean look at the National Hockey League, and that strike and how devastating that strike was. Not only the loss of time, but you look at the loss of revenue from TV contracts. ESPN dropped them. They're playing on Versus for crying out loud. I don't even know where Versus is - I can't find it on my television. So I think the NFL will look very long and very hard those situations. They understand how good and how prosperous financially this league has been for everybody. For the players, for the owners. For everybody. And yes, the owners are forced to spend a lot of money but let's not be naive. They reap the benefits as well. So I think cooler heads will prevail. I think the National Football League will look into this. And I think they'll figure out a way to make this thing work, both with the players, with the owners, with the management and they'll find a way not to lock these players out. They'll find a way to get this thing rectified. They'll agree to a new collective bargaining agreement, and I'm hopeful and I believe that play won't stop.

LAMMEY: You want to talk about the best in the business; of course you talk about Mark Schlereth. Stink I always love listening to you brother. Before we let you go man, you got so many things going on. Guiding Light. Rock Hoover. I've heard rumors of a Schlereth reality show. Your son was just drafted in the first round by the Diamondbacks - man you've got it all going on.

SCHLERETH: Yeah, you know, things have been pretty good right now. Although I can't say that one word I was trying to say - can you help me out with that? Admirably? How do you say that?

LAMMEY: I just go real fast and hopefully nobody notices.

SCHLERETH: Man I'm telling you, I've just got marbles in my mouth with that particular word, which happens occasionally, but things are good. Things have been really good. It's been exciting to watch Daniel's lifelong dream in his baseball career come to fruition and last year he turned down a second round offer to be picked by the Twins in the second round to go back to school because he felt like he should be a first rounder. And to see him accomplish that has been a lot of fun for all of us in the family because anytime you have an athlete as a child or you're in a family that has athletes it becomes a family affair. That athletic career is one of those things that you really have to pay attention to and you really have to nurture. And I always tell people, what you see is the end result - it's just this way in life - you see the end result, but you see it at its completion so to speak as a #1 draft choice. But I've seen it through five years old at T-ball as I was coaching him all the way through high school and college, and I've seen him overcome Tommy John surgery and a shoulder problem and a broken rib last year. So I see kind of the journey, you see the destination. You see the final resting spot so to speak. So it just makes you so proud of the accomplishment when you know how much work has gone into that. So that's been very exciting. And other things - this reality TV show, we've put a pilot together and it looks like we're going to go out there in July, to Los Angeles and we're going to try and sell that and based on baseball and based on myself with ESPN and the soap opera and everything. Just doing a real family oriented wholesome show, as opposed to reality television is in this country which is garbage. So, we're just having fun with it right now and things have been really good, so it's been a fun ride hear lately.

LAMMEY: And unlike Ozzy Osbourne people will be able to understand you when you speak up - that's always a good thing. Stink you are a great analyst, a great father and a great man. I'm very proud to call you friend. Love talking to you Stink - and sexy don't take a day off with you.

SCHLERETH: You got that right - you know that buddy. And neither does doing the chores that my wife's got me doing right now so I can't take a day off. I'm talking to you guys; I'm painting the garage door. I mean, it doesn't get any better than that.