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Braxton Jones in studio with us. Yeah, appreciate you coming in, Braxton. Yes, of course. I appreciate you guys having me on the show for sure

Brave man getting through the Friday traffic in Chicago. Yeah, especially with the Kennedy the way it is right now. We appreciate it. Yeah, yeah, it's a struggle. I mean, it's not my favorite, but hey, we'll do it. We'll have a good time on the on the pod and you know, talk ball. Yeah, we'll make it worth the Adam Hogue Mark Carmen Nicholas Moriano with you today Lawrence producing as always and we're excited to have Braxton Jones with us today. I just want to ask this since we're so close to the NFL draft.

This time last year, like early April, you had like no idea where the direction of your life was going. You had no idea which team was going to draft you. No idea that like a month into being on the team. They would just throw you at left tackle and practice with the first team. And you had to play every damn snap the whole season. I mean, be honest, is there this time last year. Did you even like remotely think that was a possibility that you would play every snap in the NFL only guy in the team to do it. Yeah, yeah. No, I mean,

you know, I just was I took the same approach every day. I just wanted to be the best I could. Honestly, like that's, you know, my thing is just, you know, getting 1% better every day. So the opportunity they gave me, you know, is great. And they let me seize the opportunity and I did that. So, and I just, you know, I really thank them for just giving me a chance to kind of fill out my first season and, you know, give me the, you know, it was a little up and down, but it's great, you know, experience. I think just going against good rushers.

And, you know, just kind of going through those up and downs and, you know, that whole last year, I mean, it was tough. I mean, obviously, you know, we didn't have the season we wanted, but, you know, it was, it was good though. I think it really like made me grow up a little bit, you know, and I think that was good for me mentally, physically, and then just coming into the off season, kind of knowing what I need and stuff like that. So it was, it was just, you know, a great time to, you know, just really understand how you're feeling.

You know, it's like, you know, the first year goes and everything like that. But other than that, yeah. I'm trying to remember it at the moment because people are saying, uh, Braxton Jones might be their starter at left tackle, like early, and I think I asked you, like, were you surprised that you got this opportunity. And I think at the time you say, like, a little bit like that it came as quick as it did. And what do you remember about just the way things progressed early on where, oh, my God, I'm going to be the guy. And this is going to be on my shoulders. Yeah, I mean, um, I mean, coach, my coach always told me he was like, well,

like, you know, you're always going to get a chance, you're going to get a chance for sure to start. So, um, there was nothing being hit or anything like that. It wasn't like it was some secret or anything. So, um, you know, I just, just listened to what he had to say and, you know, just went in every day and just kept on going. So, um, you know, as that week came along San Francisco. I mean, it was the green light that I was starting and, you know, just from then on, just kept on building, um, and getting better every week. So,

you know, it was, it was fun though. We're talking about Chris Morgan, right? Yeah. Yeah. Coach Morgan. Sorry. Yeah. Yeah. I was making. Yeah. I wasn't. That's how it logically be. It wouldn't come from flu. So yeah. Okay. Yeah. I got it. I got to go back. Yeah. Braxton, what are you most proud of when you reflect back to your rookie season? Whether that's a moment, a play a series, a game, what, what are you most proud of when you kind of think back about your rookie season? Um, I think the biggest thing for me, honestly, is like the durability of the entire season. Like, um,

that's always my thing in like college. I didn't, I didn't want to miss a snap. Like, I just wanted to always like know that I'm there. Like, I'm going to be there no matter what, trying my best to get on the field, even if I'm injured or, you know, hurting that week. Like, I'm doing my best to get on that field and, you know, um, be able to play. So I think that was like my biggest accomplishment. It was winning, um, like getting all my reps in for the entire season. So, um, and not missing a snap. So yeah. That's

just huge for me personally. Like, that was a goal of mine and just has a rookie doing it too. It's just, you know, I feel like it was big time. So I kind of hold on to that for sure. I mean, it's underrated. I think the only person on the team that played every snap in every game was the rookie left tackles. That's, that's a hell of an accomplishment. Congratulations. When did you feel you're like, what was the toughest week trying to get yourself physically ready to play? Um, I really started like get real tough. I mean, when I was preparing for

the Thursday night game, and that was my first time, like, having that quick of a turnaround in terms of a game. But I did have one other time back in Southern Utah. When we played like ASU, we played, um, San Jose State on like a Saturday, or like a Saturday. Yeah, Saturday. But then we played ASU on the next Thursday. So I kind of had that feeling. But, um, and then it felt it's different. And that was kind of like my game for me. Like, I was like, you know, wake up a little bit. It was a tough one. But, um, um,

yeah, other than that, I mean, that's kind of when I like really felt it. But after that, I felt like a little progression too as well. And then towards the end of season, I felt like just a little bit. I kind of looked a little tired out there. And that's probably because of, um, you know, long season and not having those longer seasons, especially, you know, being from Southern Utah. Um, you know, it's tough. Never really. We're in the, you know, postseason like that that much. But, you know, other than that. Yeah. What?

What, uh, what was the difference like for you and, and you know, probably continues to get more and more experience. You start seeing the same past rushers all the time. But like, just in terms of the amount of detail that you guys go into at the NFL level of scouting, you know, your individual opponent and, you know, all the different moves. Cause I know you guys do that. The college level too. But it's kind of next level at the NFL, especially when you start seeing these teams twice a year with your, your division. You start to get to use to your opponents more. Yeah. No, for sure. I mean,

um, there's a lot that goes to it. Honestly, there's so much and people, all different types of players, like take different approaches when it comes to that weekend and week out. But I mean, for me, I would just study every, you know, person a little bit differently. Um, anybody that's coming on the left side and the main Russia on the right side, like all the rushers, I'm studying, you know, um, what's their favorite move? Like it's like all of that. So it's just, um, you know, you get to things like, oh, the, their outside foot's back. Like they

do this that and the other on that, you know, rush or something like that. So it's, I mean, it gets pretty detailed. Um, you know, it's just certain cues. Maybe you pick up, pick up on there, like communication and stuff like that. But I mean, at the end of the day, like, it just comes down to winning your one-on-ones and, you know, um, stick into what I know. I mean, that's like the biggest thing for me. Cause I think, um, if I do what I do, like, I'll be, you know, salt. But obviously, you know, doing your studies and, um, making sure you know,

on third down, this is coming. This type of twists are coming, like, having your peas and cues good. But other than that, like, in a day, you just got to be man up and, um, winning your one-on-ones, when that third and nine comes and, you know, you know, what's coming. They're coming, you know, they're bringing everybody and they're doing the twist. Like, that's just a gut check. So, um, you know, can't really, you know, have some particular idea that you're studying behind, like, that's just, can you play ball at this point? Like, can you go out there and just, you know, perform your job?

What you were told to do. So, um, yeah, but like, like I said, there, there's a lot of X's and O's, but there's actually a time, like, out there where, you know, like, you just got to play and strain, strain longer than the other person too. And that's what a lot of it comes down to for. Who talked the most in that moment? I don't know, third and nine, I'm coming at you like, I don't as Montess sweats yelling something before he's telling me. No, um, no, Montess wasn't, no, he wasn't really talking much or anything like that or nothing crazy.

The one I remember vividly is the, it might have been a third down. I don't know. It might have been just a regular down second, ten or something like that. But branding, uh, Graham from the Eagles. It was like his first time in and you go, I think he said something like, um, you ready 70, you ready to get this ass whooping. I was like, whoa, like, I just didn't expect it because I'm not much of a talker. Like, you know, obviously we're just, um, for me, it's like, you know, I'm trying to win more reps than you are. Like, I'm trying to be better longer than you are.

So for me, it's just a mental game and then let your play talk for you. But, um, so who are that rep? I did. I mean, yeah, yeah, I won the rep. I mean, he didn't get to Justin or anything or anything like that.

But yeah, he came out talking crap. I was like, but I had heard from like other guys that like Brandon Graham's thing like trying to get getting your head. But I just didn't even look at him. I didn't reply. I was like, I don't know what to say to you, man. You're a legend. So I'm gonna just let you be. I'm do my job and get on to the next down.

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