Marty Lyons talks playing for Bear Bryant, the Jim Kelly fight, serving terminally ill children

NFL: Move the Sticks with Daniel Jeremiah & Bucky Brooks

NFL

Sports, Football

4.7 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 23 April 2025

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On the latest NFL Players: Second Acts podcast, former Jets defensive tackle Marty Lyons joins Peanut and Roman. Marty discusses what it was like to play for legendary Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, and he takes inside the famous goal line stand against Penn St. in the 1979 Sugar Bowl to win the National Championship. Marty then tells stories of playing his entire career with the Jets, being part of the New York Sack Exchange, and what led to his infamous fight with Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly. Later, Marty shares his favorite stories during his time as a Jets radio announcer, the work he’s done to help restore athletic fields at HBCUs, and his passion for supporting terminally ill children.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an I-Heart podcast.
0:02.6	Guaranteed Human. He goes, I can't wait until Brett Farrf gets here. I'm going to hand shiver him. I go, what? He goes, yeah, I'm going to hit him. You know, he took away my sack. I go, Mark, what are you talking about? I said, you can't do that. He goes, I'm going to do it. I said, Mark, it's not going to be beneficial to you.
0:27.0	What's up, everybody?
0:28.1	I'm Peanut Toolman, and this is the NFL players second acts podcast.
0:32.8	And with me, as always, my choice co-host, Roman Harper.
0:35.5	What's up, Peanut Man?
0:36.4	Look, I'm really excited about this with number one. He's a former Alabama, great all-time legend. Got to watch this man from afar for a very long time. And now this is my first actual time really getting to meet him and sit down and talk with him. I can't wait to let our viewers and listeners get to hear this great man's story. He's an 11-year vet, all with the Jets, Walter Payton, Man of the Year award winner.
0:57.2	He's in the Jets Ring of Honor, and he is the Senior Vice President of Marketing and PR
1:02.5	at Lantec.
1:04.0	Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the pod, Marty Lyons.
1:06.7	Yes.
1:07.7	Welcome to the pod.
1:09.9	And Master Storyteller. Master storyteller. Master storyteller. I should have added that to the resume. He's in the college football Hall of Fame. He's also considered to be one of the greatest players in Alabama's football history as well. Considered, let's just say he is. Well, it's just a whole bunch of them. There's a lot of guys that take it, say you are. It's a bunch of them. Hey, you've heard it on our podcast morning last, the greatest crimson tied Alabama football player ever. I just said it. Okay, well, good. Thank you. I'll put it out there. That leads me right to my first one. I hear about it all the time. I get to hear the rumbled and mumbled voice on the
1:45.4	Jumbotrons on Saturdays in Tuscaloosa of Bear Bryant. What was it like playing for the bear?
1:52.9	Yeah, well, you know, Roman, I think any player that played for Coach Bryant would address him as
1:58.2	Coach Bryant. You know, we never said Bear bryan you know i think coach bryan
2:03.0	cared about his players more as individuals than actual football players when i got there in
2:09.2	1975 walking in there with not knowing anybody and there's 30 freshmen from around the country and
2:16.3	i was all state and three sports guy next And I was all state and three sports.
2:18.4	The guy next to me was all state in four sports.
2:20.9	So Coach Brian had the pick.
2:23.3	And he walked into the room.
	...

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