GBag Nation
Dallas Cowboys Linebacker Eric Kendricks joins the Nation to talk Cowboys Week 1
This podcast is brought to you by Men's T clinic. Men's T clinic is the team I trust with my total wellness optimization. And so should you five DFW locations with North Frisco, El Dorado Parkway at Dallas North Tolway. Now open call 972 go men's T or visit men's T clinic.com. Joining us now here on your home of the Cowboys 1053. The fan is our weekly guest here for the Cowboys season linebacker Eric Kendrick's in the G back nation. Good afternoon, sir. How you doing? I'm doing good. How are you doing? Wonderful. Looking forward to this, you know, weekly conversation we're going to have through the season. Thanks so much for agreeing to it. I think this is the best mic that I've ever used. So I'm hearing myself loud and clear and I get used to this. Yeah, fantastic. Sound good. How was practice? How was the meetings and everything? What's new? Practice was good. You know, it was a little sticky out today. Got a look, got some sweat in. Just went over the film, went over to some two minute stuff and yeah, feeling good, feeling confident. So one of the big questions that you're equipped to answer probably better than anybody is what's it going to be like for a team transitioning into the Mike Zimmer defense? Are we ready to hit the ground running? Yeah, I mean, we got to be ready to hit the ground running. I feel like we got a lot of good work with our offense and, you know, various other offenses during during camp and now it's go time. So obviously, you know, we got we got a little bit more, a little more pressure on the line, but at the same time, you know, we know the looks we should be getting essentially. We always going to get some unscout of licks in this first game. But, you know, looking to bring some pressure, looking to strap some people up, you know, cause some turnovers, cause some havoc and then get it going and get it rolling. How different is this version of the Zimmer scheme and defense compared to what it was when you were playing with them in Minnesota? It's definitely different. You know, there's there's different there's different players on this team. One of the things I like is always, you know, we've always utilized the players that we do have, you know, the nucleus of the defense is definitely the same. You know, some of the coverage concepts and things like that are are the same. But, uh, you know, we have a lot more different. We have a lot, we have a lot more, you know, variety and our looks, especially, you know, with Michael, Micah and D law and those kind of guys up front. Um, I'm looking forward to it because, uh, you know, this is what we've been working on, you know, for the last month or so. So, um, it's about time, about time that season comes. We're pumped to see it, man. We got to catch up with Zim a little bit out there in Oxnard. And he was reflecting on his time in Minnesota. Have you noticed any difference in his coaching style? I mean, not really. Um, you know, he, he, one of the things I remember from, you know, him being my coach previously was how consistent he was. You know, I feel like, you know, he has a standard of what he wants on defense. And, um, you know, he's very, very meticulous, very, um, very detail oriented. And, um, and that's what he, you know, he counts on us to be the same way, you know, he wants us to know our stuff. He wants us to be, you know, on point and, and accurate and, you know, he doesn't want us to make mistakes. But at the end of the day, you know, he wants us to play football too. He wants us to play free and fast. So, um, you could use your instincts for sure as well. Hey, Eric, you're, it's funny. I was circling back. You were talking about the microphone. We got media background looking at right now with you. What do you, you do some of these things, podcasting things like that. Um, not really, you know, I've, I've done my fair share of being in the NFL and things like that. But, um, um, I'm leaning into it a little bit more. You know, I feel like I'm, my personality is coming out more so now than it used to, you know, I used to be kind of like, we want to play good defense and, you know, I don't want to, you know, I don't want to say anything that's going to be, you know, affecting the team and things like that. And now it's like, okay, you know, I put the work in, um, you know, people know who I am and what I bring to the table. You know, I can relax a little bit and just chat. Look, you've been around the league a long time. You've been a great player and we oftentimes talk when free agency rolls around that the Cowboys seem like a destination that players would want to play for because of what comes with being a cowboy for you. I mean, is that something you thought about it all when you were coming here? Like what for players around the league, how much of that is real or is that just a media stereotype? No, that's, that's accurate. You know, I feel like, you know, uh, in order, in order to be the best, you got to play the best, you know, you got to play against the best, you know, you got to, and I feel like the Cowboys are always known for having, you know, the primetime games, you know, tough schedules and, you know, they get it rolling. So I feel like that definitely came into play in preseason, you know, the NFL is tough all around, you know, you can't, you can't hide that, but, um, it puts a little more pressure on you, you know, with the star on. So I kind of like that. Which one of the young linebackers asked the most questions of you. I honestly don't know. Uh, probably between, you know, either DeMone or, uh, or Maris for sure. I would bet Maris, I would bet Maris is a very, very smart. He seems very curious a lot about just the way he plays and stuff like that that he probably a guy that wants to know everything that's going on with the scheme. Yeah, you know, he's, he's building some really good habits, man. I really like what I'm seeing from him and he's gonna be a special player for sure. Catboy's linebacker Eric Kendrick's here in the nation. Was he the most impressive rookie talent show at training camp guy? We heard him sing and he's got, I mean, amazing pipes, but was somebody, did anybody compete with Maris there? Nobody came close and I'm happy to say it came from the linebacker room, you know, the, you know, the voice of makes between Fergie and Jesus, you know, it was, it was nice to hear the reference. It was, uh, it was good to hear, you know, especially in the dog days of camp, you know, you get the rookies up there. Sometimes they don't take it seriously, but, um, we didn't have to worry about that when my dog Maris got up there. He took the mic away and stole our hearts. I know that at a time. What did you do as a rookie? Well, I actually made a wrap up. It was like a fresh Prince about there. Nice. And we had camp in Mankato in Minnesota and I made like a fresh Prince of Mankato type of rap and I played the beat behind it. So I got pretty creative, you know, so I don't want to see anybody go up there and, and, and, and take a day off, you know, you got to come with it. Do you remember the rap? No, not at all. And I wouldn't, I wouldn't repeat it either. How has the rookie hazing changed since you were a rookie compared to what it is now? I mean, if you have these guys, I mean, what do you got? You got a road trip to Cleveland. Is there a rookie? Like, is, is Leah found knowing that he's bringing a particular food item on the plane for you? Or what's the deal? I don't even think he knows. Like, I don't, I mean, like for me, I remember the first, the first week I came in, the first two, like the first two weeks, it was a, I think the basketball playoffs are around, you know, time of OTAs, Minicamp, China. And we went to go watch a game. I got invited to watch a game with some of my teammates at this restaurant. And I'm, I'm there. This is my second week there. And, and the bill got handed to me immediately. And so it was, and I was, I thought they were joking, but, you know, two grand later. And, you know, I mean, it's, you know, little things like that. But, you know, I feel like, I feel like even I didn't have it as, you know, as bad as the rookies of, you know, the past before, then we, we, you know, there's probably some stories out there that are, you know, crazy. Yeah. If you see Dez around asking about his rookie dinner experience, I think Jerry had to step in actually and write a check for that one. See, that wasn't my rookie dinner was a different night. So I still had that experience. But this was just my first outing with the team. Okay. Eric Kendrick's here. What are your interests outside of football? Eric? Mm. Big car guy. Hard for me not to say cars every single time. I don't know, you know, what I would do without them. But I've always had a passion for cars, you know, from Hot Wheels to, you know, RC cars, now actually cars. Love, love working on them, tinkering on them in the off season. Love driving. But, you know, other than that, you know, big, big traveler. I love food. So me and my wife, we always check out all the local food spots and, you know, you know, we chef it up as well. I bet you guys are having fun exploring in Dallas. But if you're tinkering on cars, that's got to be like classics, right? Yeah, you know, the new ones are super hard to work on. Yeah. Yeah. But, you know, yeah. So one of the cars that I recently have worked on was my Grandpa's 1995 Dodge Viper, which was in pretty bad shape when we got it. But, you know, it's running great now. We kind of just like replace little things on it that are needed, fuel lines, you know, oil, you know, spark plugs, just the basics and just good to get underneath it and change it out. That car is insane. It's completely sketchy, but I love it. You know, you talk about replacing things and working on the car. Is this stuff you do from like memory? Or you sit there and go to like YouTube, like the rest of us and say, "Oh, this is how I need to learn how to put this in." And you like watch a video on how to do it before you actually do it. Oh, no. YouTube is great. For sure. YouTube is fantastic. But like, I actually have, I've been lucky to have a lot of mentors in space. And, you know, the most part, I work on cars in my buddy Carter, who is younger than me, but he has way more experience working on cars than me. So it's kind of nice to have somebody who I can just ask the dumbest questions and he'll show me how to do it. Or, you know, we'll get them to the car together. It's been a lot of fun. So is there anybody on the team with what they're driving right now? You're like, "Man, we need to get you a new set of wheels." There's a lot of people, but, you know, I'm not going to throw anybody under the bus. We're just going to work on it in silence. And, you know, see what their budget is and try to, you know, push for things that I like. I think Demarcus Lortz has got some really good wheels. Yeah, he had a cherry red Benz the other day. Oh, wow, there you go. The other day. Yeah. So it was, it was, I was like, "Hey, do you know all that's you right there? Okay." What's your favorite that you have? My favorite that I have, I mean, so I have an R34 Skyline, which is a, you know, it's from Japan and it's my favorite. It's just super nostalgic for me and growing up. And that's the car that we knew we couldn't have here in America. But, you know, it's all will drive. You know, Paul Walker, you know, jumped over the other car and too fast, too furious with it. And I've been driving that a lot lately. And it's just so much fun, all the turbo sounds and things like that. But just, you know, that's what I work, you know, I work hard for a multitude of reasons. But, you know, I've always wanted to get into cars. And, you know, unfortunately, I wasn't able to afford them before. Well, what I am curious, I know you're about to take on the Browns. I don't know how much of a trash talker you are. But would you, would you be willing to at least try and keep Tally of how many massage jokes get thrown at the John during the game and then report back next week? I will report back to you. I personally, I kind of black out during games. So sometimes people come with me in the off season and they're like, man, you talk crazy during the game. And then I'm like, what? And then sometimes I feel like I'm never more on the quiet side, but we'll see. Yeah, man, keep a little tally for us. We got it. You got to be aware, though, Eric, they have a thing called sounds from the sidelines. So if you're if you see like this boom over the top of you while you're standing there, just go off on it. It's okay, man. They make you sound like it's some of the greatest audio and visual stuff we get from a game. Okay. You feel like if you feel like you're getting filled, just go ahead, just go off like you're always black out. Yeah, it makes it fun for all of us to to really get the feel of it. Just get fined. Just get fined. Don't worry. They bleed out. They'll bleed out stuff. So we say some outlandish. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Exactly. What is the scouting report on this Browns offense before we let you boogie out of here? Man, honestly, they have a really, you know, experienced O line. We know that their O line has been working together for a while. You know, we don't know the status, you know, as far as right now, but at the same time, we know they work really well as a unit. Run game is a very strong quarterback. We know what he's capable of, you know, out of the pocket plays, you know, you know, extended plays. And you know, they got, they got a guy who was, you know, formerly a cowboy as well. So we know about him and, you know, hopefully, you know, we just run and hit everybody and take care of business. Sounds like a plan to me. Eric, give him hell will be pulling for you. Thanks. Cheers. There he goes. Cowboys linebacker Eric Kendrick's every Thursday at 520 here in the the G-Bagnation set bi-week and Thanksgiving.