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Safety Kevin Byard III joined the show on Patriots Monday to talk about the win against Pittsburgh, his leadership role on the team, trash talking DK Metcalf, and more!
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00:00Kevin, thanks for joining us, buddy.
00:02Oh, of course, man.
00:03Thanks for having me.
00:04You know what?
00:04We saw the video of you in the locker room after Vrabel made the speech,
00:08you know, doing the Patriots on three first year.
00:11Like that's almost unheard of the respect you're getting this quick to lead
00:16that because it's, isn't it usually like, like a vet that does that?
00:19Like, how did you get that gig as someone in your first year?
00:22That's, that's, that's pretty amazing.
00:25Yeah.
00:25Well, I mean, I don't know how it's obviously,
00:27I don't know how it's been necessarily done here.
00:30You know, over the years or whatever, but I mean,
00:31everywhere I've been in my career,
00:34I've kind of been that guy for whatever team I played for.
00:37It kind of just happens naturally organically.
00:40I think the guys kind of lean on my leadership a lot.
00:44And obviously, you know, I have the experience.
00:46I've been through a lot of different phases of my career and things like that.
00:49And I think that when I speak, the guys listen and they kind of take heed to it.
00:53So, you know, anytime I'm in those positions, I kind of get,
00:56I won't say caught up in the moment,
00:58but I just like to be able to give my guys a little bit of juice,
01:01a little bit of motivation because I, you know,
01:03I care a lot about this team.
01:04I care a lot about winning and, you know,
01:07I'm trying to do whatever it takes.
01:08So if it's being more vocal, whatever it may be,
01:11I'm going to try to give the team everything I got.
01:12That's not as easy as it looks like,
01:14I mean, to be able to like lead a group of men like that and make a speech,
01:18like one that actually gets them motivated before a game.
01:20Was there anybody that you learned that from?
01:22Was there either a teammate or,
01:23or somebody in your life that taught you to be a good motivational speaker?
01:27I mean, honestly, man, it kind of comes naturally.
01:30You know, I think to be a great leader,
01:32you always have to be a really good follower at first.
01:34And so when I was a rookie coming in to the league,
01:38you know, I had guys like Jason McCordy in my room,
01:40who was the vet at the time in the Tennessee.
01:43And I had, you know, guys like Jarrell Casey, Brian Arapaul.
01:46Those are the leaders on the team.
01:48And I always just kind of observed them,
01:49kind of see how they moved around the building,
01:51how they operated.
01:53And then, you know, as you get a little bit older,
01:54you make a few plays, guys tend to see you
01:57and they tend to lean on you as far as your playmaking ability
02:00or whatever, then those guys leave the team.
02:03And now you're kind of hoisted into this leadership role,
02:06not just leading by example anymore,
02:07but now you have to be more vocal.
02:09There's a young guys that's watching you
02:10and they're kind of leaning on your leadership.
02:12So for me, it just kind of happened naturally
02:15to like one day it was like Jarrell Casey
02:17was breaking the huddles down.
02:19And then all of a sudden, when it came to game day,
02:21it was like we was getting to the huddle
02:23and kind of looking for who's going to the next guy to do
02:25and I kind of just jumped into that role.
02:26And so I actually kind of, I actually love doing it.
02:29You know what I mean?
02:30It's something I don't necessarily like
02:31try to pre-plan the speech the night before the game
02:34and what I'm going to say to the guys.
02:35Honestly, a lot of it, it's just kind of on the day of the game,
02:38kind of what I feel our team needs.
02:40And that's kind of, that's what comes out on video.
02:43Well, on top of that responsibility, Kevin,
02:44you had Craig Woodson going down and Del Pettis.
02:47And all of a sudden, you know,
02:48you're in charge of a bunch of communication,
02:50I'm assuming with new guys out there.
02:51How did that go during the game?
02:53Right.
02:54I think it was pretty good.
02:55You know, obviously, you know,
02:56Jalen's been here for the last few weeks,
02:57obviously getting traded from Houston.
02:59I think he came in and, you know,
03:01played some pretty good snaps for us.
03:03You know, a lot of it, and it's always communication,
03:06like not only me communicating with Jalen,
03:07but communicating to Robert Splane and Christian Ellison.
03:12And, you know, sometimes we're blitzing out
03:13to communicate to the defensive line.
03:15So I'm always talking on the field, on the sidelines,
03:18all that good stuff.
03:19But I think the team handled it pretty well.
03:21And obviously we're hoping those guys be back next week.
03:23Not sure of the extent of their injuries just yet,
03:25but, you know, obviously Craig, you know,
03:27he played a pretty good game yesterday as well.
03:29So hopefully we get those guys back.
03:31It was wild because, Kevin,
03:32you said that DK Metcalf afterwards didn't look like
03:34he was having a lot of fun out there.
03:36What were you seeing from him that gave that away?
03:41Yeah, I mean, obviously any, you know,
03:43we kind of already knew Christian was going to be, you know,
03:46matched up against him for the most part of the game.
03:48And, you know, you can just always tell,
03:50like when the receiver is having those mental laps
03:52as far as the drop passes he was having yesterday,
03:55like when you're frustrated in the receiver early in the game
03:57and he's not able to get into a groove,
03:59you know, that tends to happen.
04:00Like I don't want to kind of speak on the first game,
04:02but, you know, we think about, you know,
04:04Romeo Dobbs drops his one target or two targets
04:06that he had in the game.
04:07It's like for a receiver of that type of caliber,
04:12when they're not getting active early in the game
04:15and they're just kind of basically just routes on air,
04:17you know, if you get later into the game,
04:19like they just have those mental lapses.
04:21I don't know what it is.
04:21You probably need to ask them, but that tends to happen.
04:24So Christian was getting frustrated
04:27and even though DK could be a high head a little bit.
04:29So, you know, we were kind of talking,
04:31we were talking a little bit extra trash to him,
04:32you know, as he wasn't getting any catches.
04:34So I kind of figured, like, he's not having no fun either.
04:37He's not having any type of, like, excitement,
04:39no body language, bad body language.
04:41So, no, it was fun.
04:43Can you give me an example of, like,
04:43what you're saying out there to him?
04:45Because whatever you said got into his head.
04:48Well, honestly, it was, especially it was the,
04:50he dropped the pass, I think it was a third down catch,
04:54and he kind of ran like a pick mesh rod for him,
04:57and he dropped the ball, which he, you know,
04:59he probably should have called,
05:00but he got the first down, more than likely.
05:01And so, you know, we're kind of, you know,
05:02he's on the ground.
05:03Now, you can tell he was kind of frustrated.
05:04You know, we're just kind of,
05:05I don't want to really say exactly what I was saying
05:07because it's pretty vulgar.
05:08I don't think it's pretty suitable for radio.
05:12But, you know, it's just one of those deals
05:13where you want to have him thinking a little bit more
05:15as he's walking to the sideline.
05:17He got to sit with that.
05:18You know what I mean?
05:18Right, right, right.
05:20Give him a little extra to contemplate.
05:23Yeah, exactly.
05:24It's not nothing good, I'll tell you that.
05:26It's nothing motivating saying that,
05:28hey, you'll get the next one.
05:30So, Kevin, on the fumble that Ellis forced,
05:33I saw you get on the pile there late.
05:34How close were you to scooping that one up?
05:37Oh, man, I was hoping and praying
05:39they was going to kick it one more time
05:41because I was running all the way from behind.
05:43I mean, I think they kicked it like two or three times.
05:46I thought Christian was going to actually scoop
05:48and score it on that one.
05:49But, no, I got pretty close.
05:50Like you said, it was kind of one of those deals,
05:52chasing after the ball.
05:54That's one of those where you're hoping
05:55that obviously we had two terms in the game.
05:57That could have been our third one right there.
05:59But, no, man, I think Christian,
06:01I mean, all these guys played really well.
06:03We got after the quarterback,
06:05which was our number one key in the game,
06:08really getting after Aaron Rodgers,
06:10making sure that we don't make him feel comfortable
06:12and being really tight in coverage
06:14and things like that.
06:15So, you know, I was kind of happy to see,
06:17you know, we knew the way we needed to win the game
06:20and it was kind of good to see that
06:22to come to fruition.
06:23Is there anything better than a hit
06:24like the one Christian Ellis had,
06:26given a hit like that,
06:27where it's just pure and complete chaos?
06:30Like, didn't know it was coming,
06:31ball flies out of his hand.
06:33Like, when you have a hit like that,
06:34that's got to be like a top moment, right?
06:37I mean, for sure.
06:38I mean, especially for, you know,
06:39a blindside hit and for the ball to come out, too.
06:42You know, it was one of those deals where,
06:44you know, if you hit the quarterback there
06:45and he used to get a sack,
06:46it's kind of like, man,
06:47you've got to force the fumble,
06:48you know what I mean?
06:49So, but it was crazy because he actually got sandwiched
06:51because him and Robert hit him at the same exact time.
06:53So I know for a fact,
06:55I mean, Aaron Rodgers is not the youngest guy anymore.
06:57I guarantee he's going to be feeling that
06:58for the next couple of days, for sure.
07:00I would think so.
07:01Is there a different kind of satisfaction
07:03winning a game like you guys did yesterday,
07:06the one where, you know,
07:07the defense basically wins it outright?
07:09You know, is there a special feeling
07:11as a defensive player knowing that,
07:13you know what,
07:14this one, we put it on our back
07:15and we were able to do it
07:16when the other side just wasn't having,
07:18you know, the best day.
07:19We were able to do what we could
07:20to get this team to win.
07:23Well, yeah, man,
07:24you know, you hold any team
07:25in the NFL to three points is great,
07:27but especially when you do it
07:28against a Hall of Fame quarterback,
07:29it felt special.
07:30You know, I kind of said it,
07:33you know, you guys kind of had it
07:34in the speech before the radio interview,
07:36but I told the defense the night
07:37before the game, like,
07:39hey, when we're celebrating the locker room
07:40at the end of the game,
07:41it's going to be because of us.
07:42And I just really,
07:43truly felt that in my heart
07:44because, I mean,
07:45Pittsburgh, they have a great defense too.
07:48So we kind of knew
07:49that this was going to be
07:49a physical game.
07:50Who's going to be
07:51the most physical defense?
07:52Who was going to force
07:53the most turnovers?
07:54You know, we kind of tied in that room,
07:55but who was going to be
07:56the most physical?
07:57Who was going to get
07:58after the quarterback the best
07:59was going to be the team
08:00that wins the game.
08:01And so we definitely,
08:02you know, take that
08:03and we put it on our back.
08:04Now, we know that our offense
08:06isn't going to struggle
08:06for the whole entire year.
08:07They're going to get stuff figured out.
08:09They're going to be able
08:09to score some points
08:10and things like that.
08:10But as of right now,
08:12you know, whatever formula
08:13we have to, you know,
08:15come up with to win
08:16every single game,
08:17you know, that's what it has to be.
08:18And I feel like we're
08:20as talented as we can be
08:21on defense that we should be able
08:23to win games single-handedly,
08:25you know, on our end.
08:26And I told a team like that
08:27in the locker room, like,
08:29hey, this is 10-0.
08:31I forget if it was 10-0
08:32or 7-0 that had time.
08:33I was like, hey,
08:33if they don't score,
08:35you know, we win the game.
08:36You know what I mean?
08:36Like, that's point blank period.
08:38Like, if they don't score,
08:39we win the game.
08:39I mean, no matter if the offense
08:40don't give us any more points.
08:42And that's how dominant
08:43we felt that day.
08:44Kevin, Gabe Ackes has flashed
08:45a couple weeks in a row now
08:47as a young guy,
08:48got his first interception there.
08:49Did you see a lights-on moment
08:50or anything with him
08:51where, oh, you knew
08:52he was going to be able to turn?
08:53Because in the preseason,
08:54we didn't see a lot,
08:55you know, in those preseason games.
08:57Yeah.
08:58No, I mean, I think
08:59for the most part,
09:00I mean, all through training camp,
09:01I thought he flashed a lot.
09:03You know what I mean?
09:03I think being a younger guy,
09:05you know, sometimes it can be,
09:06you know, a lot of thinking.
09:07You're trying to get lined up.
09:08You're trying to figure out
09:09this and that.
09:10And it could be some
09:10first-game nerves.
09:12Like, you know,
09:12you go into preseason,
09:13you never play an NFL game.
09:14You know, you're also dealing
09:15with the wear and tear
09:17training camp going out
09:18during the preseason.
09:19But, man,
09:21I'm really impressed
09:22with this kid
09:22just by, you know,
09:23his intentionality
09:24every single day,
09:25how he comes to work,
09:26his meeting room habits.
09:27You know,
09:28I'm talking in the sauna.
09:30He's asking me questions
09:30like, hey, man,
09:31what do you do for recovery?
09:33And this and that,
09:34you know,
09:34he's soaking everything in.
09:35I think he does that
09:37for everybody in the building.
09:38You know what I mean?
09:38And I'm kind of joking.
09:40I'm like, hey,
09:40you know,
09:40the guy's number
09:41who you're wearing,
09:42who was our head coach,
09:43you know,
09:43he played the same position.
09:44Like, you should talk to him
09:45about everything that he does
09:47when he would like,
09:48how he watched film
09:48when he played.
09:49Because I'm like,
09:51Vrabel is going to do anything
09:53and everything possible
09:54to make sure
09:54that you're succeeding,
09:56especially not just
09:57because you're wearing
09:58his number
09:58and you play for the Patriots,
09:59but it's like,
09:59he's that type of coach.
10:00So I'm like,
10:01I can give you as much as I can
10:02from the safety position,
10:04but I mean,
10:04you got a guy
10:05that's in our building
10:06who was our head coach
10:07that played your position.
10:08And I think he takes that
10:10and he runs with it.
10:11He's actually doing stuff
10:12with Vrabel early in the morning,
10:13like little hand drills
10:14and stuff like that.
10:15So, man,
10:15I think he's going to be
10:16a really good player for us
10:17for a long time.
10:18All right,
10:19Kevin Byard III.
10:21So outside of football,
10:22the Red Sox just clinched.
10:23They're headed to the postseason,
10:25most likely playing the Yankees
10:26at Yankee Stadium.
10:27Everyone around here
10:28is really excited.
10:29You're so good at this,
10:30and I hate to put you on the spot,
10:31but could you give the Red Sox
10:33a motivational speech,
10:34a Kevin Byard motivational speech?
10:38You've definitely put me
10:39on the spot right now.
10:41No, man, listen.
10:43The Red Sox,
10:45and just in general,
10:46you talk about the Red Sox
10:48and the Yankees, right?
10:48Oh, yeah.
10:49I don't think they need
10:50too much of a speech
10:53or anything
10:53to get them guys jacked up
10:55to go out there and play
10:55and go out there
10:56and win this series.
10:57Like, you're talking about
10:58I don't even know
10:59how many years
11:00of a rivalry,
11:02of hatred towards each other.
11:03I mean, it's playoff.
11:04It's, you know,
11:05it's playoff baseball.
11:06So, you know,
11:07obviously I'm a guy
11:08I'm going to be rooting
11:08for this team
11:10all throughout the playoffs.
11:11I'm definitely going to try
11:12to go to a game
11:13if I can,
11:13if it's an off day
11:14or something like that,
11:15try to go check out this team.
11:16But no, man,
11:17if you need any motivation
11:19from Kevin Byard
11:20to safety for New England Patriots
11:21to get you motivated
11:22to go out there
11:22and go dominate
11:24the New York Yankees,
11:25then you're probably
11:26playing the wrong sport.
11:28Well said, Kevin.
11:29All right, man.
11:30Well, listen,
11:30what an awesome,
11:32awesome defensive performance
11:33from you guys yesterday.
11:34If we could see more
11:36of that all season long,
11:37I think on that side
11:37of the ball,
11:38things are going to be
11:39A-OK for this team, man.
11:40Great stuff.
11:42No, absolutely, man.
11:43I appreciate you guys, man.
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