00:00The hype around LeVar was way more hype than what it is.
00:05Sonny is outstanding.
00:07He went, he did all his stuff at the Combine,
00:10and got a lot of people hyped up because most people care about the day
00:14is how fast you can run this, that, and the other.
00:16But LeVar, you go down the amount of awards he won that year,
00:21and then being drafted up there with four to five spots higher,
00:26I think it was on him.
00:28Dude, I think LeVar, by far, had more hype coming in.
00:33Not to say that Sonny doesn't, but I remember.
00:36Yeah, he has a lot of hype, but I'm saying that with that hype come expectations.
00:40And I think, what's going on, just hit it right from Delaware, Rusty.
00:46He just hit it on the head.
00:48It's the way they promoted everything.
00:51How they put him out there, LeVar, on Front Street.
00:53He's the savior.
00:54Ain't nobody saying all that about Sonny.
00:56Even before he got to Washington, though, and you're completely right,
00:59the way Dan and Vinny tried to market players was completely unfair to the football operation.
01:05But LeVar at Penn State, I feel like people don't remember this,
01:09he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated when being on the cover of Sports Illustrated
01:14was a huge deal.
01:15I mean, that was a huge deal.
01:18So LeVar was drafted in 2000, so April of 2000.
01:22So he was on the cover of SI the fall of 99, their college football preview issue.
01:27It was LeVar running out.
01:28Penn State was number one.
01:30And then do you remember the famous play he made at Penn State?
01:33I think they were playing Syracuse or Illinois or somebody.
01:36Yeah, and he leaped over the line of scrimmage.
01:39They called it the LeVar leap.
01:41So the hype on LeVar coming in was so significant.
01:46I will say, though, it took a dent.
01:49I don't know if you remember this.
01:50You were on the team, so I don't know that this will register really.
01:55The excitement surrounding LeVar was so over-the-top crazy.
02:01But you'll know this better than me.
02:04LeVar didn't sign or agree to terms with the union, the Players Association.
02:11So you couldn't get LeVar Arrington jerseys.
02:15They weren't being sold.
02:16Yeah, yeah.
02:17I remember that.
02:17And I remember my boy Charlie made one himself.
02:20And you would see like one or two of people that just made them.
02:23But people not being able to buy his jersey was a big deal.
02:29And LeVar was pretty good.
02:31He only played six years, which is crazy, dude.
02:35Injured, man.
02:36Yeah.
02:37Injured's going to derail the hell out of you.
02:38It was the year with Marty when LeVar really put it all together.
02:42He had that interception return for the touchdown against the Panthers.
02:47Skins started 0-5.
02:48They came back to win five in a row.
02:51That's when I thought he really started to show what he could be.
02:57I think our guy Jeff disagrees.
02:59And Jeff, you are younger.
03:00For younger people, you have a different feeling on this.
03:04Do you think there's more hype on Styles?
03:06Yes, right now.
03:07And like I said in break, it's probably because I'm younger.
03:09I didn't remember everything that came around LeVar.
03:12Like the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1999 doesn't mean much to you.
03:16I was five.
03:17Right.
03:17You know, but I just think after this season two years ago, the turmoil on Twitter about our linebackers getting
03:26burnt and passing plays,
03:28I just think there's a lot on Sonny because we've been, when I say we, I mean the fan base.
03:34The fan base has been thirsting for a linebacker that could cover and that could make tackles.
03:40This guy is, he only missed two tackles last year.
03:42And the thing about it, we were talking about how, when Jammin Davis came, when Jammin Davis came, everybody was
03:48like, who, why did they do that?
03:50It was a different feel when Sonny was drafted.
03:54And I just think, I just think because of the seat, the season two years ago and the season last
04:00year is the main thing that's making the hype for him.
04:04Because we was putting up 30 points, but we also was getting scored 30 points on us.
04:11Yeah.
04:12I hear you, but I'm going to tell you, living, being in, when both of them get drafted, being around
04:16here, I think they, the fans here know that our linebacker core suffered from a lack of pass rush.
04:27And a lack of consistent line play.
04:30When LeVar rolled in this thing, bro, they expected him to be the savior.
04:36LeVar was hyped more than the damn quarterbacks were.
04:39Yeah.
04:39You know, so it's a different level of what things were.
04:43Now, I understand what people say about the hype, but this is expectations.
04:48Sonny is not expected to be the finish all stuff.
04:52You got O-Way.
04:53A, if he get past what he's supposed to be, he's going to make Sonny's job easy.
04:57You know what I mean?
04:58You got, like, a lot of different guys who rolled in here now that bring in something else that could
05:02take a little pressure off of him.
05:04LeVar rolled in, and they thought he was going to save the whole damn team.
05:07This is funny.
05:08So the tweet, Wale tweeted me and B asking, who has higher expectations, LeVar or Styles?
05:14Will Blackman, another friend of the program that's played for the Skins here, does all sorts of media now, replied,
05:19Wale, are you effing kidding me right now?
05:23We'll take Wild Card Scotty, noted Penn Stater.
05:26What's up, Scotty?
05:28What's happening, fellas?
05:29What's up, bro?
05:31You showed JP that picture?
05:33You in the White House now?
05:35I showed it to him.
05:37Listen, LeVar came in.
05:40LeVar leaped.
05:41He did things.
05:42Superhuman.
05:42I'm growing up one of the biggest LeVar fans of all time.
05:47I think LeVar started drinking that Kool-Aid a little early.
05:51He was built as the savior.
05:53I don't see Sonny.
05:54I mean, I don't see Sonny as being the same kind of, I don't know, mentally as LeVar was.
06:05I mean, LeVar could have been, should have been.
06:07He had some injuries.
06:07But I think Sonny's got a little bit more, he's a little more humble, at least from first appearance.
06:15I also would add Sonny's father played in the NFL for five or six years, I believe.
06:21Like, there's going to be a level of understanding of what is required and that, like, you haven't made it.
06:28You've just gotten here.
06:31Like, nobody has made it yet.
06:33Thanks for the call, Scotty.
06:34Appreciate you, bud.
06:37Since Scotty was trying to troll me with that big ear dude, he was texting me all last week that
06:44the Penguins are going to come back and win it in six.
06:47He always say stuff like that.
06:49And then he texted me, are you watching this right before Philly scored to win the season?
06:57Stally, what about you?
06:58You're a young guy.
06:59I think the comparison is actually a little bit better with Chase Young and LeVar.
07:05Like, Sonny Stiles doesn't have that kind of expectations, I don't think.
07:08Both over two overall picks?
07:10Yeah, exactly.
07:11But with that said, I think down the line, like, once training camp comes around, once you see the athleticism
07:16pop,
07:17like, people are going to be talking about Sonny Stiles being some savior,
07:20and that should not be the expectation for him because no one should just be saving a defense at this
07:26point.
07:26No.
07:26I also think a gigantic difference in this conversation, when LeVar was drafted, I mean, you were on the team.
07:37Was it Brad Johnson at that point?
07:40Who was the QB?
07:41Yeah, it was.
07:42It was Brad.
07:43It was Brad.
07:43Because that's the year I left after.
07:47You played that year and then you left.
07:49I didn't play with him.
07:49Oh, okay.
07:50Never got through the season.
07:51Gotcha.
07:51So, when LeVar was drafted, Brad Johnson was the quarterback.
07:58When Chase Young was drafted, it was Dwayne Haskins, who was hardly a star yet.
08:06Like, he had played a rookie season.
08:09You know, obviously that thing ended tragically, but that was not somebody the organization was completely,
08:15at least the fan base was completely in on.
08:19We should talk about that.
08:21That's awful.
08:22Yes.
08:22We'll get to that.
08:24Come on, dawg.
08:25The difference now for Sonny Stiles' arrival,
08:30one, football team shouldn't have saviors.
08:32It doesn't help your operation to count on only one person to carry the day all the time, right?
08:38But there's already a guy in Washington that has all the expectations and all the spotlight and all the commercials.
08:46Like, Jaden is the guy, which makes Sonny's arrival exciting and terrific.
08:51But, like, the difference with LeVar back then and Chase Young, when they were drafted,
08:57they became the biggest star on the team, period.
09:00Yeah.
09:01With Stiles, it's not close.
09:03Jaden's the biggest star.
09:05Automatically.
09:05Hands down.
09:06So, it's such a different conversation.
09:08Yep.
09:10What, Jeffrey?
09:11Go.
09:12You're talking about Stiles' a bigger star than Jaden?
09:14No, what I'm saying is different times.
09:16Like you said, who was playing quarterback when Chase Young was coming?
09:19All our fans were still like, we need to find a quarterback.
09:22So, of course, Jaden's first year, he's going to be the biggest star as long as he's on this team.
09:28And what's to come?
09:29I believe the future is bright.
09:31So, that's the only reason why I don't think.
09:33Of course, Sonny Stiles is not going to be the biggest star.
09:36Is he going to be the biggest star on defense?
09:37Yes, I think so.
09:39Who else are we going to say?
09:41We'll find out.
09:42If Owe come in here and get 10 and a half, 13 sacks this year, it'll be him.
09:46True.
09:47See, this is where I get lost.
09:49But the lights will always go to the quarterback.
09:51Yeah, the lights go to the quarterback.
09:53But, like, what I know about defense, if that guy is pressuring the quarterback, he's going to get way more
10:00hype than the guy in the middle.
10:02Way more.
10:03Our guy Toothpick's on the line.
10:04What's up, Pick?
10:06What up, J.P.?
10:07What up, B.Mitch?
10:08Listen, man.
10:10I'm not C.K., but you guys can't take vacations at the same time.
10:13I understand, J.P., you had an unfortunate family event happen.
10:17But, listen, we can't have y'all both gone at the same time.
10:20It's just not good.
10:21But, I'm only going to say this.
10:25It is Sonny Stiles because of the social media era, right?
10:30It's like back in the days, people go to parties, and we would have a time, and no one would
10:35put it on Facebook, Instagram, or none of that.
10:38But now, you can't go out and have a good time without somebody putting it on social media.
10:42So, I'm going to say Sonny Stiles because more eyes are on him.
10:45But, see, it's not about all that crap there.
10:48It's about the actual football play.
10:50And I think that's what it stays with.
10:52I think if you're playing football at a high enough level, you can get past some of the stuff that
10:58somebody might post.
10:59But, if you ain't playing football at a high enough level, you're screwed no matter what.
11:04Absolutely, B.
11:05I do.
11:06But, if I'm answering the question correctly, it was who had more pressure, LeVar or…
11:12Now, it's just who's facing the highest expectations.
11:18And I don't know if it's about pressure.
11:20I just think that LeVar was brought in to be a savior, and Sonny wouldn't be brought in to be
11:24a savior.
11:26But, think about this, too.
11:28We haven't had a middle linebacker that we could say that is ours, homegrown.
11:32Here's probably Neil Okowitz, right?
11:34But, I still don't think linebackers get the same love that a quarterback, a receiver, a pass rusher gets.
11:47I just don't think they get that, no matter what.
11:49You're absolutely right.
11:50We make them into that just because we, as the world, complain about social media.
11:55Hell, we're bigger hype meters than the damn social media.
11:57Because, we're the ones that make the people who hadn't done anything too great already.
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