Episode 20: Dermontti Dawson

On the twentieth episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by his Pro Football Hall of Fame brother and Pittsburgh Steelers legend Dermontti Dawson (13:16 – 42:57). But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) to recap the weekend that was in the football world. Morten shares his thoughts surrounding the end of Drew Brees’ career, as it looks like he’s headed to the broadcast booth for next season (01:38). Who is the next “Drew Brees” for Sean Payton and the Saints (04:01)? Plus, Morten weighs in on Justin Tucker’s missed field goals in the Ravens’ loss in Buffalo (09:43).We then move to our interview with Dermontti, where he discusses a wide array of topics: how he was able to play in so many consecutive games as an offensive lineman in the NFL (14:19); how his faith helped him throughout his career (15:56); revolutionizing the center position by becoming the league’s first pulling center (17:13); why so many teams have tried to find centers that can also pull with success (20:36); what he learned from Hall of Fame center Mike Webster (22:19); going from the young guy to the leader, and how the league is continuing to shift towards more athletic centers (25:10); how someone can be nicknamed “Dirt” because he’s famous for grinding people into the ground, but also be nicknamed “Ned Flanders” because of how overly polite he is (26:46); the biggest differences between playing for Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher (28:34); why Bill Cowher isn’t taking another coaching job any time soon (30:40); why he would’ve loved playing for Mike Tomlin (31:51); his relationship with Maurkice Pouncey, and how he has continued to carry on the amazing legacy of great centers in the black and gold (32:34); why Maurkice Pouncey and Cam Heyward are his favorite current Steelers (33:33); his thoughts on the state of the Kentucky football program (34:05); why Tony Dungy is someone he looks up to (36:18); a Dick LeBeau story you would never expect (37:37); working with Marvin Lewis as a young assistant in Pittsburgh, then as a head coach in Cincinnati (38:18); destroying Mike Vrabel in golf during his rookie season (38:40); and emulating Hall of Fame center Dwight Stephenson (41:21).Then, TommyFreezePops is joined by Kevin Rogers for his weekly check-in with the experts from VegasInsider.com (44:23 – 51:49). Which team that lost in the divisional round do the guys have the least amount of confidence in in returning to the postseason in 2021 (45:05)? Plus, the guys give a comprehensive breakdown of NFL Championship Weekend (46:55).Finally, we close things out with Morten’s “Game Winner” – a weekly segment where Morten monologues his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, he talks about Dermontti Dawson, and how a mild-mannered man changed the center position forever (51:49).