Episode 81: Aeneas Williams & Goodbye Matt Ryan
On the 81st episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by his Pro Football Hall of Fame brother and Cardinals legend Aeneas Williams (12:46 – 01:00:27). But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick” (01:00 – 11:54). The Atlanta Falcons traded the greatest quarterback in the history of their franchise, as Matt Ryan was sent to the Indianapolis Colts. Falcons legend Morten Andersen weighs in on this historic move for the franchise, and what he thinks of the direction of the team. Plus, thoughts on Deshaun Watson, Davante Adams, Baker Mayfield, and much more.We then move to our interview with Aeneas Williams, where he discusses a wide range of topics: growing up in New Orleans, rooting for the Saints in the 1980s, and working at the Superdome (15:00); why he didn’t play football at Southern until his junior year (16:25); his thoughts on high-profile former NFL players taking head coaching jobs at HBCU schools, and why he feels it’s important for these institutions to continue to have the light shined on them (24:19); why guys like Calvin Ridley and Henry Ruggs should be examples for both college and NFL teams on why mentorship is crucial for young players (31:21); how the Cardinals should approach getting over the hump of fading late in the season every year (33:13); why he’s confident the Cardinals and Kyler Murray will work out their differences (34:36); why he thinks Kliff Kingsbury needs more time at the helm for the Cardinals before they decide to move on (36:20); what he loves about Buddha Baker’s game (38:49); why the Pro Football Hall of Fame should cancel the five-year waiting period for Aaron Donald when he retires (39:27); why he resents the sentiment that he “ended Steve Young’s career” (42:52); why he thinks Jalen Ramsey is “the real deal” (47:47); why Torry Holt deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (48:36); playing with Pat Tillman, and his thoughts on the tragic passing of an American hero (49:36); and this week’s edition of “The Name Game,” featuring Larry Wilson, Rob Ryan, Chris Chandler, Larry Centers and London Fletcher (52:03).Finally, we close things out with “Morten’s Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about Aeneas Williams, and why keeping promises matters (01:01:07).