Former Redskins great Clinton Portis joins G&D to discuss why he took the RB coach job at Delaware State working under DeSean Jackson.
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00:00Let's go right now to the rude guest hotline because I don't welcome on to the show our buddy Clinton Portis
00:05I guess we've got a call coach coach Clinton Portis. Now. What's up, dude?
00:15Come about that you're joining a Deshaun Jackson staff
00:19Appreciated
00:21so
00:22It happened so quick. It was just one of those I was calling about
00:27You know me fletch
00:30Antoine Bethea and Nate Clements have a youth organization down in Charlotte
00:35Well, we're trying to where we were trying to help kids
00:39Get into college and I was calling just to talk about the kids that we had available if he needed
00:46needed kids and it kind of turned into a
00:50conversation of football and the next thing you know, I was flying to Delaware and
00:56Kind of got the offer on spot and they appreciated the knowledge and I think once I stepped on campus
01:03like the realization was like bro, this could change a lot of kids this could help a lot of kids and the excitement to
01:11Help them turn the program around, you know, I think in the staff
01:15There were so many guys that was like so matter-of-fact
01:19We got to turn this thing around and we're trying to get it done right now
01:23We got to flip this program and I'm just like what better better opportunity, you know a lot of
01:30Often you see you see fit or you think a job and it's like where you need it
01:35Where do you make an impact and I think this is one of those opportunities that?
01:40Gave me a chance to make the impact and you know
01:43I'm appreciative of Dale state and DJ for doing it for allowing me to join
01:47Had you thought about coaching it at the collegiate level before these conversations started Clinton?
01:53You know like you you think about it. I mean to be honest
01:57I've been with my kids my kids 16 17. I've been coaching their teams forever, you know
02:04flying in unofficial
02:06participating volunteering and I was I was talking to my son and he said
02:12you know, we were just talking about staffs and
02:16We were talking about coaches and he said man, I never heard you say a coach was good
02:21You think all coaching staffs?
02:23So
02:24won't you go coach and and you know
02:27It kind of bro that probably happened two or three nights before I got on the phone with with DJ
02:33And it was like weird because after he said it it was a statement like you know
02:40What maybe I do need to go coach, you know, maybe
02:43Maybe it's me, you know
02:46As the kids would say like it's never good enough or the coaches are never good enough
02:51So therefore I'm involved and like I tried to tell him I said man. My thing is is development
02:57Like I I like to see
03:00Where you are and what you can become and I think that's more of just believing in kids showing kids
03:09That you're watching them showing kids that you believe in them like getting the most encouraging kids
03:15To go out and give us your all, you know, if I think about
03:19The great one of the greatest motivators. It was coach Gibbs and coach Gibbs had the team ready to run through a brick wall
03:26But it was all from belief. It wasn't because of the scheme or because of the staff
03:32It was just strictly a you know what? This is our game plan. It's gonna be tough
03:38Heart knows we coming down here
03:41Mono-mono and everybody believed and I think once you show kids or show grown men or show
03:48Young adults that you believe in them and help them tap into their potential is some special there
03:55Clinton Portis is with us on Grant and Danny here on the fan
03:58He's the running backs coach now at Delaware State on the staff of Deshaun Jackson
04:03There is a movement happening CP
04:05I want to get your insight on Dion Sanders at Colorado maybe gets the credit for starting this
04:10I don't know, but we've seen Mike Vick hired in this cycle. We've seen Deshaun Jackson get a job. I mean, these are recent
04:17Superstar players like MVP caliber players as you said to say that someone doesn't have any coaching experience
04:23Probably takes away from some of the stuff they've done with their kids or at the youth level
04:27But this is abnormal that a guy like Deshaun or Vic or Dion would just get a job to run a whole program
04:33Without having done it at the high school level or what have you what do you make of this movement?
04:38And how do you think we got here?
04:40Well, I think for so long these doors and opportunities being closed
04:44And if you look at a lot of coaches who were getting those opportunities, it's kind of been buddy-buddy forever
04:50You know, it's not former players or guys who played the game at a high level
04:55There's just guys who were
04:57Connected to the right guys at the right time and they grew and all of a sudden they were the hottest coaches
05:03and I think when you look at guys like Antonio Pierce and
05:08in those guys Aaron Glenn those guys that got jobs and
05:12Opportunities to kind of highlight. Hey, we can coach like we can do this. We're actually talented. We know this game
05:19We've been playing this game forever. We played this game at a high level and we can develop players, you know
05:24I think the relationship
05:26That that we have which coach five show
05:29In development in belief and pumping kids up and get kids
05:34Hey, man, you don't have to go to a major college
05:38You don't have to go to the University of Alabama to be a standout
05:41You don't have to go to the University of Miami
05:43I can help you be seen like I can help you tap into that potential and I think
05:47Now with guys like they can do jet getting the opportunity. It's gonna be the same thing. You know, it's great guys
05:54guys who played at a high level who are given an
05:58opportunity
05:59At HBC use to just come in and change the culture and I think in doing that it opened doors for a lot
06:07More, but I know it's definitely going to help the kids out a lot
06:11And that was part of the reason I joined once I got on campus. I'm like, you know, what this is like
06:16This is it. This is
06:18That that second chance a second career that opportunity
06:23It was it was kind of like one of those decisions
06:25like I stopped trying to do it my way and just listen to my heart and listen to God like
06:31Bro, this happened by chance. My son just telling me I need to coach and now I'm in this position
06:37And it was like one of those positions that hey, I can't turn this down
06:41You know, you don't know if you're ever going to get it again
06:43but I know I'm gonna give everything I can to these kids while I had the opportunity and try to
06:51Direct them leave them and guide them to where they want to be. That's awesome
06:55That's the voice of coach Clinton Port is now joining us here on Grant and Danny
06:58What's different now for college kids kind of in the world that they've grown up in versus when you were coming up Clinton?
07:04I mean and some things are the same, you know
07:06It's about effort and showing up and you know trying to do the right thing as oftentimes as you can
07:09But just the landscape is different
07:11What do you think is different now and trying to relate to some of these kids?
07:14Given what they've gone through in this era of social media and everything else
07:18Well, I think once you keep the main thing the main thing and that's that's the X's and O's that's football, you know
07:25Yeah, X's and O's we can't add extra men on the field
07:28It's 11 on 11 and we got to strategize plot plan and strategize
07:34To take advantage of the opponent, you know, if we keep the main thing the main thing
07:40Not worried about social media not worried about NIL not worried about
07:46Stars and all this like we're not getting five-star kids
07:50But the kids that we get then I think you're having the conversation
07:55With DJ. It was just like bro. We
07:59Understand we understand
08:02We're building these kids up to for them to go to another college
08:06Like I don't expect the kid if I got a really good running back or running back who's putting up numbers
08:13I don't expect him to say like I know
08:16This knowledge I'm giving you this in helping you build who you are is for another school
08:23It's for a bigger purpose or for a bigger picture just for you to get an opportunity
08:27And I think coach Jack understood that as well and that was like I'm like, bro
08:32I don't want to be one of those. Oh, I'm so selfish
08:36Um, this is all about you got to stay here like man
08:39If you got the talent you got the potential
08:41Then you just need another year or you need some prove it time and this is your stepping stone
08:47And it's something bigger for you. I'm
08:50Encouraging you I'm helping you get in the portal and find somewhere to go
08:54The difference is I think I would find somewhere to go for you
08:57Before I allowed you to just jump in the portal like we would have to be sure you have a home
09:03You're gonna get an opportunity and this is the move that you need to make before I
09:08Sign off or I'm encouraging you or your parents like yeah, man move on and I think that's needed in this climate
09:16You got to be real with kids and like I told DJ
09:20I said, man, I don't you know, I don't know how to sugarcoat like one of my biggest issues or you know been
09:29Networking and kissing but like I don't know how to do that
09:32you know, I
09:35Mean man, you know wrong, but you the you the love it or you hate it and I understand that and you know
09:42It's never any disrespect to anyone, but I don't know how to
09:46build
09:47Camouflage a millionaire keep changing. Oh man at one point. I'm kissing bud at one at one point
09:54I'm dominant like I don't know how to do that. And I shared that I shared my thoughts and so man
10:00I just want you to be you, you know
10:02I know you have a special ties and connection with these kids and we can get through to them and I mean
10:08I understand your knowledge like your knowledge is some of the best knowledge that I've heard
10:13But I know we have a special calling to reach out to these kids
10:18So, you know, it was kind of one of those I get to be me
10:22I get to focus on on the kids instead of all of the
10:27You know behind the scenes and I'm looking forward to it Clinton board is Scranton Danny here on the fan
10:33Excited for the opportunity Clinton's got I was just reading this week
10:37I didn't know this like Deion Sanders does not leave campus in terms of recruiting
10:41He kind of says you come to me and and we can talk
10:45Is that the philosophy you guys will have as well where it's like hey, you're the superstars people are gonna want to come to you
10:50Especially the kids now they grew up watching
10:53Deshaun Jackson and you and I had your football cards or do you guys plan on doing it more traditionally where you are going out and
11:00recruiting and kind of doing it like a
11:03For lack of a better phrase like a normal traditional staff of non superstar players would
11:08man, I mean every
11:14Every high school we don't have that luxury that prime have I think crime has established itself
11:20With
11:21Shador and with honor and the players that he's given an opportunity or are put on the map
11:28We we're not there yet. So we got to do it the traditional way
11:32We got to get in the living rooms when we can I think you only have one opportunity
11:37to meet with kids or you know in-home visits now, but we got a man we got a
11:43gas station and
11:46Stand outside the school and hold up a Delaware State sign. Hey, man, we're here, you know
11:51We're looking for we're looking for all the talent that we can possibly
11:55Gain, and you know being one in 11 the last two years
12:00We know we got a change things, you know and DJ made a statement like oh, man
12:07They were talking about the starters and he said man. We was one in 11, right?
12:11We don't have any starters
12:13Everybody everybody job is under a microscope
12:17We're looking for the most talent and we you know
12:19Like we're gonna find the best because at one in 11 nothing got it done
12:25And I think when he made that statement, it was like, okay
12:27So we get we get to go out and find kids or it's no over you got to come in and this kid got to play
12:34Here's your opportunity. So, you know for me, I think I've been around so many kids doing this youth sports
12:42For so long because of my kids that it was just like, okay now you're speaking my language
12:48like I want to build this bond and connection with kids and
12:53understand what prime is done and
12:55Understand what AP done and a lot of the coaches that got kids to the next level like it start here
13:02You got to build those relationships and make sure a kid understand that you're honest with him
13:08The other night like I told I told I said man my coach coach Solingen in college
13:14The way he recruited me was like man. If you want to come here, I'll recruit you
13:19If not, I'll go out and recruit the next kid. Like he's not selling any dreams
13:24He's not is a if you want me to recruit you. I'll recruit you and you know
13:29He had a board in the room and he put everybody last name Portis McGehee gore
13:35Davenport and if you did something wrong, it wasn't a conversation. It wasn't let's talk about it. Let me hear your excuse
13:43You just erase the letter of your name
13:45So you start out port is then this porty then this port then it's poor
13:50Then it's pole and I forget down to P you plan another position. So it was just one of those
13:57Hey, this is what I expect. This is how things are going to be done. I don't want to hear your excuses
14:03We all got them. Let's go out here and get the things that you're supposed to do
14:08Done, and I think when you put that on kids whether it's classroom on the field
14:15Study hall, whatever it is. They got to understand. This is the requirement. This is what you're supposed to do
14:21Yeah, how about that running back room by the way during those times when you're at the you?
14:26Good now Clinton. I never had this problem
14:28I've not had this problem as as a coach because I wasn't particularly great
14:31You were great like you were such a good player
14:34Is it ever a challenge to communicate some things to young players who will look at you?
14:39Like you're crazy. Like I can't do that
14:40I can't go for damn near 2,000 yards and you know
14:441718 touchdowns as a second-year player in the league like like is that hard to sort of pare it down and get your message through
14:50When someone may not be as talented and gifted and great as you were
14:55It's not you know from for me. It was steps
14:57I started playing running back as a junior in high school and I had 900 yards
15:02I thought I had I thought I had put a Walter Payne numbers, you know
15:06I had 900 yards and you couldn't tell me I wasn't the best back and that was my first year playing in
15:14Schools kind of not kid like we're good and then the following year
15:18I had 2,000 yards rushing in high school and all those schools call back
15:23So I get to tell I get to communicate with kids from both sides, you know and going to college
15:30I was fifth on the depth chart at UM if not Jay Davenport don't get hurt in the kickoff classic
15:35Miami probably would have put me at DB, you know, but the blessing in disguise
15:41Nigel got hurt
15:43James Jackson for two weeks took all the cares Ohio State Penn State and then you know
15:50You've been taking all the cares for three weeks you got to have a backup and
15:55Jared Payne was going through what he was going through with Walter
15:58You know being sick that it kind of just gave me my opportunity. So
16:04To understand kids. I don't need you to go out and be me
16:07I know what I did was was crazy like my mindset the
16:12Determination the the belief in me. My thing is I got to get you to believe you can do it. So it's more on
16:20Before we get on feel just showing, you know
16:23Like it's like taking the top a lot of kids scared to get hit until they get hit
16:27Then you like see you got up, you know
16:30Even when it comes to pass blocking
16:32I see a lot of the potential in some of the guys that we've been recruiting or the film that I'm watching
16:37You just got to have a willingness like I can show you the technique and show you the meat in it between the guard and
16:44Tackle before this guy get full steam ahead that way he don't have anywhere else to go
16:49Like it's simple thing that if you've done it before I could teach you this. I just need you to be willing to do it
16:57CP I need speaking of things we need I need one of these white and red Delaware State Hornets hats
17:03It's a fire logo with the red and the blue Hornet. I got I got to get you the address. We need some gear. I
17:10Got it, man. Send me the address. I'll send it to you. You know, I budget not that big with Nike
17:14So I'm gonna go
17:17I'm just gonna be out of my pocket and I'm gonna send it over to you. All right, we'll rock it
17:23Look, I mean the junkies are over here rocking every Maryland thing that's ever been made. I mean that thing sure be Delaware State guys
17:29Look at that
17:30Hey the junkies, Maryland University of Maryland got a lot of money over there
17:37We're behind but I'm gonna come out of pocket and get those over to you
17:41So just send me the address my man got you. We love you Clinton. Congrats, man. We'll be root. It's really cool, man
17:46Seriously, good luck. I appreciate the man need y'all support. Thank you. Got it. There's Clinton Portis Redskins great a cool opportunity for him
17:54Wanting to help the young guys the Shawn Jackson and Clinton Portis
17:57Who knows who else is gonna end up on that staff, but not a bad way to go learn some football
18:02I mean what a time like it just again. I well, it's also a sign that we are getting older
18:07Well, that's all the guys who played when I was a kid who I loved are becoming coaches
18:12Yeah, like to Shawn Jackson the the leader of men
18:15You know that one I still have a hard time with just because he leader of men you're joking on but that's that's that's what
18:21He's that's a job now. I understand. Yeah, but I mean it's not that long ago that he's like the guy
18:26You have to drag into the practice. Yes drag into the fight. Well, that one's hard Clinton
18:31For all the different things that he's had to deal with on and off the field was always a like
18:36Someone just throw an interception. He's gonna hurt himself in the preseason going and making the tackle
18:40He is gonna lay people out as a block tough
18:42This wasn't the question just team guy through and through and through
18:45Like my first dinner my first interview question for Deshaun Jackson is the ad
18:49Do you believe that someone can go into the end zone normally?
18:53Could someone just score a touchdown and then celebrate has do you believe in having your players do that at any point?
18:58And if the answer is no, you may not be my head coach
19:01But but again, it's just it's a it's a crazy world that
19:04Shawn Jackson Clinton Portis and a bunch of the guys are gonna coach and help kids. I love it named the