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Speaker 1: What's up everybody, and welcome to another edition of Falcons in Focus. I'm Scott Bear. That's Tory mclaney. You already know this dude. Falcons right tackle KAYLEB McGarry in the quote unquote hot seat. There won't be a lot of pressure involved with these questions. Um, thanks for joining us. That's awesome. And first question is you had a little homecoming game a couple weeks ago when you went back to the Seattle area. You're from the Pacific Northwest, first time in your professional career that you've gone back. What was that experience like first of all? And did you like find like an old restaurant that like that you liked in college? Did did you visit any old haunts? Did did you see any family? Like? What was the homecoming game like? Well, I mean, first of all, it was awesome getting to play in Seattle again, uh, you know, and get the win was like it capped off the week perfectly. It was amazing. To answer your question, yes, yes, and yes, I mean it was you know, getting to run around my old stomping grounds was awesome. Like the first day I actually choked up a little bit when we went there for practice. Just you know, going back somewhere that I had spent you know, so much time, you know, energy and just like put so much of myself into and uh, you know I got I was welcomed back so warmly by coaches, and a lot of those coaches weren't there when I was there. You know, there's one or maybe two that were, but by and large, these guys don't know me personally, and to you know, receive that kind of warm welcome was very, very humbling and very appreciated. It was awesome. It was a very good week. That's so nice. I love that too, especially because like you're saying, like they don't necessarily know you, but like to to have that companionship is really nice. Now, you also took the offensive line fishing, but like deep sea fishing, is that correct? Like what type of fishing did y'all do? Because you have options? U yeah, right, Yeah. That's one of the cool things about Pacific Northwest. It's you know, it's a lot like here in Georgia in the south, where we have you know, the Atlantic Coast and the Pacific Northwest. We have the Pacific Coast um. But we went in the north end of the Puget Sound, which it's not really it's not deep sea fishing, but it's it's off the coast you're in, you know, the it's kind of it's not really an estuary, but it kind of is. You know, it's a it's inlet, this giant inlet of water essentially on the other side of the Olympic Peninsula. And we went fishing for salmon co host salmon aka silvers and it was awesome. It was a blast. Man. We went with h the outdoor line company. They did an awesome job. Man, it was so much fun. It was a blast. I heard y'all also brought fish back to eat, to the hotel to eat. Yep, was it all good, like fantastically. They didn't believe me. They didn't believe that, like real fresh salmon from the pcific Northwest was different. Man, they didn't buy it. And I think I think I made a believer out of all of them. So you had a company, But could you have just been the guide if you felt like it, Like, were you kind of like king fishermen among all of the fishermen were there. I wouldn't say that at all. I've probably fished that well, certainly that type of fishing, I probably have the most experience with out of you know, at least the players that were there. Like, I fished quite a bit, you know, living up in the pac North the West, and I fished quite a lot in the off season. But I certainly don't think I'm quite guide level. You know, I could, I could take a buddy or two fish and you know, do a spot that's not too bad and maybe get into a couple. But you know, we we hooked what fourteen fish, I think fourteen or sixteen fish a good day. That was a great day. So I wouldn't I wouldn't call myself quite quite at that level, but man, it was. It was awesome. It was just so fun. Who was the best fisherman out of everybody? At least? Who caught them? Yeah? Who caught them most? That's a better question. We kind of took turns as the we took turns. Our boat definitely caught more. Who was on your beat? So we had a hennessee Me, Dolman, Colby Gossip and uh one of the one of the staff with us. Okay, and I think that was all the players. I think that was all the players that was there. And the newsle and some of the other staff went to the other boat just because there wasn't a space for everybody on on one boat, but it was it was a blast. That is fantastic. Now, um, the next question that I have for you is actually something that many people have already answered, because if you remember during camp, you know, you'll do the question of the day things that's up on the when you'll walk off practice build, and one of the questions was who would you want to be stranded on a deserted island with And a lot of people said you, and the vast majority of them said you. And I'm just curious, like, what is your pitch to them to make them decide? You know what, I'm going to take Caleb McCarry with me to this deserted island. Okay, Well, if you don't want to die, pick me. That's all you need, you know. That's That's kind of my thing is I'm very very outdoorsy. I like the outdoors a lot, and growing up in Washington, you know, stick Northwest, I had access to just an absurd amount of you know, public land and all the space, and so I basically ran wild in my younger years like Tarza just it was just unbelievable. I drove my mom nuts because I'd come home from school, dropped my backpack off at the door, and I just disappear. I'd be gone. Yeah, I'm out heading the wild basically or as close as I could get. So that's just what I grew up doing. Like, I'm very big into survival skills, h you know, starting fires without matches, things like that. Like that's that's what I like to do in my spare time is learning and develop those skills. So that's you know, I would not put myself on a level with any you know kind of you know, survival master, survival instruct or anything like that. Like I haven't spent my entire life dedicated to that, you know, but I'm pretty good. I think i'd be fine. Okay, that's good to know. And if you're a wild animal and you live in the Oregon Washington region and they saw you, they should probably run. Well, if they don't see me, they probably deserve what's I'm a large, pale monkey with very little hair, so they should recognize it. Yeah. So as somebody who's whose last name is Bear, I've heard that you've come after my time a couple of different times that you have that you've successfully hunted for bear at this point. Yes, Okay, So there are that spawns a thousand questions which basically just I just want to know about it, like how like like do you track them? How do you you know? Like how do you find them? How do you hunt them? All that type of thing, because it seems like if you're going after an apex predator, don't miss right, I mean, yeah, that's you know, um, I will tell you bear hunting does definitely get your adrenaline up, you know, because they're a lot of people don't realize they you know, they think bears are these large, lumbering creatures that are allowed and bears are predators people for people don't realize bears stock and kill people like black bears will do it, Grizzly bears will do it. There. Yeah, bears, what I think, thirty or forty miles an hour and something that I didn't know that I found out because I knew I knew they were dangerous for at least short period of time, like that they could sprint very fast for at least a short period of time. I did not know that they are actually excellent long distance runners hours, so you're unless you are faster than you're not out running the bear. So they're no, they're they're incredible creatures. Um. But as far as like pursuing them, it's it's difficult because bears are very temperamental in the sense that you know, this bear and I chased one bear for two years once one singular bear, one singular bear. Uh wow. A bear could show up like barry patches, like in Washington. You can't bait bear. Um. So you have to find them in like berry fields or you know, creek crossings where there's blackberries or blueberries or stuff like that. You know something some food source that is that they like that they're hitting often and pattern them with like a trailcam. And the annoying thing about bears is you know a bear is going to do whatever a bear wants to do whenever they want to do it. Like they can show up at that same spot at the same time, almost like almost to the minute, for weeks, and then the three days you get to go there, they're gone. They're just gone. And then a month later they show back up, do the same thing for a week, disappear for a month. They just what whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do. They are incredibly stealthy when you you would not expect a couple hundred pound animal like that to just like appear out of the forest, but they do. I went hunting in their Clearwater natural Forest and Idaho this spring. That's where I got two bears this spring. And it's insane because one moment you're you know, you're watching this's crossing or the spot you can you can baite in Idaho. So that's, you know, what a lot of people do, and it works very well. Usually. I'm glad that you added that's the thing. You know that they can show up and then all of a sudden they just don't you know, uh and um, you know they you're you're watching this pilot and you kind of look down or you're reading your book that you're broad and you kind of look up, and all of a sudden, there's this giant effing blob there. Like there's no twig snap, there's no rustle of leaves, and you know, it could be you know, one hundred yards away, which I really not that far really, and they're just all of a sudden, they're there like out of nowhere. Yeah, it's crazy. It's really cool. Yeah, but it's it is crazy. Yeah, they're cool. So yeah, don't miss um. Moral of the podcast, don't miss um. Where do you keep your bears that you have? So? I don't know, no, no, So I have one of the hides I have here in my house in Georgia, and the other two I'm currently getting processed, tan tanned out and stuff professionally in Washington. Those will probably be at my place back home on washing Okay, is it like a full like stuffed bear or is it like a bear rug? Okay, So one of them I'm actually having made into like a throw slash kind of blanket, which I'm very excited about. That'll be cool. Yeah. The other one, the big, the really big boar I had, uh you know, he wasn't trophy size or anything, but he's a very good sized boar. I had this really beautiful white patch on his chest, so I decided to get him mounted so I could kind of show off that really big, pretty white patch. So one of them is getting stuff, the other one's being a blanket. So noted? So are we are we talking? Like? Bow hunting is like hunting is like a passion of yours. Is it all different types? I mean we're talking about bow, where we're talking about so a bunch of different stuff or do you just have one area? I'm very bad. I love talking about this. Feel free. Um so I I mean, I love hunting in general, but my personal favorite is definitely bow hunting. It's funny though, so I gotta like, I gotta a deer with my bow last week. Um but when I was hunting bear, so I brought my bow and my rifle. I hunted with my bow for five days. Didn't see any bear. Nothing. And bears have been coming through on trailcams regularly, but just for whatever reason, when I was there, they just weren't. And like, this is practically bathing in you know, scent killer stuff like that. You know, doing everything you can to that because bears, bear's sense of smell is like unrivaled. You. You can fool their eyes, you can fool the ears, you cannot fool the bear's nose. If the wind changes changes on you and goes bad and blows like from your back towards them, it's toast apps and they can be hundreds of yards away. They could be hundreds of yards away and spelling you. It's incredible. Yea, they've survived this long for a reason. Yeah, they are. One hundred hundred five days with my bow. Didn't see a single bear one hundred two days with my rifle. I don't know where. I don't know where. That's that's the thing. My favorite is definitely bow hunting. But you know, I I love all hunting in general. I support all hunting. Um. I think I just have a very deep appreciation and respect for like the more primitive hunting styles like archery, muzzle loader, you know, things like that where you don't have quite you know, such a mechanical advantage out and that's not you know, throwing any shade at you know, modern fire. I'm because you know, they get like two weeks of the year to hunt, as opposed to you know, archery guys like me, who could hunt, you know, depending on a state, basically the entire hunting season that's like four or five months, you know, so give and take. Interesting on the same line of questioning ash your weapon of choice heard through the grape vine, um and my notes for this, it literally just says, ask about giant ass sword quote giant asked sword, what is it? Why do you have it? And where it isn't in an undisclosed location. So I have always won. I've always been like a medieval armors buff. I love everything sharp straight up, from like broadheads and archery to pocket knives, swords, fixed blades. I am, I'm kind of I'm I'm a little bit of a nut. Uh And I'd always wanted a great sword. But finding you know, a quality produced great sword in the modern era is very, very difficult because you know, that was like back in the fifteenth century, right, so you know, we've moved on a little bit. Not a lot of sword makers that you know, just make you know, six foot swords. But I got hold of this uh sword smith in Texas called Valiant Armory, and they they were willing to make me my sword. And it is. It is a it's like a almost six foot on the dot, maybe a little more six foot long, fifteenth century great sword, and it is like one of my favorite possessions absolutely ever. I take that thing with me everywhere I can. Sometimes I'm sometimes I straight walk my dog or on the neighborhood. Yeah, wearing it on my back because I can. But you're probably one of the only people that could probably carry it, Like, yeah, that'ller than me. Yes, No, it is definitely. Uh fun fact, swords are not heavy, really big swords are not heavy. I mean you're talking, you know, five pounds as a heavy sword. That's a heavy sword. Really, I did not know. You would not think a six foot chunk of sharp steel would be that light. You'd think, you know, ten fifty. Everybody has these kind of romanticized like swords are really crazy heavy, and they're not. I can I can almost wield it one handed. Now granted that has a lot to do with grip strength, right, but you know that just goes it's not that heavy because if it was, I'm I mean, I'm not willing that thing one hand, and if it's as heavy as you would think, um yeah, like long swords, the typical long sword, which is you know blade three three to three and a half ish feet long, three pounds. Yeah, I'm just like imagining, like you like out for a walk with your dog, because you have you have a dog, right, what's your dog? Yes? A lab? Yeah. Yeah, I'm just imagined you like walking down just like you with a giant I have gotten some odd looks from neighbors. Okay, you know, I'm happy for you. Man. They've kind of accepted me for what I am. They they get it because like there's a little amateur blacksmithing if that's yeah, right, And that's another form that you're bringing back a little bit something like that. I don't know, I really valuable um like usable like usable trade skills, smithing, you know, carpentry, things like that, and it's you know, it's not as as in demand as it once was, obviously because with you know the advancement of electronics and machines. But I think there's a lot to be said for you know, a craftsman that can take a scrap chunk of steel and turn into something beautiful and usable, you know. And it's it's partly the prepper in me, you know, if the world goes all the hell, being able to be ready, being able to make tools essentially tools and weapons and stuff could be pretty handy. Yeah, And you know, honestly it's just fun. Like I think it's cool to be able to make a knife out of you know, an old lot more blade or blade. You know, I might have to call somebody to fix a sprinkler head at this point, but nevertheless, in doing the homework for this interview, Um, you've really lived, man, you know, and I think you know, growing up where you grew up, what you went through in high school, you know, um and everything to get to kind of where you are now. I mean, how did that shape you? I guess maybe the broadest way that I could you know, possibly ask it, you know, honestly, Uh, as as difficult as some of that stuff was, and you know it, it was um exacerbated by you know, being a teenager. You know, it was all it was, it was you know, it all seems so much worse just because as a teenager you don't have any concept of the real world or you know what it entails. You just know that you can't do the stuff you want to do, and that sucks, you know. But what it really gave me was perspective like I have. I think I have a very good perspective of the world and life in general and people, and I think that serves me well. I think it's made me very good at you know, taking people for what they are, you not expecting them to be things that they're not, and just moving on it. I think it's made it easier for me to be happy because I understand better. I think I have a good enough perspective that I can just take things as they come as as somebody who's was the first round draft pick and a professional football player. Do you have an appreciation I'm getting all deep now for where you are now knowing that you've been down on your luck. You know, your dad's lost his job, You've lived in an RV, you've done some of these things. You've transferred schools as a kid to new areas. Um, do do you feel like you have a greater appreciation for maybe where you are now because of all those things. Absolutely? And that's that's that's the whole perspective things, you know, That's why I'm I'm getting better. I'm not as much of a tight wad. I used to be terrible, Ye dude, Going going to the store to buy good food was the craziest thing. And it's not like, you know, when my parents always did the very best they could, and you know, very rarely did we not have you know, good food of some kind or you know, something to eat or anything like that. But being able to go into a store and buy the type of milky want, you know, the cuds of steak, you know, things like that, things that you know, you just don't go do when you're a struggling college student or a high school or you know. It's it was really weird to get used to being able to, you know, within reason, kind of do what I want, you know, and learning to manage because that was a whole other journey was learning to manage that and grow a little bit and let myself have some extra fun, you know, and learn that that's it's okay, you know to That's that's what working so hard for so long to get here and then working so hard even harder to stay right, that's what makes it worth it, you know, is that you can do these things and it's okay now, Like that's it. You have put yourself in a position that allows you to do these things. I think that's fantastic. I mean, and we were looking back over a few things and you even said, I think at one point, I can't remember exactly when you said this, but you you made the comment like, never thought football would be the career that I pursued, like it, never thought that this was the way that my life was going to go and for you, I mean, when you think about that mindset, when did that change for you? That this was like, you know, football can set me up to have the life that I want. You know, it didn't really sink in until like towards the end of college. I guess that I had that I had a real shot at this, because you know, every little boy's dream is to go to the NFL, but you know, very few of us. Really it's it's not as tangible. You know, it's a it's a dream. It's like this far off thing. And when I was when I was, when I was a kid, I think seventh grade, I think, you know, I began to like I felt like I was good at football. I began to realize that I was good and I was just I just played it because it was fun. It was a blast. It was like like I played football and basketball to my heart's content. I loved him, um, but I felt like I was really really good at football. And I told my dad that I was gonna pay for my own college one day. But that was as close as I had gotten. And after that, really like after that moment, the idea kind of like fell into the background, and I just I went back to just playing football for a while. And then in high school, you know, all of a sudden, I go to a couple of camps at colleges and I start getting offers and it just kind of explodes from there. Uh. And you know, fast forward a couple of years to college, and I'm actually sitting in my apartment in Seattlet at dinner one night and it just kind of hits me, I might I can do this, you know, I have a reality. Yeah, I might have a real chance here at being able to get somewhere that not just changes my life, but my whole family's Like this could this could really turn into something for me? Because my goal was just to get to college in high school, you know, get to college, get an education, learn, continue to learn, do you know, continue to expand my horizons. I I didn't expect at all for it to turn into what it has. And you know when I realized that it could, I got so excited. Yeah it was, it was. It was really cool moment. Well, I feel like so empowered right now. About you played some tight end in high school. I did. I'd just like to imagine like a five ten, one hundred and seventy five pounds safety being like, what am I supposed to do with this guy? I was a I was a very standard large tight end, and you know, in the sense that I didn't have any juke moves. I wasn't. I wasn't you know. No, I wasn't exactly what you would think. I could catch the ball pretty well, and I could run people over. Yeah, I had a kid jump on my back ones and I actually scored a touchdown after running over his teammate with him on my back. Every video of this somewhere. Oh, I have no idea. It was a long time ago. I would have. I would pay money to say that. I remember a passing camp we were doing. I think in my junior year. I was still learning. We hadn't started the season yet. I was still really learning the position. And uh, we're into seven on seven scrum hint I was. I was on a ten yard dig and I accidentally ran over the other team's middle linebacker. I did like I just did. There's no point in looking at him, So I go to make my cut. It's not really cuts, more of a rounded Yeah, I was sixty seven. That's no real cutting. So I got her round off my route, and uh, you know, I see him in my priffles, but I'm not going to deviate from my route. I keep watching my quarterback and I feel myself step on his cleat on his foot, and then I step on something else squishier, and I just keep going his stomach. Yeah that was that was actually his stomach. I had pinned his foot. He had tripped and fallen, and I just I just mowed the poor kid down. And then my quarterback to me the ball and I scored. It was great, but I didn't understand why the coaches were all laughing so hard till I looked back and he was on the ground. Oh my gosh. He was okay. For the record, he noted, maybe not his pride. But if you're listening to this or watching this, send video to Atlanta Falcons. I don't care if it's on VHS. Will This is as close to a football question is I'm gonna get to you before we go to our kind of rapid fire segment. Have you pitched Arthur Smith on a big guy touchdown play? I know you. I don't think you're not going to say if it's in the package or not, But have you had the conversation, Uh not coach Smith. I've I've kind of badgered our aligned coach about it because you know, there's over the years, there's been a lot of love to to left tackles and stuff, but it is always left tackles, always love to the left tackles. But you never see a little You never see a gimme to the to the guys on the rise. Yeah, I don't think it's happening anytime soon, but you know, I have hope. I have hope one day, maybe one day run over. It might be harder to run over the middle linebacker that time might be. It might be you know, considering it's pro football and I'm not nearly as fast compared to everybody else. So yeah, there's that Oh my gosh, wait, what one war from me and then we'll get into rapid fire, I promise, um. But recently read a story from our good friend Josh Kendall, who works for the Athletic about you were talking about, you know, one day far from now, when you retire from football, that you want to live off the grid. And I want to know what that means for you, because Scott and now we're talking, we're like off the grid. For us, it's like, oh, I don't take my cell phone with me to the grocery store. But I feel like the more definition of off the grid is very different. So what is that intail for you? It is a little different, you know. I just I really I've always been in love with, you know, the Western Frontier quote unquote. You know, like I grew up reading just rapidly Louis Lamore books and saying Gray and book you know, books about you know, the old days, trappers, cowboys, mountain men, all the above. And I have always kind of wanted to have my own little homestead. And yeah, that's that's really what I was talking about, is I'd love, you know, one day to have my own little place up in the mountains, you know, where it's quiet and just kind of have have my guard and have my animals and my barn and stuff and just kind of be able to do what I do. You know that that kind of thing. So chill, I love it. Now it's time. Now it's time rapid fire. We don't have any sound effects, we um, so we end every single episode doing a rapid fire game. Um so are you ready hit me? Okay, first, question, your favorite play as a falcon any wide zone to my side? I mean, okay, I'll try any run play to my any run play to my side. So when they ran fourteen consecutive times a lot of times to the right, very happy. When you were, you were very happy, very happy. Um. Normally this next question is about it's about music. But since i've heard you say that your life is like a country song, I've heard sometimes if and we're not gonna make you sing now there is everybody that's listening. Thanks, right, But is there a country song that you would be willing to do at karaoke if you'd had maybe like the right amount of corpse lights or something. I'm not sure, boy, that's that's hard. Like I'm a real sucker for like old country. Yeah, I think the song uh Lukenbach Texas by Waylon Jennings. Is that the fact I would suck at it? But that is that was one of my favorite songs. Is that here your dog's name after Jennings? That next one favorite restaurant, which is very difficult. Okay. So also originally the question was going to be, like, what's your favorite like game to eat that you more and kill like yes, like something that you have hunted and then honestly, Bear dude, I love I love bear meet, especially if you get one out of a berry patch or fields, which is since you can't bite him in Washington, that's how you know. That's your best odds. If you find a great big berry patch somewhere, you know, and just sit on it, there's a good chance of Bear is going to come through. Those are always the best tasting. I mean, there, that's nice and sweet. It is crazy. You would be very surprised at how good bear meat can be. Takes note eat well, okay, Scott, bear can't. You can't. But that's not the Okay, so that's not a favorite restaurant. But yeah, bear from a berry patch, Okay, I think that's a good I like yeah, more than I like favorite restaurant. Um, who's the falcon you hang out the most with. Definitely definitely Chris, Definitely Lynch from the Right Guard. Together, work together, came in together. Let's to literally see each other every single day every snap. Have you taken him hunting with you? Not yet, not yet. I'd liked you one day. Yeah, yeah, we'll see if he wants to, that'd be cool. Right, Yeah, because he's a Boston college guy. I don't know how much hunting he's done, you know, I I don't think much. I'd love to see him though, I love him, unty. That'd be funny. Now the last one, Um, what is your pet peeve? Your biggest pet? Peeve? Pet peeve? This one trips up people, honestly, when you're walking into the bathroom and somebody has on the toilet seat and not cleaned it up. It's I hate that. What are we twelve? Like? I, yeah, I get it. Everybody misses whatever, clean up. We're not a child. I for five seconds. That's so it's it takes so little effort to look so much less disgusted. I hate that. I hate that so much. And on that note, like I was gonna have some like fancy conclusion note, clean up after yourselves. You guys for joining Falcon's final whistle. I'm Scott. That's Tory. This is Caleb. Like, subscribe all that fun stuff. We'll talk to you next week.
Speaker 1: What's up everybody, and welcome to another edition of Falcons in Focus. I'm Scott Bear. That's Tory mclaney. You already know this dude. Falcons right tackle KAYLEB McGarry in the quote unquote hot seat. There won't be a lot of pressure involved with these questions. Um, thanks for joining us. That's awesome. And first question is you had a little homecoming game a couple weeks ago when you went back to the Seattle area. You're from the Pacific Northwest, first time in your professional career that you've gone back. What was that experience like first of all? And did you like find like an old restaurant that like that you liked in college? Did did you visit any old haunts? Did did you see any family? Like? What was the homecoming game like? Well, I mean, first of all, it was awesome getting to play in Seattle again, uh, you know, and get the win was like it capped off the week perfectly. It was amazing. To answer your question, yes, yes, and yes, I mean it was you know, getting to run around my old stomping grounds was awesome. Like the first day I actually choked up a little bit when we went there for practice. Just you know, going back somewhere that I had spent you know, so much time, you know, energy and just like put so much of myself into and uh, you know I got I was welcomed back so warmly by coaches, and a lot of those coaches weren't there when I was there. You know, there's one or maybe two that were, but by and large, these guys don't know me personally, and to you know, receive that kind of warm welcome was very, very humbling and very appreciated. It was awesome. It was a very good week. That's so nice. I love that too, especially because like you're saying, like they don't necessarily know you, but like to to have that companionship is really nice. Now, you also took the offensive line fishing, but like deep sea fishing, is that correct? Like what type of fishing did y'all do? Because you have options? U yeah, right, Yeah. That's one of the cool things about Pacific Northwest. It's you know, it's a lot like here in Georgia in the south, where we have you know, the Atlantic Coast and the Pacific Northwest. We have the Pacific Coast um. But we went in the north end of the Puget Sound, which it's not really it's not deep sea fishing, but it's it's off the coast you're in, you know, the it's kind of it's not really an estuary, but it kind of is. You know, it's a it's inlet, this giant inlet of water essentially on the other side of the Olympic Peninsula. And we went fishing for salmon co host salmon aka silvers and it was awesome. It was a blast. Man. We went with h the outdoor line company. They did an awesome job. Man, it was so much fun. It was a blast. I heard y'all also brought fish back to eat, to the hotel to eat. Yep, was it all good, like fantastically. They didn't believe me. They didn't believe that, like real fresh salmon from the pcific Northwest was different. Man, they didn't buy it. And I think I think I made a believer out of all of them. So you had a company, But could you have just been the guide if you felt like it, Like, were you kind of like king fishermen among all of the fishermen were there. I wouldn't say that at all. I've probably fished that well, certainly that type of fishing, I probably have the most experience with out of you know, at least the players that were there. Like, I fished quite a bit, you know, living up in the pac North the West, and I fished quite a lot in the off season. But I certainly don't think I'm quite guide level. You know, I could, I could take a buddy or two fish and you know, do a spot that's not too bad and maybe get into a couple. But you know, we we hooked what fourteen fish, I think fourteen or sixteen fish a good day. That was a great day. So I wouldn't I wouldn't call myself quite quite at that level, but man, it was. It was awesome. It was just so fun. Who was the best fisherman out of everybody? At least? Who caught them? Yeah? Who caught them most? That's a better question. We kind of took turns as the we took turns. Our boat definitely caught more. Who was on your beat? So we had a hennessee Me, Dolman, Colby Gossip and uh one of the one of the staff with us. Okay, and I think that was all the players. I think that was all the players that was there. And the newsle and some of the other staff went to the other boat just because there wasn't a space for everybody on on one boat, but it was it was a blast. That is fantastic. Now, um, the next question that I have for you is actually something that many people have already answered, because if you remember during camp, you know, you'll do the question of the day things that's up on the when you'll walk off practice build, and one of the questions was who would you want to be stranded on a deserted island with And a lot of people said you, and the vast majority of them said you. And I'm just curious, like, what is your pitch to them to make them decide? You know what, I'm going to take Caleb McCarry with me to this deserted island. Okay, Well, if you don't want to die, pick me. That's all you need, you know. That's That's kind of my thing is I'm very very outdoorsy. I like the outdoors a lot, and growing up in Washington, you know, stick Northwest, I had access to just an absurd amount of you know, public land and all the space, and so I basically ran wild in my younger years like Tarza just it was just unbelievable. I drove my mom nuts because I'd come home from school, dropped my backpack off at the door, and I just disappear. I'd be gone. Yeah, I'm out heading the wild basically or as close as I could get. So that's just what I grew up doing. Like, I'm very big into survival skills, h you know, starting fires without matches, things like that. Like that's that's what I like to do in my spare time is learning and develop those skills. So that's you know, I would not put myself on a level with any you know kind of you know, survival master, survival instruct or anything like that. Like I haven't spent my entire life dedicated to that, you know, but I'm pretty good. I think i'd be fine. Okay, that's good to know. And if you're a wild animal and you live in the Oregon Washington region and they saw you, they should probably run. Well, if they don't see me, they probably deserve what's I'm a large, pale monkey with very little hair, so they should recognize it. Yeah. So as somebody who's whose last name is Bear, I've heard that you've come after my time a couple of different times that you have that you've successfully hunted for bear at this point. Yes, Okay, So there are that spawns a thousand questions which basically just I just want to know about it, like how like like do you track them? How do you you know? Like how do you find them? How do you hunt them? All that type of thing, because it seems like if you're going after an apex predator, don't miss right, I mean, yeah, that's you know, um, I will tell you bear hunting does definitely get your adrenaline up, you know, because they're a lot of people don't realize they you know, they think bears are these large, lumbering creatures that are allowed and bears are predators people for people don't realize bears stock and kill people like black bears will do it, Grizzly bears will do it. There. Yeah, bears, what I think, thirty or forty miles an hour and something that I didn't know that I found out because I knew I knew they were dangerous for at least short period of time, like that they could sprint very fast for at least a short period of time. I did not know that they are actually excellent long distance runners hours, so you're unless you are faster than you're not out running the bear. So they're no, they're they're incredible creatures. Um. But as far as like pursuing them, it's it's difficult because bears are very temperamental in the sense that you know, this bear and I chased one bear for two years once one singular bear, one singular bear. Uh wow. A bear could show up like barry patches, like in Washington. You can't bait bear. Um. So you have to find them in like berry fields or you know, creek crossings where there's blackberries or blueberries or stuff like that. You know something some food source that is that they like that they're hitting often and pattern them with like a trailcam. And the annoying thing about bears is you know a bear is going to do whatever a bear wants to do whenever they want to do it. Like they can show up at that same spot at the same time, almost like almost to the minute, for weeks, and then the three days you get to go there, they're gone. They're just gone. And then a month later they show back up, do the same thing for a week, disappear for a month. They just what whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do. They are incredibly stealthy when you you would not expect a couple hundred pound animal like that to just like appear out of the forest, but they do. I went hunting in their Clearwater natural Forest and Idaho this spring. That's where I got two bears this spring. And it's insane because one moment you're you know, you're watching this's crossing or the spot you can you can baite in Idaho. So that's, you know, what a lot of people do, and it works very well. Usually. I'm glad that you added that's the thing. You know that they can show up and then all of a sudden they just don't you know, uh and um, you know they you're you're watching this pilot and you kind of look down or you're reading your book that you're broad and you kind of look up, and all of a sudden, there's this giant effing blob there. Like there's no twig snap, there's no rustle of leaves, and you know, it could be you know, one hundred yards away, which I really not that far really, and they're just all of a sudden, they're there like out of nowhere. Yeah, it's crazy. It's really cool. Yeah, but it's it is crazy. Yeah, they're cool. So yeah, don't miss um. Moral of the podcast, don't miss um. Where do you keep your bears that you have? So? I don't know, no, no, So I have one of the hides I have here in my house in Georgia, and the other two I'm currently getting processed, tan tanned out and stuff professionally in Washington. Those will probably be at my place back home on washing Okay, is it like a full like stuffed bear or is it like a bear rug? Okay, So one of them I'm actually having made into like a throw slash kind of blanket, which I'm very excited about. That'll be cool. Yeah. The other one, the big, the really big boar I had, uh you know, he wasn't trophy size or anything, but he's a very good sized boar. I had this really beautiful white patch on his chest, so I decided to get him mounted so I could kind of show off that really big, pretty white patch. So one of them is getting stuff, the other one's being a blanket. So noted? So are we are we talking? Like? Bow hunting is like hunting is like a passion of yours. Is it all different types? I mean we're talking about bow, where we're talking about so a bunch of different stuff or do you just have one area? I'm very bad. I love talking about this. Feel free. Um so I I mean, I love hunting in general, but my personal favorite is definitely bow hunting. It's funny though, so I gotta like, I gotta a deer with my bow last week. Um but when I was hunting bear, so I brought my bow and my rifle. I hunted with my bow for five days. Didn't see any bear. Nothing. And bears have been coming through on trailcams regularly, but just for whatever reason, when I was there, they just weren't. And like, this is practically bathing in you know, scent killer stuff like that. You know, doing everything you can to that because bears, bear's sense of smell is like unrivaled. You. You can fool their eyes, you can fool the ears, you cannot fool the bear's nose. If the wind changes changes on you and goes bad and blows like from your back towards them, it's toast apps and they can be hundreds of yards away. They could be hundreds of yards away and spelling you. It's incredible. Yea, they've survived this long for a reason. Yeah, they are. One hundred hundred five days with my bow. Didn't see a single bear one hundred two days with my rifle. I don't know where. I don't know where. That's that's the thing. My favorite is definitely bow hunting. But you know, I I love all hunting in general. I support all hunting. Um. I think I just have a very deep appreciation and respect for like the more primitive hunting styles like archery, muzzle loader, you know, things like that where you don't have quite you know, such a mechanical advantage out and that's not you know, throwing any shade at you know, modern fire. I'm because you know, they get like two weeks of the year to hunt, as opposed to you know, archery guys like me, who could hunt, you know, depending on a state, basically the entire hunting season that's like four or five months, you know, so give and take. Interesting on the same line of questioning ash your weapon of choice heard through the grape vine, um and my notes for this, it literally just says, ask about giant ass sword quote giant asked sword, what is it? Why do you have it? And where it isn't in an undisclosed location. So I have always won. I've always been like a medieval armors buff. I love everything sharp straight up, from like broadheads and archery to pocket knives, swords, fixed blades. I am, I'm kind of I'm I'm a little bit of a nut. Uh And I'd always wanted a great sword. But finding you know, a quality produced great sword in the modern era is very, very difficult because you know, that was like back in the fifteenth century, right, so you know, we've moved on a little bit. Not a lot of sword makers that you know, just make you know, six foot swords. But I got hold of this uh sword smith in Texas called Valiant Armory, and they they were willing to make me my sword. And it is. It is a it's like a almost six foot on the dot, maybe a little more six foot long, fifteenth century great sword, and it is like one of my favorite possessions absolutely ever. I take that thing with me everywhere I can. Sometimes I'm sometimes I straight walk my dog or on the neighborhood. Yeah, wearing it on my back because I can. But you're probably one of the only people that could probably carry it, Like, yeah, that'ller than me. Yes, No, it is definitely. Uh fun fact, swords are not heavy, really big swords are not heavy. I mean you're talking, you know, five pounds as a heavy sword. That's a heavy sword. Really, I did not know. You would not think a six foot chunk of sharp steel would be that light. You'd think, you know, ten fifty. Everybody has these kind of romanticized like swords are really crazy heavy, and they're not. I can I can almost wield it one handed. Now granted that has a lot to do with grip strength, right, but you know that just goes it's not that heavy because if it was, I'm I mean, I'm not willing that thing one hand, and if it's as heavy as you would think, um yeah, like long swords, the typical long sword, which is you know blade three three to three and a half ish feet long, three pounds. Yeah, I'm just like imagining, like you like out for a walk with your dog, because you have you have a dog, right, what's your dog? Yes? A lab? Yeah. Yeah, I'm just imagined you like walking down just like you with a giant I have gotten some odd looks from neighbors. Okay, you know, I'm happy for you. Man. They've kind of accepted me for what I am. They they get it because like there's a little amateur blacksmithing if that's yeah, right, And that's another form that you're bringing back a little bit something like that. I don't know, I really valuable um like usable like usable trade skills, smithing, you know, carpentry, things like that, and it's you know, it's not as as in demand as it once was, obviously because with you know the advancement of electronics and machines. But I think there's a lot to be said for you know, a craftsman that can take a scrap chunk of steel and turn into something beautiful and usable, you know. And it's it's partly the prepper in me, you know, if the world goes all the hell, being able to be ready, being able to make tools essentially tools and weapons and stuff could be pretty handy. Yeah, And you know, honestly it's just fun. Like I think it's cool to be able to make a knife out of you know, an old lot more blade or blade. You know, I might have to call somebody to fix a sprinkler head at this point, but nevertheless, in doing the homework for this interview, Um, you've really lived, man, you know, and I think you know, growing up where you grew up, what you went through in high school, you know, um and everything to get to kind of where you are now. I mean, how did that shape you? I guess maybe the broadest way that I could you know, possibly ask it, you know, honestly, Uh, as as difficult as some of that stuff was, and you know it, it was um exacerbated by you know, being a teenager. You know, it was all it was, it was you know, it all seems so much worse just because as a teenager you don't have any concept of the real world or you know what it entails. You just know that you can't do the stuff you want to do, and that sucks, you know. But what it really gave me was perspective like I have. I think I have a very good perspective of the world and life in general and people, and I think that serves me well. I think it's made me very good at you know, taking people for what they are, you not expecting them to be things that they're not, and just moving on it. I think it's made it easier for me to be happy because I understand better. I think I have a good enough perspective that I can just take things as they come as as somebody who's was the first round draft pick and a professional football player. Do you have an appreciation I'm getting all deep now for where you are now knowing that you've been down on your luck. You know, your dad's lost his job, You've lived in an RV, you've done some of these things. You've transferred schools as a kid to new areas. Um, do do you feel like you have a greater appreciation for maybe where you are now because of all those things. Absolutely? And that's that's that's the whole perspective things, you know, That's why I'm I'm getting better. I'm not as much of a tight wad. I used to be terrible, Ye dude, Going going to the store to buy good food was the craziest thing. And it's not like, you know, when my parents always did the very best they could, and you know, very rarely did we not have you know, good food of some kind or you know, something to eat or anything like that. But being able to go into a store and buy the type of milky want, you know, the cuds of steak, you know, things like that, things that you know, you just don't go do when you're a struggling college student or a high school or you know. It's it was really weird to get used to being able to, you know, within reason, kind of do what I want, you know, and learning to manage because that was a whole other journey was learning to manage that and grow a little bit and let myself have some extra fun, you know, and learn that that's it's okay, you know to That's that's what working so hard for so long to get here and then working so hard even harder to stay right, that's what makes it worth it, you know, is that you can do these things and it's okay now, Like that's it. You have put yourself in a position that allows you to do these things. I think that's fantastic. I mean, and we were looking back over a few things and you even said, I think at one point, I can't remember exactly when you said this, but you you made the comment like, never thought football would be the career that I pursued, like it, never thought that this was the way that my life was going to go and for you, I mean, when you think about that mindset, when did that change for you? That this was like, you know, football can set me up to have the life that I want. You know, it didn't really sink in until like towards the end of college. I guess that I had that I had a real shot at this, because you know, every little boy's dream is to go to the NFL, but you know, very few of us. Really it's it's not as tangible. You know, it's a it's a dream. It's like this far off thing. And when I was when I was, when I was a kid, I think seventh grade, I think, you know, I began to like I felt like I was good at football. I began to realize that I was good and I was just I just played it because it was fun. It was a blast. It was like like I played football and basketball to my heart's content. I loved him, um, but I felt like I was really really good at football. And I told my dad that I was gonna pay for my own college one day. But that was as close as I had gotten. And after that, really like after that moment, the idea kind of like fell into the background, and I just I went back to just playing football for a while. And then in high school, you know, all of a sudden, I go to a couple of camps at colleges and I start getting offers and it just kind of explodes from there. Uh. And you know, fast forward a couple of years to college, and I'm actually sitting in my apartment in Seattlet at dinner one night and it just kind of hits me, I might I can do this, you know, I have a reality. Yeah, I might have a real chance here at being able to get somewhere that not just changes my life, but my whole family's Like this could this could really turn into something for me? Because my goal was just to get to college in high school, you know, get to college, get an education, learn, continue to learn, do you know, continue to expand my horizons. I I didn't expect at all for it to turn into what it has. And you know when I realized that it could, I got so excited. Yeah it was, it was. It was really cool moment. Well, I feel like so empowered right now. About you played some tight end in high school. I did. I'd just like to imagine like a five ten, one hundred and seventy five pounds safety being like, what am I supposed to do with this guy? I was a I was a very standard large tight end, and you know, in the sense that I didn't have any juke moves. I wasn't. I wasn't you know. No, I wasn't exactly what you would think. I could catch the ball pretty well, and I could run people over. Yeah, I had a kid jump on my back ones and I actually scored a touchdown after running over his teammate with him on my back. Every video of this somewhere. Oh, I have no idea. It was a long time ago. I would have. I would pay money to say that. I remember a passing camp we were doing. I think in my junior year. I was still learning. We hadn't started the season yet. I was still really learning the position. And uh, we're into seven on seven scrum hint I was. I was on a ten yard dig and I accidentally ran over the other team's middle linebacker. I did like I just did. There's no point in looking at him, So I go to make my cut. It's not really cuts, more of a rounded Yeah, I was sixty seven. That's no real cutting. So I got her round off my route, and uh, you know, I see him in my priffles, but I'm not going to deviate from my route. I keep watching my quarterback and I feel myself step on his cleat on his foot, and then I step on something else squishier, and I just keep going his stomach. Yeah that was that was actually his stomach. I had pinned his foot. He had tripped and fallen, and I just I just mowed the poor kid down. And then my quarterback to me the ball and I scored. It was great, but I didn't understand why the coaches were all laughing so hard till I looked back and he was on the ground. Oh my gosh. He was okay. For the record, he noted, maybe not his pride. But if you're listening to this or watching this, send video to Atlanta Falcons. I don't care if it's on VHS. Will This is as close to a football question is I'm gonna get to you before we go to our kind of rapid fire segment. Have you pitched Arthur Smith on a big guy touchdown play? I know you. I don't think you're not going to say if it's in the package or not, But have you had the conversation, Uh not coach Smith. I've I've kind of badgered our aligned coach about it because you know, there's over the years, there's been a lot of love to to left tackles and stuff, but it is always left tackles, always love to the left tackles. But you never see a little You never see a gimme to the to the guys on the rise. Yeah, I don't think it's happening anytime soon, but you know, I have hope. I have hope one day, maybe one day run over. It might be harder to run over the middle linebacker that time might be. It might be you know, considering it's pro football and I'm not nearly as fast compared to everybody else. So yeah, there's that Oh my gosh, wait, what one war from me and then we'll get into rapid fire, I promise, um. But recently read a story from our good friend Josh Kendall, who works for the Athletic about you were talking about, you know, one day far from now, when you retire from football, that you want to live off the grid. And I want to know what that means for you, because Scott and now we're talking, we're like off the grid. For us, it's like, oh, I don't take my cell phone with me to the grocery store. But I feel like the more definition of off the grid is very different. So what is that intail for you? It is a little different, you know. I just I really I've always been in love with, you know, the Western Frontier quote unquote. You know, like I grew up reading just rapidly Louis Lamore books and saying Gray and book you know, books about you know, the old days, trappers, cowboys, mountain men, all the above. And I have always kind of wanted to have my own little homestead. And yeah, that's that's really what I was talking about, is I'd love, you know, one day to have my own little place up in the mountains, you know, where it's quiet and just kind of have have my guard and have my animals and my barn and stuff and just kind of be able to do what I do. You know that that kind of thing. So chill, I love it. Now it's time. Now it's time rapid fire. We don't have any sound effects, we um, so we end every single episode doing a rapid fire game. Um so are you ready hit me? Okay, first, question, your favorite play as a falcon any wide zone to my side? I mean, okay, I'll try any run play to my any run play to my side. So when they ran fourteen consecutive times a lot of times to the right, very happy. When you were, you were very happy, very happy. Um. Normally this next question is about it's about music. But since i've heard you say that your life is like a country song, I've heard sometimes if and we're not gonna make you sing now there is everybody that's listening. Thanks, right, But is there a country song that you would be willing to do at karaoke if you'd had maybe like the right amount of corpse lights or something. I'm not sure, boy, that's that's hard. Like I'm a real sucker for like old country. Yeah, I think the song uh Lukenbach Texas by Waylon Jennings. Is that the fact I would suck at it? But that is that was one of my favorite songs. Is that here your dog's name after Jennings? That next one favorite restaurant, which is very difficult. Okay. So also originally the question was going to be, like, what's your favorite like game to eat that you more and kill like yes, like something that you have hunted and then honestly, Bear dude, I love I love bear meet, especially if you get one out of a berry patch or fields, which is since you can't bite him in Washington, that's how you know. That's your best odds. If you find a great big berry patch somewhere, you know, and just sit on it, there's a good chance of Bear is going to come through. Those are always the best tasting. I mean, there, that's nice and sweet. It is crazy. You would be very surprised at how good bear meat can be. Takes note eat well, okay, Scott, bear can't. You can't. But that's not the Okay, so that's not a favorite restaurant. But yeah, bear from a berry patch, Okay, I think that's a good I like yeah, more than I like favorite restaurant. Um, who's the falcon you hang out the most with. Definitely definitely Chris, Definitely Lynch from the Right Guard. Together, work together, came in together. Let's to literally see each other every single day every snap. Have you taken him hunting with you? Not yet, not yet. I'd liked you one day. Yeah, yeah, we'll see if he wants to, that'd be cool. Right, Yeah, because he's a Boston college guy. I don't know how much hunting he's done, you know, I I don't think much. I'd love to see him though, I love him, unty. That'd be funny. Now the last one, Um, what is your pet peeve? Your biggest pet? Peeve? Pet peeve? This one trips up people, honestly, when you're walking into the bathroom and somebody has on the toilet seat and not cleaned it up. It's I hate that. What are we twelve? Like? I, yeah, I get it. Everybody misses whatever, clean up. We're not a child. I for five seconds. That's so it's it takes so little effort to look so much less disgusted. I hate that. I hate that so much. And on that note, like I was gonna have some like fancy conclusion note, clean up after yourselves. You guys for joining Falcon's final whistle. I'm Scott. That's Tory. This is Caleb. Like, subscribe all that fun stuff. We'll talk to you next week.
