Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson calls into the show!

0:00I'm going to have to throw a flag on something you just said while I agree that we're having a rush to judgment on Bryce and on Jalen Dern. Those two can't be compared. I know they're roughly the same age. I think Jalen's got two and a half, maybe three years on them. But Jalen Dern has been a professional athlete now for four years with round the clock coaching to be the best basketball player he is. Bryce underwoods plays 15 career college games. Jalen Dern is what he's going to be. He's been four years to develop at 21. You think he is what he's going to be? He's been with professional coaches doing 24-7 training for four years. If he could develop a post-move or a shot from the key or a three-pointer with his level

1:01of competition, he would have done it by now. Pre-John, baby, I'm with you. I dramatically disagree. I think a player at 21 is still developing. Sorry, he's 22. I will say this to defend Doug. I do think Dern has gotten better every year, but to get to what we want, which is to be able to at least be a threat from, like I said, eight feet. I think Bryce underwood is further along. Yeah, I guess I think we're talking too much about. He's only 22. What did you be saying? He's already been in the league for four years. I think that we're just looking at it for the draw. Hey, Matt, look, I just disagree. I think at 22, a player's just getting started. Even if he has been in the league for four years, and here's why, as he grows up, he starts to become the big boy in the league, the veteran player in the league, and the players that can handle him start to phase out of the league.

2:01He has more development. I think you can develop more of a game. I think you can develop more savviness and how to get to this because what I thought killed him in the playoffs was he wasn't catching the ball where he needed to catch it. And I think a lot of that was due to some players that knew how to handle him. And I'm sorry, I guess I just disagree. I think at 22, regardless of how long you've been in the league, you're not a finished product. Yeah, that part I agree with you. If he was 22 with it, this being like the first year as a starter, I get it. But this is his third year was completed as a starter. It's not like he's been a part time player for the last few years where he hasn't been able to bang down low with these guys. Right? He just went from 11.8 points to 19.5 points from season to season. From his third year to his fourth year, that was the jump he made. And I think that's an example that he'd been in the league three years and made that kind of jump.

3:01Now what does a fourth year really do? It doesn't, there's like no timeline on growth is there. There's no expiration date on growth is there? No. I'm just talking about because of the actual thing that I want him to develop is going to be difficult. Right. Now look, let's be clear here. There's tons of differences. Yeah. A between Jaylander and Bryce Underwood. My point is players do improve. Players do get better. Players over the course of time can learn how to play in the league more. That's the only probably relevant comparison. By the way, Pete Thamel just reported that the SEC just filed an amendment and it's lost it against LSU and Lane Kiffin to 60 authority for the SEC to expel LSU from the league. What? SEC has not expected to take such action, but the filing indicates the series is something.

4:07We have to circle back to that. Yes. Okay. Throughout the season, we're going to have a chance to catch up as we have in the past with Jared golf. And now this year we are adding Aiden Hutchinson, who joins us at this time, brought to you by C-Mac Transportation. Aiden, thanks for being with us. What's up, man? How you doing? Doing great. Doing great. And really, how are you? You're getting ready for another season. Yeah, it's week one. It's game week, man. It's always exciting. It's like week one. Always used a lot of buzz. And yeah, man, I can't wait. It's going to be a ton of fun to be back at four fields on Sunday. Not having joint practices, not playing in preseason games. You're just like chopping at the bit. I mean, are you going crazy? You just waiting? Yeah, dude, we've been going, I've been going to get to Penetay and Blake and all those guys for six weeks now. And you're just like, I'm done. I'm ready to go again to somebody else at this point. So yeah, I'm ready.

5:08You've been with this team for a while and you certainly, you know, having grown up here know the history. Why is this Lions team in your opinion? Ready to finally make that step to the next level? A good question. I think we've got all the right leadership in place. I think from a defensive perspective, we've all got a ton of faith and and chef this year. He's coming off his first year as a coordinator. And I think he's really evolved at a high level. So we have a lot of faith in him. So we've got to go out there this season and execute. And I think he's going to put us all in great position. So just go make a play. What is it about DJ Wannum that Lion fans might not understand that you've been able to have ascertain during training camp? Yeah, DJ, I think he's going to be a great player for us. Man, a real great compliment on the other side. You know, he plays with a lot of length. You know, he's got super long arms. He's able to really press that pocket with the long arm and the, and then he's going to

6:10have a long arm and the, and the staff and supra athletic too. So I'm really excited to see what he does on Sunday. And I think it's going to be, I think the whole rotation really even with Derek Moore and the deep hackles we got, it's going to be a fun D-Line this year. I was interested when a player like DJ Wannum comes in and you've played against him, not that you lined up against him. Do you guys start comparing notes to Z sit down in the defensive line room and say, well, here's what I thought about your team and tell you what they thought before they got here. You know what? I'd like to say that, but DJ is one of the most like soft-spoken, quietest person I've ever met. Really? On the team in a great way though. We get along awesome, but he's, I got a, I got a pry information out of him. So we'll be in the meeting tonight. I'll be, I'll be, I'm always picking his brain trying to see, you know, because he played with a lot of great players as well and went up against a lot of great people. So it is fun to pick his, to pick his brain, but you got to, you got to pull it out of him for sure.

7:12Are we going to see the Aleem McNeil that we saw a couple of years ago, because the last year he kind of struggled coming back from the injury? Yeah, I think, man, it's, it's always tough coming back from injury, you know, especially the one that he had. There's just, it's a lot going on physically, mentally, emotionally, everything. So I think he's, he's, he's back. I think he's better than ever for sure. Aint Hutchinson with us here on 97. Mom will talk to him all season long and, and you, um, there's a guy in your room that I swear nobody's talking about. Nobody brings him up. Nobody calls about him. And whenever I look at depth charts when they're put out there, he's listed as a starter. I feel like Tyler Lacey is a giant mystery man to this fan base. What can you tell us about Tyler? Oh, Lacey, man, he's a, uh, he's great energy dude. He's always coming in, um, to the locker room. He, he provides a great, um, just a great friend amongst all the defensive line and, um, his place speaks for himself.

8:15I mean, he's been our, our big end, um, in base for a couple of years now. And he's, uh, he's just a monster inside, man. And, uh, but he's definitely a gentle giant off the field and, um, man, he's, he's always, uh, he's a great friend for sure. What kind of, um, problems in the New Orleans Saints provide for you? Yeah, man. I mean, they're, they're, they're dynamic on offense. Uh, you know, I think, uh, with, with the album being out, um, we just have to deal with ETN and, uh, quarterback is, is dynamic, he can run. And so, gotta account for that. So yeah, just a lot of, a lot of, uh, dynamic pieces on offense that we got to account for, but I think, you know, we just do our game, do our job, execute the game plan. We're gonna, uh, we'll, we'll get the job done. I want to circle back to something. Stoney asked you about a little bit earlier. What's it like for somebody with your motor to be in the preseason game, just standing there on the sidelines watching it. I would imagine it would drive you crazy. You know, I'm honestly not the biggest fan of preseason. So I'm, uh, in that might, yeah, I don't know if that shocks you, but I just, uh, to me, like going out there, because we did it a little bit when I was a rookie playing in the preseason.

9:28Um, any kind of production you might get or like even the defense playing well, it's just kind of, and it doesn't really count. And so it's just, uh, yeah, I'm working my craft every day. So it's, um, I'm always trying to get better. But when, when, uh, when you make a big play and it counts for nothing, it's, uh, it's hard to get, it's hard to get going for that. Sure. Speaking of, uh, perfecting your craft. I see, uh, videos you've taken up golf a lot. And you were playing with Jared golf who golf's left handed. How's your game? Oh, you know, my game is, uh, but it's inconsistent as it gets, man, but it's been fun. Open the, uh, the golf brand, fourth and fourth this, this offseason and doing some YouTube videos, collabing with a bunch of NFL players. It's been great to get to know guys off the fields. And, um, man, it's been a fun little offseason venture for sure. But right now we're, uh, we're locked into it's the boss season now for the next seven months, eight months, however long it is.

10:28There'll be time for golf after the season. Hopefully after a long season. A dead cable took a totally different approach to this offseason. It felt like and there were, you know, there was a no, um, the, the joint practices. There was, it really a no nonsense. All business approach. As a player, what is your interpretation or how do you see that that could make a difference this season? Yeah, I mean, I'm all about it. I think, uh, it's, uh, it's normal. You know, when you have a, you know, we have a team that we had last year, we didn't make the playoffs. Like some stuff got to change. And, um, as players, we make the change and as, as coaches, I guess that's what he thought he had to change. And I think we all have faith in that. And we, we trust. I mean, it was a tough camp, very physical camp. So it was, it was just because we didn't have joint practice. Didn't mean we didn't get work. I mean, I think we got even more work. Um, then we ever have. So it's, uh, I thought it was very, very good. I thought it was very beneficial, you know, but, um, that's kind of the name of the game. If it doesn't work, you got to, uh, yeah, change something up. You know, we evaluate, try and predict how, you know, what the season's going to be like. And there's a few players that you go, well, this guy's development's important. This guy has to step up. Maybe one of the biggest is a guy that you go against every day in Blake Miller.

11:42Tell us a little bit about the rookie tackle and, and how you evaluate his game. Yeah, I think what I respect the most about Blake is if I give him a look, he'll, he's constantly evolving. So it's, it's a rare when I give him a certain look that he won't recognize that in the future. If I do it again and, and be better for that, and honestly out of our rookie, that's all you can really ask for someone who can grow and learn as fast they can. So I mean, I was trying to give him as many different looks as I could in training camp in order to prepare him for, you know, going against some of these, some of these team as you got on some other team. So, um, yeah, that's what I was trying to do. And I think he was doing a great job of evolving. I think he rarely makes the same mistake twice, you know, so I'm excited to see how he, how he develops throughout the season. Can you give us an example of you beat him with a certain move? And then later you are like, okay, he gets it. Is there something that happened in training camp? Like that's it. That's exactly what I was talking about.

12:42I mean, like I'll change up. Yeah, it might be a move and it might more be like my path. I'll switch stuff up a lot. Just when you get a lot of chip, I get a lot of chippers in my direction. So I have to be kind of multiple and how I attack that. And I think when I was presenting him with all those looks, I may, I may gotten him in the next day. I see him doing something else to that same look. I was just, I was giving him on a certain angle. I was attacking. So yeah, it's good to see. Plus you've helped him with his hair care, right? Yeah, I know Blake is the poster boy for Dandruff. No, absolutely. I'd be remiss in not asking you what you thought of the end of your alma mater's game on the other night. You know what I said, I say in five years, 10 years, that one of those is just one of no baby. I'm moving off. Did you turn it off? No, actually, when they put the second back on the clock, I sat there and I go, I think they're going to get the issue.

13:44Something was in the air for a second. And yeah, it happened. I was insane. So I was, I've actually never really seen a Hail Mary live like that, especially at the big house. I know Colorado hit one on Michigan back today. But I don't think Michigan has ever has ever had a successful Hail Mary, Hail Mary of their own at the big house. So it was, it was pretty cool. Great question. I'm not sure I remember on the might have been one years ago with Greg McMurtry, I believe, but yeah, Hutch, appreciate your time. We look forward to this all season long and good luck Sunday against New Orleans. Sweet. Thanks guys. Have a good one. You too. There is Aiden Hutchinson joining us here on Carson Anderson on 97 one.