Episode 60: Bernie Kosar
On the 60th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by Cleveland Browns legend Bernie Kosar (07:43 – 01:01:55). But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick” (00:57 – 06:52). Morten talks about the massive struggles of the Kansas City Chiefs this season, and previews Michigan State’s massive game against their arch rival Michigan ahead of Saturday’s battle of undefeated teams.We then move to our interview with Bernie Kosar, where he discusses a wide range of topics: the amazing coaching he received throughout his career, and how that shaped him as a man (09:16); how he and his contemporaries are dealing with the ramifications of playing through injury in the 1980s and 1990s (10:32); living with CTE, improvements in concussion protocols, and persevering after being told by doctors he only had “5 years of cognitive brain function left” (12:21); leaving Ohio for the University of Miami, and competing against some of the best quarterbacks in the country for playing time (24:02); his mentors at Miami, and the impact of Howard Schnellenberger on his life (26:45); overcoming major adversity, and the responsibility he feels to help former players who are struggling (29:59); why he forced his way to the Browns instead of entering the draft in a traditional way (36:32); how the Browns’ impressive running game reminds him of his Browns, and what he thinks the ceiling is for the 2021 edition of the team (39:10); praise for Kevin Stefanski and advice for Baker Mayfield (42:35); the current Brown he would grab and put on his Browns’ teams (44:29); being cut by Bill Belichick in Cleveland, and signing with the eventual Super Bowl champs in Dallas (45:49); and this week’s edition of “The Name Game,” featuring Clay Matthews Jr., Ozzie Newsome, Jimmy Johnson and Troy Aikman (53:59).Then we move to this week’s edition of “Morten’s Fast 5,” where our Hall of Famer makes picks for the five biggest games of the football weekend (01:04:08 – 01:12:26). Morten gives his picks for Packers at Cardinals (01:05:23), Buccaneers at Saints (01:07:00), Patriots at Chargers (01:08:19), Titans at Colts (01:09:22), and Giants at Chiefs (01:10:29).Finally, we close things out with “Morten’s Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about Bernie Kosar’s journey, and how his resiliency through his post-football struggles has been inspiring (01:12:29).