Author Ian O'Connor on Aaron Rodgers book, Former Vikings RB Chuck Foreman

Bill Donohue: 00:01:00

th day of October,: 2024

Our engineer Brian Graves is with us at the helm, standing like he's on the bridge of the Starship enterprise. All things technical is in the hands of Brian. We have a nice show lined up for you tonight.

The theme being our London game that we suffered through today, Jets Vikings. Guests up. First, we will speak to the great author Ian O'Connor. We'll take a look at his latest book out of the the mystery of Aaron Rodgers.

And in the second half, we will welcome in former Minnesota Vikings running back and hopefully future hall of Famer Chuck Foreman. So sit back, relax, get yourself a drink and a snack, maybe some Pepsi and a box of ring dings, right? Enjoy yourself, enjoy the show.

It's going to be a good one up ahead for you with some great sports talk, as always. Before we begin, I invite you to follow me on my Facebook page, which is called the Talk of New York sports.

You'll find some good information there, some sports information, show information. So much more. Stop by, take a look. You can also follow me on xDev, all one word, be Donohue, WGBB.

And if you miss a show out here, don't worry because they're all out on the website the next day and you can catch up at your leisure. Listen to them whenever you want. Well, our first guest, he has graced our airwaves before.

We spoke previously about his great book on Bill Belichick, including that book, he said four straight New York Times best sellers. He's been a columnist at ESPN, the New York Post, USA Today and the New York Daily News.

As I said, his latest is titled out of the darkness, the Mystery of Aaron Rodgers. We welcome back to sports talk New York, Ian O'Connor. Ian, good evening.

Ian O'Connor: 00:03:16

Hey, Bill. How are you?

Bill Donohue: 00:03:17

I'm doing great. Well, I had to watch the jets, and I just suffered through a Mets loss, Ian.

Ian O'Connor: 00:03:22

So I did the same thing, by the way.

Bill Donohue: 00:03:27

So how good can we be, right?

Ian O'Connor: 00:03:30

Hey, listen. Well, the Mets are fine. They're going home now. They could actually end this series at home. It's probably not likely. I think this is going five.

They've already proven they can win in Philadelphia. This was a game where you almost feel like it's hard to believe they even got it to the bottom of the 9th.

But when you're trying to pitch around and you have to pitch around Bryce Harper as much as they do, it's hard to win that way. And on the other hand, you don't want him to beat you.

And when Castellanos is hitting the ball the way he did in that game, it becomes a really difficult proposition. It's almost like judging Soto on a, maybe on a smaller scale, but, yeah. So anyway, they're won one. They're still in pretty good shape.

Bill Donohue: 00:04:14

Such a hostile environment. I mean, those people would boo their mother if they came up. I think, what a place to play.

But we will sort of give them a taste of their own medicine this week, hopefully. Well, I want to talk to you about the great new book. Now, how did the idea for the project come to you?

And do you have to go to Aaron Rodgers to ask him permission or tell him what you're going to be doing?

Ian O'Connor: 00:04:43

No, you don't. And so a lot of people ask me that question. When you're doing an unauthorized biography, you don't need the subject's permission.

And I do think you can write a very good biography without the subjects cooperation. I think I've done that. I know plenty of people have done that before me.

And so, like with Belichick, he actually called up a lot of people and asked them not to talk to me. So. But I ended up talking to, I don't know, 350 people for that biography.

And I'll let the reader decide whether or not I pulled off my goal there or achieved it, which is to write the defining portrait of him as a human being and as a coach. And that was my goal with Aaron Rodgers. Initially thought he wouldn't cooperate at all. And, no, I never asked him permission.

I just told him I was doing it. And I interviewed 250 people in and around his life and handed in the manuscript without Aaron Rodgers granting an interview.

It was two weeks after I handed in that manuscript. When I got word from the jets that he was finally willing to see me, so I interviewed him.

He gave me 2 hours at his home in Malibu on the Pacific Ocean. And so that was the nicest backyard interview I've ever conducted. Right on the ocean there. But he made it a better book.

I had to redo the book to some degree, but he was very candid, he was thoughtful, and he didn't owe me a damn thing. So I very much appreciated that audience.

Bill Donohue: 00:06:09

Very good. Very good. Well, a lot of things people can learn from this bookie, and we'll talk about a couple of points that you do bring out in this book.

Now, you spoke to his parents about Aaron.

Ian O'Connor: 00:06:23

Yeah.

He hasn't talked to them, virtually had no communication with them for the last ten years, and they've never talked about that estrangement on the record. So I did interview them. I spent time with them. I drove them to the game last September when he got hurt.

The opening night on the anniversary of 911, of course, four snaps into the season and he's out for the season. And so that was an interesting and very difficult ride home with his parents after witnessing that.

But they still do go to some games, not a ton of games, but a game here or there. And actually they went to the home opener this September.

I went with them or drove them to that game as well against the Patriots, which is really the one game where Aaron looked like he did in his prime in Green Bay so far. Jets, obviously now two and three, and he's been a mixed bag of good, bad in the middle. He's looked young at times. He's looked old at times.

And so if the jets win this game Monday night against Buffalo next Monday night, they'll be in first place. Actually, that's just the way the AFC east is a weak division right now.

So the jets win that game next Monday night, believe it or not, they'll be in first place.

Bill Donohue: 00:07:37

Now everybody's calling for Salah's head. How do you feel about that? Just to get your feeling on that.

Ian O'Connor: 00:07:44

Listen, I think I would give him one more game, frankly, and I don't know if Woody Johnson would do this, but I'd let him know in advance. Robert, this has to change. This is your fourth year, and you look at his record way under 500, and you have Aaron Rodgers now.

And so really there are no excuses when you look at the talent on the roster. And so, listen, they could get back on track here pretty quickly. But what I would do is if they lose that game and they're two and four.

I think you have to try to save the season at that point.

I would install the defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbricht, as the interim head coach, and then if he is lights out and gets them to the playoffs, okay, well, then maybe he keeps the job. That Bill Belichick is out there. Of course, Mike Vrabel, Brian Flores from Brooklyn is the defensive coordinator who beat the jets today.

Would be a guy I'd be interested in talking to.

But, yeah, if they lose another game here, particularly at home to a division rival, they need to beat, and they're two and four, that's when I think Woody Johnson should make the change.

Bill Donohue: 00:08:51

I agree with you. I agree with you 100% on that, Ian. We're speaking with Ian O'Connor tonight on Sports talk New York.

Now, he did sit down with you and decided discuss the Achilles injury that he sustained, as we said, four plays into the season last year. What did he have to say about that?

Chuck Foreman: 00:09:10

Well, it's just how difficult the rehab process was. And one person I talked to was Aaron's personal trainer, who actually moved in with him to oversee his recovery from the surgery.

And he had never been identified in any publication, and so he'd never been quoted. And he told me that in the early stages of that recovery, it was really grim.

There were some dark periods there where Aaron was questioning whether or not he would ever play again, whether or not the jets even wanted him back. He felt like he had let so many people down by getting hurt in that opening game, but he got past that at some point.

Then he started talking about playing, returning to play at the end of that season. Now, nobody's ever come back from an Achilles tear that quickly, and some close, but not that quickly.

But he said to his trainer, if we win December 17 in Miami to stay alive for the playoffs, I'm playing Christmas Eve against Washington. Now, the jets didn't win that game, and his trainer absolutely did not want him to do that.

He was afraid of another tear and that would end his career. So the jets lost that game. Aaron ended up coming back this year instead.

And so far, again, I don't think he represents one of the jets top five problems at all.

Like, he's thrown the ball, for the most part, at a pretty high level, maybe not his old mvp level, but Breece hall, their running back, hasn't done anything. He was supposed to be a star. He was a star in the past, and Rogers needs a running game to be effective, particularly at age 40.

And the offensive line at times has, has hurt him. But that running game and Breece hall in particular need to get going for this season to be a success without question.

Bill Donohue: 00:10:56

Well, we saw that today. Like you said, a lot of examples of that today. And a microcosm right there of what we're talking about now.

As we all know, a controversial guy, Aaron Rodgers, is now the whole Covid thing that took place a couple of years ago. He says to you he made a mistake with his stance in that, correct?

Chuck Foreman: 00:11:22

Yeah. Bill, first of all, Aaron Rodgers never admits mistakes, really, in any context.

And I would say that about most of the great athletes and coaches I profiled over the years in books and features and columns.

It just, it's almost like they're, it is like they're afraid that any weakness or fault or mistake that they admit in the public arena would follow them into the competitive arena and maybe compromise their chances of winning at the highest level, being an all time great. So they never do it or rarely do it. But he did say, when he said the words, yeah, I've been immunized to the question, are you vaccinated?

This is August of 21 in Green Bay. Yeah. Those four words changed his life because the truth came out three months later that he wasn't vaccinated.

And he's never really recovered from that public relations hit at all. And so it's like he was often seen as one of the good guys in sports. He became a villain, the ultimate villain of the NFL, really.

And the last three years, there's really been a lot of negativity around him. The way he neutralizes that is with his play, at least when he's healthy. And so that's what he can do here.

If he could somehow get the jets back into playoff contention, maybe down the road, Super bowl contention, though that seems very unlikely right now. That would wipe away a lot of that negativity over the last three years.

But he did admit to me that he should not have said that because he wasn't vaccinated. He shouldn't have misled people. And he feels that by doing that, he gave his critics the one thing they still have on him today.

And it was just a damaging mistake again, that he's not really recovered from.

Bill Donohue: 00:13:00

Do you feel, Ian, that he's damaging the Aaron Rodgers legacy, so to speak, with his turn with the jets here?

Chuck Foreman: 00:13:11

Maybe in the eyes of some people, Bill, but you look today, he joined the 60,000 yard passing yards club, right? And he joined, he's now one of nine to do that. And that's a hell of a thing.

e to play, even though he had: 1310

Nobody ever handed him a thing. So that's probably lost in the discussion about him. I think he's the most accurate passer to ever play.

I think he doesn't have the championship rings, obviously, of Tom Brady, and that's the guy he's compared to most of the time. It's his contemporary. And Brady made it look easy winning seven rings and Aaron just has the one.

But I do think again, if he could somehow win with the jets and win at a high level, that does make a lot of mistakes on and off the field disappear. That's just the way it is in professional sports.

I'm not saying that's that big victory equals virtue, but oftentimes those two things get confused for each other and that could still help him out here with the jets.

Bill Donohue: 00:14:20

You're right. Winning covers a multitude of sins, Ian. That is for sure. Now, he's had a complicated relationship with his past coaches, too.

I mean, we just spoke about Robert Saleh and perhaps his future with the New York Jetse. What was his relationship like with coaches Mike McCarthy and Matt Lafleur and also with Brett Favre in Green Bay?

There was a problem there when Aaron started.

Chuck Foreman: 00:14:54

Yeah, all those relationships, all the above complicated, like most of Aaron's relationships with his coaches in particular. But Brett Favre, yeah, he didn't treat him well. I can understand Brett Favre not wanting to train the person hired to replace him and.

feel what Brett Favre felt in: 2008

Rogers was effectively forced out of Green Bay in favor of Jordan Love. They have a bond now that they both sort of experience the pain of that and so.

But as far as Mike McCarthy and Lafour, yeah, I mean, Aaron is a guy who, if he doesn't believe that you're thinking the game at his level, he's going to lose respect for you pretty quickly.

And he did say that with McCarthy in particular because, of course, he spent most of the time with him, that they butted heads quite a bit, but they did light it up offensively against defenses around the league for a number of years. And they did win a Super bowl together. And you can't take that away from them. Which is true.

And I know one of his first meetings with Matt Lafleur, Lafour told them, hey, you have to turn your brain off when I'm coaching you. And Rogers is like, no, no, I need my brain on at all times. That's how I win games Monday through Friday is with my brain.

I need my teammates to have their brains turned on, too, at all times. So that was maybe a little window into what their relationship would become.

Not a bad relationship, but a complicated one that could get pretty tense at times.

Bill Donohue: 00:16:31

We're speaking with Ian O'Connor tonight about his book on Aaron Rodgers. And people may not realize this. Ian, I was kind of fascinated by it. The details of Aaron's grandfather, who actually was a hero in world war two.

Chuck Foreman: 00:16:51

e was at St. Patrick's Day in: 1944

His plane was bullet ridden and on fire, and the rest of his squadron had peeled off to the next stage of their assignment, which was protocol. And so he said, I was all alone over Germany. It was the loneliest feeling in the world.

And somehow he saved that burning plane and got it back to the american base in Italy, saving eleven lives, including his own.

When he was shot down on his 44th mission, he actually navigated his b 24 away from other american planes because he was afraid his plane was going to blow up and he didn't want to kill anyone else on another plane. That's the definition of a hero. And that's why he's buried today in Arlington National Cemetery. He was an amazing combat pilot.

He was beaten and mistreated as a POW. He endured that, survived it.

And, yeah, I was fortunate enough to meet a gentleman named Dan Matthews in Minneapolis who was a war records expert, and we were able to detail all 44 missions that Edward Rogers flew. And it's a story that had never been told. So that's.

Listen, I think when you're an author and you have a chance to write about one of the greatest members of the greatest generation, you take it. That's one, two. There's been a lot of negativity around Aaron Rodgers and his family over the last ten years.

I thought it would be nice to open the book with a positive story about his family's legacy. And that's what I did.

Bill Donohue: 00:18:31

hat's for sure. Ian. Now, the: 2005

During that draft, you mentioned that in the book, and you were able to speak with Aaron's agent at the time, who Aaron later fired.

Chuck Foreman: 00:18:56

Yeah, Mike Sullivan, who did a good job up until the point where Aaron fell in the draft from one to 24, and so he wanted to play the 49 ers, had the first pick. That was Aaron's childhood team. He dreamed of being the next Joe Montana and Steve Young.

They were his football heroes up until about, I don't know, ten days. Two weeks before the draft, it looked like Aaron would go number one. Then all of a sudden, they fell in love.

More so, anyway, with Alex Smith of Utah, and he became the pick. And then John Gruden, basically, and Gruden was with Tampa Bay at the time. They had the fifth pick.

He basically told Aaron Rodgers they would take him at number five. He was there. Then that didn't happen.

And so he ends up with Green Bay, which, of course, already had Brett Favre, who still had some years left, and nobody saw that coming. So that was a wild and crazy experience for Rogers. I guess it was a blessing in disguise, given the career he had with the packers.

But the fans booed him when he was drafted. They did not need a quarterback in their eyes. They had holes on the roster that needed to be filled.

Brett Favre still had a few good years left, and so he was a very unpopular pick. He was not treated in a neighborly way at all by Brett Favre. So he had to overcome a lot to build that first ballot hall of Fame career.

And again, I think it's something he doesn't get enough credit for.

Bill Donohue: 00:20:21

Okay, understood.

Now, we spoke earlier about the Achilles injury, Ian, and what you bring out is new details about the rehab that he had to go through and the self doubt and all the things involved in that. Tell us a little bit more about the rehab that he withstood.

Chuck Foreman: 00:20:44

Yeah, as I mentioned earlier, Bill, Aaron Alexander, his personal trainer, said that, man, that those first weeks were brutal. Really. Aaron had a lot of doubt about whether or not he could ever play again. Just the people he let down with the jets.

He wasn't sure if the jets would move on and not bring him back or not want to bring him back, which is hard to believe. And it's stem cell treatments and red light therapy and ozone wraps and hyperbaric chambers.

They just did so much constant work on that leg to get it back, and they did get it back. Now, you see him today. He's not as mobile as he used to be, but in part, that's just due to age.

But against the Patriots and that home opener, he looked really mobile and looked great. He was moving around and making plays with his feet and throwing accurate passes on the run. He went through a lot just to be able to play again.

I'm not sure every 39 year old, 40 year old would have done that, but he had something to prove and he felt like if he could win a championship with the jets, that would do so much to enhance his legacy. That's why he forced the issue and made it back.

Now, again, it doesn't look like a two three that they're a viable team in the Super bowl conversation, but we all know that things change quickly in the NFL. One or two wins, if they can get a hot streak going all of a sudden, a lot of this uneven play over the first five weeks could fade to black.

So they need to win next Monday night. If they do that again, they're in first place and they can try to go on a run. But if that doesn't happen, I think a major change needs to be made.

Bill Donohue: 00:22:25

And we will see if that will happen. I know you have to get going. I thank you for spending some time with us here at sports talk New York. Been a pleasure speaking with you again, folks.

The book is titled out of the darkness, the Mystery of Aaron Rodgers. It's from HarperCollins and it's available wherever you get your books, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and you'll really enjoy it.

Brings out some great facts and some great stories, great interviews with folks involved with Aaron Rodgers. A great job by Ian O'Connor. Thanks again, Ian, and all the best with the book.

Chuck Foreman: 00:23:06

Bill, it was my pleasure. Thanks so much for having me on.

Bill Donohue: 00:23:09

That is Ian O'Connor, ladies and gentlemen. Well, I just want to talk to you folks quick much been happening this week in the world of sports.

We have playoff baseball, which as Ian and I were just speaking, we had to withstand another grueling Mets game today, ended up losing to the Phillies. The series tied one one moves back to Citi Field this week.

The series against Milwaukee was just unbelievable with Pete Alonso's home run to get the Mets out of that game one against the Phillies yesterday, Zach Wheeler had him on the ropes. Rob Thompson removed him.

The Mets put it in gear against the bullpen and took the game despite the Fox broadcasters orgasmic almost with the Phillies. I don't know how you folks feel, but they certainly seem like they're on the side of the Phillies.

And it's quite obvious to me the Philly fans would boo.

As I said to Ian O'Connor, they'd boo their mother, if she came up to plate, they would boo the Easter bunny, Santa Claus and a parade of armless war veterans. I think they are absolutely brutal down there in the city of brotherly love.

By the way, today we had NFL, London, the Jets in Minnesota, as we said, Aaron Rodgers, tough loss to former Jet quarterback Sam Darnold and the Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Just a great way to start your day with breakfast with the jets and a nice serving of tums along with that.

Some really shocking deaths this week in the world of sports, of course, Pete Rose. People say that Pete served his lifetime band now, so now they should let him in the hall of Fame.

graphs. And again, Pete Rose,: 4256

Not in the hall of Fame. Also, Dikembe Mutombo, Basketball hall of Famer, passed away from brain cancer. A horrible story. He was just a great humanitarian to his native Congo.

He's been a guest on the show and we loved having him with us, regaling us with stories of the great things he's done in his native Congo. Building schools, building hospitals and just doing some great things. That man and his foundation will live on. But Dikembe will be sorely missed.

We also lost Ozzy Virgil Sr. Who was the first player born in the Dominican Republic to play in Major League Baseball. The first black player for the Detroit Tigers. Really?

He was their first latino player on Detroit. Detroit, who was one of the last teams to integrate.

Of course, the last team integrating was the Boston Red Sox with the immortal Pomsy Green, who also played with the Mets, was the first African American on the Boston Red Sox. We also lost the great quarterback for the Detroit Lions in the seventies, Greg Landry.

People may not remember him, but if you google Greg, an interesting career did he have. Also notable as a rusher, a great rusher for a quarterback.

In the: 1970

But we will move on. And if I missed anything, if I was remiss, if you think of anything that I missed, you can let me know. And I am sorry.

Well, up next on Sports Talk New YoRk, we will speak to the great hall of Fame. Oh, future hall of Fame running back of the Minnesota Vikings, Chuck Foreman. So stay with us folks.

Chuck Foreman: 00:28:10

Tune in every Sunday night at: 08:00

Bill Donohue: 00:28:25

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Chuck Foreman: 00:28:45

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Bill Donohue: 00:28:59

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Visit gustbuster.com and get your guest buster today. You're listening to sports talk New York on Long Island's WGB. And now back to the show.

Bill Donohue: 00:29:37

All right, we are back with sports talk New York on WGB here in Merrick, Long Island, New York. Thank you guys for stopping by and hanging with us for a while on this beautiful autumn Sunday evening here on Long island.

We will keep the show rolling right along. Now our next guest. He is considered to be one of the greatest pass catching backs in NFL history.

He was a five time Pro bowl selection and he's a member of the Vikings Ring of Honor. And he made the list compiled of the 50 greatest Vikings of all time.

The storied franchise, the Minnesota Vikings, that we saw taking on the jets today at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. My welcome to sports talk New York. Tonight, the spin doctor himself, Chuck Foreman. Chuck, good evening.

Ian O'Connor: 00:30:26

Good evening. Nice speaking with you.

Bill Donohue: 00:30:29

Nice speaking with you. Chuck, I want to apologize to you right off the bat for the mix up in time. I couldn't respond to you right away. I was on the air.

But I did get your text and I'm very sorry for the mix up in time.

Ian O'Connor: 00:30:45

No problem whatsoever. I'm just the guy that's always on time. I get, you know, I just want to make sure I had the time right. So I was good. I'm good.

Bill Donohue: 00:30:54

No worries. Chuck, thanks so much for understanding. Now, Chuck, you grew up down in Frederick, Maryland.

Who were your favorite teams and players as a young man back in those.

Ian O'Connor: 00:31:07

Days, there was the Baltimore Colts, and there was the Western Redskins coach, the Baltimore bullets at the time, you know, the Pearl Monroe. Oh, yeah, and what's his name? Elvin Hayes, all those guys there.

But the Baltimore Colts, of course, you know, when I was a younger guy, you know, they were the big time team in Washington Ritz. And, you know, we had Lennon, Bellenny Moore there at the Baltimore than they had receiver for the red Skins. I'll tell you in a minute.

Bill Donohue: 00:31:42

But anyway, Charlie Taylor.

Ian O'Connor: 00:31:43

Charlie Taylor, of course, Charlie Taylor, Bobby Mitchell, you know, they had a whole bunch of great, great players that we got to look at when I was back in Maryland. And, you know, it was. And they come to find out, you know, my final, my high school coach was a really good friend of Lenny Morris.

They went to Penn State together.

So, you know, Lenny would come up to our high school banquets and he'd be the host, and, you know, so we got exposed to a lot of guys and an early age.

Bill Donohue: 00:32:19

Nice. Yeah, I remember those Baltimore bullets clubs, Chuck, as you said, earl the pearl Wesley unselled. They had Gus Johnson, Jack Marin.

They used to have some battles with the Knicks. I remember that. Gus Johnson and Dave the bushner under the boards, Willis Reid and Wesley Unsell. Great stuff.

Ian O'Connor: 00:32:41

Yeah. East coast used to dominate the Baltic Celtics and New York Nicks Baltimore bullets. Yeah. So we grew up with some great traditions.

Bill Donohue: 00:32:53

As a matter of fact, I read, chuck, that you began incorporating your spin move, that you got off all the pearls.

Ian O'Connor: 00:33:03

Well, back in the day, you know, we all tried to emulate basketball in high school. We had these little spins and stuff like that, you know, and I think we were playing. What were we playing? We were playing, I think, the Houston.

Houston or at the time. And I saw some space, and I decided to try it. It actually worked. I was kind of shocked. I was trying to get to space.

I wasn't so much getting rid of a guy trying to get to an open space. And that's when it all started. Then I got to nickname the spin doctor.

Bill Donohue: 00:33:41

Yeah, great story. Great story, Chuck. Now, you received more scholarship offers for basketball than football, right?

Ian O'Connor: 00:33:50

Yes, I did. So, yeah. And I really love basketball, being six two and a half, but I just thought football was where I wanted to be.

It was more physical, I guess, and I thought I had a bigger upside, and I just loved the game, and so I chose football. I did play basketball at University of Miami my freshman year, but after that, I couldn't do both. It was just too much, too time consuming.

And so I just went and stayed with football.

Bill Donohue: 00:34:27

Good choice, Chuck. Definitely.

Ian O'Connor: 00:34:29

Yeah.

Bill Donohue: 00:34:29

Now, you had a little issue holding onto the ball in college. You attributed that to holding the ball too loosely.

But when I was doing my homework, I read that we view bank gave you some instruction there and helped you out.

Ian O'Connor: 00:34:47

Well, actually, I don't know about dropping the ball a lot, but if you're going to be in the game, you definitely have to, you know, not to be a turnover king, you know, and certainly won't be there. But, you know, you got to remember, I played, I went to University of Miami as a defensive tackle, tight end.

Then when I got there, of course, I was state champion in the hurricane around two years. Then they had 40 times. And then, you know, my freshman coach asked me to switch to running back. And I know a darn thing about running the ball.

I didn't know anything other than, you know, just ran. And so I wasn't really experienced. Then they switched me to wide receiver and the cornerback.

So I really didn't have all the unnecessary coaching, you know, as far as being able to, you know, all the little stuff you need to do to hold on to the ball. But the bottom line is, yeah, when I was went to the all star games and they decided to use me as running back, we do bank.

He was our coach and he was the one that suggested, hey, look, this is what you need to do when you run in this football. You need to hold this ball a certain way. That was the best advice I ever got.

Bill Donohue: 00:36:06

s we have as jet fans back in: 1969

Ian O'Connor: 00:36:21

He was just the nicest gentleman that I remember, you know, so it was exciting to be coached by him and his staff. There were some great times.

Bill Donohue: 00:36:31

We are speaking with the great Chuck Foreman tonight on Sports talk New York. Now, you were drafted by the Vikings. You were the 12th pick in the 73 draft. You had some trepidation.

You were in Miami, but going to Minnesota, right. You, you saw them using flamethrowers up there at Metropolitan Stadium. A little different than the campus down in Miami.

Ian O'Connor: 00:36:56

Yeah, I'm used to seeing sunshine. Everybody's laying out tanning and mixing when I get drafted.

And it hit me, you know, that when I saw the bike because, you know, the draft was late in January, but anyway, and so when I see pictures of the Vikings or when they come on, they were, you know, they had this flamethrowers out there. I mean, throwing out the field.

Bill Donohue: 00:37:21

Right?

Ian O'Connor: 00:37:22

You know what I mean? And it was cold. And then when I went up there for my visit, you know, even though I'm from Maryland, I mean, Minnesota is a totally different place.

When it gets cold, it gets cold. I mean, really, really bitter cold. And so that was like, wow. But it was the best thing that ever happened to me. When I got drafted by the bikers.

They had a really great structure. They had a great coach. They had some place to town, was really nice people. The team was very mature and all of them professional.

So I got, I got, I got to be at the right place at the right time, at the right team.

Bill Donohue: 00:38:02

How did they, how did they use you when you first got there, Chuck?

Ian O'Connor: 00:38:07

Well, first of all, you know, when I came in, because every all star game I was in, I was in, I won the most valuable player as a running back. And so, and that was one of the only times I really played running back full time.

So obviously, you know, they decided, you know, well, I was going to play running back. And when I came up here, they asked me, where you want to play? You want to play coin, you want to play.

Well, obviously going running back, that's a running bag. And then when I was a running bag, then they said they're going to switch me to what they call the three back position, which was the fullback.

And I was really upset about that. Yeah.

And so once they told me how they were going to, in the way they were going to use me as a runner receiver, I didn't, I still didn't believe them. But as it turns out to the best thing to happen now, that that.

Bill Donohue: 00:39:04

Offense that the Vikings were using, that was really the precursor to the west coast offense.

Ian O'Connor: 00:39:12

It was the west coast, yeah.

I could never figure out how often got to be called the west coast offense, and we never got any credit for what we created or begun when Jerry Burns created. And so, yeah, that's been the stigma since I can remember, you know, the runner, receiver. Wait a minute. That's my thing.

They came after me, you know, what we did here, and it was, it was an eye open, because back in those days, in my era, anyway, you know, when they evaluated you as a running back or fullback, whatever you want to call, they only evaluated you or judged you by the yards from scrimmage. Your receiving yards were just considered jump.

You know, there wasn't even, like, when they choose you for, if you're gonna pick you for the Pro bowl, it wouldn't be because of your rushing yards, I mean, because you're all around yard, be because you're, you know how many rushing yards you had. But, and, you know, that was the part of being a multidimensional player.

That was unfortunate, but it made me who I was and we were very, very successful with it. You certainly were, except that's back in my era, that's how they evaluated you as a runner, this guard from scrimmage.

They didn't evaluate you by, okay, the total picture, you know, or, you know, this guy can do this and he can also do that. So that's, that's. But now they're getting some recognition.

Bill Donohue: 00:41:05

Yes, exactly. Right. Chuck. Chuck Foreman is with us tonight on sports talk New York.

Now your first Super bowl, you beat the Redskins in the divisional round that year. You beat the Cowboys in the championship game and then you come up against the Miami Dolphins.

Now that was Super bowl eight, I believe, and tough team, the Miami Dolphins.

Ian O'Connor: 00:41:35

I went to school in Miami and Miami Dolphins, we still watching practice and all that. And they used to practice over at our facility.

A lot of those guys used to work out over there and they were really, really, they were really, really good football and really smart football team, you know, you know, they were.

And I knew from what I, my experience and everything, watching them play all those years and down when I was in Miami that, you know, that would be a tough team to be and that was the best team I think I've ever played against that Miami Dolphins team.

Bill Donohue: 00:42:16

Yeah, great. And as you said, coach Shula, coach Bud Grant, there were some immortal coaches back then when you were in the NFL, Chuck, some real great guys.

Ian O'Connor: 00:42:27

They were Tom Landry with the cavalry Steelers, Chuck. No, I mean, you can go on down the line, be all a hall of famer, right?

Bill Donohue: 00:42:40

Yes. Some great men coaching back in the NFL back then. Now 74, you repeat as the NFC central champions.

You go to the Super bowl for the second year in a row and you come up against the steel curtain, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now you had a tough time with those guys too, right, Chuck?

Ian O'Connor: 00:43:02

Well, we did.

You know, going against the Pittsburgh Steelers, I still, I still thought we were a better team, you know, and Dolphins, I didn't think, but I think Pittsburgh, we had a couple turnovers here, there and, you know, they were, you can't make mistakes against a team like that, right. You know, they were very, very well coached and a lot of great players over there. And another loss.

Bill Donohue: 00:43:35

Yeah. Tough, tough way to go.

Now you were going for the NFC Triple Crown the year after you led the conference in touchdowns, receptions and rushing yards, you were up against OJ Simpson to break Gail Sayers record for combined rushing and receiving. OJ won that one out, though, didn't he?

Ian O'Connor: 00:44:01

Well, OJ won the.

What happened was OJ won the touchdown part of it, you know, because I had tied the record, and then OJ came back in the last out and quarter and somehow broke a long running. He got the scoring title, but I missed the Triple crown that year by six yards because I won everything else.

But in that third quarter, so I got hit in the eye with a snowball.

Bill Donohue: 00:44:38

Oh, nice.

Ian O'Connor: 00:44:40

Buff it all. And that's in, like, double vision. And I didn't go back in the game, but I.

But if it wasn't for that, you know, you know, probably would have, you know, broke those records, too, right?

Bill Donohue: 00:44:58

Exactly. And not bad to be beaten out by Simpson. He was a great runner. Bud Grant. Now let's talk a little bit about. More about Coach Grant.

Chuck, give us a little insight into his philosophy and just exactly the impact that Bud Grant had on your great career.

Ian O'Connor: 00:45:20

Well, you know, as far as Bud Grant, as I mentioned before, I was very fortunate to come to Minnesota.

It was a very mature football team, very professional, professional football team, and a lot of guys that were professionals, you know, they came to work and, you know, they did everything they were supposed to do, but really didn't have to do much as far as coach, because everybody knew what kind, what they had to do to be the best way to be. You know, we came hard, they worked hard. You know, everybody was disciplined.

And if you weren't a disciplined guy or you didn't make good decisions, you weren't going to be here long. And then if you were out of place, you know, bud didn't come to you. Captain JT came to you and tell you, hey, we don't do that up here.

This is how we do things. If you want to be a partner, we're fine, but, you know, we don't have that.

And so that was one of the best things about being here in Minnesota was the guys that we had on the team, and they were, you know, as an older team when I got here, too, so. But those guys set the standard and, you know, just a bunch of not only great football players, but just great people. So I had the best of both.

Best of both worlds.

Bill Donohue: 00:46:42

Who would you say your, your greatest teammate? Your best teammate was, Chuck?

Ian O'Connor: 00:46:48

Oh, man. I can't say anyone in particular. I think there's really so many good ones. You know. Right. And I learned a little bit from all of them.

But I'll say this though, as much as I had, I respected everybody. I played with them and, you know, relationships with.

I've never told Allen Page just in person, but I admire that on page I for the man he was and for the work ethic he had and you watched him, he went about doing his business. You know, he was a guy that he couldn't help but respect, you know, because he was, you know, he wasn't a guy that did a whole lot of talking.

He just performed on the field.

But he was, he is a man of character and a guy that, you know, you know, he's going to be straight with you and he, you know, and he's going to let you know, you know, like I say, he's, he's got a lot of dignity and everything else.

I can't, there's so many things I can say positive, only I can tell, you know, he's, you know, as far as the football players go, I admire Allen Page.

Bill Donohue: 00:48:22

Well, thank you for giving us that story, Chuck, and giving us that piece of information. A great football player. You kids out there Google Alan Page, just as Chuck says, a tremendous football player.

He was one of a group of guys they called the purple people, leaders, kids, and check that out. These guys were amazing on the line and Chuck had the honor and the privilege of playing with these guys. How about a guy, Chuck?

If you had the ball and you looked up, you don't want to see this guy. Who would that be on the other side of the ball?

Ian O'Connor: 00:49:05

There's a lot of great players. I played against. The biggest runner, biggest linebacker I ever seen in my life was a guy by the name of Fred Carr.

He played with the Green Bay package. He was big and fast. He could do all of them. But I guess the one guy that I played against, you know, I only played against him a few times.

I played against a lot of great, great players. Thomas Henderson, you know, he was like, he had sprinter speed and all that kind of stuff.

He played with Dallas right before then, you know, Jack, Jack Ham.

Bill Donohue: 00:49:42

Jack Ham.

Ian O'Connor: 00:49:45

Yeah. He was like, you ever been on your porch in the summer and the bugs are out like gnats and everything?

Yeah, they keep bugging you and you keep swatting them away, but they always dare, right? That's how I look at him. He was like, okay, best stuff. Trying to put a move on, but I might get to have a step on him.

But he was just always there, you know, he was just he was a really good football player and linebacker. And I just thought that some of the, I played against a lot of gravens, but I remember him because he was just like a nuisance.

Really darn good football player.

Bill Donohue: 00:50:34

You guys can look him up, too. Jack Hamm, Pittsburgh Steelers. As Chuck says, the great Chuck foreman is with us tonight on sports talk New York.

Now, Chuck, you got into teaching after your pro football career. What made you want to get into teaching?

Ian O'Connor: 00:50:52

Well, of course, I was, you know, growing up, when I grew up, you know, everybody, my father, you know, he was a teacher, but he didn't even stay in the field, but he was everybody that we grew up with in my neighborhood. You know, a lot of the more teachers, my parents friends were teachers and educators and stuff like that.

But that, in those days, that was like the job you want. You know, you can go and you can teach you to guide the youngsters and all that kind of stuff.

And so I went to the University of Miami and I decided to get a teaching degree. And then I came up, but I never really taught full time. I mostly substitute for a long, long time because I didn't want to.

I had other things going on, but I did get into classroom. I really enjoyed the it. And actually, up until Covid, I was working in the Bloomington system. Bloomington, Minnesota.

Bill Donohue: 00:51:57

Right.

Ian O'Connor: 00:51:59

But, you know, that was a bad choice. I really didn't, I didn't think I could do it full time, but I just did it, you know, just to keep busy. And I really enjoyed it.

Bill Donohue: 00:52:13

And you came up with a program called Sound Advice for Life.

Ian O'Connor: 00:52:19

Right.

Bill Donohue: 00:52:19

Tell us a little bit about that.

Ian O'Connor: 00:52:21

Yeah, that's a little, that was a program I put together. And what we would do is we would go into schools and give a good, positive talk to the young people we go.

And then I partnered with Walmart when I used to go to the dad used to do this thing and raise money for the children's Miracle network.

And then also when we were in the towns, we'd go to the schools that were in the particular towns and give a good, positive message to the young people. And that was something that I enjoyed doing and sharing with people because I had some other players that used to come out with me.

And so, you know, I was always the kind of independent. I knew I couldn't go work for somebody because it just wouldn't work that way.

But I got finally found something I like to do and that benefited me and other people. So I found the right thing to do for me. I can't speak for everybody else, but I like that independent, right.

Bill Donohue: 00:53:37

And certainly provided positive reinforcement for other people and did a great job for them. I want to mention, Chuck, you have a new website out. I want to tell the folks. You could go there right now. It's Chuck Foreman, 44 dot dot.

All one word. Chuck Foreman, 44 dot dot. Tell us about the new website, the exciting website, Chuck.

Ian O'Connor: 00:54:05

Well, three and a half years ago, I met this young man. His name was Ben Tice from his group. And of course, you know, the social media and stuff like that, I'm afraid of still am. And.

But I met him, and he's talked me into giving him access to all the stuff that I could probably do through social media. And so we started, he started marketing me. We do a lot of speaking engagements. We do a lot of fundraising. We do sell products.

We sell a lot of stuff, you know, like autographs, merchandise, and all that. Great stuff.

Bill Donohue: 00:54:47

Great stuff.

Ian O'Connor: 00:54:50

It's been an exciting time because I would never, without Sko marketing and Ben Tyson and the people that work with him, you know, I would have never gotten into doing what we do this way, because before, I was just, like I said, I was traveling around, you know, work, taking out, taking stuff to, like, stores and raising money for the charities, and then, you know, and really have access to so many people like we do now with the social media platform. And so I got into that about three years ago with this. Been an eye opener.

We do a lot of things regarding whether it's a charity or whether it's game day, watching what we go watch. Are we fundraising? Speaking? I mean, we do. I've been. I've been able to do a lot of things that I like doing, but I have.

I have a platform to do it with now.

So if anybody wants to check it out, they can go to Chuck Foreman, 44 dot, and you can find out everything we're doing, merchandise, speaking engagements. Hey, we can come. Hey, if you want me to come to anything, for the most part, we have a way of being able to help you.

Bill Donohue: 00:56:16

So it keeps a guy like Chuck Foreman, a great football player, in front of you folks, and you could pick up an autograph, find out where Chuck's going to be. Let's talk about the hall of Fame in a couple of minutes. We have left Chuck, your hall of fame campaign. Tell us about that again.

Ian O'Connor: 00:56:37

Ben Tyson, Jack McKeek, and a lot of fans. To be quite honest with you, I'd say 90% of the people that I meet already think I'm in the hall of fame right I mean, they do.

I mean, and then when they find out that I'm not, I'm like, you know, and then actually. So anyway, what happened was we started to research the thing, and I didn't know how the hall of fame worked or anything like that.

I just thought that the fact you turned in your name, they look at what you had and offer or not, but come to find out that never happened, and so what we. What Ben did, we started calling.

Ben started calling and finding out what we come to find out that I had never, ever been on the list to be considered to be in the hall of fame ever. You hear what I'm saying? So, like, to me, I'm like, you got to be joking. I'm talking about within my era. I can't speak to before or after me.

I'm speaking for all the guys that. That I played against, you know, that are in there. And I have, you know, my stuff was better than theirs.

Bill Donohue: 00:57:48

Yeah.

Ian O'Connor: 00:57:48

Or, you know, or something like that. And I'm like. And it came to mind, like, well, how does that happen? But anyway, they put together.

Putting together this guy, we found out all that, that I had never even been on the list to be considered. That was kind of like a shock with a yemenite.

I knew I wasn't in the hall of Fame, but the fact that I was never even considered to be, that was like. That knocked me down. I'm like, wow.

But anyway, we got together and then put together this great presentation for the hall of Fame, the hall of Fame committee, you know, and it's a great presentation, but it also show compares me to some of the players in my era.

Bill Donohue: 00:58:29

Right.

Ian O'Connor: 00:58:30

That are in there. That are in there. And the question is, why am I not?

Bill Donohue: 00:58:35

Mm hmm.

Ian O'Connor: 00:58:36

Because, you know, when you look at the stats and everything else, you know, there's some guys that never even been to a playoff game. And I'm not saying they belong in there. I had no question. But I'm not saying that I was able.

Bill Donohue: 00:58:53

You should be there, too.

Ian O'Connor: 00:58:55

But it's a great presentation. If you go to that website, I was telling.

And then you can look at the presentation, and that's the presentation that's going to be sent to the senior committee of the hall of Fame to view.

Bill Donohue: 00:59:12

Wonderful. Well, Chuck, we're going to tell folks again. Chuck Foreman, 44 Dot. Check that out. Chuck Foreman belongs in Canton.

I thank you taking time out of your Sunday night to be with us here in New York. Chuck, wish you the best with the website, and your journey hopefully, will take you to Canton. Eventually we will follow your progress.

Thanks again, Chuck.

Ian O'Connor: 00:59:35

Hey, thank you very much. I appreciate you having me.

Bill Donohue: 00:59:38

That's Chuck Foreman, ladies and gentlemen. That'll do it for me tonight on sports talk New York.

I'd like to thank my guests Ian O'Connor and Chuck Foreman, my engineer Brian Graves, and of course you guys for joining us. See you next on October 20 for more great sports talk. Till then, be safe and be well. Bill Donahue wishing you a good evening, folks.

Chuck Foreman: 00:59:59

The views expressed in the previous program did not necessarily represent those of the staff, management or owners of WGBB.

Bill Donohue: 01:00:08

This is WGBB AM: 1240

Ian O'Connor: 01:00:20

Maybe your healing power is helping veterans with PTSD, traumatic brain injury injuries, depression, anxiety, power, a simple heartfelt letter or a volunteer.

Chuck Foreman: 01:00:34

It is estimated that over 7 million.

Ian O'Connor: 01:00:36

Current warfighters will return from service diagnosed with.