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Video: #UNC press conference with WR Jordan Shipp, QB Gio Lopez and DB Thaddeus Dixon.
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Aug 27, 2025
Video: #UNC press conference with WR Jordan Shipp, QB Gio Lopez and DB Thaddeus Dixon.
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0:00
WCL on chucklegrow.com after basically a
0:03
month of just working on yourselves
0:05
going against someone different. How
0:06
excited are you to actually have a
0:07
scouting report and go against a team
0:10
that's not North Carolina?
0:11
I mean, I'm super excited, of course.
0:13
You know, we competed hard with the
0:14
defense all camp. A lot of competition.
0:16
I grew a lot in camp. I feel like we all
0:18
grew a lot in camp. Just um we have such
0:20
a good defense and um being able just
0:22
and we learned from such a great coach
0:23
and great coaches. So, I mean, but we're
0:25
definitely excited to go against
0:26
somebody else. And now I feel like, you
0:28
know, during camp it's offense versus
0:29
defense. Now it's the Tar Hills vers
0:31
TCU. So super excited for that.
0:33
When people ask people like us, pundits
0:36
who cover the team, what to expect. A
0:38
lot a lot of times only the only thing
0:40
we can say is we don't know because
0:41
there's so many new players on this
0:42
team, but for someone who has seen the
0:44
team throughout all training camp, what
0:47
can we expect from Target?
0:50
Uh, a lot of diversity. We're going to
0:51
be physical. We're going to play fast.
0:52
We're going to be tough, smart,
0:53
dependable. and every just everything
0:55
that uh coach Bichc stresses is the main
0:57
things that we're focusing on. You know,
0:58
whatever coach Bichc is telling us to
1:00
do, he's telling us to do it for a
1:01
reason and we're gonna do it at the
1:02
highest level possible. So, Jeremiah,
1:04
you
1:06
to go off of that actually, you know,
1:08
like you mentioned this is, you know,
1:09
TCU specific game prep somewhat of a
1:12
two-parter, but how much TCU film have
1:15
you looked at? And when you did look at
1:16
it, what sticks out about their defense
1:18
and the way that they, you know,
1:19
approach this?
1:20
Yeah, I mean, it's been straight TCU all
1:22
week. you know, we went straight TCU.
1:24
I've been really focused on uh just like
1:26
their whole defense overall. They got
1:28
great players. You know, uh 21's a great
1:29
player. Two's a great player. They have
1:31
some pretty good corners and everything
1:32
like that. 11's a great player. Got to
1:33
know where he is. But I mean, at the end
1:35
of the day, we're going to play Carolina
1:36
football. They're going to make we're
1:37
going to try to make them adjust. We're
1:38
going to make them adjust to what what
1:39
we want to do.
1:41
You go to Brian.
1:42
Hey, uh Coach Belch just announced to us
1:46
at least that that Gio will be the
1:47
starting quarterback for the game
1:49
against CCU. When did he tell you guys
1:51
and what have you seen at Gio in
1:53
practice? I'm sure you probably do.
1:55
Uh, we figured out 10 minutes before
1:57
y'all did, you know, he told he told us
1:58
today. So, I mean, he told us today. So,
2:00
I mean, but I mean, um, I I I love Gio
2:03
on and off the field. You know, that's
2:04
one of my closest friends here. We grew
2:06
very tightly in a short amount of time.
2:08
But, um, again, like I said the first
2:10
time, like I have a lot of trust in all
2:11
of our quarterbacks. You know, Gio's
2:13
definitely a great player. Um, he's a
2:16
great leader. He's going to care. He's
2:17
going to take us where we need to be.
2:19
But I mean, like I said, I have trust in
2:20
all the quarterbacks, so but it's no
2:21
surprise.
2:24
You haven't started 24/7. What are some
2:26
of the things about you that kind of pop
2:28
that people are going to see for the
2:30
first time?
2:31
Um, I mean, I wouldn't even say that
2:33
you're going to see for the first time.
2:34
He was very successful in South Alabama.
2:35
You know, that's what got him here. So,
2:36
I mean, I feel like just Gio is just
2:38
going to be Gio. He's going to do his
2:40
thing. He's going to make plays. He's
2:41
going to improvise. He's going to put
2:42
the ball where it needs to be. And he's
2:43
going to be smart with the ball as well.
2:45
And, um, he's not going to throw us into
2:46
danger. He's going to lead us. And um I
2:48
have 100% faith in him.
2:50
Is there a throw that he made to you or
2:52
something at some point that you like,
2:53
"Yeah, this guy's got it."
2:55
Uh I mean I threw we threw like when Gio
2:57
got here, we started throwing I think a
2:59
couple weeks or maybe a week or two once
3:00
he got here. So I mean I just built so
3:02
much chemistry with him over time. It's
3:03
like I have so much trust in him and um
3:05
we spend a lot of time off the field
3:07
like we're always talking on the phone.
3:09
Uh we go out to eat uh stuff like that.
3:11
Like uh me, him, Alex Taylor, Ben Hall
3:13
pretty tight. That's like our close
3:15
circle right there. We're always
3:16
together. So, I mean, it's just like
3:18
that trust that I have in him off the
3:19
field and on the field.
3:21
Hey, uh, Carlos on his side. Alex Taylor
3:25
spoke with us last week. What have you
3:27
seen from him throughout all Cape and
3:29
what has he most?
3:31
Um, man, Alex is Alex is a dog. Alex is
3:34
a great player. I've had the uh the
3:35
blessing. I've known Alex since high
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school, you know, 707 Circus and stuff
3:38
like that. He went to school in a
3:40
similar area. You know, he's in
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Greensboro. I'm from Charlotte about an
3:43
hour away. And um, but yeah, Alex is a
3:45
great player, man. Alex is going to
3:46
catch the ball. He Alex going to know
3:47
what to do. No mas, no bus. He's going
3:49
to he's going to be in the right spot
3:50
and I have 100% trust in him as well.
3:52
Just and I feel good with him uh next to
3:54
me.
3:54
Let's go.
3:57
New observer. I'm curious. You talk
3:58
about you found out about this starting
4:01
quarterback 10 minutes before us. Bill
4:03
was in here. Um kind of a little bit. We
4:06
had to ask ourselves, okay, did you
4:08
actually just name the start? Could you
4:10
describe just what the announcement from
4:12
him was like? Were y'all kind of
4:14
connected for us? Uh we're just in the
4:15
offensive uh the O line room team or
4:18
like our offensive like team meeting and
4:19
he was just like uh Gio's a starter, but
4:21
he was just the main thing was
4:22
emphasizing is that um we're going to
4:24
rely on everybody in the room. So even
4:26
if like you could be starting today, you
4:27
never know what happens. Somebody you
4:29
can go out there get injured next guy
4:31
up, you know? So we're going to rely on
4:32
everybody and we have 100% trust in
4:33
everybody. That's why I feel like it's
4:35
so important for us to have chemistry
4:36
with like everybody on the team in terms
4:38
of just um not even just quarterbacks
4:40
even different like it's it's great like
4:42
I have a great relationship with my old
4:43
line as well cuz I mean like they're
4:45
blocking of course they're blocking for
4:46
Gio but at the same time if they're not
4:47
blocked for Gio I can't get the ball
4:48
either and other receivers can get the
4:49
ball we can't get the run game going so
4:51
it's good to have a relationship with
4:52
everybody on the field.
4:53
We got time for about two more. We're
4:55
going to go to David and then we're
4:55
going to go with Adam here. You
4:57
mentioned Gio's ability to improvise as
4:59
a receiver. How does that play into how
5:02
you approach the offense? You have to be
5:04
a little more uh you know more come back
5:08
a little bit.
5:09
Yeah. Um you know, we call him Magic
5:10
Johnson. We uh we call him Magic
5:13
Johnson. You know, me, Alex V, we uh
5:15
inside joke, we call him Magic Johnson.
5:17
He make every play, make every throw no
5:19
matter where. So, I mean, it's just
5:20
having a quarterback like that is
5:21
definitely like it's a big opportunity
5:23
for big plays. You know, he can just get
5:24
out the pocket and I know he has a trust
5:26
in me. He just there's times where he'll
5:27
just throw it and just let me go make a
5:29
play and um that's something I'm
5:30
grateful for, but like I said, it comes
5:32
over just the hard work and time and
5:33
time and us building that connection and
5:35
I'm thankful that he has that uh
5:36
connection.
5:37
And last question for Jordan.
5:39
Appreciate that. ship just from a from a
5:43
bigger picture standpoint with all the
5:45
new guys that have come here since the
5:48
winter, the transfers, the true
5:50
freshman, how have you seen what have
5:52
you seen as the challenges of coming
5:54
together as a team and making this a
5:56
team to start this season? And what have
5:58
you seen as the rewards? Like how have
6:00
you seen that whole process work out of
6:02
essentially putting together a new
6:04
group? Um, I mean really I would say I
6:07
would it's going to like you probably
6:09
might not believe me, but I would say we
6:10
really didn't have any like too many
6:11
challenges. Like everybody kind of
6:13
blended well. Um, we got like everybody
6:15
kind of knew somebody and that kind of
6:17
like brought everybody together like you
6:18
know we got we got the group that came
6:20
from Washington. They all came together
6:22
and then we had um Drew that came from
6:24
Boise State. He knew that previously and
6:26
stuff like that. You know, everybody
6:27
kind of like when uh Nate Lee
6:29
transferred in, I played with him
6:30
Carolina Star 707. So, I mean, we just
6:33
like everybody kind of knew everybody
6:34
and kind of helped us all like form
6:36
together. We got another uh linebacker,
6:38
Tamir. He came from um Florida State. I
6:40
played 707 with him as well. He's from
6:42
Charlotte, went to Harden, transferred
6:44
to uh Indian Land. Like I those are guys
6:45
that a lot of us had connections with
6:47
and we just kind of all just like just
6:49
made it stronger, stronger, stronger.
6:50
And um I would say really like a lot of
6:53
that came from just like the offseason
6:55
like spending time outside of course,
6:57
but just like um our conditioning and
6:59
stuff like that. like it was hard and um
7:01
our strength coach says conditioning is
7:03
just suffering and and bonding comes
7:06
from suffering together. Like how much
7:07
are you willing to suffer for a better
7:09
cause and that's something that I feel
7:10
like really really brought us together
7:12
cuz it's like the stuff we were doing
7:13
was not easy at all. I feel like I
7:15
definitely feel like we're going to be
7:16
the best condition team in the country
7:17
for sure. Feel like we had one of the
7:19
harder summers and out of team college
7:21
teams and um like we got a guy from the
7:22
Patriots like what you expect. So I mean
7:24
that's what that's kind of the standard
7:26
we hold each other to.
7:27
Just to follow up very quickly, sorry.
7:29
Does does the newness add to the
7:32
anticipation maybe of playing a first
7:34
game, you know, to get everybody out
7:36
there and see what this thing looks
7:37
like?
7:37
Uh, for sure. I mean, I know for me at
7:40
least, like this is my first, this is
7:41
only my second game starting, so it's
7:43
new to me. And, um, like this is College
7:45
Game Day, Maine, ESPN prime time. Like,
7:48
I've never been a part of something that
7:49
big. But, I mean, that's where you just
7:51
stay where your feet are. You can't f
7:53
We're not right now we're not worried
7:54
about going out there and playing. We're
7:55
worried about the prep going into the
7:57
game. That's all we're focused on right
7:59
now. So, we're not worried about all the
8:00
stuff going on outside, all the ESPN,
8:02
all like we know all that's there, but
8:04
right now we're worried about just
8:05
making sure we have all like our
8:07
tightness crew just ready to go.
8:10
Let's go. Andrew here on the front
8:12
starting 24/7. Uh Jordan said that they
8:15
the offense just found out you're going
8:17
to start Monday night. When did you find
8:19
out and how that conversation?
8:21
Uh kind of just found out too. You know,
8:23
just preparing every day. You know, we
8:24
were all preparing. Max is preparing.
8:26
Bryce was preparing. Tory was preparing.
8:27
We all, you know, were just competing as
8:29
a as a team, as a unit, just trying to,
8:30
you know, put ourselves in the best
8:32
situation and I guess it all kind of
8:34
worked out for me. But I'm just thankful
8:35
for opportunity.
8:36
You obviously fall, you obviously came
8:37
here with the intent of winning the job
8:39
and starting. Uh, so what kind of
8:41
personal satisfaction is it for you to
8:44
have achieved that that part at this
8:46
point?
8:47
You know, I just it feels nice, you
8:48
know, to earn it, finally get announced.
8:50
Of course, that was the opportunity I
8:51
got, you know, that came about and
8:53
that's what I came here for, of course.
8:55
But uh just uh kind of feels good just
8:57
to call my dad you know after getting
8:58
announced just tell him like you know we
9:00
got one part going now it's time to you
9:01
know go win some games.
9:03
Let's go to Brendon here in the athletic
9:06
congratulations. Uh just follow up on
9:07
that you said you sort of find out too
9:09
but did coach Bel did he pull you aside
9:11
oneonone first and just overall do you
9:13
take any significance in sort of being
9:15
the first starting quarterback to build
9:17
out your second area conference?
9:18
Of course. I mean I'm super thankful for
9:19
the opportunity. You know coach told me
9:21
a little bit before but nothing too
9:23
crazy before. uh just kind of told me,
9:25
you know, I've looked good during the
9:26
fall camp and told me that I'm going to
9:27
hit the reins of the offense and just
9:29
thank for the opportunity and, you know,
9:30
kind of again talking to my dad just
9:32
like, man, like going to be coach
9:33
Bichc's first starting quarterback in
9:35
college. It's a great opportunity. Let's
9:36
go Pat back here.
9:38
Uh yeah, Jordan was just standing in
9:41
front of Magic Johnson. Um just want to
9:44
ask a little story behind that. Well,
9:46
the story was we were training and like
9:49
I did like a no look throw or something
9:50
something random and ever since then it
9:52
kind of just stuck. I don't I don't know
9:55
why we went with magic but uh I guess
9:57
it's a cool reference.
9:59
No way.
9:59
No cops talking about 24/7. Coaches tend
10:02
to downplay the impact of national
10:04
attention, but I feel like you guys live
10:05
it every day. How do you manage your
10:07
emotions going into a game with so much
10:09
anticipation on one day?
10:10
Uh you know, you just got to take it one
10:11
day at a time. You know, right now, you
10:13
know, of course, we're worried about TCU
10:14
now. This is the week, game week, but uh
10:16
just taking it day by day, you know,
10:18
going through install, watching film,
10:20
and just getting ready for the week.
10:22
Right next to Grant.
10:23
Hey, Grant Stasher, Victoria Hills on
10:25
SI. Um last year, um I actually covered
10:28
LSU, and you were in the starting
10:30
quarterback for South Alabama. How did
10:31
that trip to Baton Rouge uh prepare you
10:34
for, you know, this season going up
10:37
against, you know, teams that had bigger
10:38
stages, but then also what did you learn
10:40
about yourself uh in that environment?
10:42
You know, in that environment, I just
10:43
learned, you know, just just be a
10:44
competitor, be myself. You know, that's
10:45
what got me here. And, you know, LSU was
10:47
a great team to compete against. You
10:48
know, game didn't really go our way, of
10:50
course, you saw that, but uh just the
10:51
opportunity to play there and just play
10:53
against great talent and feeling like I
10:54
belong there. It was a it was a good
10:56
opportunity. Mhm. Uh Gio, Michael, WCHL,
11:00
jump.com.
11:01
Obviously, there's a lot coming into
11:03
this game. Nick Sabin and ESPN are going
11:06
to be there prime time. You guys, the
11:07
only game on Monday night. When you're
11:09
walking around campus, do you feel the
11:11
buzz? Do you feel the anticipation sort
11:14
of going into this game?
11:16
Uh, you know, I don't really pay
11:16
attention to the buzz. When I walk
11:17
around campus, I got some headphones on,
11:19
listen to music. So, I just really just
11:21
make sure I'm being good in academics
11:23
when I'm on campus. So, I'm not really
11:24
paying attention to any of that. bring
11:26
up here.
11:27
J, what excites you about what this
11:29
offense could be?
11:31
I think we have a chance to be one of
11:32
the best offenses in the country. Of
11:34
course, you know, of course, we still
11:35
got to, you know, day by day, you know,
11:37
stack days and keep getting better, but
11:38
I do think we have a really explosive
11:40
offense and we have opportunity to be
11:41
really good.
11:42
Jeremiah.
11:43
Yeah, Gio, obviously with the the Labor
11:46
Day start and everything like that, you
11:47
kind of mentioned, you know, some of
11:48
the, you know, outside things. What are
11:50
you guys doing in particular to kind of
11:52
you know simulate a game like
11:54
environment if that makes sense? Like
11:55
obviously you have your onfield prep
11:57
doing what are you guys you know
11:58
shifting things around like what are you
12:00
guys kind of going to simulate game?
12:02
Uh you know we had some scrimmages in
12:03
the in the stadium during fall camp and
12:05
then we just had some game day
12:06
simulations you know just going through
12:08
what halftime will look like the start
12:09
of the game will look like you know
12:10
going into the fourth quarter those
12:11
things. So, you know, of course, for me
12:13
it was exciting just to see that cuz I
12:15
haven't played in that stadium or
12:16
nothing, but it was coach Bich's done a
12:18
great job like getting us prepared for
12:19
it.
12:19
Got time for two more. Ready to go right
12:21
here.
12:22
Uh Brien Puller target 24/7. You
12:24
obviously made the decision to transfer
12:26
here. How does it feel for that process
12:29
to to pay off after a couple months of
12:30
hard work and now your first game with
12:32
Carolina Blue, you're going to be
12:33
starting in front of the semi?
12:35
Uh it feels amazing just the opportunity
12:37
as a whole. You know, I always think
12:39
coaches, my coach Apple back at South.
12:41
You know, he, you know, he made me, he
12:42
was probably my my football mentor.
12:44
Really helped me, you know, get to where
12:45
I'm at today. And I always thankful for
12:47
him. And just the opportunity I have now
12:48
to be at North Carolina and play for the
12:50
greatest coach of all time is great
12:51
opportunity.
12:52
And last one right here,
12:54
uh,
12:55
Billy, can you talk about kind of your
12:57
expectations for yourself running this
12:59
first game and what to do to be
13:02
successful?
13:03
You know, just not have negative plays
13:04
and compete. you know, if we do our job,
13:06
we should, you know, put ourselves in a
13:07
good opportunity to win the game. You
13:09
know, for me, I just just want to win
13:10
games. I don't care if I have 500 yards
13:11
or have five yards. If we win the game,
13:13
that's all that matters to me.
13:14
Perfect. Good stuff, J. Appreciate it.
13:18
Right on the front,
13:20
Robb Observer. I saw where y'all had
13:22
adopted the the root boys nickname. How
13:25
did that come about? There's a
13:26
conversation with those former players
13:28
and what y'all talked about as far as
13:30
taking on
13:31
Uh yeah. Um honestly, uh they had
13:33
reached out to us. Um, you know, with
13:35
the with the new staff, you know, they
13:36
just wanted to make sure the culture was
13:38
right in the defensive back room. Uh,
13:40
you know, as y'all all know, you know,
13:41
USC has had a great tradition of, uh,
13:43
DBs going back all the way to the 90s.
13:44
So, you know, really just emphasizing us
13:46
like, you know, what they want to see
13:47
out of us this year and, you know, how
13:49
we should play, how should we attack
13:50
practice, and, you know, how we should
13:52
carry ourselves as leaders.
13:53
Yeah. Who were the guys who reached out
13:55
to you?
13:55
Um, it was actually uh Reggie Love uh
13:58
who was really like, you know, playing
14:00
like the main point guard role in all of
14:01
this, but you know, we talked to a lot
14:03
of the dudes from back in the day. Let's
14:04
go to Grant here.
14:05
Hey, Grand Sar was on our side kind of
14:07
following up on that. Uh, what does it
14:09
mean for you uh to get hit up by the you
14:12
guys get hit up by the group boys, which
14:14
was a key part in that top five defense
14:17
that that was 1997?
14:19
Yeah. Um, honestly it was um it was an
14:21
honor um honestly that you know that
14:23
they're still tuned in and they're still
14:25
passionate about the game, passionate
14:27
about what's going on in the locker room
14:28
and uh out at practice. So you know it
14:30
was an honor for me you know to be the
14:31
new guy uh coming in and you know for
14:33
everybody to be so warm welcoming and
14:35
you know talking to me making sure I'm
14:37
getting all the dues right.
14:38
Quick follow up. Does that put any
14:40
pressure on you as a player?
14:42
Um yeah it's a little pressure. Uh
14:44
obviously you know you want to live up
14:45
to the OGs and their standards but you
14:46
know at the end of the day it's just
14:48
football. You know, we just got to keep
14:49
playing football. I mean, it's the same
14:51
game we grew up playing. So,
14:54
no stop trying to go 24/7. You're a
14:56
veteran guy. Coaches tend to just try to
14:57
downplay the national height, national
14:59
attention kind of thing. Have you felt
15:01
it around campus and how have you
15:02
navigated that walking around here and
15:05
just knowing what's coming on Monday?
15:07
Uh, you know, obviously it's a it's a
15:08
lot of hype going on, but you know, I
15:10
haven't really felt it too much. Um, you
15:11
know, I'm not really too big on
15:13
offseason hype. I'm more inseason
15:14
production. So, you know, I'm I'm really
15:16
just waiting, you know, till Monday to
15:18
really show what we can do.
15:19
Let's go to Adam.
15:20
Bad. You were here in the spring. How
15:23
have you seen this program, this
15:26
organization sort of get built from the
15:28
ground up cuz you were in on you were in
15:30
on the ground floor earlier this year?
15:33
And what are your expectations along
15:35
with seeing it get built of what you
15:38
guys can can be this year?
15:40
Yeah. uh me coming in, you know, early
15:41
January, being here for the spring, you
15:43
know, watching how the uh the the team
15:45
and the culture has switched even from
15:47
the spring to the fall. Um it's been
15:49
special like uh we building something
15:50
real special and you guys won't be able
15:52
to find out till Monday.
15:53
Michael, uh that Michael Cochl
15:57
channel.com when we asked Coach Bick
15:59
about TCU's offense, he mentioned they
16:01
guard every blade of grass. Um just from
16:04
what you've seen in the scouting report,
16:05
what is it about them that makes them
16:07
impressive and what can you guys do to
16:09
guard everybody in the grass?
16:10
Uh yeah, you know, they're a fast tempo
16:12
team. You know, they run a lot of
16:13
players on offense, uh like hitting out
16:15
on the perimeter and stuff like that,
16:16
but honestly, if everybody's just doing
16:18
their one and 11, playing hard, running
16:20
to the ball, being relentless, um you
16:22
know, I feel like we'll we'll we'll be
16:24
pretty successful. Let's go to Pat.
16:29
Um coach has been Gio a little bit
16:31
starting quarterback. Um what kind of
16:33
things have you seen Gio do on the field
16:37
kind of went over the locker room in a
16:39
manner and stuff?
16:39
Uh it's really just Gio as a person. Um
16:41
you know all all football aside, you
16:43
know, the guys really rally behind him.
16:45
Uh they respect him as a leader and
16:47
stuff like that. You know, him just
16:48
getting to know everybody, learning
16:49
everybody's names, learning where you
16:51
come from, stuff like that, man. Really
16:52
getting to know everybody in the locker
16:54
room as a person um is really is really
16:56
what makes him so special to us, you
16:57
know, as our quarterback. So yeah, man.
16:59
I'm excited for Gio and everything we
17:01
got uh planned for this season.
17:03
So to reward target 247, obviously you
17:07
came over from Washington with defense
17:09
Steve Belch. Um it having parts of that
17:13
system incorporated here and also with
17:15
Bill Bich, his defense mind, his
17:17
presence. Do you feel a sense of comfort
17:19
having familiarity with that system? And
17:21
and what are the things that you've seen
17:22
different? And uh how how are you com
17:24
how comfortable do you feel in that
17:27
system? Um, you know, it's a uh it's a
17:29
it's a pretty uh different system than
17:30
what we ran at Washington. Um, but you
17:32
know, I'm just me being comfortable with
17:34
Coach Steve as a person, man. Um, you
17:36
know, he's he's really, you know,
17:38
growing me a lot, man. He's always there
17:40
for me and everything I do. So, you
17:41
know, just being comfortable with him as
17:42
a person and him being comfortable with
17:44
me as a person, it allows me to play
17:45
football free. So, it's really just our
17:47
relationship, you know, off the field
17:49
that makes on the field, you know,
17:50
playing easy.
17:51
Perfect. Good stuff. Thank you so much,
17:53
man.
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