Episode 55: Dick Vermeil

Great Dane Nation

On the 55th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist and coaching legend Dick Vermeil (06:54 – 01:04:17). But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick” (01:06 – 06:54). Morten reacts to an epic game between the Chiefs and Ravens from this past weekend, and explains why he thinks Lamar Jackson is the MVP of the league through two weeks of the season.
We then move to our interview with Dick Vermeil, where he discusses a wide range of topics: his involvement in the wine business, and the history behind his company, “Vermeil Wines” (07:41); his coaching style, and the difference between delegating and designating (13:53); Morten having teammates on the Chiefs that weren’t born when he started playing (15:49); knowing when to release a player, and remaining close with many players he has cut (16:46); being the first official special teams coach in NFL history (18:12); taking over an Eagles franchise in the late 1970s that was a losing program, and what it took to turn them into NFC Champions (19:38); why the NFL needs to do a better job helping its former players with medical assistance as they get older (24:04); the amazing story of Vince Papale making the team in Philly (24:46); a review of “American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story” (26:18); his love for underdogs, and why London Fletcher should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (27:05); what a Gold Jacket would mean to him (27:44); why Tom Flores getting inducted helped clear the way for Dick, and the various high-profile coaches stumping for him as a candidate (29:12); the hilarious story of David Baker’s phone call to let Dick know he was a finalist (30:43); reminiscing about the late, great Frank Gansz Sr. (31:58); why he stepped away from coaching after winning the Super Bowl with a historically great St. Louis Rams team in 1999 (36:59); why he came out of retirement to coach the Chiefs in the early 2000s (38:48); working his players so hard in St. Louis, there was almost a “mutiny,” and why things were different in Kansas City (40:15); why Patrick Mahomes could go down as the finest quarterback to ever play in the NFL (42:45); the state of the Rams, his relationship with Sean McVay, and why Matthew Stafford will be great in L.A. (44:13); why he doesn’t think Doug Pederson should’ve been fired in Philadelphia (47:03); and this week’s edition of “The Name Game,” featuring Kurt Warner, Ron Jaworski, Trent Green, Marshall Faulk, Tony Gonzalez, Jared Allen, Harold Carmichael and Will Shields (48:45).
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 (01:05:13 – 01:12:08). Morten gives his picks for Buccaneers at Rams (01:05:51), Saints at Patriots (01:07:05), Packers at 49ers (01:08:36), Chargers at Chiefs (01:09:33), and Washington Football Team at Bills (01:10:49).
Finally, “Morten’s Game Winner” returns – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten reflects on his relationship with Coach Vermeil, and explains why he’s had a profound impact on every single one of his former players (01:12:08).