Linebacker Bryan Thomas, the longest tenured Jet, took a timeout to chat with post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What’s it feel like being the longest-tenured Jet?
A: When I first got in, we had a lot of older guys on the team. Actually, Dave Szott, he was here at the time. You had Mo Lewis, Marvin Jones, they were the linebackers at the time. … Vinny [Testaverde], he was here at the time. … Curtis [Martin] … Richie Anderson … Kevin Mawae … just seeing those guys and see how they act and they interacted with each other, and now, I’ve become that person. Any time a rookie comes up and asks me different things, why I tell ’em, “This is how you gotta take care of your body, take care of things.” That’s how you have longevity in the league.
Q: Describe Jets fans?
A: I’ve seen ’em in the stands get into fights and everything (smile). They love this team. They’re a passionate group of people, and when they come, they come to cheer. Love ’em.
Q: How would you describe what it’s been like being a New York Jet for as long as you’ve been?
A: Great experience, ’cause you don’t see it often where a guy, depending on what it is — it could be money, injury issues, change of staff, whatever it is — you don’t see it often. … Love this organization. Wouldn’t ask to be nowhere else.
Q: When you were waived, you knew you would be coming back?
A: Yeah, they told me, ’cause I wasn’t 100 percent to play … was it a shock? Yeah, it was. Was I upset? Yeah, I was, I’m gonna be honest with you. It’s over with now, so move on. Worry about the Patriots now.
Q: What do you think of Tom Brady?
A: If all 11 guys are not on the same page, this guy can run the scoreboard up on you. That Monday night game (45-3 in 2010) they put a butt-whipping on us.
Q: You don’t hate the Patriots?
A: No, I don’t hate nobody. It’s a sport. Why hate each other? We’re not going to combat. It’s an occupation, it’s what we do, it’s what we love.
Q: Compare the 2010 AFC Championship loss in Pittsburgh compared with the 30-17 AFC Championship loss in Indianapolis the year before.
A: I think because the score was closer in the Pittsburgh game (24-19). The first half, [Rashard] Mendenhall did a great job running the ball [as the Steelers built a 24-0 lead]. It was a tale of two halves.
Q: So which one was tougher?
A: They both were. But I think going the second time around, and the same thing happening to you the very next year, that’s what I think made it a little bit more tougher.
Q: Talk about Curtis Martin.
A: My locker was right next to his when we [had training camp at] Hofstra. Had a lot of great conversations with him just sitting down a lot of times just talking about life.
Q: What made him such an inspirational player?
A: Just the prototypical guy … respectable … speaks well, dressed well, carries himself well. Played the game like a true professional. A guy you wouldn’t mind modeling yourself after.
Q: And he played hurt all the time, too.
A: He did. I would sit there during the week with him and just look at him, and know he was hurting, I didn’t even have to ask him, and [he] would still go out there and give 100 percent effort when he went on that practice field.
Q: Chad Pennington?
A: Oh man, same guy. He played hurt a lot of times as well. Had the shoulder issue or whatever. But smart guy. Could tell you every single thing what was going on on that field. Every single thing. Every coverage, every assignment, everything. Great guy. I still support him to this day. He has a charity in West Virginia I supported this past summer. Me and him still talk and are still good friends.
Q: Darrelle Revis?
A: Oh man, funny. Funny guy. I don’t know if you guys see it, but funny (laugh). Me and him clown around all the time, have fun when it’s time to have fun. But he’s a guy … when it’s time to go to work, he works hard. He’s watching film all the time. He’s studying wide receivers like it’s going out of style. If you can get any practice film or anything and watch him practice, he’s competing hard out here all the time. I’ve seen him get angry if a receiver catches a ball on him in practice.
Q: Tim Tebow?
A: He’s a funny guy. Love him as a teammate.
Q: Why?
A: How many quarterbacks do you see on the punt team? He loves singing that country music. He was singing it early [Friday] in practice.
Q: What was he singing?
A: I don’t know what it was. I had to tell him, I was like, “Oh man, your singing is horrible.”
Q; Did he stop?
A: No, he kept going (laugh).
Q: How many concussions have you had?
A: I remember this one time I got blindsided, but it wasn’t nothing where I forgot anything. But I just remember getting hit in the jaw and I was like, “Ow, bleep, that hurts.”
Q: Not a single concussion?
A: Yeah. Never.
Q: If your boys wanted to play football, would you encourage them?
A: I wouldn’t pressure them. I wouldn’t want them to think that they have to do it because Dad did it or whatever. I don’t want them to resent it. A lot of times you can pressure somebody into something so much where they start to resent it. If they don’t want to ever play football, that’s fine with me.
Q: But you wouldn’t have any concerns about the safety aspect?
A: No, no concerns at all. ’Cause football is football. It’s a physical game anyway, so you’re gonna have bumps and bruises here and there. But as far as concerns out of concussions, or … broken legs … I feel like every boy should have a broken leg or broken arm at least one time in his life (laugh).
Q: You grew up in Birmingham, Ala. Did family members tell you stories about segregation?
A: My dad, he would tell me about, “Oh, back in the day, I was sprayed with the hose pipes,” and I was like, “What? Weren’t you like 5 or 6 years old? So how were you out there?” And he’s, “Oh yeah, I was out there, oh no, don’t worry about it, I was there (laugh).”
Q: Did he relay stories to you about his parents?
A: He did. He always tells me these little things about the different water fountains and stuff like that. He did say when he was younger that he got in real big trouble, he said his own dad beat his butt real bad for drinking out of a white water fountain. Back then, they pretty much didn’t want to have any confrontations, any problems. Most people just wanted to just go along about their business with no incidents or anything.
Q: Your dad was a coal miner.
A: Funny guy. We can sit on the phone for hours. He’s gonna make jokes about me, he’s gonna make jokes about himself, about my brothers and sisters, anything, some on the football field, whatever it is. I can always call him and I know he’s gonna be honest with me.
Q: What stories did he tell you about the coal mines?
A: Don’t ever take my butt down there. “It’s not a job you want to do.” He always worked the graveyard shift a lot, and then a lot of times he would change over to the early morning to the afternoon or to the evening.
Q: Anything happen to him?
A: He actually had a couple of rocks fall on him. One time he broke his leg. I had to be about 4, 5 years old. But I remember he came home with crutches. He would tell me stories about explosions going down there. Somebody could have been digging and hit a gas line or something. He has the black coal in his lungs and everything.
Q: Boyhood idol?
A: Oh man. Isiah Thomas! That was my idol. You want me to tell you how he became my idol? Back to my dad again (smile). I loved the ’89-90 Bad Boys [Pistons]. He was like, “Oh. You know Isiah Thomas is your cousin right?” [I was] like, “For real? Isiah Thomas is my cousin?” Mind you, Isiah Thomas is not my cousin (laugh). So I wanted Detroit Pistons everything — shirts, hats, jackets, Isiah Thomas T-shirt, I had to have it.
Q: When did you find out he wasn’t?
A: When I got older. [Dad] never told me, but once you get older, you’re like, “Why’d you tell me Isiah Thomas was my cousin (laugh)?”
Q: Herm Edwards?
A: Great guy, great motivator. Players’ type coach.
Q: Eric Mangini?
A: Military style. Seemed like a no-nonsense guy. We took a lot of notes, and you had to memorize a lot of things. He used to ask questions, “What’s above the scoreboard? Name all the teammates and all the coaches in the room.” Stuff like that. You had to memorize a lot of things not dealing with actual plays. You had to memorize and learn a lot of things not dealing with what’s your assignment on the field.
Q: First impressions of Rex Ryan?
A: Loved his character. He’s a guy that you would go out and run through the wall if he asked you to. Knows defense in and out. Any guy that ever played football would love to play for him.
Q: Talk about your three sons Courtney (13), Bryan Jr. (8) and Tyler (10 months).
A: The middle one, he’s a big football fan. He could tell you everybody on this team. He’s always asking me all the time to get autographs from different guys on other teams. … I’m like, “You can’t ask me that because it’s like I can’t go on the field and ask these guys for their autograph (smile).” Who was it one time? He was asking me the whole week. … Cam Newton! “Can you get Cam Newton’s autograph for me at the game?” … “I can’t do that, I can’t just go in there, get a jersey and ask him for his autograph.”
Q: And Courtney?
A: He’s more of a computer guy. He loves computers, he’s on ’em all day every day. He has his iPad, and you can’t get him off of it.
Q: Do they play football?
A: [Bryan] plays linebacker and running back.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Martin Luther King Jr., Bill Gates, Jesus Christ.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: The “Bad Boys” series with Martin Lawrence and Will Smith.
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Denzel Washington.
Q: Favorite singer?
A: Al Green.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Smothered pork chops.
Q: Hobbies?
A: PlayStation, love it. I could play the PlayStation all day long.
Q: Your best Jets victory?
A: I haven’t had it yet.