The Rush: Shawne Merriman thinks this Pro Bowl QB could beat Tom Brady in the octagon
2005 Defensive Rookie of the Year Shawne Merriman Skypes in from a socially responsible distance to discuss players earning workout bonuses from home by using a Peloton or The Mirror, and the reason ESPN left former teammate Drew Brees off of their All-Decade Team. PLUS Shawne owns the MMA league Lights Out XF and specializes in working with former NFL players, so he decides who would win a match between Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, Von Miller and Khalil Mack, AB and OBJ and MORE!
Video Transcript
JARED QUAY: Today is a good day if you love defense. And no, it's not because my brother Calais Campbell was named to the NFL All-Decade team. All right, maybe it's because that a little. But today's a good day because co-hosting "The Rush" is 2005 defensive Rookie of the Year and three time pro-bowler Shawne Merriman. Shawne, what's good with you, bro?
SHAWNE MERRIMAN: What's up man? How you doing?
JARED QUAY: I'm doing good, man. How are you taking quarantine? Man, how do you feel being locked up? Man, this feel like house arrest.
SHAWNE MERRIMAN: Yeah, you know, the toughest part for me initially was the gym, having the gym shut down and I can't go workout, because that's how I start my day. I get up every morning at 6:00 or 6:30. And I go straight to the gym five or six days a week.
JARED QUAY: Now, I want to ask you a favor. Can you help me with the headlines? I've got to run through the headlines. And I want your opinion on some stuff.
SHAWNE MERRIMAN: OK.
- Helping with headlines.
JARED QUAY: Even though players are stuck at home, players can still earn their workout bonuses maybe using Peloton, the mirror. How do you think players going to stay in shape? And is that a good idea for them to get their workout bonuses?
SHAWNE MERRIMAN: As a business man, no. As a player, I'm like, yo, coach, owners, I'm like hey, guys, we're working out. We're doing our ass squats. We're doing our up downs. We're in the playbook. I need my bonus.
Business wise, no. I don't think that's a good idea because the whole thing about the workout bonus is not for guys really to work out. It's for guys to be in the building so you're staying together during the off season.
JARED QUAY: The NFL announced they're All-Decade teams. And somehow, Drew Brees didn't make the cut. I know you play with Drew Brees in San Diego. You think he belong on the list?
SHAWNE MERRIMAN: Yeah, man, I mean, that was like-- they added a bunch of great players on there. But any time you leave Drew Brees out, man, somebody made a mistake. I don't know what the final process of that was. But somebody made a real mistake with that one.
JARED QUAY: You actually have a MMA League yourself, Lights Out XF. I know you guys were supposed to have a fight. It ended up getting canceled because of the virus. But you actually promote a lot of ex players coming in to fight, don't you?
SHAWNE MERRIMAN: Yeah, Lights Out Extreme Fighting. Man, we actually launched on Fox Sports West, Prime Ticket San Diego, and like six other regions for Fox Sports in the country back in May. We're one of the fastest growing MMA company in the country right now.
JARED QUAY: All right, so if I gave you current NFL players and a hypothetical MMA match up, who would you take, all right?
SHAWNE MERRIMAN: All right.
JARED QUAY: Tom Brady-Aaron Rodgers.
SHAWNE MERRIMAN: I'm taking Aaron Rodges. Tom don't want to get his hair messed up. He'll probably come in with his hair in a ponytail and probably have some products or something in his hair. He don't want to get his hair messed up.
JARED QUAY: All right, Antonio Brown-Odell Beckham Jr.
SHAWNE MERRIMAN: I'm taking Odell.
- Marcus Peters or [INAUDIBLE].
SHAWNE MERRIMAN: You know, that's going to be one of those like [? John ?] Jones and oh boy that he just finished fighting kind of thing where that card can go either way. Both of them dudes are from the street. And neither one of them play around. So I think that's going to be-- that's a draw there. That's the draw.
JARED QUAY: And then last one, Von Miller-Khalil Mack.
SHAWNE MERRIMAN: Von my little brother now. But Khalil Mack-- oh, that's a different beast there. Khalil Mack-- a lot of people ask about who resemble my game the way he play. And I said, Khalil, man.
Khalil's an animal. By the time it's all said and done, he's going to go down as one of the greatest players to play that position. So I'm going to go with Khalil on that one.
JARED QUAY: Look, man, Shawne, thank you for Rushing with me today. We had a blast.
- Thank, y'all. Man, y'all have a good one. Stay safe.
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