3x Grammy Award Winner Darius Rucker Talks Golfing With Bruce Smith, Miami Dolphins & More!

hey this is Darius Rucker and you just heard welcome into this week's episode of you herd where we feature celebrities athletes and influencers talking about their NFL fandom this week we have multiple Grammy winner singer musician and songwriter Darius Rucker joining us we've got a huge game coming up for the bills and the Dolphins week two Thursday Night Football that is exactly why we have Darius Rucker on with us today because Darius is a huge Dolphins fan we're going to start right there you grew up in South Carolina but how did you become a Miami Dolphins fan oh goodness when I was five uh the Dolphins were playing the Cowboys in the Super Bowl I think it was uh the 71 Super Bowl and a 72 Super Bowl and uh my family was having a party for the Super Bowl and I asked everybody who they were rooting for it everybody said the Cowboys and so I decided I was going to root for the Dolphins and uh I did and they lost I remember a five I remember I cried when they lost then the year I started playing Pop bner football and they went undefeated so it was pretty easy to be a fan okay you mentioned you cried in that lost you have a song lyric in one of your songs only want to be with you where you mentioned the Dolphins make you cry what inspired those lyrics was it watching the game as a 5-year-old or something else oh I mean I was always pretty I'm pretty upset when the Dolphins lost you know after the one and 16 one and 15 season I just you know that I I I stopped crying I sto getting too upset over it but uh you back in the day man if the Dolphins lost it ruined my whole week oh my gosh you sound like Bills fans over here but hey the bills and the Dolphins two good teams now always competing for that AFC East Crown as of the last couple Seasons I would expect it would be the same this year too just knowing what both teams have on the Bo on both sides of the ball the Dolphins uh got their first win of the Season yesterday kicking off the 20 24 season with a win against the Jaguars 20 to 17 what were your impressions of that first game uh you know the defense played well I was really really impressed by that and uh I I was really excited that the team stuck together and pulled it out at the end you know the NFL every week anybody can be anybody and and and it's tough to get a win in the NFL so uh I was really happy to you know to see everybody the offense click at the end when we really needed him to you know long touchdown to Tyreek and and it was I I was I was happy with the win I was happy with the way we played on all sides of the ball so if you're a dolphins fan you've definitely seen Josh Allen play in plenty of games what sets him apart from other quarterbacks he's kind of had the Dolphins number since he's become a Buffalo Bill he's 10- two against the Dolphins so far in his career yeah Josh you know he's a he's a great quarterback he he has that ability that that a lot of the great ones have of of making plays when you look like it looks like he's not going to be able to make a play and he'll you know get out of a rush or or make make just that half step somewhere and throw the ball where it needs to be he's a great player and you're right he's had he's had the Dolphins number and and you know but you know this year's you know every year is different so uh you know I'm looking forward to seeing what happens on Thursday night all right every Year's different why do you feel like this year's different for the Miami Dolphins uh you for me I think if if we get the offensive line play and we get the defensive play that I think we're capable of we could we could do something special this year we could go far into the playoffs I mean you know the AFC is so stacked with with the Jets and the bills and you gotta you gota that's a gauntlet you have to go through but uh you know I love coach McDaniel and and I just I'm looking forward to to this year I think if we stay healthy you know who knows what's going to happen Mike McDaniel has a has had a glow up in every single off season this off season he's he's in the hair he's rocking the shades what do you think about his new look I love it man he's going from the nerd to like the cool dealer that you know he he just got that look is just so awesome I'm such a big fan of his and and I just love how he evolves every year and comes out with something new I love the curly hair uh he then the shades I mean he's just a he's a he's a you know really really nice dude and I'm just glad he's our coach I like him a lot if you're a fan of the NFL it doesn't matter if you're a dolphins fan he is just a fun guy a fun character a fun coach to watch on the sidelines in press conferences he's always saying something epic he's got that swag I I enjoy seeing what he's he's going to say or put on every single week it's it's been awesome already to start the season I want to ask you about coming to Buffalo to sing the national anthem uh you did so in 2016 it was a Bill's Jets game Thursday Night Football that game was actually Bruth Smith's retirement game when they retired his what do you remember most about that game oh I I remember all the great great players that were there supporting Bruce you know Bruce and I have been really good friends for a long time and and you know when he asked me to come do that that night it was a a no-brainer he's such an amazing human being and and a really great friend he's been a great friend to me over for decades now and and that was just a wonderful night to be there to be a part of that you know even as a Dolphin fan to be a part of that them retiring his jersey and and and you know putting it up on the Rafters and and it I mean it was just a great night and supporting a great friend like Bruce was was wonderful how did that friendship begin between you and Bruce Smith really you know through golf you know and Dan Marina being real good friends with Dan and Dan and Bruce were really tight and and just you know go meeting them through Golf and then we just became buddies golf is a big part of your life you you've hosted tournaments before when it comes to charity tournaments you've hosted tournaments for women and you've been around a lot lot of golfers I know you're friends with Tiger Woods um you've gotten to be around him that Josh Allen is such a big fan of tiger how has being a fan of the game of golf being involved in the game of golf um built some awesome friendships in your life whether it's other celebrities or other athletes oh yeah I mean there's so many guys that I'm friends with that all came through golf through beeting them on a golf course or at a golf tournament and then you become buddies and you play more Golf and you hang out and I mean golf is for for guys like me it's a it's a great uh great way to get to know people and like I'm I'm know I love football I love sports and the fact that I've gotten to be friends with the people I've gotten to be friends with it's all because I play golf and I you know that's how we met and and I me it's a wonderful game I love it I I can't play enough and uh you know it's it's it's really brought some great things to my life well one of our players Reed Ferguson asked you a question in relation to golf he has a friendly wager he wants to start uh with you ahead of this Thursday night football game so let me play you this question and you can respond all right darus I got one question for you I heard you're a big golfer uh a couple of us on the team here are twoo so let's do a wager winning team Bill bills if we win we host you in a uh forsome up here in Orchard Park if uh the Dolphins win you have to host us at your home course of your choosing deal that's a deal I that tell them it's a bet I love that idea I love that idea I'd love to I'd love to play with those guys and uh I got a couple really Great Courses down here that they can come play you know when we went on Thursday night do you have a favorite course that you've played at or that you get to play at a lot oh austa I mean I've gotten to play Augusta a few times and it's just it's it's Mecca it's just an amazing place to play golf I love it so much yeah that has got to be a memorable course I mean just watching it on TV every single year it looks pristine it looks like the definition of perfect uh hoodie and the Blowfish and your self- relased their rendition of for what it's worth in May you guys have also or are going out on tour in September what are what is the group up to what have you been up to lately in relation to the music industry you know really just touring we we we don't get together very often and this year we tour we decided to tour cuz it's the uh 30th anniversary of CRA review and so we went all and tour the summer and it's been awesome I mean the crowds have been amazing I still can't believe that you know we've been a band for 40 years and we still get to play the places we get to play to the people we get to play to it's it's just it's been a blessing and and I love it you know we're still brothers and so when we get together and play we just fall right back into the same old rut and have a good time 40 years very few band members band mates bands can say that they've reached a milestone like that where you're still performing together still creating music together what do you what do you love most about the fact that you still get to do that with some of your some of your best friends oh I mean that's the thing that's really I had a moment the other day on stage where I just looked at DN our base player and I started laughing because I've known that kid since he was 18 you know we're 58 and 57 now and so uh it it was just the fact that all these years later we still get to play we get to play in the big places you know the the the big outdoor amphitheaters and big the big Arenas is just it's amazing and you know like I said it's a blessing and it's it's so much fun and you know it's just it's all I've wanted to do since I was 5 years old and just and still be able to do it now was amazing you spoke about playing in the big Arenas and and on the big stages and in the big stadiums is there a concert that's at the top of your mind for for Best Concert you you've been performing for so long I'm sure there's a bunch but is there any that top the list oh yeah there's one show that we still talk about today it was uh when we released our second record uh we played at this place in Scotland called the barrel lands and it was I don't know people always say what was it and we can't put our finger on and say it was this or that but we always say it's just what it's the best show we ever played it was unbelievable that's awesome I want to ask you a fun question about one of your dogs you decided to name your dog Larry zanka after the Hall of Fame fullback who played for the Dolphins how did you decide to name your dog after a Hall of Fame fullback I've always wanted to name a dog zanka and uh you know I I got dog name I got I got this name well I have another dog I had a dog named schula after coach schula for a long time so uh you know zanka is still one of my three favorite dolphins of all time and uh you know watching those teams back then and what they did was was amazing and so when I got these K King Charles cavaliers I I said I'm going name him zonka you know my girlfriend said no what's his first name and I said Larry so we named him Larry but uh he's still I still call him zanka all the time I love that another time that you have rocked the Dolphins in in what you do is you had one of your first appearances on late night TV with David Letterman in 1994 you were wearing a dolphin's hat for that appearance um that appearance you say really helped your career take off how come I mean it's really changed our lives uh you know our album been out for a few months and it you know it was it did a little made a little noise in the South but it wasn't really doing anything worldwide or around the country and uh lman had us on and you know that Monday is when the rise started it it was really it was we were on a Friday and like I Monday our lives changed and it was all because of one appearance on David lman it was pretty amazing that is insane to finish off this interview we always asks our ask our guests who are a fan of the team we're about to play about their hot takes about the team so what is your hottest Dolphins take that you have for us this season that we're gonna win the Super Bowl this year that's that's my hot take dolphins are gonna win the Super Bowl you heard it here first all right I don't I don't know how Bill's fans are going to feel about that one but I'm sure Dolphins fans will be really happy to hear hey the Bills and Dolphins they're they're going to battle it out in the regular season maybe even see each other again in the postseason like they have before absolutely thank you so much for taking the time to be on with us on you herd we appreciate hearing about your Dolphins fandom and and taking us back to some fun bills memories as well oh thank you great talking to you you guys take care [Music]