Jake Funk on Glenn Clark Radio (August 22, 2024)

we've been making trips around the various NFL Training Camps this summer to catch up with some folks that we know well and this is a guy that we've always enjoyed chatting with over the years it's bittersweet because we actually got to have him in Baltimore last year which was so cool but now he's out in Detroit with the Lions he is of course former turp and the man who yeah ran for seven touchdowns once at MNT Bank Stadium with Damascus he's Jake Funk and he's back with us now on GCR Jake what's going on brother how are you good cannot complain appreciate you have me onl it's always good to talk to you dude I I am it hurts me because that was so I I I I hope you know how much it meant to me to have you in Baltimore for a minute last year it was like my favorite thing ever so it pains me that they didn't get to stay that way um Jake I remember when we talked then like we you were really open about you know being able to keep doing this and everything you've been through and the constant grind and here you are in another new place this season how do you keep the mindset of like loving it and and being willing to do the work necessary at this point to in order to just continue your career um I mean it's definitely a mental toll um for sure I mean I would say that you know Bounce Around um especially last year um but I mean every year is a fresh year and that's how I kind of look at it um every year you know that you're able to be in an NFL training camp it's another opportunity to show an organization what you can bring to the table um and that's kind of what keeps me going is that every year is a fresh start in the NFL do do you find yourself like truly believing like the best is still yet to come like that it's it's not just that you're clinging it's that at any opportunity be the moment that you show the best that you're going to have to show in the league yeah of course you always have to have that that's what drives you the moment you lose that is when you know things could start going downhill for you so I I would agree I think that's definitely something that keeps you going Jake you um obviously you're out there in Detroit I I think the Lions sort of became like America's Sweethearts a couple years ago and even folks here that like you know it's say it's the NFC I might kind of cheat a little bit and like have an NFC team that I like what is the experience like Dan Campbell just seems like the most easily likable coach in the entire league based on his Persona what is the experience been like there for you is it as real as we think it is yeah I I think it is very real um being in this building there's a lot of energy you know for the first time in a long time for the Lions you know they're considered one of the top tier teams in the league and with that there are a lot of expectations and I think every single day in this building those expectations are um brought in and everybody's bought into to them and there's a goal within this organization is to win the Super Bowl and every single day it's the expectation that we're coming in and we're competing for a Super Bowl every single day he is Jake Funk he's now with the Detroit Lions he's with us here on GCR Jake the role that you play in that right because I know the first role is I got to make the team right like I understand how that works do you allow yourself to start having those visions of like I could win a Super Bowl or is that too do you have to keep it more comp compartmentalized than that yeah I mean I would say that that's obviously the down the line goal for the organization but it starts every single day and being where your feet are um it's attacking every single day and getting just a little bit better every single day by the time you know you hit week one and then it's getting marginally better every single week and then when the playoffs roll around you should be playing at your Peak so I would say it's just taking it day by day in this organization and and really attacking every single day that we're out on the grass I want to make sure I show respect winning another Super Bowl I just want to make sure that I say that correctly not winning one Super Bowl um Jake a couple things I wanted to make sure I covered with you this time around I I know you've always been a special teams guy what has your experience been like with the new kickoff I don't know if you've been involved with that uh and what you've been doing and and how how crazy is it does everybody have it figured out yet or do we still have a lot to learn about what this is going to be like this season yeah I think there's still a lot to learn um it's definitely something that's a lot different um it's a lot more short area quickness kind of thing versus long speed and you know a longer play I guess you could call it is it leverage though or is it is it really quickness it it's really like quickness off the line of scrimmage and just trying to be able to leverage the ball wherever it is kick um and I still think it's something that as the season goes on you're going to continue to learn and be able to adapt to see what works and what doesn't work it you know it's new so all the players are getting adjusted to it all the coaches are getting adjusted to it and it's just something that I think you're going to have to continuously be able to learn and adapt to be able to really figure out what works best for you and your team are we at a place where players could say whether or not you guys like it or it's still too new just no no way to to I mean I I think it's a collaborative effort um at the end of the day it's you know whatever the coaches feel what is best but I I do think it is a collaborative effort to you know whether guys you know like this certain style or this or that um but at the end of the day it's it's a learning thing for all of us and you know we just try to you know watch the tape and figure out okay does this work and try different things and and you know figuring out out what kind of pieces can go where and how to be able to um really get a great kickoff and kick return unit you know Jake you are only in your fourth year right in the league but obviously considering you you were at Maryland for a little bit longer because of everything that you went through there like take me back how different are you today than even just like when you showed up as a freshman in college park years back I I mean football-wise I've learned a lot yeah uh there's a lot about the game that when you come from high school to college there's a mental jump and then when you come from college to the NFL there is even another mental jump and you know you learn so much about the game and how to play it and and the NFL is I would consider a very different game than the college level um so you know being able to be four years in you you know you you've been playing at this level for a little bit and you know you start to understand and you start to see what um how the nuances of the NFL work and uh that's something that I've been able to grow um in terms of just mentally over the years um and it was the same thing at Maryland you know I came in as a freshman and you know you're new to the college game and as you get older and as you grow throughout the program you're able to you know find out all right this is you know the nuances of college football and you know there's a growing process and I think that's you know very normal having gone through as much as You' gone through and I think people are familiar with the injury history from college even at a young age do you find yourself being more of like a sage type when you're in a locker room do you find yourself being a guy who is more inclined to give advice to try to help young guys because you've been through probably a good bit more than the average guy at this point in their career has I mean yeah I I try to um you know if my advice is warranted here there um obviously I've been through a lot from an injury standpoint so when guys get injured I can understand what it is like mentally and physically um so I'm able to you know be able to bond with guys over that um but yeah I would totally agree married life any I mean any different at all I mean I I enjoyed getting to know I think as I told you the last time we talked I was not I'm not I'm not like a a reality TV guy it's not my thing so I love the story of how you all met you got married this off seon when I got married everybody kept asking like what's it like I'm like I don't know it's no different to me than it was three days ago it only got different once kids came along any different for you whatsoever I wouldn't say you know that at all um you know we we had been you know pretty close and from you know the day we started dating and really I mean we got married and all the only thing that's been new is just having to wear a ring on my finger which I've never to do in my life so getting getting used to that was when I tell you that I told my then fiance my my now wife for 10 years I would be more inclined to get a tattoo of a ring on my finger I'm like this is not about me trying to lie about being married I will get i'll tattoo on my finger I'm married so that like everyone knows it's just so foreign to me the concept of wearing a ring now obviously 10 years in I feel F quite different about it but at the time I'm like this crazy to me the idea of wearing a ring every day yeah so I I went with the old rubber one just just because it was a little bit more comfortable for day-to-day use um obviously I have I have another ring that I wore for our actual wedding day but for day-to-day use I just go with a rubber one the the attention that has come like the the the paparazzi coverage like is that how weird has that been for you like did you get used to it at some point is it still weird to you um I mean it's not I've gotten used to it over the years um at first it was a little different uh but you know with that I I knew that going into you know getting into a relationship with Hannah with that you know that kind of stuff could come up um but over the years I I don't really you know that's I'm kind of used to it at this point do you have a preference for who Marilyn starts a quarterback against Yukon in two weeks I really don't I just hope they put the best player out on the field I understand that feeling I know we've talked a lot about like the last couple of years and the direction and the progress and it it does feel like it makes a difference they don't have to go up against like Ohio State and Michigan and Penn State in the same division moving forward like it feels like there could be a real chance to take a step towards I don't want to go crazy and say like winning the Big 10 but like something even more significant in the coming yeah and you know from what I've heard the defense has been great um throughout training camp and the D line they're like freaks man like they are yeah from what from what I've heard and it's a very different team than I guess a lot of Maryland teams have been in the past which has been very offensive dominated yep um so and then you know obviously you know figuring out who the quarterback is that's going to be a big piece and about how the team and the direction of the team but I you know obviously I'm excited um excited to see what coach locks and all of them dial up for the year and um you know excited to root on the turbs we're excited for you man um again bummed that it's not man that would have been so great for us if it stayed in Baltimore forever but uh you know wherever you're going to be as long as it's not Pittsburgh like you just understand as long as it's not that we are rooting for you and we will forever be happy for you and hoping you find success man uh Jak Funk 34 on Twitter remind me where it is on Instagram same thing Jake 34 Jake go out there make us proud continue to make us proud always appreciate taking the time for us thanks so much appreciate you goad