 In a search for better lighting, I've made my way to the front of the trailer. My team back here waiting, doing their thing. We had Gronk on the show. NBA great Chandler Parsons is here, and this is everyone's biggest fear. Me, Chris McGullin's like, hi, we're on the show. It's fine. Everyone's okay. We have awesome guests and one of my favorite guys that I've talked about a lot on the program is here. And he's coming off an incredible senior season, right? Leads the entire nation in touchdowns. The entire nation in touchdowns in his final game at Tulane. He was the MVP in the Cotton Bowl. There went over USC. Please welcome running back. Tajers, Pierce, Tajer, what's up? Hey, how you doing? Thank you. Good, I'm really good. It's a little crazy right now. Gronk just left the trailer. He said it was too hot, but we are here. We're having a lot of fun. And I know this is a big week for you, big weekend. We are talking about what I have learned about, which is the Poncha Tula Strawberry Festival in your hometown, my friend. So tell me about what it was like growing up in Louisiana and specifically in Poncha Tula. It was really great. Small little town. I don't know how many people we hold, but it's a smaller town. Like you said, it's a weekend of Strawberry Festival. And I was telling one of my friends, like, bang, this is really the highlight of our year, Strawberry Festival. They go on for like three days on Friday, Saturday, Sunday. A lot of festivities. And we got a big parade Saturday morning. And I'm going to have my own float. Me and my family are going to have a lot of different stuff. So it's going to be really, really fun. What do you mean you're getting your own float? Like, I got my own float. So like, you know how like in a parade, you see like float system? I got my own float. This is going to be me and my family. And shout out to my sister-in-law for putting me together for me. That's amazing. What do you wear to the Strawberry Festival? Three days. It's like Coachella. Everyone's going to Coachella, these idiots. I want to go to the Strawberry Festival. Come on. You can wear whatever you want to wear because it's going to be like, you know, we in Louisiana. So it's going to be like really, really hot. So then it's about the rain. So it's going to be so like when the rain clear up, it's going to be like so, so hot. So you can wear whatever. I think I'm going to do like three different outfits, but I'm not too big on it for there. Well, you're big on strawberries. You're big on your hometown and you're big on playing football. And you went to play at Tulane. Your 2022 team accomplished the greatest single season turnaround in all college football history. You went from two and 10 to 12 and two. What is the biggest reason? Like the one reason you guys were able to get it together and turn it around? Accountability. And I say that from the top to the bottom. Everybody held up. Everybody accountable. We all was pulling in the same direction. We all wanted the same in-go. So accountability is the biggest reason for this turnaround. Well, we love to hear that. I'm sure that's going to carry on to one of 32 teams that are lucky enough to have you on their squad. And you finished your college career. You really put a stamp on it. And I like that you ended on the highest of high notes, Taja. You crossed USC and you said bye to Heisman Trophy winner Kayla Williams in the Cotton Bowl, 46 to 45. Such a dominating performance. And if you look at the numbers, it was insane, right? Everything that you were able to do four rushing touchdowns. How important was that victory for you on this football journey, beating a powerhouse school like USC and ready to go play on the bigger stage of the NFL? It's like, I kind of took myself out of the equation and just put it into the history of the school. We never did something like that at too late. So that's what we prodded the whole week on. Just making sure we live in the moment, make sure that we write down history. Coach even said, man, we win this game. We're going to go down the greatest team in history. So that was a mindset the whole year. And that was a mindset definitely coming into that game and coming out of that game. So it was like, I remember two, three years ago, like an upper class anti-tank title. I was like, how are you going to remember? Like, how do you remember like Cotton Bowl champions? Like, can you repeat the Cotton Bowl? Like, that's something that they can't ever take away from. So that's going to go down forever. They can never take it from you, but you didn't fall off there. It wasn't some shining moment and then it went away. Because you said it changed something, right? And it was obvious. You took that momentum. And trust me, I've covered this game on the NFL level for over 10 years. I don't really watch the college game. I'm not as plugged in. But your name is the name that I was hearing towards the end of your senior season and into this one. And I know that all the most important eyes in my business are on the senior bowl. That's what matters. What are guys like? Not even in the game, the weak leading into practice. And you crushed it on every level. And last week we were talking about this rep that you had that week. Will you please talk me and every NFL fan through this play? It's just like optional. He took the inside away from love. He was playing outside. He's just outside right here, playing outside. He about to jump and just a little whip out, whip back. It ain't nothing too special. It ain't nothing too special. Oh my gosh, I'm running back, needing teams are needing you there. So I want you to know that we love you. We obviously made the forte comparisons a little bit just because of the school and where running backs are going in the draft. But is there a running back in the NFL that you sort of look at and say, I like how he moves. I want to be like him. And I model my game after him. Oh, not necessarily, but it got two guys that I really like on. And, and Jones and I'm coming there. I like, I really like those guys, but like me just sitting there like saying, I'm the model of my game. I've been somebody, but those two guys I really, really like. I really like doing. I like everything that they do when it comes to on the field. I, you know, I know that you, you know, you had to grow up knowing and loving Reggie Bush there too. So have you had a chance to meet any of those guys? Like you're there. You're in New Orleans. Have you met Alvin Camara? No, like we probably reached out to each other like text messages, like texting, but like, no, I'm not meeting nobody. I want to be ready to Bush though. Cause like, like I said, like my first year of playing football, I got 25. He was my favorite player at the time. I used to like him a lot. So that's why you had the 25, got it. Because I was thinking about Matt Forte and the reason I brought him up, he's obviously a Tulane alum. And I think that you'll be the first player from Tulane to go in the first three rounds of the draft since Forte did it back in 2008. I'm a big Bears fan. And he had a great career wear in that number 22. You wore 22. Any connection there? No, not too much. I just try, I just try to make my own path in life. I don't really, like I say, like, you know, I don't really focus on comparison. I try to, you know, live one day at a time me with my feet up. How do you feel about your pro day? All 32 teams were there. They all showed up. You were dealing with an injury. You didn't run the 48, the combine. Getting that four-four time, how important was that to you? It was, it was important. It was important to show the, show all 32 teams that I can run fast. There was, there was probably a big question coming from the combine, like why are you running? Is he fast? So like, just checking that box. It's all about just taking, just checking the box alone, along this journey. That's all it was about. All right, we're gonna get to know you a little bit better and let all the NFL fans get to know you a little better. And we're gonna give a minute on the clock and I'm gonna ask you and bank through as many questions as possible. Okay, you ready? Oh man, y'all ready? All right, who would you love if you could pick anybody to headline Coachella? Who would you pick? Sydney. You could pick anybody to headline Coachella. Which musical act would you pick? What is it? It's like a big music festival. I love that you don't know what it is because you're the best. I'm immediately a fan of you. Like, Oh, Kevin Gates. Kevin Gates. Kevin Gates, okay, great. The dream car that you want to own someday. A Bugatti. A Bugatti, okay. Best preparation for eating strawberries or best way to eat strawberries? Best way to eat strawberries is with cheesecake. And that's what you're a man after my heart here. Is there a TV show or a show that you're streaming right now that you love? Uh, Sanford & Sunder. It's like so old. You're watching, wait, hold on. Hold on. Stop the clock. You're just casually watching episodes that you're binge watching Sanford & Sunder, what? It is, that's all I do, like Sanford & Sunder and Martin. That's all I watch. Martin, I mean damn, Gina is one of my favorite shows ever. But not, you're too young for this, but it would be on. And then the second half hour was living single with Queen Latifah and it was amazing. It was like the best hour of TV back in the nineties, back in the day. Okay, Sanford & Sunder, I love that. Best food spot in New Orleans? Let's say I'm there for one hour. Where am I going? One hour. That's a good question. Oh, New Orleans food and spirit. New Orleans food and spirit. I'm gonna write that down here. Favorite NFL player of all time? Favorite NFL player of all time? I really like Barry Sanders. Barry Sanders, talk to me, I'm beeping, we gotta go, we're going too slow. Let's do this, all right. Favorite video game? Favorite video game, GTA. Best Tulane football player ever? Best Tulane football player ever, Matt Forte, class of this year. Come on, come on, favorite comedian. Favorite comedian, I know. Oh man, man, man, that's the Harman, that's the Harman, that's the Harman, that's the Harman, that's the Harman. That's the Harman. Oh, Bernie Mac, Bernie Mac. Hey, Mac, oh, Rest in Peace, Bernie Mac, you are, but you have an old soul, my goodness, and your favorite superhero? My favorite superhero, dang, I don't get into superheroes, but I like the Hulk. Is he a good, is he a good one? The Hulk, I think so. What are you into outside of Sanford & Sunder? You don't like Coachella, you don't like, what are you into? Do you watch, do you watch, do you watch Power? I watch, but now it's in Power, like a bunch of different things with Ghost and like all those different, but Power was like the OG one, right? That's like, just when I'm watching right now, I'm watching her like, what it is, like Ghost of Book 3, that's when I'm watching right now. Like that one, there's too many of them for me, I think, Power. Who's the original cast? Is Power, you got a bitch, you got a bitch watch it. I got a binge watch Power, okay, I'm gonna do that. I thought, why don't I think, yeah, I had the wrong show in mind, I met Omari though. Yeah, he's amazing, I interviewed him once, he's great, I'm a big fan. Hi, so what's your favorite show for these? Oh my gosh. Right now, it's this song called succession, or this show called succession, and it's kind of like Power, and it's kind of like Billions, and it's on HBO, but it's a lot, it's too many, you're too focused on Ball right now, but maybe next off season, after you've won Offensive Rookie of the Year, you can catch up on that, how does that feel? It's okay, I like you, I like you a lot. I like you, Taj, you're very funny. All right, we will see you at the draft, I'm telling you, first three rounds, Matt Forte, don't tell, I love Matt Forte, I love watching it, I love watching those 1000-year-old seasons, you're the best player out of two lane coming to an NFL team and you will be back with Chandler Parsons as I am melting in this car, I am literally melting.