 This is the OTP presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans, celebrating 76 years of protecting Tennesseans with high quality health coverage and affordable prices. Visit FBHP to get a quote today. I'm Mike Keith and this is a very special OTP as it's our full conversation with Deandre Hopkins. What a career this guy has had to this point and what great football he continues to play. He was kind enough to sit down and talk about his career away from Nashville and what he's doing with the Titans now, plus a lot of great off the field things that he has to say. An interesting person, a super player, Deandre Hopkins on the OTP. So Deandre Hopkins played against us nearly 20 times over the last 10 years. So we've seen a lot of you, maybe too much of you honestly. But you played very well against us. The thing that we didn't know until you got here is about your incredible preparation. And if you watch in practice, the attention to detail on the route running, the communication with the teammates, even the core work you're doing while the first team defense is on, you are nonstop. Ten years ago, you didn't know to do that come out of Clemson. Nobody 21 years old knows to do that. How did you learn to be that kind of pro like what we used to see out of Eddie George years ago? I appreciate it. Obviously the young me didn't know any of those tactics. I felt like my skill could keep me in this thing long as I wanted to play. Obviously skill takes you so far. But I would say I picked that up from guys around me, like JJ White and Andre Johnson being in Houston and seeing the way they practiced and seeing things they did when nobody was watching. To me, I knew I wanted to be where those guys were one day. And I felt like that was the standard JJ used to do cardio during practice or he would run sprints during practice while the first team offense was out there. And it's just something that I picked up and I always say just watching the greats around me and never feeling like I know it all or I'm where I want to be. Year 11 and I'm still doing those same things that I did a couple years ago. How proud does it make you that the young guys are now following you around doing a lot of the same things at practice? It makes me feel good because I learned there from someone who is going to be a future Hall of Famer. And hopefully that's something that they feel like will help their game. And you know, sometimes it's not something that you're going to be able to do at the same time. But I think it's something that you're going to be able to do at the same time. And you know, sometimes it's not something where it just overnight is going to take effect. But over time, it's something that you know, you pick up that mentality and you want to do something when you feel like nobody else is. What makes Deandre Hopkins game as a wide receiver unique? I would say my knowledge of football, my knowledge of defenses, being able to get open. Not necessarily being a 4-3-4-4 guy, but just my knowledge of defenses. And I would say being able to catch contested balls. I feel like that's something that separates me, just my focus. And when the ball is in error, if it's a 50-50 ball, I feel like it's mine. Throws deep downfield, there's Hopkins all alone! 20, 15, 10, 5, end zone! Ladies and gentlemen, give him 61 yards! Touchdown Titans! It feels like in watching you on and off the field, you like the puzzle of the details of the game. Is that one of the parts of football that you really enjoy the most? It is. I think part of it is probably due to playing quarterback when I was young and still kind of having that mentality like I feel like I'm a quarterback in my position. And just trying to see everything. I grew up playing quarterback. I grew up in a football family where my grandfather was Hall of Fame, South Carolina, my uncle's Hall of Fame in South Carolina. I've been introduced to football at a young age and knowing not just my position, but what everybody else's position is as well and how it affects me. Weren't you supposed to be a defensive back originally when you went to Clemson? I was. I was recruited very highly out of high school as a safety defensive back, got the state record in South Carolina. Just about every college recruited me as a defensive back, not a receiver. But I wanted to go somewhere where I had the opportunity to play both and Clemson at the time didn't have the greatest receivers and they gave me that opportunity. So five Pro Bowls, three times all pro statistics that are already Hall of Fame worthy potentially. Thank you. Year 11, what's left for you to do in football? What are your goals? Obviously a Super Bowl is everybody's reasoning of playing the game, but my goal is to pass down what I can to other players, the knowledge, you know, certain skill sets that I have, you know, try to sharpen someone else. And for me is, you know, giving back what I've gained and trying to help someone else get to that goal of winning the championship or just being the best version of themselves on the football field and off the field. I have more of our interview with DeAndre Hopkins coming up, but I've got to remind you about our friends at Duncan. That's right. It's always game on with Duncan. So grab a coffee and kick off the action, whether that's drinking a cup on the way to the game or grabbing a cup to watch the game at home or listen to the game at home as we often say. Duncan is always there to help you get your game on. Just like the pros, we need to be at our best come game day. And Duncan is the most important part of your game day ritual because it's always the best call for football. America runs on Duncan. Here's more of our conversation. The OTP with DeAndre Hopkins. My cause, Mike Leets is coming up and you will be representing the non-profit smooth that you founded with your mother. It's done some very special things, empowering women against or who have been affected by domestic violence. Safe to say this is a personal issue for DeAndre Hopkins. Absolutely. A lot of you guys know my mom was involved in the incident. Many years ago and just found ways to turn that negative into a positive. And this was one of them starting this smooth foundation to help other women who could have been or was in a situation like that to try to prevent it. And so it's something that definitely hits home for us. All right, so let me ask you about going back to college to finish your degree. Have you been surprised at how many people are fascinated by DeAndre Hopkins going back to finish his degree at Clemson? I am. Surprisingly shocked. I didn't think it would be a big deal. I didn't know that going back trying to graduate or get a degree was a big deal. But I'm just doing something that I promised my mom and my father that I would do. It was just that simple, really. There are other things you want to do in your life and finishing a degree, I'm sure, is something important to you. But it's still a big deal. It is. It is. And that's a big deal because, you know, in my community, not a lot of people make it to college and, you know, better yet graduate. So for me, I wanted to, you know, kind of be the person to set an example for the youth in my community. The graduate is important, not just playing sports. Okay. So it's in parks, recreation and tourism management. Correct. Okay. How many hours do you lack? Man, I'm lacking in a couple. I probably got two semesters left. Oh, it's not too bad. It's not. Yeah, nothing crazy. What do you want to do with that degree? Well, you know, I've always been into country music. I want to throw and have my own festivals and concerts. So that's my plan after football, one of them, to get into the festivals of country music, you know, alternative music, that world. Yeah, man. What sort of got you interested in the concert festival promotion aspect of it? I went to a concert in South Carolina where I'm from. It was a small festival and it was actually like one of the biggest festivals where I'm from, not the highest promoted. But, you know, it was something for my small town for us to get a joy out of. And, you know, it meant a lot to us locals having that little festival there and just seeing everybody come out, you know, all the people who make IPAs and just, you know, all the locals who do all the little knickknacks in their backyard, you know, come together and I always thought that was cool as a kid, you know, how something like that can bring a community together. You know, there's a CMA music festival here. Are you familiar with that? I am. You could intern. Hey, who knows, man? Who knows? I wouldn't mind. I wouldn't mind getting down to dirty. Oh, it's so impressive because it's clear you love the game and you take the game seriously and you put everything you have into the game. But there are other parts of your life too. The game is not your entire life. Fair? It's very fair to say. You know, I like art, I like ceramics, you know, love music, you know, so, you know, man, it's a lot to me other than the game. But football is definitely my passion. But Tim McGraw is your guy though, right? Kenny Chastney and Tim, you know, those are my boys. All right, so let's wrap it up with five questions for Deandre Hopkins. All right. Are you ready? I'm ready. Best player you have played with? JJ White. Best player you have played against? Tom Brady. Favorite athlete you like to watch regardless of sport? LeBron James. Favorite stadium to play in as an opposing player? Gillette. Famous person that you would like to meet? Angelina Jolie. Oh yeah, that's pretty good. Yeah, man. Deandre Hopkins, thank you. Yeah, thank you. That's our conversation with Deandre Hopkins on the OTP, brought to you by our friends at Seat Geek. Now the official ticketing partner of the Tennessee Titans, whether you're buying or selling tickets to Titans games or any live event in Nashville, Seat Geek is the place to do it. Seat Geek, the new official ticketing partner of the Tennessee Titans, so Titans fans can fan. Speaking of tickets for all the OT people who are Titans season ticket members, listen up. If you renew your season tickets by December the 18th, meaning you've got a little over two weeks, then you, you Titans season ticket members will lock in your prices not only for 2024, but also for 2025 and 2026. That's right. If you renew your season tickets by December the 18th, the OT people who are season ticket members will lock in their prices until we move into the new Nissan Stadium in 2027. That is a deal called today and renew yours. 615-565-4200, 615-565-4200, renew before December 18th and lock in your prices for the life of your seats at the current Nissan Stadium. Thanks to DeAndre Hopkins and thanks to our fine staff for making this possible for you. I'm Mike Keith and you're listening and watching the OT.