 Today's guest in the Herschel studio currently hosts his own podcast co-host two TV shows and says his work's resume is weirder than most grown-ups resume. He's the one, the only, Kyle Brand co-host of NFL Network's Good Morning Football. Thank you guys for having me, Casey, brilliant intro, well great production level. A lot of people don't have sound effects, let alone Christmas trees and Euler's hats and angry run shirts and co-hosts. This is a first class show already. I'm thrilled to be here. Thank you for having me. Well, thank you for coming on the show, Kyle. We're so excited you're here. And hi Evelyn, we know you brought a friend. Yes, this is almost five and a half year old Evelyn who just when you say that she's shy and doesn't want to be on the camera, will come crawling on camera. And she's very excited right now because of course it's Santa Claus time and he's coming to town. So there's a lot of energy in the brand household right now. And I hope to bring that to you guys. We are so happy to have her and you on the show today. Thank you. All right, so we'll just jump right in. So when you were a kid, what did you want to be when you were growing up? An NFL running back. Listen, I grew up in Chicago. I was a I grew up a Bears fan and running back was always my favorite position because when I was really little, Walter Payton was the coolest thing in the world and Bears fans loves running back just like Titans fans do. So when I, through all the ways I started playing tackle football when I was about eighth grade and you know, my dad as most parents like to do say no, no, no, you're going to be quarterback, you're going to be quarterback. That's the position for my son. You're going to be quarterback. That's what the money is. And I'm like that. I don't throw very well. I can run really well. So eventually I wanted to go on and be like a Chris Johnson type or of course Derek, that type of thing. I'm breaking a lot of tackles during this interview, which is actually kind of meta because Apple is trying to tackle me as I speak. So I wanted to be an NFL running back. And then once I realized that I wasn't going to be, I wanted to be able to talk about NFL running backs, which is what I do now. That is, that is an interesting story. Well, I love the fact that you shifted into running back and in spite of the fact that you know your dad was talking about being quarterback and you know, like I can run. Every time they would call a pass. I would drop back and then just run, you know, like, like Tannehill does sometimes. Tannehill often throws it and throws it really, really well. I was on an eighth grade was the first time in pads and it was a town called Buffalo Grove, Illinois. And I was on the Buffalo Grove bills. We had like the bills logo on our helmet, but it was different colors. And I think after like the 20th consecutive passing play where I just took it and ran my coach was like, all right, you can play running back. Get over there. It's fine because we never know throwing anyway. That's so that's that's really cool. Thank you. Thank you. So that kind of sideways into our next question was, did you play sports as a kid? And so you said you started in eighth grade. Did you play anything else before that? I played everything I get my hands on, you know, I, my, my parents, both of them were reluctant to have me in full pads hitting until I was an eighth grade, which I actually really enjoyed. I'm glad they made that decision. So that let me play, you know, outdoor soccer, indoor soccer, a lot of basketball, a lot of baseball, all like the classics really, you know, I didn't play any of these really cool, like kind of artsy niche sports. Like I didn't play lacrosse or I didn't, I never played hockey and I wish I would have in retrospect, but listen, I grew up in the time of the Bears and the Michael Jordan bowls in Chicago. So I won the sports fan lottery. I grew up watching Michael Jordan play basketball games, you know, 20 minutes from my house. So it was really, really lucky. I played every sport and every sport video game that I take my hands on. We've, we've read about that. Oh yeah, that's going to be one of my questions. I am addicted to sports video games. They honestly are so entertaining. What are you playing? Retro ball a lot. Have you heard of this? No, no, no, what's that? I have it on my phone. It's like, it's pretty much just like old arcade style football, but like with like modern techniques and stuff. It's really fun, honestly. Retro ball? Yeah, retro ball. Okay. I think Santa Claus is bringing that. That's great. Retro ball. I'm going to write it down. That sounds perfect. I love that. You need to. It's really fun. So how old were you when you decided you wanted to work full time in the world of sports? And did you have, did you have to have any special training for your job? These are really good questions, you guys. You're all over it. You thought about it. Your research that I can tell I'm super flattered. No, I had a really unusual path. You know, some people would know when they're a kid or maybe when they're in high school or college that I want to be a sports writer or commentator and everything. I pushed the actual plane as far as I could, which is all the way through playing college football. And then, you know, I started thinking like, man, these, these professional running backs say I'm watching them on CBS and they appear to be much faster and much bigger than I am. And I don't think I'm going to be able to do that. So then I took a weird left turn into Hollywood and I was an actor and I was on TV and I was on reality shows. And I had all these shows and I had this very bizarre 10 years in my 20s, at which point I finally decided, you know, I think it's time to go back to my first love. And I got back into sports and just throw it like a series of good fortune. I was able to do it. And as far as training, I would just say people ask me sometimes like, I want to be in sports media. What should I work on? Just write, write, write, write, write. What should I major in? Anything in college where you have to write because I think there are two people in sports media, two kinds of people. And those who can write and those who need to have things written for them. If you can write yourself, it makes you a lot more appealing to people who might hire you. And thank God, I would have been able to do that. So was English, because you, we're doing some research, we noticed that English you graduated with a degree in English from Princeton University, correct? And so did you love to read when you were growing up? And what, what kind of drove you to pick that path? I did love to read growing up and we had a thing in my house again where it's like my mom would say, all right, enough with the Nintendo, put it down, like you have to pick up a book now. And I just remember all kinds of adventure books as a kid. Does that sound familiar? Is that the same thing that's going on there? Did I just get close to home? I've done three hours of Nintendo. Now you have to read. So listen, all adventure books. I started reading what I started really like when I was kind of coming to my adolescence, like when I was in seventh or eighth grade, I started reading a lot of biographies about different athletes. Like I'd read the book about Bo Jackson or the book about Michael Jordan or my favorite athletes, whatever book that they would do, I couldn't get enough of those. And then that carried into college. And, you know, at Princeton's majors they offer, I think they go back 250 years. There's no like real super advanced ones when I was there. So it was like history, politics, English, and maybe a couple others that was never going to be me. So I just thought, I love reading and I think I'm a pretty good writer. So anything lets me do that. And I have to tell you, sometimes people will say whatever major you choose in college, because it ends up being kind of irrelevant. In my opinion, I really do think it helped me a lot, just because I had to write, if you have to sit down and write 20 pages on Shakespeare or the Canterbury Tales, like believe me, you can write a couple pages about the Cowboys or the Seahawks, you'll find your way. And it'd be much more pleasurable, I think. Oh yeah, if you've done that, you can do anything, even on the Jaguars I could write, no problem. We have no words. I know, neither do they. We just gave them a shout out. I know. Just dealt with them and moved on. Jason loves reading, quite honestly, and he and his brother, Trevor, have been reading since they were very little, like we used to take them to the library all the time as little kids and now they still love going. But what are some of the books you're reading, because you're doing a lot of what Kyle said that he was doing when he was a kid about your age is reading autobiographies or biographies. Who are some of the people that you've read recently? I read a lot, I don't remember, but they're mostly just about like, I remember I read one about Tony Dungey when he coached the Colts. I also read one about, I don't remember his name, he played for the Titans, he had cancer, so I read a autobiography about him, but they're just really interesting on like how they've gotten to where they are now and how many challenges they've had to overcome in life. So I definitely think that they're definitely uplifting stories and they're also just really cool stories to read about. Yeah, you get to that part in the middle of the book where there's like five pages of pictures you can look through like this. It's always the best part. Tony Dungey is a great one to read, like incredible coach, legendary, won the Super Bowl. It tells funny stories about how they were playing the Bears and they had this kick returner, Devin Hester, who was the best kick returner of all time. And they said, we're going to kick to him, we're not going to kick away from him, we're too proud. And then the night before the game he said, I think we'll just kick to him. We're never going to stay away from him, they kicked him, he returned it for a touchdown, he said it was the burst of the biggest mistake he ever made. So funny. But that's part of, he's got a million stories like that. That's amazing. Well, we found out recently that there was a big milestone anniversary in your life. In the fall of 1996, you helped lead the Stevenson High School Patriots of Lincolnshire, Illinois to an 1813 victory in the Illinois State Football Championship quarterfinals. As a halfback, you were the MVP of the game with 24 carries for 108 yards and one touchdown, and the local news interviewed you after the game. And we'd like to play that clip for you right now, if we could. Letter it, sure. Okay, so. It's called a four linebacker stuff to be when I come into play. We only put that in a few times during the week. We didn't expect to use it as much as we did, but we had some success early. So Coach Bob Smith just went with it the whole way. And of course he broke the one I think I was in the first place in scrimmage. I wasn't in on that play and we were in the other defense. So we switched over to what we call the B firm, but with the extra linebacker and it was really successful. And that was it for the front offense. Well, that'll do it here on the field. Once again with Kyle Brandt, the CCN MVP backup team lead. That's wild. Okay, that was awesome. That was awesome. So many takeaways. First of all, I'm like, I, I'm totally auditioning for ESPN or something. I'm completely peacocking and trying to be like so air diet and insightful. And yet at the time when you're saying thank you. Oh, thank you. You're that young and someone is coming to you. It was like some local access and might as well have been money net football guy with a microphone is an extra questions like you're a stand or something. I do have to say, pointing out that the only touchdown the other team scored, I wasn't in for that play is a little bit cocky and not necessarily as team oriented as I would like to be. But again, 17 and I didn't I wasn't terribly experienced in the media. But it was so good. So I have to ask you, was that your first on camera interview. And was that the day the angry runs was born. Oh, that's awesome. And I love that you have the shirt that is so cool. Thank you. That's definitely the first time camera interview. I don't even think when I was a kid, I don't even think I did some local news thing where they asked a kid why they're at the carnival I think that was probably the first time I ever had a microphone in my face. Very impressive for first time. Oh, thank you. Well, again, like, I couldn't do zero math, but I could speak and write again the English major thing. That's the science and the math. But it's part of the angry runs thing. I guess in a way it could have been the whole birth of angry runs. Actually, the way we crown people like Derek Henry and give him one or two. You mean, you mean this guy. Yeah. You mean our king. Right. Yes. Ray and ohado the angry king. That's so cool. He has a giant sword. He's got the cross eye black. God that is a cool toy. That is awesome. I want that thing. That is a bobble head angry king. We can find one for you. I hope so. My high school coach was all about run straight ahead, run straight ahead. None of this dancing and stuff. So that's how I did it. And then that's how I came to admire players in the league who do it like that. There's some great players, great running backs who, you know, are more they're like, they're slippery. They've got cool moves guys like, you know, Alvin Camara, Christian calf reshading McCoy. I love those guys. But I like the straight ahead runners and who will still lower their shoulder and I think it really was going back to my high school experience. That was an incredible deep dive you guys did. Well, I, when I came across it, I said, Oh, this is going to be fun. And thank you for letting us. Sure. And I have to ask when was the last time you saw that video. Um, you know, I think it might have been five or six years ago. I'm trying to, I feel like, because I don't remember. I remember the visual of the guy with the ponytail interview, but I don't remember what I said. Football started. Is that right? I think that's just this local suburban Chicago network access. I think when good morning football started, they might have played that clip, but it was only the visual. And so like all the talk about, you know, provided that we get first down. It's like, I don't know. It's been a long time since I've heard that. So of all the different jobs that you've had, which one of your favorites so far. I have to say, you know, the football thing is great being 23 years old, living in LA and getting to be on days of our lives was awesome. I mean, it was the coolest thing was just every day you'd go to work. And the stage that would go was right next to the Ellen show and the tonight show in LA and Burbank and you give you these ridiculous lines to read and they'd say, you know, show your muscles and tell the girl you love her and I was like, I can do that. And you'd go home and you were like a baby. You know, that was 20 years ago for me now. So, I mean, the good morning football in the NFL is brilliant but being that young right out of college and being on TV showing your muscles like was so hilarious and so fun. I think it's not. So on that note, so yeah, you are kind of in a full circle with Joey Tribbiani from friends, because of you went on to be Philip Kiriakis, which by the way, I, you know, loved days of our lives. So Philip Kiriakis, so Victor Kiriakis, go on life. His daughter is Jennifer Aniston, who was Rachel on friends, and now you are basically in the circle of friends. You're all over it. This, this is the most well researched show I think I've ever been on in my life. No one brings that up. You guys do your homework. You said, oh, what would you be your advice or special skills. And I said, right. Also, like, do your homework, look up people ask them people they've never asked them things they've never been asked before. I've never been asked about John Aniston being Jennifer's father and since he was my father on the show it's almost like Jennifer and I were sisters like and sister brother. Yeah, yeah, siblings and, and then at the time she's married to Brad Pitt so I feel like he was my brother in law and so like believe me I've thought about all of this. We're happy we could bring that memory. Yeah. Oh my gosh. So we think you're fantastic on good morning football and your football knowledge is like none other but we want to ask you about your love for 80s video games. You say you're a Tecmo full player, but now you're co hosting a game show on Peacock. That's that's based on another popular 80s video game that my mom says she used to play in the arcade. Sure, so you're more about it with us. Sure. So, here's the deal. Strangest this may sound to someone of your generation. There used to be a thing called quarters. And if you have four of them, you get something called a dollar, and you take said quarters and you put them in this giant machine the size of a taxi cab. And you get to play a game with the joystick and buttons, it was it would have blown your mind. That's what we did. So one of those games was called Frogger and the concept of the game was, you're a frog, and there's traffic and you got to jump across the front of the traffic. And people loved it. They lost their minds. Oh my gosh. Yeah, they, you know, I mean you play. Oh, yeah. Frogger, Centipede, Donkey Kong, Gallagher, all of them. So someone some space invaders space invasion that's coming. They made a TV show out of Frogger, in which real life people are the frogs and they have to cross these giant like the little cartoonish cars and do all this. It's crazy. It's like floor is lava with wipe out and like just a little bit of squid game. And that's the show we do. It's awesome. Well, we've, we've seen it and it is absolutely awesome and hilarious and intense and extremely entertaining. It seems fun, but it also just seems really try the core of exhausting. Oh my gosh, yes, it's exhausting to even talk about. I can't even imagine the kids doing it. But I have to say, you know, Evelyn who was sent upstairs who is five and a half and Calvin who's eight. They don't, they couldn't be less impressed that good morning football and it felt not into that. But when we do Frogger and we sit down and they're just stunned into silence they watched the entire thing. And I said to my, my incredible wife, I go, Wow, look at them, honey. They're riveted. They're riveted. She nailed it. Oh my God. She sounds like your ultimate hype woman. Oh, she's incredible. Yeah, the great Brooke Brandt probably upstairs listening to me and be like, Are you talking about me? Yes, we are. So she's incredible. We've been together since 2008. Absolutely. It's fabulous. So are there any other projects you're currently working on that you would like to share with our listener and where can they find you in all the on all the shows or the socials. All the shows and the socials. The project that I'm currently working on is the Santa Claus project for this home. We're hoping that Santa Claus comes. We are already talking about what kind of cookies we're going to put out. We're going to do a little book or eggnog. Should we just do both? I'm always in favor of just leave them everything. I agree. And don't forget the reindeer. We got to have some carrots vegetables of some sort. Last year we found actual reindeer tracks in our front yard and we were wondering why they were in the front yard because normally they are up on the rooftop. So we're the the reindeer's So this is my point. We're into this now. We talk constantly about can we have a fire in the fireplace on Christmas Eve or do we have to turn it off before the night. So we have to turn it off unquestionably. We want the big man to be safe. So we talk about that stuff all the time. That is my biggest project right now is Santa Claus coming to town starring the brand family network right now. Sounds like an interesting show. I hope so. I hope it's a comedy, not a tragedy, but the kids have been behaving pretty well. Listen that you asked so. Frogger and peacock. If you have kids you love it. Just watch them. It's so fun. So it's PG rated. 10 questions. Honestly, it's really entertaining. Yeah, honestly, you know, good morning football. I don't want to plug everything I want to plug you guys. Where can I find your socials where you guys on social. What do you got. So I am casein is not yet, not yet, but the show is on Instagram at Titans talk with casein. All right, I'm right here right now. Tyson's talk with casein Titan's talk with casein yep, and then I am on Twitter at I am zap girl. Okay, I am, I am zap girl Z A P G I R L. Well, thank you for asking. No one has really asked about that recently. So I am a sudden cardiac arrest survivor. I have an implanted defibrillator and I've had it for 24 years. And so when I originally got my device. There was hardly any word about how these devices were going to help people save lives or help save people's lives. I was terrified but my sister in her. Just trying to bring some levity to the situation and trying to get my mind off the fact that I've just survived sudden death. She nicknamed me zap girl because I'm bionic and my devices in my chest right here, and it has saved my life four times. And that's incredible. So I'm not sure you know what an AED is, but they, oh you do. Yeah, I mean I've heard about that I have someone. So basically if you're traveling along in airport or maybe at your studio they have a defibrillator ask if they have an AED. Those sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time. And the quicker the responses with a device and a you don't have to know how to do are to use it. And it's not done and it tells you what to do but I never have to wait for that to come and help save my life. But someone like case and so we and my husband and our son. I have one in the back of my car at all times. And so it's at the house it's travels wherever we go, but they're not required by law. And so that's one thing I'm working on I started social media campaign on it. Yeah, that girl in the AED is asking people if they see an AED to say to take a selfie with it and to say hey thank you to whatever business or establishment that has these devices, because it's helping people have a fighting chance at life. And because it's incredible time is between 11 and 15 minutes for EMS to get to wherever you're at. That's why I am at I am zap girl on Twitter and then zap girl and the AED is on Instagram. Got it. That's really really cool. Thank you for asking. Sure. Wow. So, before we go, we have three questions I asked each guest, are you ready. Let's do it. All right. So what advice would you give you 13 year old self. Be careful. Be very careful. I was a rambunctious dude, got injured a lot, made some crazy choices in my, my, my love life, I would just say, be fun, but have careful, excuse me, I even messed it up. I said be fun but have careful. No, no, no, that's terrible. Be fun, but be careful. See, this is my body trying not to have myself give myself this advice is trying to resist it, that 13 year old doesn't want to hear. Be careful. We get it. Yeah, that's great advice. So was there a mentor or teacher that really inspired you when you're growing up. There's a bunch of them, you know, the coaches for sure, but I am my parents for sure. I had a math teacher when I was in a sophomore in high school named Mrs Fisher, and she's like look here's the deal. I know you don't like math, I know you hate I know you don't want to do it, but you have to do it and if you want to go to college, let's just get through this and I'll help you and I just thought it was the coolest attitude for her to just say, cards on the table. And this is what I do for a living and I know you hate it, but like I will help you if you will let me. And Mrs Fisher ended up getting me an a in that class and she ended up writing my college recommendation that that was just teachers you know I have a younger sister as a kindergarten teacher and I respect it so much. So the fact that she could just say that to me and be so cool about it. I will never forget it was really fun. Shout out to Mrs Fisher. Yeah, sure. Laura's Fisher wherever she may be Dolores Fisher you were awesome. That's so cool. So, I have one final question is so many people, but great. Are you ready. Yeah, no, but yeah. Pizza or steak. Okay, that's a great question. What a beautiful question. See now the real the real wise guy will say, Well, I'll just get steak on my pizza. I'm not going to cop out like that. No. Listen to me. Let me listen very clearly. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, currently living in New York. I will not only will I go pizza, I'll go pizza 1000 times out of 1000 with due respect to a perfect medium rare steak with a few sides, I will always go pizza be a deep dish or thin. It's cheaper. It's more delicious. And I don't care if it was more expensive. I am going to pizza all day long that I get it right. I'm hungry for pizza. Yeah. Okay, we have toppings. Oh, okay. You know what, like, yes, that's my answer to. Okay, there you go. And I don't, I cannot get quite to that point where I'm doing the Hawaiian in the pineapple ham thing. And I know that the wine. Now, are you applauding because you, you agree with me or you like the Hawaiian. I agree with you. I don't like Hawaiian. Here's the thing. I'm saying that but like if I walked into a room and all there was this wine, I'd eat the wine. I'll take the pineapple off. Yeah, yeah, look, there could be dog food on the pizza. I don't care what the topping is kibbles and bits. It's going down. Well, thank you so much again for your time on the show today. It was honestly an amazing time talking to you. It's my pleasure. This is really cool. I get the privilege to do a lot of shows and there's a lot of shows where the hosts sort of mail it in they show up and just let you do all the heavy lifting. You guys put thought into the questions you did deep dive research that I've never been asked before. You had a production element that most people don't bother to do. And you have a natural chemistry as host. I thrilled to be on the show with you count and zap girl. Thank you very much.