In this business, you meet a lot of people who talk about the “grind,” but few who have actually lived it in the trenches of the NFL and come out the other side with their perspective intact. I’ve spent over two decades covering the intersection of sports, culture, and business—from the sneaker boutiques of Harlem to the bright lights of the NBA and NFL sidelines—and I’ve learned that the most profound stories aren’t always found in the box scores. They’re found in the blood, sweat, and tears of the journey.
This week on Scoop B Radio, I sat down with a man who defines that “New York Tough” ethos. Super Bowl Champion Willie Colon is more than just a former offensive lineman; he’s a voice of authority for a generation of athletes navigating life after the whistle. We share a special bond as Hofstra University alums—members of a “Pride” that saw its football program vanish over fifteen years ago, leaving a void in the Long Island sports landscape that still resonates today.
As the NFL world converges on Santa Clara for the milestone Super Bowl LX, Willie and I pull back the curtain on the league’s biggest storylines. We chopped it up about the incredible redemption arc of Sam Darnold, the seismic coaching shift in Pittsburgh with Mike McCarthy taking the reins, and the unique pressure of playing in the “Black and Gold.” But we also took it back to the streets, discussing the Mount Rushmore of Bronx lyricists and the importance of staying authentic in a world that’s constantly trying to tell you who to be. This is a conversation about football, yes, but it’s also about legacy, resilience, and the power of knowing exactly where you came from.
This transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity and space. Make sure to check out the Full Interview with Willie Colon here.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Willie, every time we talk, Hofstra comes up. It’s been over 15 years since the program was cut, and as a fellow alum, it still hits home for me. With the current landscape of college football and NIL, is there any world where you see the “Pride” returning to the turf?
Willie Colon: I don’t know Scoop. It seems like in the world of NIL, where it seems like money is pouring out of places, it would benefit the university to get it back but I don’t know if the powers that be really want it back. The alumni? Definitely. When I talk to guys that played either before me or after me when we get together in whatever forum that we happen to be at, everybody talks about getting committee together and how we can attack and what we can do. The problem is that we didn’t win enough football games and we weren’t a big enough program to keep Hofstra around, you know? I think the budget for Hofstra was five million dollars — and that’s for the whole program and I think that they just wanted to take that money and put it elsewhere; and I think that they ignored the history and tradition in which the football program stood for. It’s sad because football is bigger than ever now. Could you imagine what Hofstra would look like in this day and age? It would be enormous man! The problem is — the hardest thing at that time when me and Marcus Colston and Stephen Barne when we were playing man… the only people that were in the stands were our parents, you know what I mean? It’s hard to sell football on a Saturday afternoon in Long Island, New York, you know? It just is. Because it’s so much going on in reference to and it’s also isn’t a college culture, you know? There’s not a tailgating culture but I did feel if there was a way for us to play on Friday nights where we can — because Hofstra is a commuter school; so if we were able to take those kids who feel like they want to go home every week and say, Hey man. Before you hit the bars, go to a Hofstra game, then hit Hempstead Turnpike and THEN you can go see mom and dad on Sunday [laughs]… I feel like we could have attacked that market. We never did and it left outside the mind. So one day hopefully somebody or one gift from God can re-gift us Hofstra Football.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Mike Tomlin stepping down after 19 seasons was the end of an era. Did you have any inkling that he was going to walk away before the news officially broke?
Willie Colon: So I’ll start here. One, I did not know that he would leave. I didn’t expect him to leave. I thought… and only because I had conversations with guys in the building that they kind of expected him to push forward. If there ever was going to be a dismissal, it was only going to be Mike Tomlin stepping down which he did. The Steelers never fired him. Art Rooney II came out and was vocal about how they thought that they were going to run it back with him and Aaron [Rodgers] — at least with him [Aaron] they didn’t know what was going to happen with Aaron Rodgers; that’s still up in the air. In reference to getting a new head coach they do have Mike McCarthy who just signed with the team this past weekend and this week who’s a Pittsburgh native, you know? He has three 12-win seasons, won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers — he’s developed a lot of great quarterbacks from the likes of [Joe] Montana, to [Brett] Favre to Aaron Rodgers to Dak [Prescott] so his resume speaks for itself. I like his offensive schemes. It’s just a matter of what does his offensive coordinator looks like along with the position coaches. Now some of the hires that I’ve seen thus far, some guys I do know and some guys I don’t know so that all has to play out. Nevertheless I think from a team standpoint, just the guys on the field defensively there’s a lot invested in that defense — there’s a lot of guys on that defense that has a heavy price tag and they’re an older group so they’re going to figure out how to get the best out of those guys because they didn’t live up to the standard this year. This year and offensively, they need a facelift. They gotta get a run game. I thought that the offensive line was a sore spot for the team but they played better and I think that they ended up being one of the bright spots for the offense and if there’s a chance that they can go get an A.J. Brown from Philly who can pair with DK Metcalf because both of them played at Ole Miss and two teammates at one time can now rejoin and maybe that synergy is good, who knows? The Steelers…. They just need to be more impactful on the offensive side of the ball and hopefully they can make that happen in the offseason.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Speaking of the roster, do you think the familiarity with Aaron Rodgers—who looks “damn good” in camp—will be enough to keep him in Pittsburgh for another run under Mike McCarthy?
Willie Colon: I think that helps but, Aaron’s his own dog. And year after year, he holds the NFL hostage in reference to if he’s gonna come back or not and nobody really knows his motivation until he speaks. It’s hard to read the stars to see if he’s in or out. A lot of reports are coming out of the building that people expect him to be back, but who knows? Nobody really knows, you know? He’s 42 years old and I think one of the things that was telling this year was he doesn’t want to get hit, you know? He wasn’t trying to get hit a lot — I think he had the fastest release as a throw as a quarterback in the NFL; and even in the game where they lost to the Texans, he wasn’t trying to sit in there and get sacked a lot. He took a couple of hits and that wore him out. Nevertheless, I think that he just needs more help offensively and I think, you know I like Aaron being on the team because he forced a lot of the young guys to grow up and be more accountable about what they were doing on the field and how to prepare for games; and sometimes you need an adult in the room to kind of spank you on the butt to get you in line and I think that he was that guy for the Steelers.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: We’re looking at a fascinating Super Bowl LX matchup between the Patriots and the Seahawks. Drake Maye vs. Sam Darnold. Between the young gun and the veteran redemption story, who are you pulling for?
Willie Colon: [laughs] No I don’t want the Patriots to get their sixth Super Bowl ring… Is that what you’re asking me, right? [laughs] I DON’T want to see it! But I do think that it’s going to be an interesting game because Sam Darnold’s story is so… it’s one of a journey-man considering that I was covering the Jets on SNY and I remember when they drafted Sam Darnold, you know? A large part of his development was not that he wasn’t the guy or they didn’t have the right quarterback, they just didn’t have the team to help him win games. There were so many holes on that team that he was the only one bright spot but he had NO receivers and the offensive line was patchy, and it was things that were all over the place that they really just couldn’t hit. By Year Three, they decided to trade him so they can acquire more pieces on the offensive line and kind of get more talent on the team. And it forced him to Carolina and from Carolina then he went on to San Fran, from San Fran to Minnesota where he got cookin’ and then he landed in Seattle. So I’m happy that Sam has a home. I’m happy that he’s had an MVP-type year. I’m happy that he was able to play well in the playoffs, now he just has to finish. I think if he wins this game, THIS game will rewrite his legacy which is important because people were really looking at him as a project to a bust. Now they’re really looking at him in a whole different light because of what he’s been able to do this year. For the Patriots, no matter how you feel about them, even if they had the easiest schedule, even if you’re not the biggest believer in Drake Maye… when they landed in the playoffs, they had to go through three of the top 5 defenses in the NFL to get to the Super Bowl. So, it doesn’t matter how you feel about ‘em. [For them], this hasn’t been a walk in the park from a playoff standpoint, you know what I mean? Going up against the Chargers who have a top 5 defense led by Khalil Mack and I think they led the league in takeaways and then to the Houston Texans defense and they were number #1 overall and they were NASTY. And then you have to go into Denver in the snow and beat Denver in Denver with a pretty stout defense and they had to do all that and so, this team plays very much like Mike Vrabel. I played against Mike Vrabel when he was a Patriot. They’re tough, they’re disciplined, they’re scrappy and they embody all that. So I think that it’s not going to be a high scoring game, but the question is, if it does come down to a high scoring game and we’ve seen both quarterbacks being able to compete in a shootout, it really comes down to situational football. Now if it comes down to that, I just trust Sam Darnold more than Drake because I’ve seen Drake fumble and turn over the football when things got hot on the field. So with all that said, I’m pulling for the Seahawks but the Patriots man… every time someone says whatever they want to say about the Patriots, they somehow come out on top so I just want an entertaining Super Bowl overall.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: You’ve mentioned that these Patriots remind you a bit of the San Antonio Spurs. What is it about their culture that draws that comparison?
Willie Colon: Well I think a large part is — Listen, I think it’s interesting from this standpoint: The Patriots are ahead of schedule. They were 4-13 last year. Drake Maye? Nobody expected him to be an MVP candidate in Year Two and on top of that, they get Stefon Diggs, Milton Williams and a couple guys on their roster and the roster elevates. I think what’s impressive is that what they’ve been able to do in Year Two in which they play, is that they don’t have a lot of stars, right? You can say that the Spurs have a couple of stars and they’re kind of like the Patriots in that way; what’s interesting about the Patriots as they continue to grow is that it’s something to be said about peaking at the right time. Like, I thought that the offense carried them and then the playoffs hit, and then the defense was carrying them and so now both sides are peaking and now they’re going to the Super Bowl. I think that what’s an interesting parallel between the two teams is that both of them play a brand where it’s not about being sexy, but it’s very much about if you do it together you can get what you want. And I can tell you from my own Super Bowl experience that the two Super Bowl teams that I was a part of, the one caveat or the one common denominator was that we were all selfish. There wasn’t a task or something that was asked of us from an individual standpoint or a unit standpoint that we weren’t willing to go after; and I think that’s a sign of a good championship team is it doesn’t matter who we go up against or how we go get it, we just wanted to go get it. We’re allowing ourselves to put the egos aside or whatever and say, Hey man. Is that what has to be done? Let’s just go get it! And good teams who are talented that are able to have that mindset can go far and I can see the Patriots and the Spurs having that. We had it with the Steelers and it goes a long way with guys that are ready to take on the task and not be egotistical about it.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: I know you’re high on Sam and the Seahawks, but let’s get specific. What’s your official score prediction for Super Bowl LX?
Willie Colon: I’ma go… because for some reason there’s gonna be a safety in this Super Bowl. I’m gonna go 27-24 Seahawks.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Alright, let’s pivot to culture. You’re a Bronx guy through and through. If you’re carving out the Mount Rushmore of Bronx lyricists, who is getting those four spots?
Willie Colon: Oh man. So I have to say KRS-One, Big Pun (RIP)… so I get confused; I know Big L (RIP) is a Harlem guy but he lived in the Bronx, right? So when I have this conversation with people about lyricists I always think that Big L is a Bronx dude and they be like, “Nah he’s a Harlem dude…” So I’m just going to throw him on my list in my top five. So I got KRS-One, Big Pun, Big L… I fucks with French [Montana] and my last one I got to throw out there, I’ll throw Cardi B in there just cause.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Throughout your career, you’ve been around some of the biggest names in the world. Who were the stars that really left a lasting impression on you before you even hit the pro stage?
Willie Colon: Celebrity-wise? Nobody celebrity-wise, you know? Everyone that’s impacted me that had a platform that I really respected and idolized sportswise. There were so many people that I played with who —- the great Troy Polamalu as a Steeler was someone that impacted my life; just how he carried himself and how he attacked the game and he never took fame as seriously as other people and I think that I have kind of embodied that. I don’t take fame or status and I don’t really adhere to a lot of that, you know? When I see people, and I’ve hung out with stars where they would need security to walk through the front door because they don’t want everybody on top of them. I’m walking through the front door. I want to sit at my table and I wanna eat my dinner, you know? I don’t go into any situation feeling that I have to be protected or excluded. I heard Jay-Z say this one time I think in an interview or I read it: “The energy you give me is the energy I give back. I’m like a mirror.” and I kind of embodied that, you know? If you’re cool with me, I’m cool with you and if you’re an asshole to me, then I’ma keep it a buck with you and give you that back but, I’ve been around a lot of entertainers and a lot of actors — like Kevin Hart; me and K. Hart was cool and we hung out for a long time for a little bit and as funny as he was he was very down to earth, you know? He was a very easy dude and he wasn’t “Hollywood”. I’ve also been on the Hollywood scene; it’s exhausting, man. I just don’t have the energy. I don’t have that energy to prop myself up to seem bigger than somebody or bigger than the situation, you know? I’m very — you’ve been around me and I’m very easy. I’m very like, ‘Hey man, it is what it is. Take it or leave it…’ I literally had a talk at the Three World Trade Center (3TC) in front of a Crypto investment group and there were all minorities in the room and we were talking about my journey as an NFL player turned analyst to business earner, to father… all the stuff. And I realized that that’s when I’m at my best when I’m my most authentic self. Anytime I’m somebody else is where I’m usually tripping up or I’m uncomfortable and I’m learning that even through my media space. When I…. like, I look at Ryan Clark who was one of my teammates on the Pittsburgh Steelers who’s doing an amazing job and has a huge platform and has really made ripples in the sports media world and I remember sometimes that you find yourself saying, Well if he’s doing it this way, then I should do it this way… sometimes you just need to figure out what you want to do and do it your way and somebody told me this a long time ago, “If you remain yourself long enough, somebody will pay you for it.” And I have tried to take those gems and sometimes I’m not great at it and I kick myself and I should be better and there’s things that I wake up every day maybe saying, Man you’ve been doing this too long that you’re not here… but I try to be patient with myself and continue to work at it. I think sometimes with being around celebrities or being around people who consider themselves celebrities they’ve been through the mud and they protect their peace and some of them don’t want you in their space, so they’ll treat you a certain type of way. But that’s why if you’re always true to yourself you know it’s not against you. It’s not a you problem, it’s a them problem.
As Willie Colon concluded our interview, I was reminded of why we do this. Football, like life, is about the adjustments you make when the pocket collapses. Willie’s journey—from the grounds of Hofstra to the pinnacle of the NFL and now into the heart of the media world—is a testament to that versatility. He’s a guy who hasn’t let the bright lights of Hollywood or the prestige of the Super Bowl change the core of who he is: a Bronx native who keeps his feet on the ground and his eyes on the truth.
Whether he’s breaking down the blitz for the Steelers’ faithful, advocating for the return of “The Pride” to Long Island, or simply keeping it real about the mental fortitude it takes to survive in the league, Willie remains one of the most authentic voices in the game. As we count down the minutes to kickoff at Super Bowl LX, let his insights serve as a reminder that the “busts” of yesterday can become the legends of tomorrow, and that being your most authentic self is the only play that truly matters. Keep your ears to the ground and your eyes on the prize—this is Scoop B, and we’re just getting started.
