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00:00Exactly three weeks from today. The 2025 NFL Draft begins in
00:04joining us live right here on this Thursday morning on the
00:08early line on Sports Grid. It's the edge rusher out of
00:11Minnesota. John Joyner joins us here on TEL to tell you about
00:15his NFL draft process and what he is most looking forward to
00:19taking that next step to the next level in the national
00:22football league. John, we appreciate the time. Thank you
00:25so much for being here on this Thursday morning. Thank you for
00:29having me. We are very glad to have you here indeed. So, John,
00:34just a couple of weeks ago now about over a month, you were at
00:37the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. You ran a 4640
00:42for everybody out there. Fourth fastest time of a D end or an
00:46edge rusher in Indianapolis. So, John, what was the
00:49preparation like getting ready for the NFL Combine? What is
00:52this pre-draft process been like for you? It's been
00:57everything I dreamt for. It's been a process getting to
01:02Florida. That's where I trained at. Training with Jordan and
01:06him showing me the nuances of just training and just being on
01:13my own honestly. So, it's been a been a blessing in disguise
01:18and all the people surrounding me in my pre-draft going back
01:23to my high school coach as well. Him being there at the
01:27combine was truly a blessing and just shows you the support
01:31I have from those guys. So, it's been it's been a crazy
01:34process but right now, it's just a waiting game and see
01:37what happens, see where I'm going. So, yeah. A lot of
01:40anticipation for you and I just wanted to set the mood here
01:42because we're a lot alike, me and you and the reason I say
01:45this, I was a division three athlete, you were division one,
01:47sort of the same type of things here. You're 64262 in college
01:51for me. I was 510, 511, about a buck eighty but the reason I
01:55bring this up, Danbury, Connecticut, West Conn is in
01:59Danbury, Connecticut. I was there and played twice in my
02:01career. Any love for West Conn? Did you get recruited by West
02:03Conn? Did you ever want to go D3 to West Conn? West Conn did
02:08not recruit me. A lot of my a lot of my teammates actually
02:14went there. So, a lot of respect for them and their
02:17program and what they've done there and so, yeah. There you
02:22go, Ben. You like that question? You see that? Yeah.
02:24Kinship right there. See that? I've been there. Appeal behind
02:28the curtain if you will. Donnie tells John Joyner again, an
02:31NFL draft prospect that he has a very similar story to John.
02:35Yes. And that was the result. I've been there. Thank you very
02:38much DRS. Listen, John Joyner had much brighter prospects. He
02:41was going to play for PJ Fleck in the Big Ten in the Minnesota
02:45Golden Gophers. John, what was that experience like playing in
02:48the Big Ten, playing in the Twin Cities, and rowing the
02:51boat for Coach Fleck? Oh, it's been an honor playing for him.
02:57I always wanted to play in the Big Ten. I always wanted to
03:00play against all the top tackles in the in the
03:03conferences. Just going back to go to SEC, go to Big Ten. I
03:08think those are the top conferences. So, I wanted to go
03:10to one of those conferences and just play against the top
03:13talent. I had a chance to obviously go against one of the
03:17top tackles in this draft coming up with Ariante and
03:22he's got we got each other better throughout my entire
03:25career and throughout our entire career there in
03:27Minnesota. So, seeing the growth from from me and from
03:31where I was to where I am now, it's been it's been a blessing
03:36and you look at all the defensive line coaches I had
03:40those years and on why I picked Minnesota was a
03:43development not only on the field but off the field as
03:47well. So, I learned a lot from those coaches, learned a lot
03:50from schematic wise and approach and approach to the
03:54game from those coaches. So, a lot of people don't like a lot
03:58of coaches in their career but I have four there as well as
04:04being in Minnesota. So, there's a lot a lot of learning, a lot
04:07of notes that was taken and just blessed. Frame is right
04:13there, John, right? Six four 262 pass rusher coming out for
04:16640 which is incredible. Did you pattern your style after a
04:20certain player maybe in the NFL or in college growing up or
04:23even now?
04:26Yeah, look at guys like Brandon Graham. Just hit the energy that
04:29he brings. Look at Arden Key. Just body type wise. I look at
04:34his game. Look at TJ's watch. Just look at the moves that he
04:38does and that model that after my game and I look at certain
04:42things like that. Look at body type. Look at moves. Things
04:45that I do well to emulate that from those guys that I look up
04:50to. So, just name a few of those of those of the guys. So,
04:55John, 3 weeks until the 2025 NFL draft begins. What's the
04:59draft party plan for John Joyner? The plan is to stay in
05:05Connecticut. Get as much people that was in the process with
05:08me. That's mostly in Connecticut. So, be here.
05:13Hopefully, my grandparents can be there. That'll be pretty
05:15cool to see them there but but yeah, I'll be in Connecticut
05:19celebrating. John, growing up there, obviously being in
05:23Connecticut, did you have a favorite team in the NFL that
05:25you rooted for and is there a destination that you say, man,
05:28it would be a dream to go to this place? Uh I was an Eagles
05:33fan growing up. Uh kind of crazy household. Um but I
05:39wouldn't say a dream um team going to uh I think schematic
05:44wise um I think that's what I'm looking for um to the most
05:48honestly but um but yeah, no no dreams um teams. So, Donnie,
05:53that's what you can actually show John. That's beautiful.
05:55I know we had a trophy behind you as a couple of Eagles fans
06:00discussing. There it is, John. You can see behind him. He's
06:02got a second one on the way in Super Bowl 58 as well. So,
06:08John, in about 3 weeks, when you hear your name called, when
06:11you have that call from your agent or a front office around
06:14the NFL, what do you think that moment is going to be like for
06:17you? What do you think that reaction will be as you feel
06:20emotions of going to the NFL? Um I don't know. I feel like it
06:26just hasn't hit me at that moment. I I feel like just
06:28really really ready to just get to work. Um get back to
06:31football. I think it's more so just this all this training
06:33has been um trained to be a track star I feel like. So, um
06:37I'm just excited to get back to um playing football and uh
06:40putting the pads on and um just getting ready to go. And
06:44listen, a track star you are and you were in Indianapolis
06:48with that 4640 yard draft. Uh Dash, excuse me. John Joyner
06:51joining us here getting ready for the 2025 NFL draft on the
06:55early line. John, we appreciate the time, man. Best of luck in
06:58the next few weeks. We look forward to seeing what you do
07:00in the NFL. Thank you.