Thic boys talk with Tulane Quarterback Darian Menash

one second all right we are live Ethan we're not live we're recording would you like to do the intro Ethan you you're the intro guy you're the intro guy you all I'm the intro guy apparently we have uh everybody out there watching we have Darian Mena I'm pronouncing that right Mena or Mena Mena Mena yeah okay I've said Mena a bunch of times and people are like know it's Mena I'm like well there's not a w you know says men yeah well you know tomato tomato but no we're very happy to have you on man we appreciate you uh taking the time out of your day we know how it is as a student athlete to be able to dedicate your time to something else man and um Ethan Ethan's a really good dedicated student athlete and he knows all about the grind um I'm sure you you've noticed it no it's in and day out you know stacking days facts facts appreciate you guys for having hell yeah man hell yeah so how's everything been going for you man how's um I know talk a little bit about we don't want to get too much into ball right now but just talk about your you know your fall Camp experience coming in as a you know obviously we saw you because we played with you news flash guys we played with this guy last year uh but how was it from last year to this year just the progression of the the fall Camp oh yeah you know it's been great um I feel like the biggest difference from last year is the coaching stuff you know you got a head coach he's all about the players and you know my OC I feel like I have a different connection than last year as well so um really just that and having like a bunch of talent around you and players who believe in you um has been great to be around it just makes you better every day so uh my fall cam has been great I feel like um and I'm super happy that the way that it went yes sir good deal man well actually was I was out there at the scrimmage I don't know if you saw me um it was the uh the Saturday scrimmage or whatever but I I texted the first scrimmage or yeah it was the first one and I texted Ethan when I there yeah and I texted Ethan right after and I was like dude Daren looks legit like I knew we we knew that you were legit but then we were when I watched his person I was like yeah he uh definitely a playm yeah dude he should find receipts and we can we can clip it with the receipts yeah I remember last year was yeah go ahead am all right ready no I hear you is we in how are we in you're fully in there buddy you're in there so right so obviously I mean last last year coming in damn it we lost you buddy I guess I can try to formulate what he said okay just hurry up and say it Ethan you gotta hurry up spotty W obviously you're coming in to the spring and elephant Jesus elephant in the room got that much what's your mentality what what's your mentality that got you into this conversation more than anything else you know like what did you do to get your name into this convers yeah um you know I really is he still going you said mentality I you're good man a new we're doing it's called like my mentality going in it was just you know just to make plays every day um and just to stay present you know not focused on the future um I knew if I would just do my job every single day day in and day out uh it would it would end up in my favor so uh really yeah the biggest thing was just staying present you know I'm not focusing on any politics or anything like that and just going in with a blue collar mindset just working every day hell yeah that's the way to do it man hell yeah hard Ethan we got we got majority of your question and I hope that answer is what you expected yes so great yeah I don't know what's going on anyway Ethan we'll just act like Ethan Ethan Ethan could be a notaker in the back for this episode great question Ethan but um so moving forward and I don't want to I know you said you're living in the you know the present right now and that's the way to do it I think that's the best way for any player to attack the season or attack the day as you say but what are your thoughts on this season uh looking forward and you know this I mean obviously the schedule you don't want to get too far ahead week one is what what matters but um you know what are your thoughtss around the the team and the the morale and you know just the locker room just how how's that feel as a quarterback right now yeah I'm just super excited for this season you know we got a lot of talent around us um new coaching staff high expectations and uh I feel like just really living up to the hype you know I feel like we really can um you know a lot of new players with that can you know kind of mess with your locker room but I feel like we have the leaders in our locker room to uh keep the guys you know like reminding everybody of the standard each each and every day so um I feel like you know I'm just super excited really about this season uh I have no idea how it's going to go but uh yeah 100% um what's the we have Ethan right now Ethan do you want to get one in while you're not lagging yeah yeah you're not lagging am I am I good yeah you're good you're good you can hammer it all right yeah well uh you know I didn't really have one planned because I thought I was lagging so hard so now I'm no you go keep going you got this FL going I like it so yeah I got I got the flow going I like it but you talked about being a leader a little bit and you'all have leaders in that locker room obvious obviously excuse me there's guys that came back and there's a lot of veterans um in specific especially upfront on the offensive line um how does that help you in your progression with you know having that confidence level in those guys that have done it for four or five years uh some even six like how does that help you out um you know moving forward yeah it's it's it's a big help you know having Vinnie up there I feel like he's the biggest um the biggest help that I have up there um he's been doing it for a long time he knows ball um he's a great leader he leads the guys he he's like he's much like a sincere last year you know he he gets everybody going and um as far as like leading goes as a quarterback I'm not really thinking about you know being a leader to myself I'm just thinking about playing the position which obviously you got to be a leader to play the quarterback position so just going out there and doing my job at the highest level and and that's really where the leadership comes out for me 100% that's uh I like that a lot and then you're in you're in now you're out you're in you go you go you go you go yeah yeah so we're like I said it's a new segment we're doing called in and out I'm gonna tag Ethan in and out um it's a new segment just on the Fly we're kind of playing around with it you just yes yes yes yes so um did a little bit of research and I had some people help out but I'm I'm gonna read this though it says I see that Mena Mena was the Mountain League Player of the Year in 2022 and led his team to a 10 and two record so obviously you know how to win and you've been a part of winning teams and like obviously last year we were a winning team as well and you were a part of it um what do you think your biggest strength is when it comes to being around and not and I should say not um well I guess being a part of a winning team does help as an aspect but what do you think your biggest strength is that you've taken away from those winning seasons and what do you think you're able to cultivate out of those Seasons um just the standard like when when you're when you're around winning teams you you get you get to see how how things are done the right way um so like the details are super important and that's what we try to let our guys know every day like the details matter and and that's the difference between you know five and five teams and 10 and two teams is teams who pay attention to the details so um I feel like just seeing how things are done like watching Mike last year definitely a big a big example for me um but yeah like just winning like being around winning teams is all about the details to me yeah understood um that's a good point Ethan are you are you alive are you available am I am I tagged in you're tagged in buddy go ahead go ahead give us something give us something what does [Music] Aran my goodness you want to text me your question wait go again go again yeah go again go again go again what does Daren Mena like to do outside of football there we go great question um I just like to chill you know I don't have a car here yet so I can't really do much outside of football like just going but like just going out with my friends uh just kicking with my friends most of the time is what I do play some video games here and there but um yeah really focused on football right now to be honest especially like going into season yeah rightfully so that's where your head should be at but if we're GNA Talk video games what video games are you playing um um I've been playing war zone a lot um I haven't been playing the NCA I'm not in it yet so as soon as I get in I'll start playing but you're not in the game I'm not in the game d Ethan and I aren't in the game either I know that's crazy huh they got the you can play as dude he needs to be in the game no yeah for sure so that's crazy you're not in the game yeah Ean we need to call EA and figure the out that's what I'm saying I'll call my people over there I'll call my appreciate that yeah so um so you're saying you like out with friends and so what does that consist of like what would you say your tight tight um knit group is of friends uh like who exactly I mean you don't have to name drop but yeah you should name Drop Like who's your uh dude like really just my guys over here literally everybody on the team I'm cool with but I usually I'll just chill with like some of the like Ethan I usually chill with Ethan Kai uh Austin cybr uh just all those guys you know when they whenever they're doing something just go tag along um they always show me a good time for sure who would you say U and nonbiased um who would you say is your most uh missed player from last year's team who do you miss the most man that's a tough qu you gonna ask me that with both of y'all on here well no there's other guys that left too we have Casey Glover Casey Glover y'all are on my list for sure 100% definitely miss you guys um but who do I miss a lot of guys that left take your time I mean Justin's still part of the team so I can't say Justin but I don't know it's like different when you're shoting up next to your guy um I really miss having Justin on the field next to me even though he still will be this year um Justin's one of my favorite people on this Earth so uh hey happy birthday to Justin yes sir boy old 23 years old Jord here huh baby yes sir so so that's what they call a golden birthday 23 on the 23rd that is f but if if somebody that remove from the program like you no longer see him you want say you you're trying to get him to just say you don't obviously I'm like dude we're I mean we're still around we I mean yeah like I'm trying to get I'm trying to get a name drop so we can you know get that got you know um definitely like Mike was a big like example to me um I still text Mike here and there I know he's pretty busy but um so but like just having him around and having like the example like he's done it for four years um just having him around there was definitely something I miss you know what I'm saying yeah for sure that's a good point um somebody else who did it for four years was Ethan Marcus I don't know if you knew that for sure actually turn down turned down a contract from the Packers to uh go work corporate yeah dude we have to make tough decisions decis um Ethan you're in right now if you'd like to ask another question a hard-hit one um yeah I got a hard-hitting question um who is your favorite Center to take snaps from uh could be shotgun or under you know for sure hey Ethan hey scout team just last year scout team um definitely I definitely have to say Ethan Marcus you know um doesn't get better under there that's a great quote which you put on a t-shirt it doesn't get better it doesn't get better under there and you taking a snap from Ethan Ethan looking back we should make that shoot him out those guns at the games like I think that's a good idea Ethan let's roll with it let's do it you you get the the the shooting shirt guns and I'll get the shirts man all right I'm here for it I'm here for it oh my good this is a this is a segue from uh this question but I remember last year like you just because you kind of mentioned like the scout team connection and I remember last year there's a vivid point when I remember when uh you would come over there and like quite literally dice us up like the starting defense and uh we would be like holy like what I mean yeah like so was there a moment that you knew last year like when you were playing against the first strings on defense like you're like all right like I got it like I mean you obviously know that you got it but was there like a moment you were like all right this is uh I can I can play here like I can play college football yeah I don't I wouldn't say there's a moment I've always had that mentality like I can do this um but just going over there and just really just trying to work on my game I know coach sometimes he tell me to throw in one person I'd be like no just play football you know what I'm saying so just going over there and and going through my progressions you know trying to get better every day was the mentality um and always just knowing that like having my belief that I can play here and that was really what it was good so I'm glad that you told that story because Ethan told me that it was a moment that you and him shared that he like grabbed you on the side was like hey son you can play here and then I guess he was lying about it I don't I'm not gonna lie no I he just he my heart drops I was like where's this going oh man yeah but um no that's great man but so if there's something that you could like a message to I guess the two million fans for to you know get excited I mean obviously everybody's excited like you said there's a new coaching staff new players um there's obviously a lot of rat poison going around the program you know everybody's talking about playoffs and whatnot and uh we can clip Jim Mo in here talking about playoffs but uh you know there's something to give the the fans some excitement about leading up to week one and you know to give some uh some more excitement about what would you say from your position and you don't have to say anything you don't have to say anything you could you can decline to comment but uh yeah um I definitely just say like don't be a fan later like it's gonna be a fun ride this year we got a lot of talent um it's GNA be really exciting every game so just don't be a fan later that is what I wanted to hear I don't think I could have scripted that one better that's a that's a hell of a a hell of a comment and I think we should actually put that on a t-shirt not swey butt on Shir can we put that on top I need some merch put that on top you not do you not have merch I don't have any I do actually I I have like my Boba head but I feel like that would be better that little comment right there yeah that buy we'll talk to somebody I don't know who we have to talk to Ethan but we need get this going talk to my people I'll talk to my people people Ethan real quick and and then we'll just it'll just say don't be a fan later and then what do what do you want the design to be I don't know I don't know some green something with the Green Wave something like this okay and then maybe like uh I like the uh the snapping one where I was snapping and looking back but you know we could do we could do the Green Wave we could do whatever yeah yeah we can do hey we'll have multiple shirts bro yeah on the on the merch link so one and then we'll have yours on it too yeah for sure and obviously Ethan will not collect any royalties it'll go 100% to you um you just have to come back on you to come back on the show your week and talk to us that's all we're asking for do yeah man Ethan do you have another question before we uh let let our let our guy run because he has a bunch of stuff to do and school and being a student athlete comes first am I in I yeah means you're fully in you're all the way in there go ahead I actually don't have any more questions I feel like that was a you know was a great time it was awesome having you on man you know hey I appreciate it bro good to see you guys both I'm coming down to Kate bro yes I'll be there I'll be there next Thursday and then I'll obviously be there on K day again but sorry but obviously don't look for us look down the field and check your reads do not look for us we will be slly drunk maybe potentially so do not listen to us and anything we say good to see you guys bro I really appreciate it see you too great time on here yes sir take care brother all right end it do I end it or what I don't know how to do this yeah end it end it