- 7/24/2025
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SportsTranscript
00:00Well, it is wonderful to be at Eagles training camp.
00:07We love doing the shows here.
00:08This is the second of six shows for us this training camp.
00:12We'll be here Monday and Tuesday of next week and then Monday and Tuesday of the following week.
00:17And the 94WIP Champ Camp coverage is driven by Forest River RV by Campion World.
00:23RV sales, service, parts, and accessories.
00:26Now, before I introduce the Eagles' outstanding linebacker, Zach Vaughn,
00:30I want to take a moment to rip our producer, James Seltzer, because that's what we do.
00:34We rip each other.
00:35Oh, I can't wait for this.
00:36Sometimes with love, sometimes with malice.
00:38This one's with a little bit of both.
00:40Nice.
00:41Seltzer, if we're about to have Zach Vaughn on the show,
00:43don't you think it would have been proper as we come back from a break with the good music going
00:46and also play the interception in the Super Bowl?
00:49It set up a quick six TD thereafter?
00:52Yes, it would have been.
00:53I mean, are you on top of your game today?
00:55Usually you tell me to play those things, so, you know, for being honest.
00:59Usually you say, hey, have this ready to play for when we have this guest come on,
01:02but that's fine.
01:03Sometimes I do, sometimes.
01:04Let's welcome the phenomenal all-pro linebacker of the Philadelphia Eagles
01:09who had a season last year, a season for the ages,
01:11and certainly we're hoping just to keep it rolling.
01:14He got the new contract, and what a splash debut last year,
01:18his first year in Philadelphia, Mr. Zach Vaughn.
01:20Zach, good morning.
01:20Welcome to WIP.
01:21How are you, bud?
01:22I'm great.
01:23Good morning.
01:23Thanks for having me.
01:24Hey, this is awesome.
01:25I love coming in this trailer and talking with you guys.
01:27Well, I appreciate that, man.
01:28It's awesome.
01:28It's our pleasure.
01:30Let me tell you, man, it was such a pleasure to watch you play last year.
01:33I mean, it had to exceed your wildest expectations, right?
01:36And I don't mean, we'll get to the team, but, like, John played with Rich Gannon,
01:40who I thought had one of the stranger careers I've ever seen.
01:42John, he was about 10 years in, and then became an All-Pro
01:45and maintained that for five or six years, that level.
01:47Yeah, he was the MVP of the league.
01:48Yeah.
01:49At, like, 38 years old.
01:51And I thought that was about as strange.
01:52I mean, Zach, for you to go from, you know, a lot of backup, different positions, special
01:57teams guy, to star linebacker, that had to wildly exceed your expectations, right?
02:02Yeah.
02:02A lot of times when I sit back and reflect, I look at myself from outside, kind of outside my body
02:09and what I've done.
02:11Even during games, I run out of the tunnel every game, and I'm like, holy crap, I can't believe this is my life.
02:16It's super special, and I never take it for granted.
02:19But I think it's a good story just of perseverance, keep working, and keep grinding,
02:24even when you're not seeing those results.
02:26And eventually, when you get the opportunity, you take advantage.
02:28I just want to say, it's an amazing story, and we all were in all of what you accomplished,
02:34thrilled for all of us as Philadelphia sports fans, thrilled for the organization.
02:37But I just want you to know, we've seen a lot as Philadelphia sports fans.
02:41I don't think, John, I don't think we had ever seen anything like it.
02:45And I just, Zach, hats off to you for what you did.
02:47And as you pointed out, to grind, because you have to put yourself in a position to keep being available
02:52to make that turn in your career.
02:53That was really admirable, man.
02:54It's not just us as Philadelphia fans, it's the NFL.
02:57You don't see a guy do what you did, switch positions.
03:03It just doesn't happen.
03:06Everything is so cut and dry and set in place and set in stone in many cases.
03:11And people say, it can't be any other way but this.
03:15And then something different happens, and someone is better than that.
03:20And that's Zach Bond, and boom.
03:22Mike, I think it's a really interesting conundrum, though, this year, Zach.
03:26When you have that much success like last year, all pro out of nowhere,
03:31is there this strange drive to do everything exactly the same as you did it last year
03:36where you don't want to leave any stone unturned doing it just like that
03:41because it worked so well before?
03:43I think it's more of trying to be a better overall player.
03:49Just like the Super Bowl, you hear a lot of guys and a lot of coaches say,
03:53that was last year, leaving in the past.
03:56And everyone starts at square one this year.
03:58So I've really chopped my game down to the basics and the fundamentals of my game.
04:03Just trying to improve every year, really.
04:05Wow. Is that possible?
04:09How do you make your game better when you're the best in the NFL?
04:15Basically, they told you last year as an all pro that you're the best in the NFL at what you do.
04:21How are you going to be better at doing that this year?
04:27It's tough because that was my first year playing inside backer like a whole season.
04:32In my mind, I'm just trying to be better and better and better, and I'm not the best.
04:37And I keep reminding myself that I'm not the best because there's so many.
04:40But they told you that you're the best.
04:41Yeah, but that's them.
04:43That's you guys.
04:44And in my mind, I'm definitely not the best, and I'm far from it.
04:49So the four years as a special teams and part-time starter thing,
04:51that's still in your mind psyche-wise, right?
04:53That you were that guy longer than you were this guy.
04:56Yeah, and I keep having this conversation in my mind recently on if you can teach instincts.
05:04I think it's a fallacy that you can't teach instincts.
05:09I think I'm a product of teaching instincts and learning instincts in the game.
05:14Wow.
05:15That's so interesting because you do always hear that.
05:18Guys, you either have it or you don't.
05:20You got the instincts or you don't.
05:22When you switch positions as, I mean, as disparate as those positions are,
05:28you're either an edge rusher where it's go get the quarterback
05:32or you're an off-ball inside linebacker where you're telling him and him and him and him what to do
05:37and you have to fit into not just the run fits but the zone drops and everything else.
05:43It is as different as it gets.
05:45You had to reprogram every instinct for football.
05:51Was Fangio big in teaching you those instincts?
05:53But that's why it doesn't work.
05:54Learning that stuff.
05:55Yeah, but I think two things.
05:57The player has to have it in them.
05:58You kind of have to have that dog in you and linebacker especially.
06:03And then two, the coaches have to believe in you to give you those reps,
06:07to let you develop those instincts.
06:09And here it just all made sense.
06:11I got the reps.
06:12I had the opportunity to start in a competition.
06:16And I just took advantage.
06:18I went all in.
06:19Isn't there more willingness to actually give extra oomph when you hit people?
06:27When you're a special teams guy, you're more willing to sacrifice, I think, than a star player is.
06:35You learned it the hard way, and you know every time a hit happens, both guys are going to hurt a little bit.
06:44You know you just want to hurt him a little bit more.
06:47Like special teams, you've been there and you've done that.
06:50You've done it all.
06:52You've done the worst.
06:53Basically, you mopped the bathroom floor every day on your way up.
06:59And now doing that stuff, it doesn't feel as difficult.
07:04Like you still know that you can do that.
07:07But, man, you've got a balance of skills that no one has seen in this league for the longest time.
07:14That, like how do you balance that?
07:16Like it is important to remember that and have confidence in yourself.
07:20But it doesn't seem like this is registering to you, the all-pro, that you are the best at something that is so incredibly difficult and people celebrate.
07:32Yeah, you can see when you're talking about the all-pro stuff, I kind of look away and I don't want to take the praise, but I thank you for it.
07:39You got it, man.
07:39Playing special teams, you have to have that dog in you because, like you said, every hit is a big hit, especially with the old kickoff rules when you were just running down 60 yards and not stopping and hitting somebody.
07:53But at linebackers, it's the same thing.
07:55You've got to be able to put your face in the fan and you have to enjoy it.
07:59You have to be crazy enough to enjoy it.
08:00Zach Vaughn with us here on WIP as the Eagles have their third day of training camp today, their second practice.
08:06Zach, in the offseason, we were nervous they may not keep you.
08:12Not that they wouldn't want to, but it just might not financially work out.
08:16Were you nervous?
08:18February, were you nervous that you might not be back?
08:21Yeah, I was nervous.
08:23Free agency is a scary thing to head into and I was really hoping we could get something done before then.
08:30Did it feel good to be, I'll say, the prioritized player?
08:34Like, Milt Williams got more money, he got great money, you got great money, Josh Swett got great money.
08:40It seemed to us that they prioritized you in the midst of a bunch of great players.
08:46Did you feel that sense of, they chose me?
08:50Yeah, it's, like I said before, going into last year's free agency, the previous years, it's good to feel wanted by a team and it's good to feel appreciated.
09:00And as a leadership counsel on this team, we were having a chat with Peyton Manning a couple weeks ago in the spring and he said, a paycheck or a signing bonus or a big contract isn't a reward for what you did, it's an advance for what you're about to do.
09:17So keeping that mentality and taking it in stride.
09:21So what, I know it's very early within training camp, but you had the all-season program.
09:26What would you say is the vibe of this team?
09:30How much is it similar to this time last year?
09:33How much is it different to this time last year?
09:35Yeah, as much as you want things to be the same, they're just not different players, different coaches.
09:40And then we're really building that foundation now on who we are, what type of chemistry we have, what type of plays we're going to run, all stuff like that.
09:50What is it, when you're the leader of a group of young guys like this, and you've got some flux right now, you know, with the injuries, you don't know when certain guys are going to come back.
10:01You're sort of like the standard, the guy who everyone's looking to.
10:09How do you lead a group of young guys that you're just getting to know right now?
10:16I mean, you had one OTA prior to training camp.
10:20Yeah, in my mind, everyone's a friend until you, everyone's got my respect until you show me otherwise.
10:26So I'm treating everyone with respect.
10:28And obviously, I'm not the U-Ra-Ra, the N'Kobe Deans, the Brandon Grahams.
10:35That's just not me.
10:36And I keep having this conversation on myself as to what type of leader I want to be and who I am versus who I am.
10:44I'm a lead by as an example guy, but definitely willing to use my voice.
10:48Do you feel as your stature has gone up that the coaches will want you to use that voice more?
10:55Yeah.
10:55You are the established guy at linebacker.
10:57You are.
10:57I know that might be 12 months ago something you envisioned, but you are.
11:01Do you sense that they lean on you a little more there?
11:03I don't really sense it, but I want to myself, honestly.
11:06What prevents you from losing sight of what's important?
11:10What keeps you so unbelievably locked in?
11:14What keeps the main thing the main thing?
11:16Because it's going to, like, everyone is that.
11:19It's very different.
11:21Being a special teams guy, being an all-pro guy, like, it is now the dream of dreams.
11:26You have achieved at the highest level, and everyone wants to reward you and remind you how amazing you are.
11:33So, how do you keep your head on straight?
11:36Because clearly you do.
11:39Yeah.
11:39My wife, Allie, is big into the astrology signs.
11:45I'm born in late December, and I was born at so-and-so time.
11:49It makes me a Capricorn.
11:51And I guess Capricorns do things not for the attention of others, but just internally.
11:58So, I'm just wired that way.
11:59Like, I just want to be good for myself.
12:01I just want to be better myself, because I know I can be.
12:04Like, when I was playing special teams, I knew that physically I had all the tools.
12:09I knew I was athletic enough, and I could do what the big-time guys were doing.
12:13But it was just mentally, and it was just a grind every day to get better.
12:17Wow.
12:17Well, you sure did it.
12:18Well, Zach, we congratulate you on a remarkable year last year, both individually and as a squad.
12:24From afar, you know, because we didn't know you on a personal level.
12:27But we admired what we sensed you were bringing to the table behind the scenes.
12:32You know, we could hear that and see that, we think.
12:35And getting to know you more today, man, it's done nothing but confirm what I thought.
12:39And I wish you the best of luck this year, man, for you personally, individually, for the squad.
12:44Town's very excited, and we hope it's a special year for you.
12:48Thank you, Zach.
12:48Yeah, thank you so much.
12:50You got it, man.
12:50There he is, all-pro linebacker.
12:52That was it.
12:53Zach Vaughn.
12:54I keep talking to you guys.
12:55You want to hang for the whole hour.
12:56You want to hang for the whole hour, because we've got a commercial.
12:58They kind of want you to go out there and beat some people up.
13:02You got it.
13:03You can react to Zach in that discussion.
13:05Phone calls, we're coming to you next.
13:07On the Phils, on the Eagles, on me and Fritz, on everything going on.
13:12It's a good day, except the Phillies lost last night.
13:15But otherwise, it's a good day.
13:16From training camp on 94 W.
13:18I don't want to hang out on there.
13:26We got pornography after all.
13:28You got energy.
13:28See you.
13:29You got energy off.
13:30Ilat were coming all morning.
13:30Somebody jogging, too.
13:31I ちゃ過 паль in there.
13:32You just want to use it.
13:33I'm putting it together.
13:34We got energy.
13:35We got energy.
13:36And a lot of people going, cause the opportunity hay.
13:36You got energy.
13:37You got energy.
13:38I got energy.
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