Former NFL tight end and Pro Bowler Tyler Eifert joined us live at THE PRO Rivals Open for a wide-ranging conversation. He shared hilarious stories from the course (including losing his golf bag), memories from Notre Dame’s run to the national championship, and what it was like playing alongside Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Eifert also gave his take on Cincinnati’s chances of finally breaking through, the culture of winning in the NFL, and the unforgettable Manti Te’o “catfish” saga. Plus, Tyler talks life after football, golf, and why Florida living might not keep him away from his Indiana roots for long.
Former Pro Bowl tight end Tyler Eert with us. Highly anticipated conversation, too, AJ. Yeah. Yeah. We’ve been chasing this guy for like two days now. Keeps blowing us off. Oh, I got I lost my golf. How do you lose your golf bag at a golf tournament? I didn’t lose it. You’re the only guy, too. Showed up. They put them on a bag. I went to eat. I came out. Clubs are gone. Somebody took off with them and just playing. Someone stole someone was playing with my clubs on their cart and said I didn’t think anybody anybody would need them. I’m like, we’re at a golf tournament. What do you mean? Is this your first event like this? Uh, I played in the Tahoe event a couple times. Okay. And and never very good. Altitude. Altitude. You know, all my buddies would come out there, we get a cabin, go to the casino late, and then they’re all sleeping. I’m on the golf course and kind struggling, you know. So, coming here, I’m like, I’m going to take this serious, you know, try to do well, not stay up too late. But when you get around the guys and everybody’s telling stories and like drinking, it’s hard to go to bed. So, we’re we’re doing the same thing again. Yep. Who Who’s your favorite conversation or person you were looking forward to meeting here? Um I don’t know. I mean, I I don’t I know a lot of the names here, but I’m not not like super friend friendly or, you know, don’t know a lot of guys very well. So, I’ve just been, you know, just cutting it up with some of the guys, and it’s been awesome. Here’s here’s the answer to that question, Scott. He grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Okay. I was in Fort Wayne in 95 and 96. So, there was a 100% chance that Tyler had a picture of me in his bedroom when he was like five or six years old. Yeah. The Wizards. Yeah. See? Uh-huh. Yeah. That’s right. He probably came to a game. I probably signed an autograph for him back in the day. Did you? No. No. Not many people. That’s so That’s not true. The AJ interaction is so not true. We used to sell that place out every time. So young I don’t really remember. I know it was before it was kind of He’s so young. He’s so young, Scott. I was like 20. He’s so young. He was just five or six, right? Not old enough to remember anything. All right, take us through where you want to go. College first, AJ. Uh, no. Let’s start NFL first. The Bengals. Can the Bengals ever win? I I think they can. I mean I mean Joe’s great. Joe’s great. You You surround yourself with enough talent. Like that’s Joe and Jamar are great. Jamar’s like the number one pick in fantasy every year. Yes. I mean, they’re so talented. Their defense was so bad last year, though. Like, if they just could have held teams under 30 35 points, they would have won 14 games. So, hopefully their defense is a little bit better. But Hendrickerson coming back obviously helps. Yeah, that helps. Um, I think they picked up a couple guys in free agency, but they just got to get over that hump, you know? Like there’s there’s like winning culture and there’s losing culture. And as much as I hate the Steelers, like they’ve been good for so long and somehow they’re always like just right there. Even when they’re not very good, they’re somehow they find ways to win. So hopefully the Bengals can get to that point where they got the confidence and it’s like no matter what happens, we find a way to win. We’ll see. Creates that culture. Is it the most? Is it the coach? Is it the GM? Is it the quarterback? if if it’s a good one like that. I think just winning like winning consecutively over time and then you you build like that those expectations in the locker room, you know, so then when when guys end up leaving, new guys come in and then it just, you know, you never lose a beat. Still have that same mentality. How hard is that in the NFL though? Because it turns over a lot. It is. But just talking to some of the hockey guys like hockey baseball guys are getting traded like crazy all the time. Like random trades you you’re sitting there, you never thought you’d be traded. All of a sudden, you’re in another city. In the NFL, there’s not there’s not quite as much turnover. So, you can It’s like you can you can kind of build something, especially with the core skill. Well, if you have Burrow and Chase, it’s a great start. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You have a quarterback, you got a a receiver that’s one. Yep. I That’s a great start. Put some linemen around and find a running back. Chuck it deep to Jamar. Yeah. I think they’re going to be really good, so we’ll Tough division though. Very. Baltimore’s always good. Pittsburgh always finishes over 500. Cleveland will find a way to be bad. That’s They will find a way. They will find a way to have seven quarterbacks. Can quarterbacks play other positions? Not generally. Uh let’s go to college. Notre Dame. We just had We go to the national championship game. We’re going to go there first. Go there right away. Wow. You’re digging in. You’re going right. First of all, we all know the SEC is just different. So, you know, Notre Dame comes in not in the conference. They played Navy, Army, Marines, Coast Guard, St. Helen, school for the deaf and blind, and then they get plays Alabama and it was a different world for you guys. They had a pro team. Yeah, it’s Welcome to the SEC, Tyler. Well, what’s the SEC done lately? Oh, what has Notre Dame done since 88? Well, I mean, we were in the national championship last year. Had a chance to win it. They didn’t though. Didn’t Has the SEC had a team in it the last three years? Oh my gosh. Here we go. I don’t think the SEC won like 20 of the 22. I know. Just wins more down there. We got our We Yeah, we got our butts kicked. No, they were just They would have beat us nine out of 10 times. They were just They’re better. They were They were just ran it, right? Yeah. Did when you see McCarron, you saw AJ McCarron? Yeah. Does he talk trash to you? No. I mean, he he won three, didn’t he? W three. He won three. Hand it to Eddie Lacy and like Mark Ingram in those. Mark Ingram. What did he do? No, AJ was great. He was Yeah, I played with him in Cincinnati for a little bit. True or false? The reason you guys lost his man Tai’s girlfriend showed up to the game. [Laughter] That’s That’s false because he didn’t exist if he couldn’t be at the game. What What did you There was a whole documentary obviously Menise talked about it and he does great broadcasting. Yeah. But what did you guys You’re a college kid. you’re on his team and you you guys like what wait what? I’m glad he finally did that uh documentary just so you people could hear his side cuz so many people come up to me and they’re like what was his deal? Like why would he fake that or what? I’m like no he got duped like 100%. And when he you know he’s like oh I’m dating this girl and we’re like have you talked to her but this is before FaceTime and all that and he’s like no I’ve never met her in person. We just really didn’t I was like that’s kind of weird but whatever. And then it’s before catfishing. That’s like what he was. So I felt so bad for him. He’s such a good such a good football player. And but yeah, like coach came out and said uh that Manti’s girlfriend died. Like he’s he wants to practice. He’s going to sit inside. You know, we all felt terrible and he he thought it was real, you know, like it was uh it was wild. So then we me and Manti were training at IMG together and uh so I was with him through that whole thing like people there was cameras trying to like get in through the gate trying to get images of him you know it was it was tough for him but it was it’s messed up. It is. Did you guys try and talk him out of the relationship because they had not met and it was you know that whole thing like not that you want to hit you break up their beach hey you guys try and meet up otherwise it’s it’s kind of like a pen pal eventually. Yeah. Yeah, like there’s a couple, you know, this group of guys lives at this house, this group. So, I didn’t live with Mantai or anything. So, you know, I was just like it was weird, but then I’m like, okay, if you want to do that, I don’t know. In today’s world, you’d be like, you got to be careful because everybody knows, but it was bizarre. All right, so should Notre Dame join a conference and why the ACC because that’s the worst conference in the league in the world. I mean, I understand everybody’s point of view. If if I was on the outside looking at Notre Dame, I would hate Notre Dame. You don’t play a commerce championship. You don’t have to do any of that. But not very good. Haven’t won since 88. I mean, there’s a lot of things, the reasons, you know. Oh, yeah. Some I like to sometimes I like to uh compare Notre Dame to America. You know, like everybody everybody wants to be America, but the people that aren’t in America, they they kind of like, ah, we don’t like them. You know, it’s just some people just didn’t get the opportunity. So, then they don’t. But we’re the best. Notre Dame’s the best. We’re the best. America’s the best. Notre Dame. Notre Dame’s pretty awesome. I’ve been there. Listen, I I I led the band when we we talked to Golden Date. I led the band onto the field one time. So, I went from the Grotto and then, you know, the band meets at the grotto and they walk all the way. So, I did the whole thing when Frank I was playing I thought about playing the the trumpet and the drums, but they wouldn’t let me. I was throwing frisbes and shirts out, right? led the team on the field and they lost like 57 to nothing to USC that game. I never was invited back. I don’t know why you’re not coming back. No. You got to ask Gold though about when he jumped into the band. Really? He he he scored a touchdown, just kept running and just dove into the band. That’s awesome. Yeah. See, this is why I wish I would have played football. Oh my gosh. He He needs to host a football show. We always tell him that. How how big what’s what’s your size? I know what you’re listed at. What do you weigh now? I’m like 260. Okay. So, I could have played tight end and 66ish. 66. 66. Yeah. I could have played tight end. And you’re like 64 five. Yeah. 6’4. 265. Yeah. AJ’s pretty built. Mine’s Mine’s a little more hidden than yours, though. Yeah. But if you were lifting every day. No. Oh, yeah. Up quick. I put all the weight when I got done. You’re playing good golf though. It helps your golf swing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right. You lose too much weight, it messes up your swing. True. Everyone says that. So, what do you do now? You’re retired. What’s your What’s your thing? Live down in Florida. Where? Uh down in West Point. Oh, yeah. Come down. Play golf at Bears Club. Jack’s place. I know. Well, yep. And uh I’m run a couple small businesses. Keep me busy. Own some commercial real estate. Couldn’t stay out of Florida, could you? Florida’s the best. You can say it. It’s It’s pretty nice. Thank you. Thank you. Florida. Think we’re moving back to Indiana, though. Why? Just where? Fort Wayne. Back uh back to Caramel area. Indianapolis. Okay. Just our whole family’s there, you know. It’s Yeah. Got three kids. You have a house in Bears Club? Uh, no. No, not in Bears Club, but down in West Palm. I was going to say if you have a house in Bears Club, I’ll buy it for cheap. You got to move. I’ll I’ll take it cheap. Yeah. How enticing is that? Jeez. He’ll buy it for cheap. What else? What else? I’ll take his membership. He’ll just pay for it. I’ll just take it. Come down. We look kind of similar. All right. Well, thanks for stopping by. This was the price. Sorry it was uh Sorry, it was miscommunication. It’s all your fault. It’s okay. It was worth It was I’m not a diva. I am not a diva. I was not you guys. If there’s anything that I want to be clear, no. True. Tyler Efford, not a diva. All right. Thanks, guys. Thank you. That was awesome. Thank you. Appreciate it.
