The NFL Draft will begin on Thursday night, as the anticipation for the 2020 virtual draft has been even higher than most years given the lack of live sports options for fans. That’s led to more discussion and speculation about what will happen over the weekend, and as always there’s a tremendous amount of bandwidth used to discuss this year’s quarterback class.

Washington quarterback Jacob Eason entered this season’s draft process with some thinking he might be able to climb draft boards once teams got him into facilities and saw his incredible arm talent in person. With just two years of tape — 2016 as a true freshman at Georgia and 2019 as a redshirt junior at Washington — those visits were going to be a big opportunity for him to make a statement with his arm and get front offices and coaching staffs excited about the possibility of taking him.

With the draft process being shifted to the virtual world due to COVID-19, Eason lost out on that opportunity and, like everyone else, has had to make a great impression over the phone and in video calls. Eason spoke with Uproxx Sports on behalf of Head and Shoulders on Wednesday about the challenges of that process, if he felt that the lack of in-person workouts was a bigger hurdle for him than some others, what he’s telling teams in interviews, what they’re asking him to work on, and what he’ll be doing for Thursday’s virtual NFL Draft Red Carpet.

Obviously this has been a unique draft process for everyone, what have the last couple months been like for you?

For me, it’s been a lot of phone calls, Zoom meetings, Skype interviews. You know, with the virus thing going on, I’m still working out and training every day, I’ve just gotta make sure I’m keeping my numbers down and staying safe with all the regulations. It’s really been the same thing it would be if there’d not been a virus, but all online. All my trips and visits were cancelled, which is unfortunate because I’d like to have had more face time with teams, but I think through calls and video meetings I’ve been able to push my strengths and get my personality out there.

I felt you were going to be a guy impacted a little more than most by the lack of private workouts since you have just the two years of tape and those are four years apart. Those are a chance to really pop and show your skills in person. Have you felt that at all and how have you tried to make up for not having those opportunities to get in team facilities?

Yeah, I have felt that. That was going to be my chance to show my strengths and how well I can spin the ball and show some throws I can make. But I was able to make a pro day video of an on the field workout, mock pro day type thing that we sent out to all the teams. So, the biggest thing right now is controlling what you can control, and this virus is out of my control. Given the circumstances, I’ve had to do everything I can to put my best foot forward and put myself in the best situation. That’s what I’ve been doing and doing everything I can to put myself in the best opportunity.

Part of the draft process is selling yourself to teams and letting them know why they should take you. What are you telling teams when you have meetings or calls with them about what they’ll get as a player and a guy in the locker room if they draft you?

My biggest thing is I’ve pushed my personality. I feel like I’m a great teammate and can be a great leader. I mesh well with just about everyone in the locker room, and that’s something I take pride in. I take pride in making relationships that are meaningful so when the game’s on the line so I can trust whoever I’m throwing to or handing off too or who’s protecting me. That’s the biggest thing for me. I want to push my leadership and my love for the game, that’s the other thing that really stands out. I’m super passionate about going out and winning football games. I have goals I want to achieve, and in conversations with these teams I’ve been able to tell them what those goals are and how I feel about playing this game and being in a locker room full of guys with their hearts set on the same goal. It’s been a pretty cool experience, a very different experience as well. I’m super fortunate to be in a position to talk with these teams and push my strengths.

On the other side, what are the things teams have told you they’d like to see you work on and improve on in your game?

You pull up the tape and there’s some things that stick out. One of the things is I have a tendency to go back and left out of the pocket and that’s one of the things I’ve been working on. Just working on moving up and through [in the pocket] rather than backing out. So I’ve been drilling that non-stop trying to get to the next level. And then whether it’s protections or seeing coverages or different man-zone concepts, really a melting pot of different things I’ve been working on and preparing for whenever I’m able to fly down to my new city and get rolling. There’s several things that I’ve been working on and there’s also several things I’ve done really well that I’ve been maintaining and making sure I stay on point there as well. It’s been a good thing to have a chance to work on small things and also keeping the main thing the main thing.

How are you managing the stress and excitement as we near draft weekend?

You know what, it’s kind of settling in. I talked to my pops last night and I kind of made a round of calls. Like, I went back and talked to Jim Cheney and Kirby Smart, my old coaches at Georgia. I talked to Chris Petersen and Jimmy Lake at Washington and I even called my old high school coach Tom Tri, and just went down the line. A lot of it, I didn’t really think of it until now what’s about to happen, and it’s been a lifelong goal of mine since I was a little kid throwing the ball with my dad. It’s going to be really emotional and exciting and I’m anxious and all of the above, really. It’s kind of settling in. Overall, I’m excited and very fortunate. Happy to be in this position where this opportunity is coming up and I’m super excited and hungry to get picked and start getting working on my new team.

You’re going to be part of the NFL Virtual Red Carpet, what can you tell me about that and how fans can check in on how a lot of you and other prospects are getting ready for and taking in the Draft?

Yeah, so we’re doing it all virtual this year, so fans and whoever wants to check it out, it’ll be #NFLDraftRedCarpet. It’ll be on on Thursday and you can see all the styles and what everybody’s wearing, and it’ll be a pretty cool deal. So, make sure you check that out. I was able to get a cool outfit, take some pictures and do a little red carpet walk. I got a nice hair cut and am looking good for the big day.

You’ve got a pretty strong flow, was Head and Shoulders just a natural fit for you?

Yeah it was. You know, Head and Shoulders, I go with their styling products to help me take care of my scalp and hair style while I’m quarantined, cause it can be hard to get a hair cut with everything going on. Their style cream’s been a go-to at home, and they’re helping me look good and feel good, so I’m excited to show off my head of hair on draft day and show the people what they want.

We’ve all got more time on our hands right now, so why not spend it binge-watching all of the killer content that HBO is delivering this month? In the mood for some feature-length blockbusters? Todd Phillips’ Joker and the horror-comedy Ready or Not are our top picks. Ready to binge a new limited series? Mark Ruffalo’s family drama might be your next obsession. Think you know how Westworld’s latest season will end? Well, you probably don’t, but catch the finale, and let us know if you got it right.

Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) HBO this May.

Joker (film streaming 5/16)
In case you didn’t catch it in theaters, or you just want to revisit the chaos and mayhem of Joaquin Phoenix’s troubled clown, Todd Phillips’ Joker is coming to HBO this month. This gritty origin story imagines the DC villain as a mentally-ill clown-for-hire named Arthur, who spirals when his stand-up career turns sour, and he discovers the truth about his lineage. Really, it doesn’t take much to put this guy over the edge.

Ready or Not (film streaming 5/23)
Samara Weaving and Adam Brody star in this horror jaunt about a wealthy family with a dark secret. Weaving plays Grace, a young woman set to marry her fiance, Alex, at his family’s estate. Alex comes from money, and Grace quickly discovers that his ancestors pulled some supernatural strings to get rich quick. A deadly game of hide-and-seek and a curse that ends in exploding bodies follow.

I Know This Much Is True (limited series streaming 5/10)
Mark Ruffalo pulls double duty in this limited drama series, playing a man struggling to reassemble his shattered life and the man’s twin brother, a schizophrenic with demons of his own. The siblings uncover tragic details about their family’s history of mental illness while also trying to right the wrongs that they’ve committed in their own lives.

Westworld (Season 3 finale streaming 5/3)
The third (but not final) season of Westworld comes to a close this month. Dolores is one step closer to enacting her endgame — which is either to rule the world and subjugate humanity, or free humans from their own loops. Serac is determined to stop her and he seeks to use Maeve as the weapon to do so.

Series Premieres:
Betty, Series Premiere (5/1)
I Know This Much Is True, Limited Series Premiere (5/10)
Hard, Series Premiere (5/18)Series Finales:
Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children, Docuseries Finale (5/3)
Westworld, Season 3 Finale (5/3)
My Brilliant Friend, Season 2 Finale (5/4)
Todxs Nosotrxs, Season Finale (5/15)
Run, Series Finale (5/24)Theatrical Premieres:
Bigger, 2018 (5/1)
Western Stars, 2019 (5/1)
The Art of Racing in the Rain, 2019 (5/2)
Downton Abbey (5/9)
Joker, 2019 (5/16)
Ready or Not, 2019 (5/23)
Lucy in the Sky, 2019 (5/30)

Original Programming:
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (5/5)

Estrenos:
Long Gone By, 2020 (5/1)
Her Body, 2020 (5/1)
El Pacto (AKA The Pact), 2020 (5/15)

Starting May 1:
The Art of Getting By, 2011
Black Knight, 2001
BlacKkKlansman, 2018
Broken Arrow, 1996
Cast Away, 2000
Cinema Paradiso (Director’s Cut), 1990
Cold Mountain, 2003
Commando, 1985
Contagion, 2011
Cowboys & Aliens (Unrated Version), 2011
Crazy Rich Asians, 2018
Death at a Funeral, 2007
Dick Tracy, 1990
The Fighter, 2010
Friday Night Lights, 2004
Green Card, 1990
The Hangover Part II, 2011
The Hot Chick, 2002
How Stella Got Her Groove Back, 1998
In Bruges, 2008
Incarnate, 2016
Jaws, 1975
Jaws 2, 1978
Jaws 3-D, 1983
Jaws: The Revenge, 1987
John Tucker Must Die, 2006
Josie and the Pussycats, 2001
The Kite Runner, 2007
La La Land, 2016
Little Shop of Horrors (Director’s Cut), 1986
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, 2018
The Meg, 2018
Michael Clayton, 2007
My Big Fat Greek Wedding, 2002
Nocturnal Animals, 2016
Paul (Extended Version), 2011
Precious, 2009
Rise of the Guardians, 2012
School of Rock, 2003
Signs, 2002
Something Borrowed, 2011
This Means War (Extended Version), 2012
Twins, 1988
Unstoppable, 2010
Wild Hogs, 2007
Your Highness (Extended Version), 2011

Ending May 14:
Pan, 2015

Ending May 31:
A Thousand Words, 2012
Agent Cody Banks, 2003
Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London, 2004
Bad Girls (Extended Version), 1994
Bark Ranger, 2015
Being Julia, 2004
Big, 1988
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (Extended Version), 2011
Cedar Rapids, 2011
Closer, 2011
Cold Pursuit, 2019
The Condemned, 2007
The Condemned 2, 2015
The Darjeeling Limited, 2007
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, 2011
Down to You, 2000
Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog, 1995
Five Fingers, 2006
Greta, 2019
Grosse Pointe Blank, 1997
Happy Death Day, 2017
Happy Death Day 2U, 2019
Hope Floats, 1998
Isn’t It Romantic, 2019
Jingle All the Way (Director’s Cut), 1996
The Land Before Time, 1988
The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure, 1994
The Land Before Time III: The Time of Great Giving, 1995
The Land Before Time IV: The Journey Through the Mists, 1996
The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island, 1997
The Land Before Time VI: The Secret of Saurus Rock, 1998
The Land Before Time VII: The Big Freeze, 2001
The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water, 2002
The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration, 2003
My Dog Skip, 2000
Nine Months, 1995
Red Eye, 2005
Red Riding Hood (Extended Version), 2011
Reversal of Fortune, 1990
Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 2011
Sucker Punch (Extended Version), 2011
The Station Agent, 2003
The Town (Extended Version), 2010
True Lies, 1994
Unknown, 2011

The 1975 have been teasing the release of their album, Notes On A Conditional Form, for some time now. The group recently unveiled the record’s cover art and tracklist, and now they’ve given fans yet another preview of their 22-track record with “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know).”

The track’s accompanying visual, directed by Adam Powell, slates the band as vintage rockers. The black-and-white video depicts the band nonchalantly performing the single amid a stark backdrop. The song itself boasts shimmering production and ’80s-inspired synths while a buoyant guitar riff arrives in between vocalist Matty Healy’s musings. An ultimate nod to ’80s nostalgia, the track sees a Kenny G-style saxophone interlude. “This time, I think I’m gonna drink through it / But I see her online, and I don’t think that I should be calling / All the time, I just wanted a happy ending,” Healy sings.

Ahead of their single’s release, The 1975 announced they would be pushing back their album’s release and setting a firm date. While Healy had previously stated the album would see a late April release, Notes On A Conditional Form has been delayed until May.

Watch the “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” video above.

Notes On A Conditional Form is out 5/22 via Dirty Hit. Pre-order it here.

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While every live sporting event has been postponed or canceled in the last month-plus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL Draft is proceeding as scheduled, just virtually, with Thursday night’s first round.

ESPN and the NFL Network will co-broadcast the draft, sharing remote coverage duties, but one staple of ESPN’s draft coverage over the last decade will not be on the broadcast. Todd McShay has become one of the leading draft experts since joining ESPN and became the foil for the legendary Mel Kiper Jr., with their back and forths being one of the most entertaining parts of any draft. Unfortunately, McShay will not be part of this year’s coverage as he is currently recovering from a battle with the coronavirus, as he made public in a statement on Thursday morning.

McShay thanked the tireless efforts of the nation’s healthcare workers, who he called the “true heroes,” while also making sure to prod at Kiper by telling Trey Wingo and everyone else to make sure they keep Mel in line during the broadcast. It’ll be a bit odd not having McShay offering analysis and insight into prospects during this year’s draft, but hopefully he will have a speedy and full recovery and will be back sparring with Kiper ahead of the 2021 edition.

Previously on the Ins and Outs of AEW Dynamite: AEW put together 3/4 of a great show, then put it in a bag and dumped it in the river with 31 minutes of Jon Moxley vs. Jake Hager.

If you’d like to keep up with this column and its thinly veiled Best and Worst format, you can keep tabs on the Ins and Outs of AEW Dynamite tag page. You can keep track of all things All Elite here.

Follow With Spandex on Twitter and Facebook. You can also follow me on Twitter, where everything and everyone is terrible.

And now, the Ins and Outs of All Elite Wrestling Dynamite for April 22, 2020.

All In: The TNT Championship Tournament Continues

This week’s Dynamite is book-ended by the two remaining first round matches in the TNT Championship tournament; one playing off an an established rivalry, and one teasing the end of a career, possibly to set up a televised murder in the semi-finals.

Up first is Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin, and while it doesn’t reach the heights of their classic from Revolution (and can’t, I don’t think, without a real crowd), it’s more in-ring goodness from two of AEW’s best young, for lack of better phrasing, “homegrown” stars. It’s also the latest installment of Darby Allin’s episodic quest to cripple himself by diving headfirst out of the ring into walls and barricades. It’s like Sin Cara, except he’s doing it on purpose.

Allin wins, both because he’s great and because of course he’s Cody Rhodes’ semi-finals opponent. Can I say really quickly how much I like the Last Supper as a finisher? Not enough American wrestlers choose to use inescapable pinning combinations as ways to end matches. I always dug guys like Super Delfin who had simple, hard-to-escape leverage pins as signature moves. My favorite Daniel Bryan Danielson move will always be the small package.

On the other side of the bracket we’ve got Dustin Rhodes putting his career on the line against Kip Sabian. Sure, putting your career on the line against a guy half your size who needs his girlfriend to help him defeat even the lowest-ranking jobbers is pretty low stakes, but it’s a great way to get people talking about what an incredible 32-year career Dustin’s had so far, and sets up some delightful and terrifying pathos for his semi-finals match. If Dustin vs. Sabian felt like it could’ve ended Dustin’s career, what’s it going to feel like when he’s in there against a 6-foot-8 hollering murderer who wants nothing more than to eliminate Cody Rhodes? That seems like a recipe for both blood and guts. And not in the fun way.

Everyone watching should take a lesson from Dustin here. If you’re wrestling Kip Sabian, bring a lady to the ring with you. Kip could be in there against a cardboard cut-out and Penelope Ford would try to help him win, so find Brandi Rhodes or a rough equivalent to counter it. This is doing the world’s lowest-effort homework.

Student Squashes Of The Week

Here’s AEW Tag Team Champion, AAA Mega Champion, and promotion non-specific Best Bout Machine Kenny Omega having to try way too hard to defeat Alan Angels. After all, this is the same guy Lance Archer put in a grave two weeks ago. One of the strangest things about Omega is that his character completely ignores tier charts and has random difficulty turned on for every match. Not that Kenny shouldn’t devote some of his TV time to making young guys and new stars look like they deserve to be in the ring, but there’s got to be a happy medium between the Kenny Omega who mindlessly no-sells everything to do anime taunts, and the Kenny Omega who’s letting Alan Angels ground-and-pound him. I’m really happy he won with a V-Trigger too, not only because that makes V-Trigger nearfalls in AEW more believable, but means Omega didn’t have to bust out the goddamn One-Winged Alan Angel.

“Justin Law, man. Justin Trouble’s what his name should be.” — Chris Jericho, talking to the “AEW Galaxy”

Justin Law, who definitely interns at Wardlow & Associates, gets bludgeoned by the brother Brodie Lee. After the match, Brodie makes a point to walk over and intimidate Marko Stunt, which seems like another example of a giant AEW monster picking on the smallest guy in the room, but actually makes sense given that Stunt was one of the first guys to turn down a Dark Order mask. The highlight is probably Jericho, a man who has competed off and on in Japan for his entire career and definitely understands the concept of match-ending lariats, incredulously declaring, “He just beat Justin Law … with a CLOTHESLINE!”

In a match that didn’t get a clip on AEW’s YouTube page, Goldberg Brock Lesnar Wardlow defeats Lee Johnson. Johnson, who we recently saw on Dark accidentally busting open his trainer, takes a Goldberg-style military press into a powerslam and two throwing vertical suplexes before hopping up like nothing happened and being like, HAVE THESE TWIRLS AND FOREARMS! There’s got to be somebody better for this gig. At least Lee took the F-10 better than Ryan Piles.

Orange Is The New Black

The only other match on the card is Orange Cassidy vs. Jimmy Havoc, which is fun, but would’ve been ten times better with a crowd. Sure, you could say that for any match happening during quarantine, but I think Orange Cassidy only works when being digested in real-time by a wrestling audience. He’s great no matter what, but his character and presentation’s already a tightrope walk without losing that instant validation.

Highlights:

• Orange winning with what I’m assuming is called the ORANGE CLUTCH, continuing my love of pinning combinations as match-enders, and
• Orange Cassidy winning, just in general
• “LOOK AT PENELOPE WHAT’S SHE GONNA DO …. oh, nothing” — Chris Jericho

Outside The Ring Nonsense Of The Week

Did you watch last week’s episode of The Bubbly Bunch and think, “this would be so much better if they were engaging in a fake TikTok dance contest to win a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer?” If so, what’s wrong with you? Also, you’re a genius and they did the thing. Enjoy FLIM FLAM — “not affiliated with TikTok” — featuring the Inner Circle doing what appears to be a Judas Effect-themed dance with “Don’t Rush Challenge” transition vibes. If this is a real TikTok dance don’t @ me, I don’t want to know.

I didn’t think they’d be able to continually top themselves after adorable dogs chasing a drone while Chris Jericho curses at it and random edits of Grinch close-ups and breakfast spills, but Jericho offering the world’s worst prize to his friends for an imaginary social media platform dance contest, getting mad at Sammy Guevara for upstaging him, and angrily throwing the bottle of sanitizer at his own phone as if he’s “giving it” to Guevara is the funniest shit I’ve ever seen.

Here’s MJF in front of someone else’s house doing a riff on a Randy Orton bit from 20 years ago. I like that not only does he have his scarf tucked under the sling arm, but he got a finger sleeve with the same design. What a wonderfully insufferable human being.

Matt Hardy adds a great layer to his AEW character this week by revealing that he can transmogrify between his “essence” and “vessel” and morph from DAMASCUS into regular old, unkillable Matt Hardy. The ability to switch between characters like this is going to do him a lot of favors when he wants to have serious beefs and feuds that don’t involve magical backyard fights and drone-assisted teleportation. But don’t worry, he stays Damascus long enough to hit a few choice lines, with this one being my favorite:

“Samuel, I welcome you here if you wish to fight Jericho’s fight for him. But be warned, Samuel. If you come to the Hardy compound, I will mash you up into a MOFONGO … and EAT YOU!!“

Mofongo, of course, is both a Puerto Rican dish consisting of garlic mashed plantains, and what you’d call the tag team of Dan Maff and Steve McMichael.

Finally, here’s a great character video on Scorpio Sky to remind you that the rest of the AEW roster still exists, we just don’t ever get to see them.

All In: Top 10 Comments Of The Week

Birdman

Bad scouting by Jimmy Havok not realizing OC gets +50 to all attributes once his hands go in his pockets

Brute Farce

What Dustin really means is “if winning tonight means I have to wrestle Lance Archer, I’d rather retire.”

AshBlue

they should just debut Marty Scrull as a random crowd member but never call attention to it

I hope the payoff to that Roomba shot is that it’s actually a sentient robot sent by Damascus.

Baron

“Help from an Angel…Highway to Heaven…Whatever the hell that show is!”

JERICHO IS A NATIONAL TREASURE!

Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer

A Canadian Destroyer used as finisher, what is this, 2007?

AddMayne

my favorite Luke Harper memory is when he was warning Bray every week that the guy named after a snake was obviously going to turn on them and he never listened

Mr. Bliss

Poor Best Friends, their feud gets downgraded from Death Triangle to Meth Triangle

Clay Quartermain

Scorpio Sky’s segment felt like a Dark Side of the Ring episode where nothing bad happened

TheGreenMiles

Amazing that Jericho is such a brilliant commentator because he just reacts to what’s happening without trying to feed us talking points. Somehow “he hit him hard, that musta hurt!” comes across as refreshing.

Dave M J

…how did Jake Hager get back into his house?

I forgot to mention it, but Cody has a Bat Cave now. [shrug]

That does it for this week’s column. Thanks for reading about Dynamite! If you’re able to leave us a comment below, give the column a share on social media, and make sure you’re back here next week. Here’s what you’ll see:

• Brodie Lee trying to break Lance Archer’s “Beating The Shit Out Of Marko Stunt” record
• Jon Moxley, hopefully staying far away from Jake Hager forever
• Kip Sabian and Jimmy Havoc in a no disqualification match against Best Friends that will probably be more like a six-person tag
• Cody vs. Darby Allin in the TNT Championship tournament
• Lance Archer fridging poor Dustin

See you then!

After turning all the way up with 1TakeJay, going on a five-finger discounted shopping trip with idontknowjeffery, and getting ghoulish with Dana Dentata, UPROXX Sessions goes to “The Gutter” with our latest guest, Ontario, California rapper Eddy Baker.

Active since 2012, the 28-year-old Baker is a former member of the now-defunct buzzing blog era group Raider Klan and one half of the rap duo Healthy Boyz with Chilly Sosa. He’s also a member of Memphis rapper Xavier Wulf’s Seshollowaterboyz quartet, which also consists of Bones and Chris Travis. He’s about as productive as any rapper can be in the modern streaming era, with around 18 projects under his belt since 2012, three of which were released during 2019 (No Rest For The Wicked, I Hope This Helps E.P., and I Got High As F*** & Forgot I Made These Songs (Side A)).

Watch Eddy’s gritty performance of the “The Gutter” above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s new performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

MIAMI – It’s hard to have a trajectory like the one Darius Leonard is on without reflecting on how he got there. The dynamic Colts linebacker had one Division I offer, and that was South Carolina State, about two hours west of his hometown of Lake View, a small town near the South Carolina-North Carolina border with a population right around 800. Leonard has seen extreme highs, from being named a two-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Year to Rookie of the Year honors and a Pro Bowl selection and the birth of his daughter Mia in 2019, and crushing lows, with two of his brothers incarcerated and another brother killed in 2012 during a fight at a club in Mullins, S.C.

Through all that, the imposing 6’2 force remains focused on being as good as he can be. If he’s named to the Pro Bowl, he wants to be MVP. If he’s MVP, he wants to be Super Bowl MVP. There’s drive, and then there’s whatever is driving Leonard, a boulder picking up speed downhill with no signs of stopping.

That doesn’t stop Leonard from enjoying the ride. He’s going to take care of those close to him, his mom, his family, his wife, his teammates. But he’s going to take care of himself, too. He lets himself feel those lows without trivializing them, but makes sure to express the sheer joy that comes from those highs. Otherwise, what’s this all for?

UPROXX Sports chatted with Leonard outside Radio Row during Super Bowl week as he reflected on his journey, how the Colts handled Andrew Luck’s retirement, his sense of style, and more.

Martin Rickman: How have you adjusted to Indianapolis coming from South Carolina, spending college in South Carolina? It’s a different world down there, obviously and I know those first couple of years, you’re trying to play football and compete at the highest level, but you also you’ve got a family.

Wife and kid, yeah. It was, luckily, because I’m from the country, you know? So driving, I’m not used to traffic. So I made sure that I stayed in a neighborhood that takes maybe five to seven minutes to get to work, and made sure that I’m moving where there is no traffic, not around too many people. I’m not used to being around people. So I may be 25 minutes from downtown or anyplace else. So just trying to make sure that I’m safe and that I’m enjoying where I’m staying at.

Yeah. I sent some time with Khalil Mack when he was still at Buffalo. And I know that mindset of kind of not being recruited as heavily as you are, having that chip. Every player tries to create a chip or they’ve got one. And I know you’ve got one. How has that helped fuel you?

Well I mean, it started off in high school, man. I can remember playing JV ball, not getting in. And then when I get in, I make plays, then sit back on the sidelines. Then, not playing on the varsity level until my 11th grade year, then going to college. “Hey, what are you doing? You can’t play linebacker in college.” I had one offer. That was South Carolina State. I want to South Carolina State, and they said, “What position are you going to play?” I said linebacker. “Oh, you’re too small to play linebacker.” So then I go there, I go to South Carolina State, and I do what I’ve got to do there. Then I get drafted.

So I was a second-round draft pick. So I mean, I’m still proving everything wrong. Then last year, I didn’t make the Pro Bowl. So I’m proving that. This year, I’m not first-team All-Pro. So I’ve still got so many things that I’ve got to prove. I want my numbers to be the best, and I want to be considered as the best. I don’t want to be second. I’m a competitor. I want my name at the top of every list until my name is at the top from year to year. Until I retire, I’m not doing anything else.

There is no stop with you. I know that all comes from family. You had to grow up fast.

You know, just being through what I’ve been through, I’ve had two brothers incarcerated. Like you said, I had to grow up early. Brothers, one went in in 1997. I was two years old. Another one when I was probably maybe nine or 10, so I’ve seen that side. And then I’ve seen my brother make it out [Ed. Note: former Chargers and Saints linebacker Anthony Waters] seen him go to the college. I see him make it to the NFL. So I’ve seen both sides, seen momma cry, seen momma happy. So I knew that I wanted to make momma happy. I didn’t have nothing growing up, so I started my first job at 13, just wanting to make my own money. I didn’t want nobody to say, “Hey, here you go.” I don’t want anybody to hand me nothing. I want to go out and just make everything on my own, because I don’t want anybody to hold anything over my head at any point.

We’re in a really interesting situation right now with athletes where guys are allowed to express emotions, they’re allowed to be themselves. You’re not just a football player on a poster. You’re allowed to talk about things that matter to you.

It’s amazing, because there’s so many teams I hear of, it’s their way or nothing else. And I love being with the Colts because it allows me to be who I am. I’m a happy person. I love to give back. I love to have fun, and when I’m on the field, I can express my feelings. I’m not out here saying, “Okay, I’m doing a job.” No, I’m having fun. This is my dream, and they allow me to live out my dream a the highest level and how so many emotions, because then once I get off the field, I’m that same guy.

I’m still that same happy guy. And then you know, back in the day, it was everybody had to be a mean looking guy. Everybody was so scared to go say hey to a guy that they looked up to, because from what they seen, how they carried themselves on the field, and how everybody said that he was. But now, when they come to me, I’m a happy guy. They see I’m happy on the field. They see I’m happy off the field. So when they come up and say, “Hey, Darius, can I take a picture?” “Yeah, sure. Why not? I mean, I’m one of you.” You know what I’m saying? Everybody say you a celebrity. I’m not a celebrity. I’m the same person, the same little boy from Lake View, South Carolina. I’ve got the same heart. That would never change.

Who’s helped you get acclimated to the NFL?

I’d say my first year, me and Najee Goode, we was tight. He showed me all the ropes. He showed me everything, him and then Anthony Walker, you know, he’s so smart at Mike linebacker, and he don’t get enough credit of being a great ball player. And just them two, you know? They brought me up under their wing, and teaching me the game, teaching me the ropes, and then you’re having a great guy who has similar things of upbringing or going to a small school like Robert Mathis, having him in my corner as well.

Everything he’s proven.

So it’s easy to talk to Robert, because he’s been through the same thing that I’ve been through, so he knows how to get out of it.

With regards to the Pro Bowl, they mic you up and it seems like a really good experience. I think some people got a little bit more about you, like you were saying, with just how much passion you play with, which emotion you played. What’s that experience like? And is that something you want people to know about you?

Oh yeah. I mean, it was a great experience. I loved it. I enjoyed it. I mean, the game was a little weird. That was my first one there, my first time there.

It’s football, but it’s not football, right?

It’s not football. You’re not tackling. I took the ground one time, and that wasn’t even because I made a tackle. So it was just a different vibe on the field, but I mean, I was still having fun. I mean, I was enjoying every single moment because you don’t ever know when life is going to hit you. You never know when this thing can end, so I’m going to live in the moment, and I’m going to go have fun no matter what, and it’s going to be very rare to see me look down. Even on my worst days, I put on that mask, because you don’t ever know. Like if I walk by someone who’s having a terrible day, and I could just say hey to them or put a smile on their face, and they change their whole demeanor, that’s the type of person I am, and that’s what I want to live by.

You mentioned the Colts and kind of how that organization is a little bit different. They handled Andrew Luck’s retirement so different too. What did that teach you about them? You’d already learned a lot about who they were at that point.

Yeah. I mean, it just comes to show that they’re behind you no matter what it is. He stepped away from the game, and that’s their franchise quarterback, and they treated him so well. They still said great things about him. They didn’t bash him. They didn’t do anything, and that’s one thing that I love. And they’re always in your corner. No matter if you’re wrong or you’re right, they’re going to stand up for you, because I mean, we’re a big family, and that organization no matter if I look good, they look good. I look bad, they look bad. They know that, and if anything happens between the family, the family’s going to take it up for the family, and they showed that with Andrew’s retirement.

I know style’s important to you too. Where do you take your cues?

You want to swag out a little bit.

Yeah. But you’ve got to learn. It takes time as you grow into yourself.

Oh you definitely got to learn, yeah. It was crazy, because I mean, growing up, my brother that got killed, he was big into fashion. And me, I was just all right, I’m going to wear some basketball shorts, just straight hand-me-downs. So yeah. After he died, I wanted to kind of keep him with me, so that’s when I kind of looked into fashion, like how to dress, like what looks good, what don’t look good? And then just come in on game days man. It’s just whatever vibe that I’m thinking, like what type of game that I want to go in. All black, because I’m looking to go out there and hurting someone, or Michael Jordan thing, having a Michael Jordan shirt on. He’s the best. I mean, you know you’ve got to walk in, you’ve got to channel your inner thoughts, you know what I’m saying?

So it’s just different things to me man, I want to prove. Like if I’m on an away game, oh, I’m dressing up, you know what I’m saying? I’m suited and booted. So I let them know, “Hey listen, I’m about to clock in,” and no matter what. I had this one that I was going to. LA. And I had this sparkly tuxedo top on. Everybody’s like “What’s up man? You’re too dressy.” No. I’m letting them know that hey, I’m coming to clock in.

Where do you get inspiration from? Do you have a guy that you work with for that?

No. If I don’t pick out my outfit, I let my wife. I mean, we think together. What do you want to wear this week? Or I just give her the freedom, “Hey, you go and pick me out an outfit, and I’ll run with it.” She knows my style. She knows what I like. Or I go to Tampa, Milano Exchange. That’s where I get all my suits from. But yeah, he’s a great guy. He’s got some great swag there, and I definitely enjoy him.

Nike and Adidas are back in the game this week, snagging all the spots in our top five after a season of tough competition from the likes of Converse, New Balance, and even ASICS. The smaller brands just didn’t stand a chance this week — Adidas dominated with a handful of notable collaborations with high-end streetwear label Extra Butter, skate legend Mark Gonzalez, and Kanye West, who delivered a spring refresh of his YEEZY 700.

On the apparel end, Supreme’s high-profile collaborations caught our eye, as well as an exclusive merch collection from J Balvin and Takashi Murakami. If you have some leftover stimulus money and your bills are all paid up, kiss it goodbye as we dive into this week’s best sneaker and apparel releases.

Extra Butter Adidas Cableknit Collection

Nothing says “Staying-In” like a Cabkleknit, so dive deep into those quarantine vibes with Extra Butter’s Cableknit Adidas Collection. Normally SNX DLX makes a point of avoiding slides, slippers, and other footwear that isn’t you know, sneakers, but we’ll make an exception here because Extra Butter’s collection is pretty clean all around.

Consisting of two SC Premiers in white and royal blue, and a white Adilette slide, the Cableknit collection is equal parts cozy and luxurious. It’s a strange match on paper, but it perfectly captures the equally strange time we’re living in.

The Extra Butter Adidas Cableknit Collection is out now for a retail price of $130 for the sneakers and $60 for the slides. Pick up the Cableknit Collection exclusively at Extra Butter.

Mark Gonzales Adidas Superstar Advanced

Mark Gonzales is putting a playful spin on the classic Adidas Superstar by adding his original Shmoo logo to the sneaker’s smooth leather upper. Made to celebrate the iconic sneaker’s 50th anniversary, the Superstar Shmoo keeps the design as close to the original as possible, with a shell-toe design, and the classic black and white colorway.

The Mark Gonzales Adidas Superstar Shmoo is set to drop on April 24th for a retail price of $106. Pick up a pair through the Adidas UK webstore.

Adidas YEEZY BOOST 700 MNVN Phosphor

After last week’s ultra pious 350 V2 Linens, Ye is returning this week with a colorful changeup of his favorite canvas of the year, the YEEZY BOOST 700 silhouette. This time Ye has dipped a perfect black 700 in some neon green for an outdoorsy spring-appropriate colorway sitting atop an ultra-comfortable BOOST cushioning.

The Adidas YEEZY BOOST 700 MNVN is set to drop on April 25th for a retail price of $220. Pick up a pair through the Adidas webstore.

Nike Air Fear of God Triple Black

Jerry Lorenzo’s latest revamp of the ultra-popular Fear of God 1 sees the sneaker get dressed in a Darth Vader-esque all-black colorway that reflects the designer’s obsession with presenting a futuristic vision of luxury streetwear. The off-black accents of the Triple Black’s lacing cage bring a nice touch of contrast to the ultra-sleek design, it’s not exactly Easter-season appropriate, but it does capture the doom and gloom of our current global situation.

The Nike Air Fear of God Noir is set to drop on April 25th for a retail price of $350. Pick up a pair through the Nike SNKRS app or Foot Locker.

Nike Zoom KD 13 Chill

If you’re looking for a sneaker that’ll make it seem like you’re wearing the season on your feet, look no further than Kevin Durant’s Nike Zoom 13 Chill. The KD Chill features a synthetic upper of pink, green, and yellow panels that overlap in a way that adds a bit of futuristic three-dimensionality to the design. Equipped with Zoom Air cushioning, the KD 13 is designed with court performance in mind, so don’t be afraid to really wear this pair out, even though they look as fragile as Easter eggs.

The Nike Zoom KD 13 Chill is set to drop on April 24th for a retail price of $160. Pick up a pair through the Nike SNKRS app.

Supreme Takashi Murakami Box Logo / My Bloody Valentine Spring 2020 Collection

Takashi Murakami and Supreme are joining forces for a special collaboration to raise money for HELP USA, a charity organization in Brooklyn that provides aid for people facing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic. 100% of the proceeds of the Supreme Box Logo t-shirt will go directly to HELP USA. The shirt features a simple Box Logo featuring Murakami’s colorful flower motif pattern and will retail for $60.

In addition to the Murakami collaboration, Supreme is also releasing a special capsule collection with legendary shoegaze band My Bloody Valentine. The Supreme My Bloody Valentine collection features artwork from the band’s EPs and albums, notably a Rayon shirt and Hooded Sweatshirt representing the band’s beloved album Loveless. Other highlights of the collection include a trucker jacket that references the band’s EP Feed Me With Your Kiss,as well as a green rayon t-shirt.

The Supreme My Bloody Valentine Spring 2020 collection is set to drop on April 23rd and the Murakami Supreme Charity Box Logo will drop on April 24th. Both releases will be stoppable on Supreme’s online store.

J Balvin Takashi Murakami Smiling-Flower Capsule Collection

At this point in his career, Takashi Murakami is more known for his presence in the world of streetwear than he is for his grandiose paintings, and his second notable drop of the week sees him teaming up once again with J Balvin for a t-shirt and hoodie collection that sports the artist’s iconic flower motif.

Murakami handled the artwork on J Balvin’s latest album Colores, and the pair deliver a simple collection of four hoodies and four t-shirts in white, purple and black. Highlights include the flower motif sweaters, which are simplistic yet loud, a trademark of Murakami’s super flat style.

Shop the full collection on April 25th when it drops exclusively at JOYCE.

Rhude Spring/Summer 2020 Relaunch

Rhude is planning a huge relaunch on April 24th. What will it include? We don’t know, and the brand seems to be keeping things purposely vague. Over the past couple of days, Rhude’s Instagram account has been uploading photos of dimly lit plants, and a few extreme close-ups of pants. So at the least, we know there will be pants!

Whatever it is, it’s bound to be huge, Rhude is quickly becoming one of our favorite brands and while racing toward Supreme-levels of cool on the streetwear scene.

Shop the new Rhude Spring Summer 2020 collection on April 24th at the Rhude webstore. Expect pants!

Lil Miquela walks, talks, and sings like a real person. But really, the perpetual 19-year-old isn’t an actual human. She is an AI influencer taking social media by storm and releasing a handful of upbeat singles. For her latest effort, the digital avatar dropped the “Lil” attached to her moniker and tapped Teyana Taylor for a slow-burning number, “Machine.”

Shimmering synths color the track’s snappy backbeat. Miquela’s feathery vocals harmonize with Taylor’s captivating lyrical delivery. “I’ll be like a machine for you / What you want / Whatever you want / Just don’t fall in love,” Miquela croons.

In a statement, Miquela praised Taylor’s music. “Working with Teyana has been on my vision board for a MINUTE,” Miquela said. “The stars aligned once I found out she was recording in the studio next to mine. She was as perfect and cool as I imagined, and she brought that same energy to ‘Machine.’”

Ahead of the song’s release, Taylor announced that she is hosting a viewing party for her documentary Assembly Required: Teyana Taylor’s House Of Petunia. While the documentary premieres, Taylor will be connecting with fans and answering questions in a live Q&A session on Red Bull’s Instagram account. During the session, Taylor will detail the step-by-step process that went into creating her showstopping House Of Petunia performance.

Listen to “Machine” above.

Teyana Taylor’s Assembly Required viewing party kicks off 4/23 at 9 p.m. EDT. Watch it here.