Through a full decade of pro football — 1990 to 1999 — Leroy Hoard specialized in zapping the will to fight from defenders. His goal? Make you quit by the fourth quarter.

The sight of No. 33 in Cleveland and No. 44 in Minnesota barreling through defenses helped define this glory era of the sport itself. Hoard ran with power, speed, attitude.

And oh my, he has stories to share.

The former NFL running back hangs out on the Go Long Pod to relive it all. During a Pro Bowl season in 1994, Hoard led the Browns to the playoffs with 1,335 total yards and nine touchdowns. Of course, he also remembers the scene in ‘95 when the Browns played their final games at Municipal Stadium. He’d later resurrect his career with the high-flying Vikings of the late 90s.

Full audio and video is above, and available within your Apple and Spotify feeds. I’ll share the written transcript later today.

Topics include…

* Life as a running back in the 1990s, from the old AFC Central to the NFC Central.

* Growing up in New Orleans’ dangerous Ninth Ward.

* The worst collision of his football life.

* The time the Browns moved from Cleveland to Baltimore.

* The time he arrived in Minnesota on a Tuesday, started on Sunday and it felt like living in China.

* Concussions. Pain. Life has been hard for Hoard since he retired. Did he have suicidal thoughts? Was he depressed? Hoard explains this empty feeling.

* Finding purpose as a radio commentator today at 560 WQAM in South Florida.

* Bill Belichick. His former coach in Cleveland has made offseason waves. We get Hoard’s thoughts.

* Analysis on the Browns today, Kevin Stefanski and the failed Deshaun Watson experiment.

Thank you for fueling our independent journalism here at Go Long and sharing with a friend.

Hoard previously hung out with us back in November 2021 if you’d like to check out that conversation, too.

Miss our Browns column this week? There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

We don’t necessarily need to shape-shift into flies on the wall. Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers surely had an excellent meeting earlier this offseason in Pittsburgh, Pa.

There’s a very good chance that both head coach and quarterback view this looming partnership as a chance to stick it to the doubters and reclaim control of their narratives.

Tomlin hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season, albeit with teams that never finish with a losing record.

Rodgers hasn’t been a good quarterback in four years.

How did the Steelers get here? How will this all end? On this week’s Substack Live at Go Long, I chat with Brian Batko of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Always love seeing Brian on our trips to Steelers Country. He offers a sharp perspective on everything Tomlin and Rodgers. Yes, those Steelers of 2019 fought like hell — it was fun following that group for a B/R feature — but those wins with “The Duck” ‘n co. present a bitter counterfactural. We explore.

As a reminder, you can always join our Substack Live videos by downloading the app here and turning notifications on. I’ll also schedule episodes ahead of time so you can add them into your calendar.

Also: Here is my column on the state of affairs in Pittsburgh, icymi.

A decade ago, we met in the lobby of a Canton, Ohio hotel ahead of the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions. I’ll never forget Joe DeLamielleure — NFL great — offering this total stranger a seat. Before we knew it, an hour passed by.

That’s “Joe D.”

He’s 74 years old now, which is easily 90+ in Football Years for a man who absorbed endless head slaps as an NFL lineman in the lawless 1970s. Yet, you’d never tell. His mind is extremely sharp… and there’s good reason for that. DeLamielleure’s day-to-day life supplies real hope to all former players worried about their concussions leading to dark days.

Loved catching up again with the man who made six Pro Bowls through a 13-year career with the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns.

Audio of our chat is above, and available on Apple, Spotify, everywhere you pod.

Here’s the written transcript:

Topics discussed…

* Joe DeLamielleure and Joe Ferguson were the first two players to ever walk into Rich Stadium. This 2025 season will mark the Bills’ final season in this bowl.

* What kind of teammate was O.J. Simpson?

* Remarkably, O.J. wasn’t Joe D’s only friend who killed somebody.

* How his “Electric Company” offensive line followed Vince Lombardi’s Packers blueprint with the help of Jim Ringo.

* A pair of Tom Dempsey stories — DeLamielleure’s comedic timing was spot on.

* In 2013, a doctor told him he’s living with CTE. Unlike fellow NFL lineman Mike Webster — whose life took a very haunting turn due to head trauma — DeLamielleure feels strong as ever in 2025. Both mentally and physically. How is this possible?

* Why Joe D believes current Bills quarterback Josh Allen is “one in a million.”

* Don’t forget about those Browns days. DeLamielleure helped me out with the Ozzie Newsome chapter in “Blood and Guts” and again looks back to his crushing Red Right 88 playoff loss against the Oakland Raiders. (Damn those scuba gloves!)

* A story about his father you will not want to miss.

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