In this edition of Beyond the Wall, we sat down with new San Antonio Talons linebacker Jamar Ransom. On Monday, Ransom was assigned to the Talons during the AFL's Free Agency Period. Ransom will be entering his first season with the new San Antonio franchise after spending four with the Tulsa organization. During his tenure in Tulsa, Ransom led the Talons in numerous defensive categories and was coined as the defensive leader on the team. Ransom played in 17 games last season for the Talons and was major contributor for the team’s success after recording 82 tackles, seven pass breakups and five fumble recoveries.

EDITOR: What was it like growing up in El Paso, Texas? Did you only play football?

JAMAR RANSOM: My first was sport was actually soccer. Soccer was a very big sport in El Paso, Texas and I started playing when I was four years old. After that, I got really into basketball. When I was a kid, I was taller then everybody. By the time we got to Middle School, everyone passed me. I have been playing football out there since I was eight. We have Pee Wee and Pop Warner in El Paso with the Northeast Raiders. Football is a way of life there. Being an army brat, we were very fortunate enough to stay in El Paso and it was a very good time. I have a lot of great friends that now live in San Antonio. It is going to be great to be able to see them on a daily basis and get an opportunity to play in front of them on the weekends.  

ED: What was the atmosphere like in Texas for High School football games?

JR: Football is a class in the state of Texas and it is considered your physical education. Football is a religion in Texas. There is no exaggeration in the movie Friday Night Lights. You eat and sleep football from the time you are eight years old in Pop Warner. You go straight through the system and hopefully you make it past High School. You play this game all the way through High School, hoping to make something of it. For some guys, it is their last chance and only time to get to play in High School. You have to make the best of it and have a great time doing it.

ED: What was it like playing at Oklahoma State University?

JR: Oklahoma State University was a very big deal for me. Coach Les Miles said he would give me an opportunity to play quarterback, which I am sure that he had no intention of doing. It was a great opportunity. It was a great time to be at OSU and I got an opportunity to play with a lot of great talent including guys like Darrien Willams and Vernon Grant. These guys really made a difference on the field. Also, getting a chance to play in the Big 12 was awesome. Growing up, the Big 12 in Texas was a huge conference. It was an honor and a privilege to be able to play in that conference. I definitely enjoyed playing there.   

ED: What do you think about this year’s OSU team? Do you think you guys have a chance of going all the way?

JR: Most definitely. Those guys are unstoppable on offense. Even when they have a bad day, they are still putting up 325 to 350-yards, which is crazy. They have a really good system down there.  Strength and Conditioning Coach Rob Glass definitely looks like he has those guys in shape. Head Coach Mike Gundy definitely has a good system going on with the team. It looks like those guys have a real good chance of going all the way. I’m looking forward to that “Bedlam Beatdown” that we are going to put on this year.

ED: On Monday, you were assigned to the San Antonio Talons and will now play alongside AFL legend, Aaron Garcia. What do you expect from this new situation and how do you feel about the transition?

JR: I feel like this new situation is going to be great, especially for me. I am a football nerd. I like to sit down and learn anything and everything. I think that sitting down and watching film and actually getting a chance to talk to Aaron Garcia on a daily basis is not only going to improve my game, but is also going to help my football IQ that much more. To get an opportunity to play with a guy who is compared to Brett Favre in this League is only an honor. I am looking forward to going down there during this transition. The support has been great in the city of San Antonio these past few months. It seems like something that is going to be really great. Playing in the Alamodome, they will be looking to put 30,000 people in the stands. In Arena Football, that is nuts and is crazy to even think of that many people. I am looking forward to getting down there with Robert Quiroga and some of the other guys that were assigned and really get this thing started. I am very excited.

ED: During your football career, many players have called you a leader. What do you think it takes to be a successful leader in any sport?

JR: I think that you have to lead by example. It is very easy for someone to go out there and repeat something that they had heard. But when people see you on the field working each and every day, there is no question on if you are real or not. I try to stay away from all of the hype and talk, and just make a difference on the field. If you do that, people will see that you are for real and mean business.

ED: What linebacker do you most admire and try to take after?

JR: I would definitely say Ray Lewis. Lewis is extremely vocal and anybody who knows him knows about his unbelievable work ethic. The guy is a legend. He is amazing and is constantly making plays, no matter how old he is. He is still having fun and that is what I want to do. I want to be at that age playing this game and having a good time doing it. Seeing him and the success that he has had in his career has definitely showed me someone that I want to imitate and be like when it comes to playing football.     

ED: What quarterbacks in the AFL have you most enjoyed and been excited about playing against in your career?

JR: I am going to give you two guys. I love playing against Tommy Grady because he is very interesting. I’ve gotten a few interceptions against him and I actually have a pretty good track record against him. I have always gotten a pick against him, but I am not trying to jinx myself. His read and ability to create things without a lot of movement in the pocket definitely amazes me. He is tall enough where he can see everything and I know that gives him an advantage. Sometimes it feels like there is no way he is getting that ball out of there, but he just rifles it for well over 40-yards. He would be one that I have played against and always recognized him as a playmaker. This last season, Dan Raudabaugh from Dallas and now in Philly showed me that he is a phenomenal quarterback. I really admired his game and I see how he took that team over and took them all the way to the playoffs. I think that he is going to be a challenge for anybody who plays against him this upcoming season.

ED: What have you been up to this offseason?

JR: I have been really trying to work out and step my game up. I am trying to make sure that once camp comes around, I am way ahead of schedule and I can just go in there and dominate.

ED: Is there anything that you like to do when you are not playing football?

JR: I definitely love spending time with the family. I love being with my fiancée Meghan and my daughter. Those are the best pastimes that I have when I am not playing football or doing anything like that. I also loving watching movies and working out. That is pretty much all I am about.

ED: What NFL team do you root for?

JR: I’m actually an Oakland Raiders fan. I saw Bo Jackson playing and I fell in love with the Raiders. I fell in love with everything about Bo Jackson because he was doing the dual sports thing. I loved the whole “Bo Knows” Nike marketing campaign too. He was an awesome player and ever since then, I started liking the Raiders.  

ED: Thanks for joining us today and good luck this season in San Antonio!