Unbuckled Chinstrap with Paul Rabil

The Archer's newest star talent, Grant Ament, joins the podcast this week. Grant and Jules discuss their bet that sparked a buzz on social media, Big Ten lacrosse, the PLL's toughest defenders, and more!

On this week's episode Redwoods captain and lacrosse icon, Kyle Harrison, joins the podcast. Kyle and Jules talk about the development of Kyle's game and longevity throughout his career, his opinion on the greatest lacrosse players of all time, running a business as a professional lacrosse player, the role he plays in the sport, and a ton more!

Professional lacrosse pioneer and the new Head of Player Experience for the PLL, Brian Silcott, joins the podcast. Brian has a deep lacrosse background as he coached and played both college and professional lacrosse for over 10 years. Brian tells about his experiences on what it was like growing up and playing lacrosse as a person of color, what the professional lacrosse landscaped looked like in the early days, and how he intends to help grow the sport for the better.

The PLL's top defensemen, Matt Dunn, joins Jules on this weeks episode of Unbuckled Chinstrap. A former high school basketball forward, Matt talks about how training for basketball helped mold his mindset. He also tells about his first experiences as a freshman at Maryland, and how he was shaped into the elite defensemen that he is today.

On this episode of Unbuckled, Waterdogs attackman, Ryan Drenner, joins the podcast. In 2019, Ryan's clutch performances helped lead the Whipsnakes to the first PLL championship. Then in 2020, he was drafted in the expansion roster to the Waterdogs. Ryan and Jules talk about the transition from the Whips to the Waterdogs, his experience and performance at the 2020 Championship Series and where he looks to take his game in 2021. They also talk about the hardships of becoming a father his senior year at Towson University and the inspiration his son, Beckham, provides for him.

One of the most efficient attackman in the PLL, Eric Law, joins this episode of Unbuckled. Eric and Jules dive into his non-flashy playing style that led him to lead the Atlas in points in 2019. They also talk about his efforts with City Lax, helping young kids in underserved neighborhoods in Denver with educational and enrichment opportunities through the sport of lacrosse. Make sure to check out City Lax on their website at https://citylaxdenver.org/, or on Instagram at @denvercitylax Please rate and review and leave a question you'd like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Eric on Instagram and Twitter at @elaw_15.

On this episode of Unbuckled, the PLL's back-to-back goalie of the year, Blaze Riorden, joins the show to discuss his thoughts on how the goalie position deserves more respect. Following the 2020 PLL Player's Top 50, Blaze sent out social media posts expressing that the goalie position has the biggest impact on the game but players may only see the impact in the goals being scored. Jules and Blaze take a deep dive into why the goalie position has the biggest impact on the game, why it's often not respected as much as an offensive position, and the untold story of Blaze's face-to-face confrontation with Matt Gaudet after he had trash talked him on live television.

Archers LSM, Scott Ratliff, joins Jules on this episode of Unbuckled Chinstrap. One of the fiercest competitors in the PLL, Ratliff explains his thoughts around the best trash talkers in the game, playing with a cut-down stick, growing the game on a global scale, and more... Ratliff is the Co-Found of the Give & Go Fund, which was created with the mission to empower underserved lacrosse programs worldwide. In the last few years he has run clinics in Costa Rica, Denmark, and the Netherlands and 20 countries overall.

On this episode of Unbuckled Chinstrap, Whipsnakes star faceoff specialist, Joe Nardella, joins the podcast. Joe tells about hosting Jules as a recruit at Rutgers, his toughest opponents to game plan for, how growing up in a wrestling household molded his scrappy game, and more...

On this episode of Unbuckled, Chaos midfielder, Deemer Class joins the podcast. Deemer comes on to discuss the injury that caused him to be out in 2020, lessons that he learned at Duke lacrosse, coaching the women's game at the collegiate level, and more...

The Redwoods captain and commander on the defensive end, Eddy Glazener, joins Jules on this episode of Unbuckled Chinstrap. From fearing being cut from Notre Dame to becoming an elite professional defenseman, Eddy unpacks his route to the professional game. He also explains what he thinks it takes to become a great defenseman in lacrosse, working during the PLL Championship Series, how he developed chemistry with Matt Landis and Garrett Epple, and more.

Attackman of the Year nominee, Josh Byrne, joins Jules in this episode of Unbuckled Chinstrap. They discuss the repercussions of talking trash in the pros, what it's like to be a black player in the game, how he helped lead the Chaos LC to a championship appearance in 2020, and more...

On this week's episode, Jules sits down with his former Rutger's teammate, Christian Mazzone. They discussed why he believes he's an undervalued player, the two-on-one driveway basketball games that shaped his game, leading Ward Melville to the top of the national high school rankings, rehabbing an ACL injury at Rutgers, being pidgeonholed as an SSDM, and breaking out as an offensive threat. Please rate, review and leave a question you'd like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod. You can follow Christian on instagram and twitter @ChrisMozo. Enjoy the show!

In his first episode as the new host, Jules Heningburg, talks with the show's former host, Paul Rabil. With the reins in his hands, Jules interviews Paul as they talk through Paul's thoughts around his Championship Series performance, and how he deals with the social media critics. They also discuss Paul's mindset on who he portrays himself to be, and his plethora of experiences that led him to where he is today. Please rate, review and leave a question you'd like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod. You can follow Paul on instagram and twitter @PaulRabil. Enjoy the show!

A few ways you can help Text "Floyd" to 55156 Donate to the Equal Justice Initiative at www.eji.org Visit www.ColorOfChange.org to learn about how to respond to injustices

From 3 different drafts, multiple retirements, and trades, the PLL offseason has been filled with a lot of roster changes. One of the biggest shakeups happened back in February when the Redwoods traded Sergio Salcido for a 6'5'' 250lbs Chaos midfielder, Myles Jones. A proven and dominate player at all levels of the game, Myles is primed and is ready to have a big season. He and Paul talk about his 2019 season, star career at Duke, the responsibility and privilege of being a role model for young lacrosse players, and more. Please rate and review and leave a question you'd like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Myles on Instagram @mylesjones15. Enjoy the show!

Tom Schreiber, the man whom most call the best lacrosse player in the world, joins Paul and the podcast on this latest episode of the show. They talk for over an hour and half, discussing a wide range of topics including how Jason Williams and Magic Johnson influence his passing style, why he chose Princeton, and scoring the game-winning goal for Team USA. He also has some bulletin board material for Whipsnakes LC. And to top it all off, Paul and Tom trade stories from the early days of PLL - before the league was officially launched and they were working out of a small, bummed office in New York City.  Please rate and review and leave a question you'd like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Tom on Instagram @tom_schreiber26. Enjoy the show!

The newest Archers attackman, #1 overall pick Grant Ament, joins the podcast to discuss leaving Penn State with a year of eligibility remaining, sh*tting his pants when he realized he'll be playing with Tom Schreiber, what number he wants to wear in the pros, how his gear preferences have evolved since he first met Paul as a 14-year-old, and more.  Please rate and review and leave a question you'd like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Grant on Instagram and Twitter @grantament. Enjoy the show!

By now, you’ve most likely heard the news: The 2020 PLL season is on. Paul made the announcement on the TODAY Show, detailing the two-week fanless and quarantined tournament.. On July 25, the PLL will kickoff the PLL Championship Series Presented by Ticketmaster.  In this unique episode of Unbuckled Chinstrap, Co-Founder and CEO, Mike Rabil, joins to discuss the special announcement. Stay up to day with all the PLL news by following on Instagram @pll and Twitter @premierlacrosse. And mark your calendars because the PLL is BACK! Enjoy the show!

Attackman of the Year, League MVP, Championship Game MVP, League Champion. That is the list of the awards that Whipsnakes Attackman Matt Rambo took home during the 2019 season; it was the best year of his career. But despite all of the accolades, Rambo isn’t satisfied. Each season, each game, each day he strives to be better than the one before. Paul and Matt discuss how the champion’s mindset led to such a successful season and how it transcends through the Whipsnakes locker room. They also discuss some of his biggest moments during the 2019 season, college recruiting, why he (a kid from Philly) chose to play at Maryland, and the Whipsnakes attitude heading into 2020.  Please rate, review and leave a question that you would like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Matt on Instagram and Twitter @rattmambo. Enjoy the show!

Jerry Ragonese is not just a faceoff specialist for the Redwoods. He’s the owner and co-founder of ProAthletics, an apparel manufacturer that specializes in producing lacrosse uniforms. Yet in the wake of COVID-19, Ragonese found his business ground to a halt.  So he pivoted - leveraging his sewing machines, skilled workforce and production capabilities to sew face masks in his facility in southern California. Since then he’s produced tens of thousands of face masks, including the ones sold by PLL today. Jerry and Paul dig into the origins of ProAthletics, the evolution (and controversy) surrounding the faceoff position, and how Jerry once faked an allergic attack to find out a recipe.   You can get your very own PLL Face Mask at shop.premierlacrosseleague.com where all proceeds will be donated to Feeding America. Please rate, review and leave a question that you would like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Jerry on Instagram and Twitter @flowgo37. Enjoy the show!

Scott Rodgers used to drink protein shakes every morning and night as a young kid to bulk up. A football player from Long Island and the son of a Marine, Rodgers’ blue collar work ethic has driven his successful career. After a record breaking career at Notre Dame, Scott became a dominant force and face in pro lacrosse. Heading into the inaugural PLL season he was expected to start in the net for Atlas, yet a freak combination of illnesses during Training Camp sidelined him for Week 1.  In this interview, Scott discusses his disciplined upbringing, how he started playing goalie and what he defines as a great teammate and leader. He also explains why he doesn’t consider himself a “Notre Dame guy” and how he views coaching Gen Z.   Please rate, review and leave a question that you would like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Scott on Instagram @scottyrodg42. Enjoy the show!

Eleven. That’s the number of points that Will Manny scored against Atlas in Philadelphia, setting the record for most points in a PLL game. The Long Island native talks about being underrecruited in high school, getting cut from Team USA and why he started to play loose at the end of the season. Manny, who is now an Assistant Coach for Utah, was interviewed shortly after the Utes had their season cut short by coronavirus. He talks about dealing with the new reality, how he’s using his time heading into the summer and his longterm lacrosse career goals. Fun fact? Manny reveals that Paul assisted his first career professional goal. Please rate, review and leave a question that you would like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Will on Instagram @willmanny1. Enjoy the show!

Jarrod Neumann picked up a lacrosse stick for the first time during his senior year of high school. Fast forward eight years, and he’s coming off a highly decorated PLL season where he was the Defensive Player of the Year and All-Pro. The founding member of the “Bomb Squad” a crew of Chaos teammates known for scoring two-point goals (aka “bombs”), Neumann won the Fastest Shot competition at All-Star weekend with a 115mph rocket.  In this episode, Neumann tells his unlikely story, talks about his competitive drive and his unique approach to practice.  Please rate, review and leave a question that you would like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Jarrod on Instagram @jneu_88. Enjoy the show!

Moments before the start of their first game, Tim Troutner found out that he was going to start for the Redwoods. As a 4th round draft pick, Troutner didn’t expect to get the nod, but with the trust of his coach and teammates, he was determined to make the most of the opportunity. Over the next 3 months, Troutner did just that - leading the Redwoods to the inaugural Championship with a dominant 57.1% save percentage. In this fast paced interview at Ticketmaster Studios, Paul and Tim talk about what makes the Rookie of the Year tick, Troutner’s infamous trash-talking and what he defines as a good teammate. He also reveals which player’s shot is the hardest to save, how he learned to use the shot clock to his favor as the season went on, and what went through his mind in the final moments of the Championship. Please rate and review and leave a question you’d like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Tim on Instagram @timothytroutner. Enjoy the show!

Connor Farrell did not have a typical journey to professional lacrosse. In fact, he only played lacrosse in college because he lost a bet to his roommate. A 4th round draft pick and a full PLL season later, Connor has become one of the biggest stars in the league. Paul and Connor hop on into the Ticketmaster Podcast Studio to talk about his rise to professional lacrosse, what makes a great faceoff athlete, how he plans to improve for the 2020 season, and of course, his love for milk - a gallon a day type of love. Please rate and review and leave a question you’d like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Connor on Instagram @connorfarrell25. Enjoy the show!

While the inaugural PLL season was in full swing, Rob Pannell was watching from afar. Considered one of the best players on the planet, Pannell was locked into a multi-year contract with the MLL (02:35-10:16). Over a glass of 1942 tequila, Rob talks about how he wanted to join the PLL (11:51-19:54), why he only considers a few players “great” in the league (32:31-35:05) and his mindset heading into the 2020 season (20:31-25:12). Rob also makes it clear - he’s now the fittest in the league (38:50-42:09). Please rate and review and leave a question you’d like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Rob on Instagram and Twitter @robpannell3. Enjoy the show!

Romar Dennis is armed with the speed, strength and height to make him a scoring threat anywhere on the field. Yet despite dominating in college and early in his pro career, he struggled in his inaugural PLL season, averaging only 2 shots per game and scoring only 6 points. During this deep conversation, Paul and Romar discuss the challenges of his 2019 season, how his dad played in the Yankees farm system and the questions he gets asked as a minority in the sport. **Five days after the podcast was recorded, Romar was traded to Atlas and will share a midfield line with Paul in 2020. Please rate and review and leave a question you’d like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Romar on Instagram @romardennis. Enjoy the show!

Alex Aust is an Attacker for the WPLL Pride and Team USA. Since winning a National Championship at Maryland, Aust has transformed herself into a health and fitness influencer and one of the most dominant players in women’s lacrosse. In this intimate conversation, Paul and Alex discuss their shared first-love for basketball (09:03-11:13), winning and losing National Championships (17:46-20:56), the challenges and pressures of being a female athlete (26:19-32:15), and the future of women’s lacrosse (41:17-50:43). Please rate and review and leave a question you’d like us to ask an athlete on future shows. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Alex on Instagram @alexaust_. Enjoy the show!

Redwoods midfielder Joe Walters holds nothing back in a raw and candid conversation about his lacrosse career. Joe discusses growing up in Upstate New York (05:31-07:26), how we went to every Syracuse game at the Carrier Dome as a kid (02:54-05:30) and almost failing out of Maryland his first semester (30:48-35:20). Paul and Joe dive deep into his competitive nature (51:29-53:35) and the future of the Redwoods heading into the 2020 season (39:39-43:37).  Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Joe on Instagram and Twitter @jwalters1. Enjoy the show!

Kyle Hartzell has pioneered a new generation of longstick midfielders who are equally adept at scoring the two-bomb and throwing a takeaway check. As one of Paul's best friends in the league, the two intimately discuss his rise as one of the best players in the world (17:50-20:28), how he first started playing lacrosse as an attackman (16:38-17:49) and his intense workout regimen (05:16-14:01). Kyle also explains the origin of the American Psycho Instagram posts (31:53-33:37) and his pregame routine with Paul (33:38-35:00) Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod, and you can follow Kyle on Instagram and Twitter @khartzell81. Enjoy the show!

This week’s episode features Paul’s Atlas teammate and faceoff icon Trevor Baptiste. Baptiste reflects on his early playing days when he started facing off (13:12-19:59), his time at Denver with legendary Coach Bill Tierney (08:01-13:11), and what the future holds for the faceoff in lacrosse (20:34-30:18). Trevor brings an endless amount of energy to the show, so get ready. Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Trevor on Instagram and Twitter @trevorbaptiste9. Enjoy the show!

Seattle’s own Drew Snider ventured down to LA to talk lacrosse, modeling, funky pregame rituals, and his relationship with...Kevin Durant. Snider discusses starting his pro career as a defensive midfielder (02:55-07:06), overcoming an illness the morning of the World Championships with Team USA (11:57-14:45), and how he drew up the play that won the Whipsnakes the inaugural PLL championship (20:43-23:05). Let us know your favorite bites from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Drew on Instagram and Twitter @dsnides23.

Paul Rabil sits down with lacrosse legend Kyle Harrison in Philadelphia for the first-ever Live Edition of Unbuckled Chinstrap. The wide-ranging conversation includes Kyle's historic professional career (26:10-34:32), the time he had a Jeep wrapped with his face on it (21:30-23:30), and how his training regiment has changed throughout the years (05:55-08:05). Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Kyle on Instagram and Twitter @kyleharrison18. Enjoy the show!

In the inaugural episode of Unbuckled Chinstrap, Redwoods attackman and PLL star, Ryder Garnsey, joins to discuss his time at Notre Dame, his training regimen and prolific rookie season. Ryder opens up about when he was declared academically ineligible during his senior season (03:10-09:46), his in-game mindset (19:42-21:22), what it’s like playing for the Redwoods (21:22-24:51), his nutrition (41:17-46:30), unique eye black style (27:12-29:03) and crazy OT celebrations (29:04-31:52). Let us know your favorite bits from the episode by tagging us at @UnbuckledPod and you can follow Ryder on Instagram and Twitter @rsgarnz. Enjoy the show!

In this all new PLL Podcast, League co-founder and star player, Paul Rabil, sits down with the best lacrosse players in the world to unbuckle the unique lives and un-told stories of their careers. Paul, a 4x All-American, 2x World Champion, and 3x MVP, uses his vast experience and knowledge of the game to inquire and give listeners unprecedented connection to the show’s guests, leaving listeners with lessons, stories, and inspiration.