Alabama Crimson Tide greats Patrick Surtain II and Terrion Arnold are debuting a new podcast called “Closed On Sundays.” (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
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Patrick Surtain II and Terrion Arnold may not have played at the same time with the Alabama Crimson Tide, but they share a lot in common during their NFL careers.
The two standout cornerbacks not only played at Alabama, they did so under legendary head coach Nick Saban. That path that started in Tuscaloosa led to both players being selected in the first round of the NFL draft, where they now serve as the No. 1 cornerbacks of their respective teams.
In Surtain II’s case, he’s the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and regarded as one of the top overall players as a member of the Denver Broncos. In Arnold’s case, he’s coming off of a solid rookie campaign with the Detroit Lions.
Considering their backgrounds, it’s no surprise that the two are pairing up to form their first podcasts together called “Closed On Sundays.” The weekly series will see the two share stories from an on-field perspective and behind the scenes, along with featuring weekly guests.
It’s an interesting dynamic considering the 25-year-old Surtain II – even though he’s the more established of the duo – is more reserved whereas as the 22-year-old Arnold is more outspoken and is not afraid to give headline-worthy quotes. The Lions cornerback arguably gave the quote of the year shortly after he was drafted when he said he would jam his mom into the dirt if she lined up across him as a receiver.
“It meshes well because Terrion may say the things that I may not say or may not come out of my mouth,” says Surtain II in a one-on-one interview. “It’s good to really tap in to different perspectives. Terrion is an outspoken person. He’s going to speak what’s on his mind no matter what and with me, I’m just going to talk a lot of intellect. I’m just going to speak my peace, speak my mind in terms of things. I’m always cool, calm and collected. That’s just my personality. It’s great that we are able to mesh in this concept and on this stage.”
Surtain II has a point – the contrast in personalities should make for an interesting back-and-forth.
As the younger of the two, Arnold says he’s learned a lot from Surtain II, specifically mentioning “motivation.”
“His motivation,” says Arnold of what he’s learned from Surtain II. “Being able to pick up where he left off and he’s one of those guys – he’s already established a big-time name in the NFL. He’s still doing that. I’m still establishing my name, so it’s just somebody I’ll be able to get on with every week, no matter if you have a good game or bad game, still going to be the same person. Just another thing where I can learn from him and grow from, hopefully I can help him become better in different areas too.”
Arnold is very complimentary of Surtain II, saying he’s an “instinctual” and “smart” person.
“He’s a very, very, instinctual, very smart person,” says Arnold of Surtain II. “He knows what he’s talking about, and he’s very detailed.
Patrick Surtain II Details How ‘Closed On Sundays’ Came Together
Surtain II details how the podcast duo came together, with Arnold emerging as the “right counterpart” after talks with Wave Sports and Entertainment – they also produce podcasts with Carmelo Anthony and Cameron Brink – started.
“Me and the wave production team, we talked about potentially starting up a podcast at first, we were trying to figure out who I was going to be with, who’s the right counterpart to do it,” details Surtain II. “We found the right one, with Terrion and since then, we started building this podcast together from the ground up.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he continues to say. “Like you said, Terry’s got a great personality. He’s a fan favorite in the media. To compare it with some football intellect with some football knowledge within me as well, it’s going to be great, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Both players are originally from Florida, with Arnold being from the northern part in Tallahassee and Surtain from South Florida in Plantation, which is just minutes away from where his dad, Patrick Surtain, made a name for himself as a shutdown cornerback with the Miami Dolphins.
Surtain II says he began to known Arnold better at a family event down in Florida, saying that they “connected” at the house. Arnold says it was during his time in college and that they have been friends ever since.
Patrick Surtain II, Terrion Arnold Talk About Nick Saban’s Influence As A Head Coach
There’s also an added layer of intrigue considering both players are close to their former coach, Saban. Surtain II played under Saban from 2018 until 2020, while Arnold played for him from 2021 until 2023.
Both players single out Saban as a huge influence in their careers, with Arnold saying the biggest thing he learned from the greatest college football coach of all time is to be a “perfectionist.”
“The biggest thing is just learn how to be a perfectionist,” says Arnold of the biggest thing he learned from Saban. “I’m still learning how to do that.”
The Broncos cornerback says there will be a lot of stories from their Alabama days, outlining that the long-term objective of the podcast is to build relationships and show a side of them to football fans that they may not see on game days.
“We have endless amount of stories about Alabama days, our times with Coach Saban, the product that was built there,” says Surtain II. “I’m pretty sure we could go on a seven-day podcast about Alabama football, sharing stories. It’s good that we’re able to tell these stories, and give it to the viewers for those who never experienced that like how we did front hand. I think it’s great and I think it’s unique to do it that way.”
While Arnold wants to keep it a secret as far as the guests they’ll have on the show, Surtain II makes it clear that they would love to have Saban on the show. The 73-year-old Saban is retired as a head coach, but is keeping busy as an analyst for ESPN’s College Gameday.
“That’s one of the big-time guests that we’re looking to get on,” says Surtain II. “Obviously, he’s quite the busy person now off the field with him being a media personality now with him putting putting his coaching hat aside. I think it would be great to have Saban on. I know he would definitely be excited to come chat with his boys again. I’m definitely looking forward to the opportunity again.”
The first episode of “Closed On Sundays” will release on Wednesday, Sep. 23 with new episodes released every week on that day. The podcast will be available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and all major platforms.