While the two were teammates with the Buffalo Bills, center Eric Wood and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick became close, a friendship that has lasted well beyond being teammates. When Eric Wood announced his retirement, Fitzpatrick notably was in attendance at the press conference, showing his support.
Most recently, the two connected on Wood’s post-career adventure, his podcast, What’s Next? with Eric Wood. Right off the bat in the episode, the two gave a surprise background on an all-time classic Fitzpatrick story.
In 2018, Fitzpatrick had a surprise start to the season during his time with the Buccaneers. Three 400-yard outings. Wood was pumped for his friend, and following one game, shot Fitzpatrick a congrats text as the story goes. Then things took a big turn, Fitzpatrick responded with a photo of his dressed in the clothes the belonged to his wide receiver, DeSean Jackson.
“I’ll never forget this moment,” Wood said. “I had texted you after one of your string of 400 (yard) games and said, ‘Dude, you killed it again. So happy for you,’ and you replied with a picture of you dressed in DeSean (Jackson’s) clothes and said, ‘Should I do it?’ And I’m like ‘Absolutely.’ Then we watch from my buddy’s house as you went to the podium for your press conference and made history.”
So moments before the Fitz-classic at the podium, Wood gave the green light. For those who forgot….
That time Ryan Fitzpatrick borrowed his postgame outfit from DeSean Jackson 😆 pic.twitter.com/HafSVPBfJX
— ESPN (@espn) April 23, 2020
“That’s the missing piece to that story that not a lot of people know,” Fitzpatrick said. “I did have to get confirmation from you… I just wanted like a trusted confidant to tell me like, ‘Yeah, why not? Go for it.’ Cause I did… It was organic, like it just kind of came up, I thought it would be funny but you’re usually the guy that I test stuff like that.
“When you gave me the two thumbs up, I knew it would be a hit.”
And of course… the spin zone from Fitz on this one, in typical Fitzpatrick sarcasm:
“But then also I had a fall guy. If that did get taken [the wrong way] I would have said, ‘Well Eric made me do it’ so we were all good,” Fitzpatrick said.
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