The newest episode of Patriots Off Topic dropped on Wednesday, and the conversation with long snapper and Naval Lieutenant Joe Cardona covered a lot of ground. From his service and recent promotion to his dogs and his favorite social media channels, this is what we learned from Joe's interview.
His recent promotion to lieutenant made for a special day.
Joe was promoted from Lieutenant Junior Grade to Lieutenant this summer, and what was already an important professional milestone happened to fall on the same day as another -- the Patriots Super Bowl LIII ring ceremony. Before practice, Joe's teammates got to see the other side of his world. He said sharing it with his teammates was only fitting.
"I wanted to have it at minicamp with all my teammates just because they played such a huge role in my development as a person, as an officer, as player," he said. "I wanted to share that moment with them."
He recommended organizations to honor service members and veterans.
As the NFL honors Salute to Service throughout the month of November, Joe recommended a few organizations that he has worked with in the past as a way for civilians to support the service members and veterans in their lives. The Fisher House Foundation provides "comfort homes where military and veteran families can stay while a loved one is in the hospital," according to its website. Joe also said the USO is a great way to support those serving the nation.
"Top Gun" is a running theme.
With a father who also served in the Navy, Joe grew up watching "Top Gun." While he's excited for the sequel that is set to come out in 2020, Joe said the original is the gold standard. When Joe joined the Navy, he initially wanted to become a pilot, but because his torso was too long, he was disqualified. That hasn't stopped his appreciation of the movie, however.
In fact, he has been trying to get a new nickname for special teams up and running.
"I'm trying to start a movement where our special teams is the danger zone. I'm really trying to," he said. "I've been using the hashtag. #DangerZone. Now we can confirm where it's coming from. We're just trying to be dangerous."
He stands by his hottest of hot takes.
Super Bowl Opening Night can be chaotic, and in the midst of the chaos, the Patriots posted a video, asking players to choose their favorite Atlanta artists. When it came to Ying Yang Twins vs. Outkast, Joe chose Ying Yang Twins, a choice that caught some flack from his teammates, the hosts of Patriots Off Topic and his own sister.
In the interview, Joe had a chance to speak out about it, and he stood by his choice.
"You know, I think when you put the pressure on, you see somebody's true colors. I'm not going to sit here and make an excuse. The Ying Yang Twins are, were then and forever will be an incredible group of individuals. You got to stand by it."
Joe was a good sport about the ribbing, but did say that Opening Night is a bit of "circus" and he was "caught off guard by the line of questioning," so we'll give him a pass.
He doesn't have much social media, but Joe is here for business connections.
Joe just joined Instagram this offseason, and while it's been rewarding to connect with fans and show off his dogs, Weasley and Athos, he is a LinkedIn loyalist.
Yes, LinkedIn.
"If any business professionals out there want to join my professional network, let me know," he said.
You can catch Patriots Off Topic on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and more. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss conversations with your favorite Patriots.
