In K-Pop, new bands are constantly debuting, and it's impossible to underestimate the amount of pressure on rookie groups, especially those from smaller labels, to break out. One such group, 8TURN, debuted in January, with the release of their first mini-album, 8TURNRISE. The first single off that album, "TIC TAC," did not come across my radar. Then, the band delivered a performance from another album track, "WE." The music video for "WE" has a football theme, with the members clad in jerseys and dancing in a very stylized locker room. However, it was the group's recent live appearance that caught my eye, as they performed in a collection of retired NFL jerseys that I can only describe as perhaps the single greatest collection of extremely random players—ranging from legendary Hall of Famers, to famous starters, to straight-up Guys—that I have ever seen.
I have no clue if this was done on purpose or if these just happen to be the jerseys available for purchase when the ensembles were assembled. But I must analyze all of them because, otherwise, what is the point of being alive?
(A slight aside: If you are an 8TURN fan reading this, "Remember Some Guys" is a long-running bit we do here at Defector, where we remember athletes who used to play various professional sports and never got super famous but, instead, were simply solid Guys. Here's the archive.)
First is the video of the full performance, which is from Music Bank. Pay attention to the graphics behind them, which includes floating footballs.
Now, let the overwrought analysis commence, done in the order of when I spotted them in the video.
Anthony Thomas (Chicago Bears No. 35): A great college running back at Michigan who won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2001, but was never quite the same afterward. Thomas averaged 3.7 yards on more than 1,000 attempts, with 3,891 yards in total. Overall, Thomas was a true Guy.
Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys No. 9): Romo is known now as an overly enthusiastic TV broadcaster who has reportedly not been living up to his hefty contract. But, of course, he was once the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, making four Pro Bowls and four postseasons before ceding the QB role to Dak Prescott. Romo never led the team to the promised land—he retired with zero Super Bowl appearances—but he's far too famous and successful to be a Guy; he's more of a Dude.
Ameer Abdullah (Detroit Lions No. 21): An electric running back at Nebraska, the Detroit Lions drafted him in 2015. He spent three and a half seasons with the Lions, then became a bit of a journeyman, playing for the Vikings, Panthers, and his current team, the Las Vegas Raiders. Abdullah cannot be put through proper Guy-or-Not-a-Guy analysis yet, as he is still an active player, but he is firmly on Guy trajectory.
Reggie Bush (Miami Dolphins No. 22): An absolute legend in college, where he won the Heisman Trophy as well as a national championship with USC. But Bush's dominating college games never quite translated into the pros. He spent five seasons with New Orleans, but injuries meant he only played in all 16 games once with the team. He flourished a bit after leaving the Saints, posting one 1,000-yard season apiece with the Dolphins and Lions. He closed out his 11-year NFL career with 5,490 rushing yards and 3,598 receiving yards. In theory these are Guy numbers, but nobody who watched him in college would agree. Those get him upgraded to Dude.
Brian Orakpo (Washington No. 98): After starring at Texas, the outside linebacker played 10 seasons in the NFL, split between Washington and Tennessee. He started every game he played, made four Pro Bowls, logged 424 tackles and 66 sacks, and now co-runs a well-known cupcake business in Austin. Some might be tempted to call him a Guy, but I say he's sneakily a Dude.
Terry Bradshaw (Steelers No. 12): First-ballot Hall of Famer, first quarterback to win four Super Bowls, perhaps none sweeter than the defeat of Dallas after Cowboys linebacker Hollywood Henderson not-so blithely said that Bradshaw couldn't spell. He's been in broadcasting now for decades. Definitely too famous and accomplished to be a Guy or a Dude. He is, simply, Terry.
Dan Marino (Dolphins No. 13): My ultimate "what if" quarterback. Another first-ballot Hall of Famer. One of the greatest pocket passers of all time, with a legendarily fast release. But only one Super Bowl appearance, and it was a loss. Wondering what Marino could have accomplished if he had played under today's thou-shalt-not-touch-the-QB rules passes through my mind at least a dozen times every NFL season. And, like Bradshaw, he is too famous to be a Guy or a Dude. He is Marino.
Julius Jones (Dallas Cowboys No. 21): This is neither of the more famous 21s for the 'Boys, Ezekiel Elliott or Deion Sanders. Jones played his college ball at Notre Dame, then joined the Cowboys early on in Romo's career. He notched one 1,000-yard season with the team, before departing for Seattle and a small stint with New Orleans. He finished with 5,068 career yards over seven seasons, plus about another 1,029 in receiving. Perhaps the most Guy of all Guys on this list.
What does all this NFL history mean for 8TURN? I have no idea, and I do not want to read anything into which member wore which jersey. I can only say that I deeply appreciated these jerseys on Music Bank, and hope this is the start of a long and successful career for them. Perhaps they can glean some good motivational advice or, at the very least, work in a few more Guys from the defensive side of the ball next time. After all, offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.
