Scotty Walden is the head football coach at Austin Peay University. He's the youngest head football coach in Division One at 31 years old. After a football career that saw him play quarterback in college at the Division Three level, he went into coaching and became a college football head coach at just 26 years old with East Baptist University (D-III). At the time of his hiring to East Baptist, he was the youngest college football head coach in America.
After one season at East Baptist, Walden became the receivers coach at Division 1 Southern Miss. In 2019, he was promoted to Co-Offensive Coordinator and in 2020, became the interim head coach for four games before taking the Austin Peay job in October 2020.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Scotty Walden about coaching spring football games in 2021 at Austin Peay, how the Lord led him through his coaching decisions, why unity is the secret to success in college football and how he's handled being the youngest head coach in division one college football.
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If you enjoyed this conversation with Scotty Walden, we know you'll love these podcasts as well:
- Bryce Drew - Grand Canyon University Men's Basketball Coach
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Michael Thomas has played 8 seasons in the NFL with the Houston Texans, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers. He played his college football at Stanford and went undrafted in 2012. After stint on the practice squad with the Niners, he would make his NFL debut in December 2013 with the Miami Dolphins against the New England Patriots and intercepted a Tom Brady pass in that game.
Thomas would establish himself as a mainstay on special teams and in 2018, was named to the NFL's Pro Bowl. He was named as an All-Pro Special Teams Ace with Pro Football Focus three times and was named to Pro Football Focus's 2010's All Decade Team on special teams.
Off the field, Michael earned his Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Miami Business School and in 2016, was named the "Good Guy" award winner from the Pro Football Writer's Association for his work assisting and cooperating with the media.
Today on the podcast, Michael Thomas shares how his life has changed welcoming his third child, his recovery from a torn pectoral in 2020, how Christ became Lord of his life, leaning on his faith after losing his mother and sister, and why it is so important for Michael to be more than an athlete.
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If you enjoyed this conversation with Michael, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Shaun Alexander and Chris Broussard on Biblical Manhood
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Manny Randhawa is currently a baseball reporter based in Denver for MLB.com. A member of Baseball Writers Association of America, Manny is also the author of "The Blake Street Bombers," a book about the 1990's Colorado Rockies home run hitters.
Today on the podcast, Manny shares his incredible story of going from being an atheist to follower of Christ and how God now guides his life.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Manny, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- David Stein - From Jewish Atheist to Follower of Christ
- Former Rockies and Pirates manager Clint Hurdle
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Darrell Waltrip is a NASCAR legend. He is a three-time Cup Series champion (1981, 1982, 1985) and posted a modern NASCAR series record of 22 top-five finishes in 1983, and 21 top-five finishes both in 1981 and 1986. Overall, Waltrip won 84 NASCAR Cup Series races, including the 1989 Daytona 500, and a record five victories in the Coca-Cola 600 (1978, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1989).
He began his racing career in 1972 and retired following the 2000 season. In 1989 and 1990, he was voted Most Popular Driver on the Winston Cup Series circuit. In 1998, he was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers, and in 2012 he was inducted into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Waltrip about his incredible racing career, his journey to Jesus, the importance of the Motor Racing Outreach ministry, and how his faith was impacted by the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001.
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If you enjoyed the podcast with Darrell Waltrip, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Aric Almirola - NASCAR Driver
- William Byron – NASCAR Driver
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Taylor Morton is a former University of Alabama football player who currently serves as a student pastor at Valley View Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He is the author of several books including, "It's Only Pain But it's Real and it Hurts" and "Finding Purpose Through the Pain: Lessons Learned Through Losing Our Son."
His football career saw him make Alabama's team as a walk-on and eventually be a part of back-to-back BCS National Championship teams in 2012 and 2013 with the Crimson Tide.
But Morton's life has been anything but easy. In 2007, Taylor's brother Trent was tragically killed in a four-wheeler accident. In June 2013, Morton found out he had cancer. Eight years later, in March of 2021, Morton and his wife Linlee lost their baby boy Beckett right before birth.
Today on the podcast, Taylor Morton shares how God is sustaining him and his wife after the loss of their son. He also talks about trusting in Jesus in the trials and how he's found joy and hope amidst incredible pain in his life.
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If you'd like to support Taylor and his wife Linlee, you can purchase his new book "Finding Purpose Through the Pain" here.
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Jeff Jarrett is a legend in the professional wrestling business. He is a third generation promoter and has been in the wrestling business for more than four decades. He made his pro wrestling debut in 1986 and reached the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 1992.
Jarrett is a six-time WWE Intercontinental Champion and one of three men to hold both the Intercontinental and European Championships simultaneously. In May of 2021, he launched a new podcast "MY WORLD WITH JEFF JARRETT."
Today on the podcast, we talk to Jeff about his strong faith in Jesus Christ, baptizing his daughter, faith in professional wrestling and what it meant for him to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Jeff Jarrett, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Ted DiBiase - WWE Hall of Famer
- James Laurinaitis - Former NFL Linebacker
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Kyle Snyder is a 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler. He is the youngest Olympic gold medalist and youngest world champion in U.S. wrestling history.
He was a three-time NCAA national champion at Ohio State with a career record of 75-5, and ended his college career as the first and only wrestler to win the NCAA, world and Olympic championships as a collegiate athlete.
Today we talk to Kyle about preparation for the now 2021 Summer Olympic Games and how his faith has grown since the pandemic postponed the event last year.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Kyle, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Kyle Snyder on Sports Spectrum in 2019
- Jim Gruenwald, 2-time Olympic Wrestler, Wheaton College Wrestling Coach
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Andrew East is a former professional football player. Shawn Johnson East is a former Olympic Gold Medalist. Together, they are now creating content on their YouTube channel "The East Family" with over 1 million subscribers. They also host their own podcast "Couple Things with Shawn and Andrew." They were married in April 2016 and their daughter Drew was born in October 2019. Their second child is expected this summer.
Shawn's Olympic success saw her come away with a Gold and three Silver Medals in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Since then, she's competed on Dancing with the Stars and written three books.
Andrew played college football at Vanderbilt as a long snapper and had stints in the NFL with the Chiefs, Seahawks, Raiders, Rams, Jaguars and Washington.
Today on the podcast, we talk with Andrew and Shawn about their engagement at Wrigley Field, the importance of faith in their life, preparing for baby number two, Andrew's NFL debut and stewarding their large platforms well.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Andrew and Shawn, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Dave and Ann Wilson - Vertical Marriage
- Dan Orlovsky, ESPN NFL Analyst
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Bob Richey is the men's head basketball coach with Furman University. In 2020-21, he led the Paladins to a 16-9 record after a 25-7 record the year before in a season that ended with the global pandemic.
In high school, Richey led Florence Christian school to a 28-2 record, a state championship his senior year and was named the 3A State Player of the Year. After playing his college ball at North Greenville, he began his coaching career with Charleston Southern as an assistant coach. After spending 6 years with Furman as an assistant, he was named their head coach in 2017.
Today on the podcast, coach Richey talks about coaching in a pandemic, eliminating distractions, trusting in Jesus, being a great leader and the importance of prayer and quiet time in his life.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Bob, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Jimmy Dykes - ESPN College Basketball Analyst
- Clark Kellogg - CBS Sports College Basketball Analyst
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Jack Nicklaus II is the first of five children born to Jack and Barbara Nicklaus. His father is a golfing legend, having won 73 PGA Tour pro events including 18 victories in Major championships. Jack II carved out his own golfing journey, attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was a member of the UNC golf team.
After a brief career as a professional golfer, Nicklaus II turned his passion to the golf course and since designing his first golf course in 1991, he has become a leading force in Nicklaus Design, serving as president of the firm and working as both a solo designer and as a collaborator with his father.
In 2000, Jack II was named to Golfweek's "40 Under 40," a list of 40 individuals under the age of 40 from the golf industry that the magazine felt would "most likely shape the game--and the business of the game--for the next 10 or 20 or 30 years."
His new book "Best Seat in the House: 18 Golden Lessons from a Father to His Son" released May 18.
On today's podcast, Jack Nicklaus II shares on his earliest memories growing up the son of a golfing legend, being at UNC with Lawrence Taylor and Michael Jordan, meeting presidents and how faith plays an important role in the Nicklaus household.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Jack Nicklaus II, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
– Matt Doherty - Former UNC Men's Basketball Player and head coach
– Bernhard Langer - Two-time Masters Champion
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Former MLB player Xavier Scruggs joins us today to share about his journey from 19th round draft pick to Korean baseball star and now retired from the game and finding purpose as a dad, husband and media professional.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Xavier, we know you'll love these conversations as well.
- Xavier Scruggs on life in Korea (from 2018)
- Dansby Swanson, Atlanta Braves Shortstop
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Marc Davidson is the boys high school basketball coach at Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian in Indiana. He is a two-time state champion winning the title in 2019 and 2021. Before coaching, he played basketball in high school under the coaching of his father Don, a member of the Illinois Basketball Association Hall of Fame.
He would go on to play college basketball at Illinois under coach Lou Henson and then transfer to Trinity International (Illinois). He would play professional basketball overseas in France for over a decade before retiring in 2006.
In October 2020, Davidson was preparing for the upcoming basketball season when doctors discovered a large tumor on his right kidney. Five days later, the tumor, the kidney and 13 lymph nodes in his stomach were removed. A rare cancer was discovered of which there currently is no treatment. He would return to coaching and lead his team to the Indiana 2021 Class 2A state title.
Today on the podcast we talk to Marc Davidson about the success he's had as a basketball coach, trusting in God in the midst of a cancer diagnosis and why his purpose is greater than just winning basketball games.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with coach Marc, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Mitch Mason - UNC Football Chaplain
- Lauren Sisler - ESPN College Football Reporter
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Dean Inserra is the founding lead pastor of City Church in Tallahassee, Florida. He is also an author of two books, his 2019 release “The Unsaved Christian: Reaching Cultural Christianity with the Gospel” and his latest “Getting over Yourself : Trading Believe-In-Yourself Religion for Christ-Centered Christianity.”
Today on the podcast, we talk to Dean about his love for sports. Jason and Dean debate their top-5 QBs of all-time and then we discuss Dean’s new book and why Christians need to get back to living a Christ-centered life and not get caught up in the ‘new prosperity gospel’ message.
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If you enjoyed this podcast, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
– Matthew Slater – New England Patriots All-Pro Special Teams Ace
– Earl Smith, Warriors and 49ers Team Chaplain
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Lucas Black is a film and television actor who has starred in multiple movies including 42 (Jackie Robinson film), Sling Blade, Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift among many others. He is most known for his role as Christopher LaSalle on CBS' NCIS: New Orleans where he appeared from 2014-2019.
Born and raised in Alabama, Lucas enjoys the outdoors and has a YouTube channel called "Real Life Lucas Black" where he shares videos of him hunting and fishing. He will make a cameo in the upcoming film Fast and Furious 9 (F9) releasing June 25, 2021.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Lucas about living his faith out in Hollywood, how he became an actor, his love for sports and preparing to play former Brooklyn Dodgers baseball star Pee Wee Reece in the 2013 film 42.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Lucas Black, you'll love these conversations as well:
- T.C. Stallings - Actor, Author
- Stephen Kendrick – Movie Producer (Courageous, Overcomer)
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Today on the podcast, our Sports Spectrum Managing Editor Jon Ackerman joins our host Jason Romano to preview the 2021 Summer edition of the Sports Spectrum Magazine.
If you order a 1 or 2 year magazine subscription by Father's Day, June 19, you'll get a free Sports Spectrum "Increase" t-shirt. Use the code Dad2021 when you order here.
Brian Dawkins is a former NFL safety who played 16 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos from 1996-2011. His career saw him named to nine Pro Bowls and culminated in 2018 when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
His foundation, “The Brian Dawkins Impact Foundation,” provides inspiration, education and resources to youth, families and communities in need.
Today on the podcast, Jade McCarthy talks with Brian Dawkins about mental health, when to move, when to stay still and how God directed his steps to start his Brian Dawkins Impact Foundation.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Jade and Brian, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
– Brian Dawkins Podcast from 2020
– Nick Foles, Super Bowl LI MVP
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Marcus McMaryion is our guest today on the Sports Spectrum podcast. He's currently a quarterback in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders. In college, he was voted a team captain and started 25 games in two seasons with Fresno State, where he led the team to two bowl wins and the best record in school history.
In high school at Dinuba High in Fresno, CA, he threw for 6,136 yards and 71 touchdowns over his final two seasons and led Dinuba to the Division III Valley Conference title as a senior.
In 2020, Marcus received his Master's Degree in Kinesiology and sports administration and also became a dad for the first time as he and his wife welcomed their son Malachi.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Marcus about how his perspective on God as Father has changed since he became a dad, why he has a Galatians 6:14 tattoo, what servant leadership means at the QB position and the encouragement he has for young people looking to achieve success in sports and stay grounded in their faith.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Marcus, we know you'll enjoy these conversations as well:
– Trent Dilfer - Super Bowl Winning QB
– Colt McCoy - NFL Quarterback
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Christine Caine is a bestselling author and sought-after international speaker who has a heart for reaching the lost, strengthening leadership and championing the cause of justice. She and her husband Nick founded the anti-human trafficking organization "The A21 Campaign," which was honored with the "Mother Theresa Memorial Award" for their work combating human trafficking among refugees.
Nick and Christine have also founded Propel Women, an organization designed to celebrate every woman’s passion, purpose, and potential. Christine and Nick make their home in Southern California with their daughters, Catherine and Sophia.
The author of multiple books, Christine's latest release "How Did I Get Here?" is on sale June 8 and available now everywhere books are sold.
Today on the podcast, Christine shares her "hidden" sports talent including her desire to dominate in table tennis, being a sports parent to her daughters, connecting with NFL players and their wives in ministry, the one sporting event that she attended that surprised her and why she wrote her new book "How Did I Get Here?" to help others in their relationship with God.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Christine, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Nick Foles - Super Bowl MVP QB
Receive our 10-day Sports Spectrum Devotional written by professional athletes for FREE when you sign up for our Sports Spectrum Weekly Email Newsletter. Sign up here.