Bryant Young played 14 seasons in the NFL with the 49ers. He was selected by San Francisco in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft (7th overall) and would play his entire career with the Niners winning a Super Bowl and being named to four Pro Bowls.
In college, he was a standout defensive player at Notre Dame and after coming to the NFL, he would dominate for many seasons on a defensive line that saw him be named First-Team All-Pro in 1996 and Second-Team All-Pro in 1998, 1999 and 2001. He was a member of the 1990's All-Decade Team and was named as a member of the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame in 2020.
Today on the podcast, Bryant Young shares his story of football and faith, being named to the 49ers Hall of Fame, growing up in Chicago as a Bears fan and facing his former team, the importance of playing his entire career with one team and how God has worked in his life following the death of his 15-year old son Colby in 2016.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Bryant Young, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
– Earl Smith - 49ers Team Chaplain
– Josh McCown - NFL Quarterback
For more stories on sports and faith, visit our website SportsSpectrum.com
C.J. Ham is currently the starting fullback for the Minnesota Vikings. In college at Augustana University (Division II), he helped his team advance to the NCAA playoffs, and led the Northern Sun Conference in rushing yards and touchdowns.
In 2016, he was signed as an undrafted free-agent by the Vikings and after being cut, was signed to the team's practice squad just before the start of the season. In December of 2016, Ham would sign to the active roster and make his NFL debut.
Three seasons later, in 2019, Ham made the Pro Bowl and signed a contract extension in early 2020.
Today on the podcast, C.J. Ham shares about the roller coaster of emotions he's been dealing with the past 15 months, losing his mother to cancer, his wife giving birth to their third child, playing through an NFL season during Covid-19 and trusting in the Lord through it all.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with C.J. Ham, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings QB
- Dave and Ann Wilson - No Perfect Parents
For more stories on sports and faith, check out our website SportsSpectrum.com
Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney joins us today to talk about his former QB Trevor Lawrence and what the Jaguars can expect when they draft him. We also hear how Dabo leads from the inside out and the role his faith in Jesus plays in his life.
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You can watch the entire Sports Spectrum Draft Special hosted by Brock Huard and featuring this interview with coach Dabo at our Facebook and YouTube channels as well as at our website SportsSpectrum.com.
George Gregory is the team chaplain of the Los Angeles Chargers. For more than twenty years he and his wife Tondra have been marriage and relationship coaches to thousands of couples around the world. They have worked with many current and retired couples throughout the National Football League. Together, they lead a ministry called Journey for Life Now.
George has written and co-authored multiple books including the new release “Imperfect Dads: One Perfect Father," which is available in June of 2021.
Today on the podcast, George shares the crazy story of becoming the Chargers team chaplain, what it was like ministering to players and coaches during the pandemic season of 2020, the role his father played in shaping him spiritually and why his heart in serving with his wife is to help restore and strengthen marriages.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with George, you'll love these conversations as well:
- Marcellus Casey - Kansas Chiefs Team Chaplain
- Kent Chevalier - Pittsburgh Steelers Team Chaplain
For more stories of sports and faith, check out our website SportsSpectrum.com.
Marty Lamb has been scouting baseball players for the Los Angeles Dodgers since 1999. Of the 10 first round picks for the Dodgers since 2015, Lamb was the area scout for six of them including Walker Buehler, Will Smith, Matt Beaty and Caleb Ferguson.
Lamb also serves on the Board of Directors for Refuge for Women, a nonprofit, faith-based organization providing specialized long-term care for women who have escaped human trafficking or sexual exploitation.
Today on the podcast, Marty Lamb tell us about his unique role behind the scenes as a scout for the Dodgers, coming to faith during his time in grad school at Mississippi State, and why he's passionate about helping women who have been caught in the perils of human trafficking.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Marty, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Kevin Burrell - White Sox Area Scouting Supervisor
- Sal Giardina – Pro Baseball Player
For more stories on sports and faith, check out our website SportsSpectrum.com
Vinny Rey played his entire nine year NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals. He came into the league as an undrafted free agent after playing his college football at Duke University.
After being waived on September 4, 2010, Vinny would sign to the practice squad with Cincinnati the next day and was promoted to the active roster in week 15. He would spend the next 8 years on the active roster until his retirement following the 2018 season.
Rey was twice nominated for the NFL's prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year award and was a four-year team captain and the Bengals' leading tackler in 2014, 2015 and 2017.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Vinny Rey about his unlikely journey to the NFL, growing up in New York City, his welcome to pro football moment, how his faith guides him each day and what the transition from current to former player has been like for him.
If you enjoyed this podcast with Vinny, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Andy Dalton - NFL Quarterback
- LaMorris Crawford - Cincinnati Bengals Team Chaplain
For more stories of sports and faith, check out our website SportsSpectrum.com
Bart Millard is the lead singer of the legendary Christian rock band MercyMe. The band, founded in 1994, has released eight studio albums and had 13 consecutive top-five singles on the Billboard Christian Songs chart.
Millard’s life was depicted in the movie “I Can Only Imagine,” in which actor Dennis Quaid starred as his father who struggled with addiction and violence before coming to faith before his death from cancer. MercyMe's new album INHALE/EXHALE releases everywhere April 30, 2021.
On today’s episode of the podcast, we talk to Millard about his 2 hour meeting with one of his music heroes, the satisfaction of having baseball back, the release of MercyMe's new album INHALE/EXHALE and the unique opportunity to produce a song with his son Sam.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Bart Millard, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
– Bart Millard 2020 Conversation
– Matthew West – Singer/Songwriter
For more stories of sports and faith, please check out our website SportsSpectrum.com.
Kerry McCoy is currently the Executive Director and head coach at the California Olympic Regional Training Center (RTC). Prior to that, he was the head wrestling coach for the University of Maryland from 2008-2019 where he led the Terps to three conference championships and was a three-time coach of the year. He also had coaching stints at Stanford University and Lehigh University.
As a wrestler at Penn State, McCoy was a three-time NCAA All-American and a two-time National Champion. He competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, won a Gold Medal at the 2003 Pan American Games and a Silver Medal at the 2003 World Championships.
Today on the podcast, Kerry shares his story of faith and wrestling and how God guided him through a journey that saw him participate in two Olympics as a wrestler and now the greater impact he hopes to have as a coach and mentor.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Kerry, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Tom Ryan - Ohio State Wrestling Coach
- Jose Campo - USA Wrestling Team Chaplain
For more stories on sports and faith, check out our website SportsSpectrum.com
Amy Downs was one of the last survivors to be pulled from the rubble of the April 19, 1995 Oklahoma City bombing in which a total of 168 people were killed including 18 of her 33 co-workers.
At the time of the bombing, Downs was a credit card loan officer who flunked out of college and weighed more than 350 pounds. In the last few years, Amy would not only lose 200 pounds, but she became a triathlete and even competed in an Ironman Triathlon.
Today on the podcast, Amy shares in detail, what it was like to be trapped and thinking her life was over after the OKC bombing and how God allowed her to not only survive, but thrive as a CEO, triathlete and author.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Amy Downs, we know you'll love these conversation as well:
- The Incredible story of Katie Lentz
- Chris Norton – The Seven Longest Yards
For more stories on sports and faith, check out our website SportsSpectrum.com.
Order Amy's new book "Hope is a Verb" here.
Larry Foote is currently the linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For 13 seasons, he was an NFL player with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals.
In college, Larry was a 2-time First Team All Big Ten selection and and a First-Team All-American during his time at the University of Michigan.
Larry has been a part of three Super Bowl championship teams, two as a player with the Steelers in 2005 and 2008 and one as a coach with the Buccaneers in 2020.
On today's podcast, we talk to Larry Foote about the 2020 season, being a Super Bowl champion as a coach, growing up in the inner city of Detroit, how his faith became real to him in college at Michigan and why it is important for him to be the light to those he's around as a coach in the NFL
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Larry, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Kent Chevalier, Steelers Chaplain
- Clyde Christensen, Buccaneers QB Coach
For more stories on sports and faith, check out our website SportsSpectrum.com.
Kyle Stark is a former MLB executive having worked with the front offices with the Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates from 2004-2019.
He was a front office assistant with the Indians for four seasons and then was hired as Director of Player Personnel with the Pirates in 2007. A few years later, in 2012, he was promoted to Assistant General Manager with the Pirates and helped lead Pittsburgh to three straight playoff appearances.
He currently is consulting coaches and leaders and has a passion to see others grow in their leadership and joins us on the podcast today to share what he learned during his many years in Major League Baseball, the door that he broke down to make it into Major League Baseball and why it is important for us James 1:2 and embrace the suck.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Kyle Stark, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
– Clint Hurdle - Former MLB Manager
– Jon Gordon, Power of a Positive Team
For more stories on sports and faith, check out our website SportsSpectrum.com
Dave Wilson was the Detroit Lions team chaplain for 33 seasons. He and his wife Ann co-founded Kensington Community Church and now co-host the nationally syndicated radio show FamilyLife Today.
Their first book "Vertical Marriage" released in 2019. Today on the podcast, we talk to them about their latest release, "No Perfect Parents" as they share fun and relevant stories on football, faith, pastoring, marriage and parenting.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Dave and Ann, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Dave and Ann Wilson on marriage from 2019
- Dan Orlovsky, ESPN NFL Analyst
For more stories on sports and faith, check out our website SportsSpectrum.com
Nick Graham is regarded as one of the top basketball player development specialists in the country. He grew up around college basketball and credited his dad, Paul's tenure as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State for developing him as a basketball teacher.
Nick would go on to play Division one college basketball at Washington State and now as a coach, has contributed to the development of thousands of players worldwide most notably, Jimmer Fredette, Trae Young, among other NBA and Division one college players.
Nick is also the author of "God x Basketball," a devotional aimed at character development. You can learn more about Nick by checking his website GodxBasketball.com.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Nick, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Jimmy Dykes, ESPN College Basketball Analyst
- King McClure – ESPN Analyst, Former Baylor Basketball Player
For more stories on sports and faith, check out our website SportsSpectrum.com
Mike McCartney is the Director of Football Operations for Priority Sports. For the past 25 years, he has been involved in college and pro football as a scout, coach and personal executive for more than 25 years.
In his current role, Mike was one of the first top-level front-office executives in the NFL to leave the league, during the salary cap era, for a major football representation firm.
On today's podcast, we talk to Mike about the importance of having great relationships with his players, his journey from the front office personnel executive to becoming a player agent and how he stays connected to the Lord in a tough environment as an agent.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Mike, you'll love these conversations as well:
- Kelli Masters - NFL Player Agent
- Molly McManimie - NFL Player Agent
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For more stories on sports and faith, visit our website: SportsSpectrum.com
Brenda Schultz-McCarthy is a former professional tennis player, who made her pro debut in September 1986 at the age of 15. In her 20 year pro career, Brenda had sixteen WTA titles including wins over Venus Williams, Lindsay Davenport and Monica Seles. She is known for her fast serve and in July of 2006, claimed her place as the fastest server in WTA history, recording a 130 mph serve in the first round of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open qualifying tournament in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Her career saw her reach the Finals of the French Open in 1988 and the US Open in 1995 in the Grand Slam Doubles competition. Her highest ranking was No. 9 overall in May of 1996.
Brenda's currently involved with her non-profit TedsFoundation, who's mission is to teach people how to holistically approach their health and way of living.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Brenda about growing up in Holland, her journey as a professional tennis player, the major health scare she had in 2011 giving birth to her son Damian and the role faith in the Lord plays in her life.
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If you enjoyed this conversation with Brenda, we know you'll love these podcast as well:
- Mary Pierce - Former French Open Tennis Champion
- Chris Young - Oklahoma State Women’s Tennis Coach
For more stories on sports and faith, check out our website SportsSpectrum.com
Mo Isom Aiken is the New York Times bestselling author of three books including "Wreck My Life" and "Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot."
During her college years at LSU, Mo was an All-American soccer goalie with the Lady Tigers team and holds the LSU all-time school record in women's soccer with 35 victories and 25 shutouts. During his college years, Mo also suffered tragedy as her father committed suicide in January of 2009, and in that same year, she was involved in a car accident that nearly took her life.
Today, Mo is married to Jeremiah, has three children with a fourth on the way, and is a sought after speaker. She also works with BOLDLIFE INITIATIVE, a ministry that exists to challenge, encourage, and equip Christ followers to pursue holy and bold lives.
Today on the podcast, Mo returns to the show to share about her new book "Fully Known," what it means to have true intimacy with God, what the last year has been like for her family, parenting young kids to pursue sports in a healthy way and the difference between working in ministry and having an intimate relationship with Christ.
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If you enjoyed this conversation with Mo, we know you'll love these podcasts as well:
Matt Doherty is a former North Carolina college basketball player and head coach. He was a member of the 1982 Tar Heels national championship team that featured future Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and James Worthy and future NBA superstar Sam Perkins.
After his playing career, Matt went into coaching and was the head basketball coach at Notre Dame, North Carolina, FAU and SMU. In his first year as head coach with his alma mater, he was the 2001 AP Coach of the Year.
On the podcast today, we talk to Matt about his Final Four memories, winning a national championship, playing with Michael Jordan, his favorite MJ stories, how his faith guides him as a leader and the lessons he learned from his former coach Dean Smith.
Matt's new book: REBOUND: FROM PAIN TO PASSION - LEADERSHIP LESSONS LEARNED is available everywhere books are found.
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Jon Acuff is a speaker, entrepreneur, podcast host and New York Times best selling author. His books "DO OVER" and "START" were New York Times bestsellers and Jon is an Inc. Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker.
His latest book, "SOUNDTRACKS: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking" releases April 6, 2021.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Jon about his new book, why he on the topic of overthinking, his Michael Jordan celebrity encounter during Jon's childhood and why hockey players are the best athletes.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Jon Acuff, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
– Jon Gordon - The Power of Positive Leadership
– Bill Curry – Super Bowl Champion, Former College Football Coach
For more stories of sports and faith, check us out at SportsSpectrum.com.