Sports Spectrum Podcast

Episode 350 Bradley Pinion is the punter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was the only punter selected in the 2015 NFL Draft. The 49ers chose him with their 5th round selection.  The Clemson alum led the NFL in punts in 2016 with 100 and has a career 43.7 yards per punt in his four NFL seasons. In March of 2019, Pinion signed a four-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  On this episode of the podcast, Bradley Pinion shares his incredibly powerful testimony and the amazing story that drew him closer to the Lord and led him to making the decision to play college football at Clemson. He also talks about leaving early for the NFL Draft and betting on himself as he trusted in God.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 349 Blake Anderson was named Arkansas State's head football coach on Dec. 19, 2013. Anderson has led A-State to five consecutive winning seasons, five straight bowl game appearances (2018 Arizona Bowl, 2017 Camellia Bowl, 2016 Cure Bowl, 2015 New Orleans Bowl and 2014 GoDaddy Bowl) and back-to-back Sun Belt Conference championships in 2015 and 2016 his initial five seasons at the helm.   Prior to his arrival at Arkansa State, Anderson spent the previous two seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at North Carolina, where he helped lead the Tar Heels to an Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division title in 2012 and the Belk Bowl in 2013.  Under Anderson’s direction, North Carolina averaged 432.4 total yards per game in 2013 after setting the school record the previous year with 485.6 yards per contest.  Prior to his arrival in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels had not averaged 400 yards in a season since 1993. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Blake about preparing for the 2019 s

Episode 348 Brandon Williams plays defensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens. Williams was selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by Baltimore (94th overall) and has been a mainstay on the defensive line for the Ravens for the past 6 years.  In 2017, Brandon signed a 5-year contract extension and in 2018 was named to his first Pro Bowl. On this episode of the podcast, Brandon shares his emotional story of overcoming obstacles in college to reach the NFL and forming a deep connection with God.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

On this throwback edition of the podcast, we look back to April 2018, Episode 103 and our conversation with NFL linebacker Thomas Davis.  Thomas is a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker with the Carolina Panthers. He was the 2014 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, and played in Super Bowl 50 with Carolina. Selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by Carolina, Davis played the first 14 seasons of his career with the Carolina Panthers. In March of 2019, he signed a deal to play with the Los Angeles Chargers.   On this podcast, we hear from Thomas about growing up in small-town Georgia and why not having a dad in his life as a kid has formed how he parents and loves his own children. You can listen to the entire interview with Thomas from Episode 103 here or by searching his name on iTunes, Spotify, iHeart Radio, or anywhere else podcasts are found. 

Episode 347 Jim Leyritz played 11 years in the Major Leagues with the Yankees, Angels, Rangers, Red Sox, Padres and Dodgers. Known for his versatility, Leyritz played catcher, first base, third base and the outfield.  He was undrafted after playing his college ball at Kentucky and was signed by the New York Yankees as a free agent in 1985. Five years later, he made his New York Yankees debut on June 8, 1990. During his time with the Bronx Bombers, Leyritz hit two of the most memorable home runs in Yankees playoff history. In 1995, he hit a walk-off 15th inning home run in the 1995 Divisional Series against Seattle at Yankee Stadium to give New York a 7-5 win. One year later, in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series, Leyritz hit a game-tying three-run home run off the Braves closer Mark Wohlers that would catapult the Yankees to three straight wins and their first championship in 18 years.  After 1996, Leyritz would play for four different teams including the Angels and Rangers in 1997 along with the Red Sox and Pad

Episode 346 Danielle Scott is one of the most decorated female volleyball players of all-time. In 1993, she was the National Player of the Year and national champion with Long Beach State. A two-time Olympic Silver Medalist, she participated in five Olympic Games (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012). She holds the U.S. Female Volleyball athlete record for Olympic apperances and was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2016. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Danielle about her storied volleyball career and participating in the Olympics. The conversation then takes a turn as we discuss the very tragic events that occurred in November of 2018 when Danielle's sister Stefanie was killed by her estranged husband. Danielle was present that day and suffered wounds to both of her palms and her left thigh, knee and lower leg. We hear Danielle's emotional story of forgiveness, pain, and trusting in God throughout this very difficult season of life. 

Episode 345 Mike Donehey is the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for the award-winning Christian rock band Tenth Avenue North. Since 2000, he has been sharing the truth of the gospel in front of millions of people through song and speaking. Mike was born in Omaha, Nebraska and grew up a sports fan. Music wasn't on the radar. Starring on the soccer team at his high school in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Mike and his two teammates were driving to a game in September of 1998 when his Honda swerved out of control, flipped several times and crashed into a tree. Mike's injuries were numerous, a fractured skull, fractured vertebrae, 96 stitches, five days in intensive care and was told he would never walk again.  Two months later, Mike proved the doctors wrong and was up and moving and walking again. It was during that time in his recovery that he picked up a guitar for the first time and discovered a love for music that has taken him down a road he has remained on for the past 20 years.  In August of 2019, Mike r

Episode 344 Mark Richt is the former head football coach with the University of Georgia and the University of Miami (Fl). He played his college football with the Hurricanes from 1979-1982, serving as the backup quarterback to now hall of fame QB Jim Kelly. After stints in the NFL playing behind John Elway with the Broncos and Dan Marino with the Dolphins, Richt entered the coaching world in 1990, where he would serve as an assistant coach under Bobby Bowden at Florida State. He was a part of two national championship teams with Florida State in 1993 and 1999. In 2001, he became the head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs and was named SEC Coach of the Year twice (2002, 2005). In 2016,  he moved to Miami to coach the Hurricanes. He was named ACC Coach of the Year in 2017, winning the Walter Camp Coach of the Year that same season. After the 2018 season, Richt announced his retirement from coaching and is now beginning his first year as a broadcaster with the brand new ACC Network.  On this episode of the podcast, w

Today we look back to April of 2018, Episode 100 of the Sports Spectrum podcast with softball legend Jennie Finch. Jennie is a two-time U.S. Olympic softball player. She won a gold medal in 2004 and a silver in 2008. The seven-time USA Softball world champion went to the University of Arizona, where she was a picture of pure dominance. She went 32-0 her junior year with an ERA of 0.54, 279 strikeouts and a national championship. For her four-year college career, she went 119-16, with an ERA of 1.08 and 1,028 strikeouts. She was named by the NCAA as the No. 2 greatest college softball player. In 2017, Finch was named the youth softball ambassador by Major League Baseball and despite retiring in 2011, she continues to teach young girls about the game. She holds Jennie Finch Softball Camps across the U.S. and has a softball academy at Diamond Nation in Flemington, N.J., and she also hosts the Jennie Finch World Series in Louisiana. Jennie's faith in the Lord is strong and she shares on this portion of the podcas

Episode 343 Levi Wallace plays cornerback for the Bills. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by Buffalo in 2018 following a successful college career that saw him win a National Championship in 2017 with Alabama.  He started 14 games his senior year with the Crimson Tide with 3 interceptions, 46 tackles and a championship ring.  In 2018, he not only made the Bills roster, but had 7 starts, 37 combined tackles and 3 pass deflections, earning him the highest grade among all rookie cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Levi about overcoming obstacles, making the Alabama team as a walk-on, the whirlwind year of 2018, his powerful testimony of coming to Christ after his Dad's passing and his welcome to the NFL moment. 

Episode 342 Chris Young is entering his 11th year as the Director of Tennis at Oklahoma State. He's also the head women's tennis coach, having led his team for eight straight years into the NCAA Tournament. He's led OSU to the National Championship game in 2016, the Elite Eight in 2017 and the Sweet Sixteen in four of the past 5 seasons. In 2019, Oklahoma State went all the way to the Super Regionals of the NCAA Tournament before losing to No. 1 North Carolina. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Chris about walking the walk of faith as a tennis coach, the tough challenges that come in being a college coach, how his faith has been tested in helping his wife through a health scare, and how he stays fed in his walk with God as a coach. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com.

Episode 341 Akbar Gbajabiamila is the host of NBC's Emmy-nominated obstacle course competition series American Ninja Warrior. He also hosts Universal Kids' spin-off American Ninja Warrior Junior, as well as NFL Network's NFL Fantasy Live.  A former NFL player, Akbar was signed by the Oakland Raiders in 2003 after going undrafted out of San Diego State. He played 5 seasons with the Raiders, Chargers and Dolphins before retiring in 2008. Akbar's book "Everyone Can Be a Ninja" was released in May of 2019.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Akbar about readers responding to his new book, how a dream he had challenged him in his Christian faith, having a platform to share about God with empathy and love, the greatest NFL lesson he learned, and his surprising 2019 NFL Super Bowl prediction.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 340 Donnell Jones is the character coach for the University of Maryland Men's Basketball and Football teams. He's also the chaplain for the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the lead pastor of Grace Covenant Church in Washington D.C.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Donnell about his involvement with the Nations of Coaches, wearing the different hats of husband, dad, character coach, chaplain and lead pastor, his powerful story of crying out to God in his lowest point and how he was able to reconcile with the son he had never met. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 339 Jordan and Mary Richards are our guests on this edition of the podcast. Jordan is a safety with the Oakland Raiders. He was selected in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He's been a part of two Super Bowl teams and won a ring with the Patriots Super Bowl LI win over the Falcons in 2017.  On August 31, 2018, Richards was traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a conditional 2020 seventh-round draft pick and then signed a 1-year deal in March of 2019 with the Raiders.  Jordan and Mary married in 2018 and on this episode of the podcast, share their journey of marriage, faith and football, preparing for a new season in Oakland, appearing on HBO's Hard Knocks, and at the end of the interview, make a big announcement.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

On this throwback edition of the podcast, we bring you a conversation with 6-time MLB All-Star Lance Berkman.  Lance played 15 seasons with the Astros, Cardinals, Yankees and Rangers. He played in two World Series with the Astros in 2005, and the Cardinals in 2011 and was a key contributor to the St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series where he hit .417 with 11 hits, 9 runs scored, and a clutch RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning to stave off elimination and eventually help the Cards beat the Rangers in Game 6 and eventually win it all. A husband to Cara, and a Dad to four daughters, Berkman is currently working with former teammate and friend, Andy Pettitte, the longtime Yankees pitcher, where they both coach high school baseball for Second Baptist School in Houston. You can listen to the entire interview with Lance from Episode 31 here or by searching his name on iTunes/Apple podcasts or Spotify. 

Episode 338 William Byron is in his second season as driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Byron earned Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018, tallying four top-10 finishes and ranking 23rd in the standings. He is paired with seven-time championship crew chief Chad Knaus in 2019. Byron scored four wins in the Xfinity Series as a rookie in 2017 en route to the series championship, and his seven wins in the Gander Outdoors Trucks Series in 2016 set a NASCAR record by a first-year driver. In 2019, he won the Dayton 500 pole position and has had 6 top-ten finishes as of this podcast release.  On this episode of the podcast, we talked to William in the middle of his 2019 Monster Energy racing season and learned about his journey of faith, staying connected to the Lord during a long season, what the lifestyle of a NASCAR driver is like during a long season and how he balances it all with college studies at Liberty.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.

Brad Hurtig was a student-athlete in a small town in Northwest Ohio. Only days after finishing his sophomore year of high school, a devastating accident resulted in the amputation of both of Brad’s hands. Through hard work and determination Brad soon rejoined his high school football team. In his senior year, Brad led his team defense, recording 111 tackles and received all-state honors all while playing with no hands. Brad’s inspirational story of triumph quickly captured national headlines. Now Brad is taking his life-changing message to students across the nation. On this episode of the podcast, Brad shares his incredible story of having both of his hands amputated, how Christ has helped guide him, what "if you're thirsty, you'll find a way" means to him in his life, and why he's so passionate about sharing his story to help others.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 336 Matt Forte and Justin Forsett joined us on this episode of the Sports Spectrum podcast.  Matt was selected in the 2nd round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears and played 8 seasons in Chicago and then signed with the New York Jets, where he played two more seasons before announcing his retirement with Sports Spectrumin March of 2018. He is a 2-time Pro Bowler in 2011 and 2013. Justin was selected in the 7th round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks and played 9 NFL seasons with the Seahawks, Colts, Texans, Jaguars, Ravens, Lions and Broncos. He was named to the Pro Bowl after rushing for a career-high 1,266 yards with Baltimore in 2014.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Matt and Justin about retirement, adjusting to life after the NFL, idolatry as a football player, keeping Jesus in the conversation, and being all in for Christ.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com   

Episode 335 Bethany Hamilton is our guest today on the show. She was thrust in the spotlight at just 13 years old when she was attacked by a 14-foot Tiger Shark and losing her arm. The traumatic injury seemingly ended her dream career as a professional surfer.  However, one month after the attack, Bethany returned to surfing and within two years had won her first national surfing title. Bethany’s foundation of faith has been her backbone; her source of truth, hope, and strength. At 17 years old, she realized her dream of surfing professionally and she is still an active surf competitor to this day. Bethany has been able to touch a large number of people with her faith message, charitable efforts, and overall spirit. Her greatest joy is being a wife and mother, and she continues to touch and inspire lives globally as a professional surfer, author and motivational speaker. She currently has her own blogon helping others become unstoppable. Her latest project is a new film called "Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable,"

Today on the podcast we throw it back to February 2018 and a conversation we had with 3-time NAIA Division II National Champion coach Greg Tonagel of Indiana Wesleyan.  Coach Tonagel just finished his 14th season as the head coach of the Wildcats and is a 3-time NABC/NAIA Division II National Coach of the Year. On this throwback edition of the podcast, we talk to Coach Tonagel about discipleship in his program and teaching his players the "I am Third" model, Jesus first, others second, ourselves third. You can listen to the entire interview with Coach Tonagel from Episode 84 by searching on this podcast app or by clicking on our website here.