Sports Spectrum Podcast

Episode 316 Jade McCarthy is an Emmy-Award winning sports commentator. For 5 years, she was an anchor at ESPN, working on shows such as SportsCenter and NFL LIVE. She was released from her job at ESPN as part of a larger group of layoffs, on April 26, 2017. Prior to ESPN, Jade had broadcasting stops in Springfield, MA, Huntsville, AL, Philadelphia, PA and Boston, MA.  In the Fall of 2018, she returned to broadcasting, working for NBC Sports Boston as a host on its Patriots coverage.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Jade about her broadcasting journey and how her faith in Christ grew after being let go by ESPN.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 315 Shawn Purdy is a former pro baseball player. He played his college baseball at the University of Miami in Florida. After being selected three times in the MLB Amateur Draft in 1987, 1989 and 1990, he signed with the Angels after being selected in the 16th round of the 1991 draft. After pitching for eight seasons in the minor leagues from 1991-1998, he retired at the age of 29. Today, Purdy is the dad to three kids, all playing sports at a high level. His daughter, Whitney, plays softball at Southeastern University. His son, Brock, plays quarterback at Iowa State and was the Big 12 True-Freshman of the Year in 2018. His youngest son, Chubba, is a four-star high school QB recruit entering his senior year in 2019. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Shawn about his pro baseball journey, coming to faith in Christ in 1995, being a father to three kids who play elite sports, raising them up in the Lord, and the importance of keeping Christ at the center, even as they pursue their sports dreams. F

Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative, chaplain of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, and author of more than 100 books, booklets and Bible studies. He joined us on Episode 129 of our show to talk about his work with the Dallas Cowboys, how he got started in sports ministry, where the state of faith is in the NBA and the biggest spiritual battles athletes face. On this THROWBACK edition, we hear Dr. Evans share about the church's current role in the climate we're living in today and what his biggest regret is in his ministry.  You can listen to the entire interview from Episode 129 in July of 2018 here. 

Episode 314 Aubree Munro is a member to Team USA's softball team and a 2-time NCAA National Champion with the Florida Gators.  She has played in the 2016 and 2018 WBSC Women's World Championship, winning the Gold Medal both seasons. In 2018, she hit .389 with 3 HR, and 8 RBI.    On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Aubree about winning back to back national titles, the booming popularity of women's softball, her testimony of faith in Christ, being baptized 3 years ago and why she felt compelled to pray out loud during an at bat for Team USA against Japan last year.    For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 301 Beth Guckenberger is Executive Director of Back2Back Ministries, an international orphan care ministry serving abandoned, orphaned and impoverished children in Mexico, Nigeria, India and Haiti.  Since Beth and her husband Todd co-founded the international ministry in 1997, Back2Back has been providing care for today and hope for tomorrow through its proven five-point Child Development Model.  They strive to provide holistic care, meeting each child’s spiritual, physical, educational, emotional and social needs that they might overcome their life circumstances and break free from the cycle of generational poverty. This care is accomplished through a talented staff and national partners in each country as well as numerous individuals, churches and corporate partners, over 450 child sponsors and around 2500 mission trip guests each year. A gifted story-teller, Beth is the author of Reckless Faith (Zondervan, 2008), Relentless Hope (Standard Publishing, 2010), 5 books in the Storyweaver Series (Standa

Episode 312 David Pollack is a college football analyst for ESPN. He was selected 17th overall in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals where his career would be cut short by a neck injury sustained on September 17, 2006 in a game against the Cleveland Browns.  As a defensive end at the University of Georgia, he was just the second Bulldog to be named a three-time All-American. Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker was the first. He was the 2002 SEC Player of the Year, the 2003 and 2004 Ted Hendricks Award winner, and the 2004 Chuck Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award, Lott Trophy and SEC Defensive Player of the Year winner. His 36 sacks for the Bulldogs remain a school record. He joined ESPN in 2009 and has been a staple on their signature college football show, College Gameday, each Saturday morning.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to David about his football journey, how he came to trust in Jesus, overcoming adversity, turning a nightmare into a dream, and the importance of preaching the Gospel

Episode 311 Christina Haugan is the wife of the late Humboldt Broncos hockey head coach Darcy Haugan. Her husband died on April 6, 2018, in a horrific bus crash that killed 16 members of the junior hockey team.  This episode of the podcast features an interview done by contributing writer Dave Dawson, and shares the powerful story of Christina walking through the process of forgiveness after losing her husband and how her faith in Christ guided her and her family.  For more on Christina's story of forgiveness, check out the article written back in April of 2019 on Sports Spectrum here. 

Kelli Masters is an NFL Player Agent. She joined us in July of 2017 on Episode 30 and shared her story of how she came to be a sports agent and where her faith in Christ came from. Kelli is a former National Champion and Five-time World Champion Baton Twirler who graduated with honors from Law School at the University of Oklahoma. Kelli is also the first woman to represent an NFL first-round draft pick with Gerald McCoy (3rd overall) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2010. On this episode from July of 2017, Kelli shares how she stays connected to Christ, while working in a very difficult and ruthless environment.  Listen to the entire interview with Kelli from Episode 30 here.

Episode 310 Kyle Snyder is a 2016 Olympic Gold Medal winning wrestler. He is the youngest Olympic gold medalist and youngest World Champion in American wrestling history.  He was a 3-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. In May 2018, President Donald Trump appointed Snyder to be a member of his Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Kyle about being an Olympic Gold Medal winner, striving for another Olympic Gold Medal at Tokyo in 2020, how coaching mentors helped open up his eyes to who Jesus was, living out that life of faith as a wrestler, and why he hopes to wrestle until his late 30's.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 309 Caylin Louis Moore should be dead, in prison or stalking the streets of Compton with fellow gang members. Instead, at age 24, he’s a Rhodes Scholar, author, speaker, husband, father and role model for children deprived of hope in downtrodden communities, while at the same time illuminating the seemingly static barriers the youth may face every day. Football and faith played a big role in Moore’s life and eventually led him to Ft. Worth, Texas, to play Division I football at Texas Christian University. Moore’s first book, “A Dream Too Big: The Story of an Improbable Journey from Compton to Oxford” (Nelson Books, June 2019), recounts his exodus from one of the most impoverished, gang-infested communities in the United States to the elite spires of Oxford, England. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Moore about his difficult childhood, growing up in Compton, escaping the gangs and drugs to become a college football player, and then eventually a Rhodes Scholar. This is a powerful story that

Episode 308 Marcel Reece played 10 years in the NFL from 2008-2017 with the Dolphins, Raiders and Seahawks. After going undrafted in 2008 out of the University of Washington, he spent two years on the practice squad with the Raiders before getting his shot. And he made the most of his opportunity, going on to be selected for four Pro Bowls in his nine seasons with Oakland. After spending 2016 with the Seahawks, Reece was re-signed by Seattle in July 2017. But following the preseason, he was a final cut and released on Sept. 2, 2017. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Reece about growing up in Inglewood, Calif., as a Celtics fan, making it to the NFL after being undrafted, and the influence his grandmother and mother had on his journey to Jesus. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com   

Episode 307 Leah O'Brien-Amico is a softball legend. She's a three-time Olympic gold medal winner, a three-time NFCA first-team All-American and a three-time WCWS national champion in college. Considered one of the top women's softball players of the last 25 years, O'Brien-Amico was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame in 2009, the Athletes In Action Hall of Faith in 2008, and the University of Arizona Hall of Fame in 2002. Currently, she travels the country teaching, speaking and sometimes preaching, sharing her story of faith, hope, love and softball. She's also a broadcaster, doing work for ESPN and Westwood One in their coverage of college softball. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to O'Brien-Amico about her storied softball career, playing in the Olympics, her powerful testimony of faith, and what it was like playing with fellow legends Lisa Fernandez and Jennie Finch. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Today we look back to our interview from July of 2017 with Ted Barrett, Major League Baseball Umpire on the podcast.  Ted has been umpiring Major League Baseball Games since 1994. He became a full-time MLB umpire in 1999. Ted is the only umpire to ever be behind the plate for TWO perfect games. (David Cone in 1999 and Matt Cain in 2012) He has umpired in 4 World Series including the Red Sox Championship in 2007, the Cardinals title in 2011, the Giants beating the Royals to win it all in 2014 and the Red Sox beating the Dodgers in 2018.  Barrett is an ordained minister and recently completed his doctorate in theology. He is the co-founder of CALLING FOR CHRIST, a ministry serving professional baseball umpires. Listen to the entire interview with Ted from Episode 21 here. 

Episode 306   Trent Shelton is a former NFL wide receiver who is now considered one of the most impactful speakers of this generation. He reaches more than 50 million people weekly through his various social media outlets and non-profit organization, RehabTime. Shelton travels the world sharing his message of creating lasting change in life. After playing college football at Baylor, Shelton went undrafted in 2007 but eventually signed with the Indianapolis Colts. After stints with the Seattle Seahawks in 2008, Washington Redskins in 2009 and the Tulsa Talons of the Arena Football League in 2011, Shelton’s football career came to an end. Shelton’s first book, “The Greatest You,” was released May 7. On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Shelton about his football journey from Baylor to the NFL, growing up the son of a pastor, hitting rock bottom, losing his college roommate to suicide, fathering a son out of wedlock, and how God took him from a life of pain to a life of forgiveness and purpose. For more

Episode 305 Nick Ahmed is a shortstop with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2011, he was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft, and he was traded after the 2012 season to Arizona in a seven-player deal. He made his MLB debut on June 29, 2014. The University of Connecticut alum became the regular shortstop for the Diamondbacks in 2015, and in 2018 he won his first Gold Glove Award. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Ahmed about life on the road during a long 2019 MLB season, winning a Gold Glove last year, being a believer in the big leagues, and how he remains grounded in his walk with the Lord. We also hear the powerful story of how he came to Christ on a baseball field in Mobile, Ala., in 2013. You can help Ahmed raise money to serve the homeless and hungry, and provide life-saving and life-transforming resources, with his HITS campaign by clicking on his website - https://pledgeit.org/ahmed2019. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com   

Episode 304 Jeremiah Sirles plays offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills in the NFL. He played his college football at the University of Nebraska, where he earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a senior and second-team All-Big Ten as a junior, along with Academic All-Big Ten honors his senior year. After going undrafted in 2014, he signed with the Chargers where he would make his NFL debut on December 20, 2014 against the 49ers. In September of 2015, Sirles was traded to the Vikings where he would play the next two seasons. In 2017, he signed a contract with the Carolina Panthers before being released in September. A few weeks later, Buffalo signed him and after completing the 2018 season with the Bills, he would sign a new 1-year contract this past January to continue playing for Bills Mafia. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Jeremiah about life as an undrafted player and the less than glamorous journey he's taken to achieve his goal of playing in the NFL. We also hear from Sirles about hi

Episode 303 Clay Martin is entering his fifth season as an NFL official, and his second as a referee. The former college point guard at Oklahoma Baptist University, is also a high school basketball coach at Jenks High School in Oklahoma.  Martin bias also a former NCAA Division 1 assistant basketball coach with Texas Pan-American under Bob Hoffman. His football officiating career began in 2005. He began his college career in 2007 with Conference USA as a line judge where he worked the 2011 Conference USA championship, the 2011 Outback Bowl, the 2012 Holiday Bowl, the 2014 Conference USA championship and the 2015 East-West Shrine Game.    During his time as a college basketball player with OBU, his team reach the NAIA championship game in 1997 and the quarterfinals in 1999. He was a third-team All-American in 1999 and an honorable mention All-American in 1998. Martin holds the OBU records for career assists and steals and scored 1,126 points in 122 games.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Clay about

Lee Strobel joins us on this THROWBACK edition of the podcast. Lee is the former award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and best-selling author of more than 20 books. His classic, The Case for Christ, is a perennial favorite which details his conversion to Christianity. For the last 25 years, his life’s work has been to share the evidence that supports the truth and claims of Christianity, and to equip believers to share their faith with the people they know and love. Strobel’s life story is depicted in the recent release from Pure Flix: “The Case for Christ” and is available now on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download. On this episode from September 2017, Lee shares his connection to sports and wonderful stories on Cubs legend Ernie Banks and Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabaar.  Listen to the entire interview with Lee from Episode 36 here. 

Episode 302 Rob Likens is the offensive coordinator and QB coach at Arizona State. During his 25 year coaching career, Likens has made stops at Kansas, Cal, Louisiana Tech, Central Connecticut State, Temple and North Alabama. He joined Arizona State as their Wide Receivers coach in 2016 before taking over the offensive reigns in 2017. Likens currently has seven former players in the NFL at the wide receiver position, including Bryce Treggs (Philadelphia Eagles/California), Kenny Lawler (Seattle Seahawks/California), Chris Harper (San Francisco 49ers/California), Maurice Harris (Washington Redskins/California), Trevor Davis (Green Bay Packers/California), Quinton Patton (San Francisco 49ers/Louisiana Tech) and Myles White (Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Louisiana Tech). On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Coach Likens about working for Herm Edwards, living the life of a college coach, staying grounded in his faith, and why Jeremiah 17:5-8 is listed in his Twitter bio. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com

Episode 301 Bruce Pearl is the head men's basketball coach for the Auburn Tigers. His coaching career has spanned over 30 years and has included stops at Stanford, Iowa, Southern Indiana, Milwaukee, Tennessee and now Auburn.  In 1995, he was named Division II Coach of the Year at Southern Indiana and in 2006, during his time at Tennessee, was named Sporting News Coach of the Year.  In 2019, he led the Tigers to their first ever appearance at the NCAA Final Four before losing to eventual champion Virginia in the National Semi-Finals.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Coach Pearl about that Final Four appearance, why he was able to keep his poise and integrity after their difficult loss to Virginia, how his faith has evolved and transformed in his life over the past few years and why he's become more open about his relationship with God.