Sports Spectrum Podcast

Andrew McCutchen is starting his 11th season of Major League Baseball. He began his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates making his big league debut in June of 2009. After 9 seasons with the Bucs, he was traded in January 2018 to the San Francisco Giants. In August of 2018, he was again traded to the Yankees and 4 months later, signed a 3-year deal in December of 2018 with the Philadelphia Phillies.  Cutch is a 5-time All-Star and 4-time Silver Slugger Award Winner. He won a Gold Glove in 2012 and was named the National League's Most Valuable Player in 2013. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Andrew about the excitement surrounding his new team, his crazy 2018 that saw him change teams three times in a calendar year, why accountability is important to him in his walk with the Lord, the one piece of advice he'd give to a young player coming up, and his memories of his first major league game.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 268 Jayson Gee just completed his first year as associate head coach of the Eagle basketball program. Gee has spent 29 years coaching collegiate basketball. Previously, he was the head coach at Longwood from 2013-2018.  In addition to his time at Longwood, Gee was also a head coach at the University of Charleston (1996-2003) in West Virginia and combined has a 202-175 record in his head coaching career. That is just the tip of the iceberg for his experience as an assistant or associate head coach at Youngstown State (1989-93), Ohio University (1993-96), St. Bonaventure (2003-06) and Cleveland State (2006-13). The veteran hoops coach is also the author of The Battle for Brandon, a book that is a dramatic and compelling story about Jayson Gee and his wife Lynette and their son Brandon's courageous fight against child onset paranoid schizophrenia. The Gee family also worked with mass media veteran Chad Bonham to transform the book into a documentary that has received endorsements from Emmy Nominated an

James Brown is the host of CBS Sports' NFL Today show and joined us on Episode 17 of the podcast back in June of 2017.  Since February 2006, JB has served as host for the CBS Television Network’s NFL pre-game show, THE NFL TODAY. He has also hosted the Network’s Super Bowl pre-game show for its coverage of Super Bowl LIII in February 2019.  On this Throwback Thursday edition of the show, we bring back JB's story of his faith journey.  You can listen to the entire interview of Episode 17 of the podcast here.  For more, log on to SportsSpectrum.com 

Chris Low is a senior writer covering college sports for ESPN.com. A graduate of Tennessee, he grew up in South Carolina.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Chris about covering football everyday for ESPN, telling uplifting positive stories, his faith testimony, how his mom's passing encouraged him in his walk with the Lord and why he wants to live a sermon rather than preaching a sermon. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 267 Seth Morrison is the lead guitarist for the band Skillet. He joined the group in 2011 and has shared the stage with many well-known artists such as Disciple, Kutless, Sanctus Real, Tait, Audio Adrenaline, Relient K, TobyMac, Kirk Franklin and many more.  A die-hard sports fan, Seth pledges his allegiances to the Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Reds and the Ohio State Buckeyes.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Seth about his devotion to the Cincinnati Bengals, staying the course as a sports fan, following his call to be a musician, how he came to be a part of the band Skillet, what life on the road is like and reaching music fans in both the Christian and mainstream genres. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 266 Hugh Freeze was introduced as the ninth head coach in the history of the Liberty Flames' football program on Dec. 7, 2018. Prior to coming to Liberty, Freeze's collegiate head coaching stops have included Lambuth University (2008-09), Arkansas State (2011) and Ole Miss (2012-16) where he posted a combined 69-32 mark in eight seasons. In 2017, he resigned from his position at Ole Miss amid an NCAA investigation and evidence of personal misconduct. Prior to taking over as head coach at Lambuth, Freeze served on the Ole Miss staff from 2005-07, including the final two seasons as an assistant coach. Before going to Ole Miss, Freeze served 13 years at Briarcrest Christian School (Memphis, Tenn.) as a classroom teacher, coach and administrator. He was the Saints' head football coach from 1995 to 2004, running the no-huddle "spread system" for six years that led to six straight state championship games. Freeze compiled a 99-23 record while at Briarcrest, which included an undefeated season in 1996 and le

Episode 265 Blair Schaefer is a college basketball analyst for the SEC Network. She played her college basketball at Mississippi State where she was a part of a team that made back to back appearances in the Women's National Championship game.  She was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team and was the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2017-18. A standout guard for Starkville High School, Blair was rated as one of the state’s top players after coming to the Magnolia State from Texas following her sophomore season. She earned all-state honors her junior and senior seasons  after moving to Starkville High School from A&M Consolidated High School in College Station. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Blair about playing in back to back national title games, the differences in preparation for each game, beating Connecticut and ending their 111 game winning streak, how her faith in Christ was enhanced after her brother suffered a head injury, and what it was like to have her Dad as her coach in college. 

On this THROWBACK THURSDAY edition of the podcast, we revisit our conversation from Episode 20 with Pastor Louie Giglio of Passion City Church in Atlanta.  Louie Giglio is the founder of the Passion movement, which exists to call a generation to leverage their lives for the fame of Jesus. Since 1997, Passion has gathered collegiate-aged young people in events across the U.S. and around the world. At the Passion gathering in January of 2017, more than 55,000 students gathered in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome in one of the largest collegiate gatherings in its history. Louie is a passionate sports fan, who lives and dies with his Auburn Tigers football team. He’s also a huge fan of Atlanta sports, including the NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons. Giglio pastors tons of athletes in their walk with Jesus Christ and even started Passion City Church with a former NFL kicker, Todd Peterson. You can listen to the entire interview with Louie from Episode 20 in July of 2017 here.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 264 Andrew Putnam is a professional golfer on the PGA Tour. He played his college golf at Pepperdine University where he was a 3-time All-American. He made his professional debut in 2011, and he played on the eGolf Professional Tour in 2012. Putnam won for the first time as a professional in April 2014 at the WNB Golf Classic on the Web.com Tour.  He made his PGA Tour debut at the Shell Houston Open in 2014.  In August 2018, he gained his first PGA Tour win at the Barracuda Championship near Reno, Nevada. He finished the 2017-18 PGA Tour Season with 5 Top 10s and earned $2,387,382. He finished 35th in the season-long FedEx Cup. He began the 2019 season in January at the SONY Open in Hawaii where he finished second overall to Matt Kuchar.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Andrew about turning 30 years old, coming to faith in high school, his welcome to the PGA Tour moment with Tom Watson and Tiger Woods, being a part of the PGA Tour Bible study and why he became a part owner in a golf towel

Darryl Strawberry returns for his second appearance on the podcast. Darryl was selected number one overall in the 1980 MLB Amateur Draft by the New York Mets He made his MLB debut in May of 1983 and was a 7-time All Star for the Mets from 1984-1990. A member of the 1986 World Championship team, Darryl's 252 career home runs remains at the top of the Mets all-time list. In 1991, Strawberry signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. After a short stint with the Giants, Strawberry returned to New York and helped the Yankees win 3 World Series titles in 1996, 1998 and 1999.  After many years of struggling with substance abuse and addiction, Darryl has been sober for over a decade now and spreads the good news of Jesus across the country as a traveling evangelist.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Darryl about why he is traveling the country sharing the Gospel, the biggest struggle for men, why being all in for Christ is the only way, his memories of Gary Carter and Mariano Rivera and his thoughts on guys li

Episode 262 Carson Tinker is a veteran NFL long snapper who played 6 seasons in the NFL with the Jaguars before being released on March 8, 2019. He played his college ball at Alabama, where he won three BCS national championships as a member of Nick Saban's club.  After going undrafted in 2013, Tinker signed with the Jaguars and has remained with the club for his entire 6 year NFL career.  In April of 2011, Tinker's story became national news when he was injured in a devastating Alabama tornado that ended up taking the life of his girlfriend Ashley. Carson suffered a broken wrist, a concussion, and other injuries but was able to return to play and contribute to the 2011 and 2012 title teams.  In 2015, he married Annie and together, the couple has a son named, Carson Jr, a.k.a. ‘Hootie’ On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Carson about recovering from injury, his decision to go to Alabama and play for Nick Saban, how his faith has sustained him through the trials and especially in the aftermath of the 20

Episode 261 Selected in the 29th round of the 2002 MLB Amateur Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, Erik Kratz has lived the pro baseball life for the past 17 years. He would wait eight years until finally making his MLB debut in July 2010 at the age of 30 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His MLB journey has taken him from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, Toronto, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Houston, Pittsburgh and the Yankees in 2017. In 2018, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers and was part of a team that came within one game of the World Series. In the 2018 NLDS against Colorado, Kratz went 5-for-7 with 2 RBI, including a 3-hit game in the clinching game 3, and was the oldest player to make his postseason debut since Lave Cross of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1905. On this episode of the podcast, we hear about Erik's first experience in the postseason, how his faith has helped him stay grounded in his career, how much longer he wants to play and the story of him making his Major League debut in 2010 at age 30. For mo

On this THROWBACK THURSDAY edition of the podcast, we revisit our conversation from Episode 70 with former NFL player, coach and 2-time Super Bowl champion Bill Curry.  Bill played in the NFL under legendary coaches Vince Lombradi and Don Shula and snapped the ball to Hall of Famers Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas.  He coached at Georgia Tech, Alabama and Georgia State and then became an analyst for ESPN where he broadcasted games and appeared on shows such as Mike and Mike in the Morning.  You can listen to the entire interview with Bill from Episode 70 in January of 2018 here.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 260 Mark Berokoff is in his sixth year as the Head Men's Basketball Coach at Randall University in Moore, Oklahoma. He has led Randall to three straight NCCAA Division 2 National Championships (16, 17, and 18) and in 2015-2016 was named NCCAA D2 National Coach of the Year award. On this episode of the podcast, we learn about Randall University, the NCCAA, Coach Randall's faith journey, how he stays grounded after winning 3 straight national championships, and leading through the successes and failures of a long season. For more log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 259 Daniel McKim is one of the most unique athletes we've ever had on the podcast. He is one of the best to ever compete in the Scottish Highland Games where he's won three world titles, four national championships and two world records. Training and humor are two of his passions, which has made him a large, funny man who is a sought after athlete, speaker and author. McKim resides in the Kansas City area with his wife, Natalie, and their five boys. On this episode of the podcast, we learn about Daniel's unique journey to the Scottish Highland games, what type of training he goes through to compete, spiritual battles he's faced on his walk with Christ and how he lives out his faith every day. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 258 Lance Berkman played 15 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Astros, Cardinals, Yankees and Rangers. He was a 6-time All-Star and a member of the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals World Series championship team. Scott Linebrink pitched 12 seasons in the big leagues with 6 different teams from 2000-2011. Scott is the "stewardship coordinator" for Water Mission, a non-profit Christian ministry that looks to provide sustainable safe water solutions to people in need. On this episode of the podcast, we sat down with Lance and Scott at a conference in Florida and discussed why it is important to use your platform to give back, and how all people, athletes included, are called to live out the Great Commission in their lives. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 257 Devin and Jason McCourty made history on February 3, 2019 becoming the first set of twin brothers to play in and win a Super Bowl, beating the Rams in Super Bowl LIII.  Jason was selected in the 6th round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. After playing 7 years with the Titans, he played one season with the Browns in 2017 and was then traded to the Patriots in March of 2018. He was a key contributor to New England's Super Bowl run. Devin was selected in the 1st round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and has played his entire career with the Pats. The 2-time Pro Bowl safety has played in five Super Bowls, winning three.  On this episode of the podcast, co-host Wesley Woodyard of the Tennessee Titans joins Jason Romano in a poignant conversation with the McCourty twins, looking back at what it was like to win a Super Bowl together as twin brothers, the bond of faith that they share and an update on Devin and Jason's immediate football future.  For more, log on to http://

On this THROWBACK THURSDAY edition of the podcast, we revisit our conversation from Episode 69 with former lead singer of the band Third Day, Mac Powell.  When Mac was a sophomore in high school, he moved to Atlanta, GA where his passion for music and faith found an outlet in the band THIRD DAY. Over the past 25 years THIRD DAY helped transform Christian music and built a devoted fan base while traveling the world many times over, selling nearly 10 million albums, earning 4 Grammy awards, 1 American Music Award, 24 Dove Awards, and by being inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. In 2018, THIRD DAY ended their time together as Mac and others pursued other passions and projects. Mac has also put together two collections of independent original country music (Mac Powell in 2012 and Southpaw in 2014), which include collaborations with songwriters such as Darius Rucker, Christian Bush (Sugarland), Chris Stapleton, and Travis Tritt. You can listen to the entire interview with Mac from Episode 69 in January

Episode 256 Xavier Scruggs played professional baseball in 2017 and 2018 in Korea. He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 19th round of the 2008 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut with St. Louis on September 4, 2014 and played 2 seasons with the Cardinals before moving to the Marlins in 2016. In December 2016, he made the decision to sign with the NC Dinos in in Korea where he hit .300 with 35 home runs in 2017.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Xavier about baseball in Korea, the decision to go play overseas after 3 seasons of Major League Baseball, what God taught him in Korea and how he stayed grounded in his faith playing baseball with the Dinos.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 255 Chris Draft played 12 years in the NFL with the Bears, 49ers, Falcons, Panthers, Rams, Bills and Redskins. He was selected in the 1998 NFL Draft in the 6th round (157 overall). He was a four-year letter winner and a three-year starter at inside linebacker for Stanford in college where he was a two-time Second-team All-Pacific-10 Conference selection.  Draft is the Founder, President, and CEO of the Chris Draft Family Foundation (CDFF) whose mission has been to empower families to lead healthy lifestyles. He is also the Co-Founder of Team Draft, leading the creation of a national campaign that is changing the face of lung cancer. He is an internationally recognized speaker, community leader, and family and character advocate who serves as an NFL Ambassador and a national spokesperson on many health-related issues, including the care and treatment of asthma, from which he suffers, and lung cancer. In 2006, while with the Carolina Panthers, he met Keasha Rutledge. In November 2010, after Chris had an