Sports Spectrum Podcast

Episode 185 Kevin McCadam played 5 seasons in the NFL with the Falcons and Panthers. He was selected in the 5th round of the 2002 NFL Draft by Atlanta where he would play 4 seasons before signing in Carolina in 2006.  He played his college football at Virginia Tech where he starred at safety for the Hokies. In 2007, his NFL career was over after being released by the Jaguars in the preseason.  But it was what happened to his life after retirement that changed him forever.  Kevin is now the assisting pastor at Calvary Chapel in Morgantown, West Virginia. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Kevin about his NFL journey, playing with Michael Vick, winning a playoff game at Lambeau Field, coming to faith in Christ after his playing days and leaving the sports world to go into ministry full-time in West Virginia.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

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 XLIV (2010) and for Super Bowl XLI (2007). On this Throwback Thursday edition of the show, we bring back JB's story of how he shares his faith in the workplace.  You can listen to the entire interview of Episode 17 of the podcast here.  For more, log on to SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 184 Les Norman was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 25th round of the 1991 MLB Draft. He made his Major League debut on May 29, 1995 and played 2 seasons with the Royals.  He is currently a syndicated sports radio host, TV analyst, author and motivational speaker. You can hear his show "Breaking the Norm" on ESPN's 1510 AM and 94.5 FM in Kansas City each Tuesday as well streaming on his website LesNorman.com.  Les grew up in less than ideal conditions with a father who was abusive and an alcoholic. Years of battling the ‘father wounds’ drove Les to those same addictions, and attempts to cover them up almost cost him his family.  Through God’s healing power and His Word, Les uses His story and years of experience to share and help other men live a life ARMED for battle. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Les about growing up with an abusive father, how he dealt with his Dad's death, how baseball drove him to many of the same decisions that his Dad had made and the awesome story of a co

Episode 183 Jason Eaker joined Oklahoma Baptist as their head men’s basketball coach in April 2018. Eaker, who spent one season in a Bison uniform before finishing his playing days at Hardin-Simmons University, grew up coming to OBU games. His father, Allen Eaker, is an OBU Athletics Hall of Famer who played on the 1966 OBU national championship basketball team. Eaker came to OBU from Mercer, where he has been an assistant coach since 2013. He has 15 years of coaching experience, including nine years as a NCAA Division I assistant coach. He has been in the postseason six times with three different programs and has recruited or developed 16 players that have earned All-Conference honors. Eaker previously worked as an assistant coach at Liberty University from 2007 to 2013 after being director of basketball operations for the Flames from 2005 to 2007. Eaker spent a year as Kelvin Sampson’s graduate assistant at the University of Oklahoma in the 2004-05 season and started his basketball staff career as Hoffman’s

Episode 182 Jason Eaker joined Oklahoma Baptist as their head men’s basketball coach in April 2018. Eaker, who spent one season in a Bison uniform before finishing his playing days at Hardin-Simmons University, grew up coming to OBU games. His father, Allen Eaker, is an OBU Athletics Hall of Famer who played on the 1966 OBU national championship basketball team. Eaker came to OBU from Mercer, where he has been an assistant coach since 2013. He has 15 years of coaching experience, including nine years as a NCAA Division I assistant coach. He has been in the postseason six times with three different programs and has recruited or developed 16 players that have earned All-Conference honors. Eaker previously worked as an assistant coach at Liberty University from 2007 to 2013 after being director of basketball operations for the Flames from 2005 to 2007. Eaker spent a year as Kelvin Sampson's graduate assistant at the University of Oklahoma in the 2004-05 season and started his basketball staff career as Hoffman's

Episode 181 Ashley Brewer covers sports in Los Angeles for ABC7 as a reporter and anchor.  Ashley attended the University of Southern California, where she was a member of the varsity women's swimming team and competed in the 2012 Olympic Trials (100-meter backstroke).  After graduating from USC, Ashley became a college football sideline reporter for Cox 7 Arizona. She then became the weekend sports anchor at KGUN-9, the ABC affiliate in Tucson, Arizona. In her two years at KGUN, Ashley covered all professional and college sports, as well as Super Bowl XLIX and the 2016 College Football National Championship game. Her love of sports comes from growing up in a family of five Division-I athletes. Her oldest brother, Charles, was a pitcher for the Diamondbacks, her brother Chase played baseball at UCLA, and her younger brother Connor played QB at the University of Virginia. Her younger sister, Abby, played volleyball at USC. Ashley's mother, Deborah Pyburn Brewer, was also a television anchor in Phoenix for al

Ernie Johnson hosts TNT's Inside the NBA and joined us on Episode 7 of the podcast back in May of 2017.  On this Throwback Thursday edition of the show, we bring back Ernie's story of coming to faith in Christ.  You can listen to the entire interview of Episode 7 of the podcast here.  For more, log on to SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 180 Tony Bennett has been the men's basketball coach at the University of Virginia since 2009. He's led the Cavaliers to 3 ACC regular season titles, and 2 ACC conference titles. In 2018, Virginia was the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament after finishing with a 31-3 record. For his accomplishments, Bennett was named the NABC Coach of the Year, the Naismith Coach of the Year and the AP National Coach of the Year.  After playing his college basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay under his father Dick Bennett, Tony was selected in the second round of the 1992 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He would go on to a 4-year NBA stint from 1992-95 before a foot injury would end his career.  Prior to Virginia, Bennett was the head coach at Washington State, where he brought that program to the national spotlight by winning 26 game in back-to-back seasons in 2006-07 and 2007-08.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Coach Bennett about becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a

Episode 179 Christa Dietzen is a 2-time Olympic Volleyball player with Team USA. She was the co-captain of the 2012 London team that captured the Silver Medal and the 2016 team that won Bronze. She was selected to join the U.S. National team roster in May of 2009. Prior to that, she  led Penn State University to 2 back-to-back NCAA championships. The 2007 Big-10 player of the year retired from volleyball following the 2016 Olympics and is now a public speaker, encouraging and sharing her testimony and story to others. In part 2 of our two-part podcast, Christa shares the emotional journey of her first Olympic experience in London at the 2012 games, returning to the 2016 games in Rio, retiring at the age of 29 and how her platform has led her to sharing and speaking about her faith testimony to others.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 178 Christa Dietzen is a 2-time Olympic Volleyball player with Team USA. She was the co-captain of the 2012 London team that captured the Silver Medal and the 2016 team that won Bronze. She was selected to join the U.S. National team roster in May of 2009. Prior to that, she  led Penn State University to 2 back-to-back NCAA championships. The 2007 Big-10 player of the year retired from volleyball following the 2016 Olympics and is now a public speaker, encouraging and sharing her testimony and story to others. In part one of our 2-part podcast, Christa shares how she came to love volleyball, her time at Penn State and how her drive toward becoming an Olympian actually led her to faith in Christ. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 177 George Schroeder is in his 7th season covering college football for USA Today. Previously, he worked in Arkansas and Oregon before taking the job with USA Today in 2012.  The University of Oklahoma grad is married to Elizabeth and has 3 children, Elizabeth, 18, George, 17 and Christopher, 8.  On this episode of the podcast, we hear about George's work covering college football and where George's passion for the sport began. But the majority of this interview is spent telling the story of George's son Christopher and how God was able to do a miracle in his young son's life. This is a story of faith, trust, hope and love through a difficult season of life for George Schroeder and his family.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 176 Charlie Ward played 11 seasons in the NBA with the Knicks, Spurs and Rockets. He was selected in the first round of the 1994 NBA Draft by New York (26th overall) after a stellar college career that saw him shine as a football player. In 1993, Charlie won the Heisman Trophy as college football's most outstanding player. He would lead the Seminoles to the National Championship and 13 years later, would be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Ward is the only Heisman Trophy winner to ever play in the NBA and he was a member of the Knicks team in 1999 that made it all the way to the NBA Finals before losing to San Antonio. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Charlie Ward about the 25th anniversary of that 1993 college football season, deciding to play pro basketball instead of football, what Florida State coach Bobby Bowden taught him about faith, how he lived his life in the NBA as an outspoken follower of Christ and why he decided to start the Charlie Ward Family Foundatio

Episode 175 Kyle Gibson is a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins. In 2018, he set career-highs in ERA (3.62), innings pitcher (196.2), and strikeouts (179). His 10 wins placed second for a club that finished the year with 11 wins in their final 14 games.  Selected in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft, Gibson has been a part of the Twins organization his entire pro career.  He made his MLB debut on June 29, 2013 going 6 inning and getting the win against the Kansas City Royals.  On this episode of the podcast, Kyle helps us preview the 2018 World Series, shares what its like to pitch at Fenway Park, seeing his former teammate Brian Dozier get traded and now playing in the World Series, and what he learned from the Lord this year that was different from other seasons as an MLB player.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 174 Rich Donnelly coached and played professional baseball for 48 seasons. He was signed as a catcher by the Minnesota Twins in 1967 and played for the late, great baseball legend, Ted Williams. He has spent 25 years as a MLB coach with the Rangers, Pirates, Marlins, Rockies, Brewers, Dodgers and Mariners. In 2018, he spent time as a coach with the New York Mets minor league affiliate in Brooklyn. Rich was a member of the 1997 Florida Marlins team that won the World Series. A book on the life of Rich titled "The Chicken Runs at Midnight"released on October 2, 2018 with Zondervan Publishers. In part 2 of our two-part podcast, Rich Donnelly shares takes the story of "The Chicken Runs at Midnight" and shares why his daughter Amy's death helped him as more difficult times entered into his life. Overcoming cancer, the loss of another son and watching two daughters get caught in a mass shooting. Through it all, Rich has remained positive and faithful to God's promises.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpec

Episode 173 Rich Donnelly coached and played professional baseball for 48 seasons. He was signed as a catcher by the Minnesota Twins in 1967 and played for the late, great baseball legend, Ted Williams. He has spent 25 years as a MLB coach with the Rangers, Pirates, Marlins, Rockies, Brewers, Dodgers and Mariners. In 2018, he spent time as a coach with the New York Mets minor league affiliate in Brooklyn. Rich was a member of the 1997 Florida Marlins team that won the World Series. A book on the life of Rich titled "The Chicken Runs at Midnight"released on October 2, 2018 with Zondervan Publishers. In part 1 of our two-part podcast, Rich Donnelly shares where his baseball journey began, how the story of his daughter Amy and her battle with cancer birthed the phrase "The Chicken Runs at Midnight," and why his faith was incredibly impacted by the circumstances surrounding his daughter's death. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 172 At the age of 15, high school freshman and basketball player avid David Cooks experienced a spinal aneurism, leaving him a T-6 paraplegic. Refusing to let the wheelchair determine the man, he made the decision to persevere from the very beginning - and he never let go of his passion for the game of basketball.  On this episode of the podcast, author and speaker David Cooks shares shares his inspiring story of becoming a paraplegic, trusting God in the difficult times, overcoming and persevering, meeting legendary hall of fame coach Mike Krzyzewski from Duke and why he decided to tell his story in his new book "Getting Undressed: From Paralysis to Purpose." For more, log on to https://sportsspectrum.com/category/sports-spectrum-podcast/ 

Episode 171 Matt Forte played 10 seasons with the Bears and Jets from 2008-2017 and was selected to 2 Pro Bowls. He rushed for 1,000 yards 5 times in his career and is second on Chicago's list of all-time leading rushers behind the great Walter Payton.  In March of 2017, Forte announced his retirement from football with Sports Spectrum. He's currently working as an NFL analyst covering the Bears for NBC Sports Chicago and spending more time with his wife Danielle and his children. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Matt about life after football, transitioning to the next phase of life, thoughts on Vontae Davis' abrupt halftime retirement, why it's important to be ready to preach God's word wherever you go, and the importance of making time for your wife in sustaining a healthy marriage.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 170 Will Startup was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 5th round of the 2005 MLB Amateur Draft. He played his college ball at the University of Georgia where he pitched in the 2004 College World Series. He was a minor league pitcher for 10 season from 2005-2014 with the Braves, Padres, Orioles and Tigers organizations. In 2006, Startup quickly moved through the minor league system and made it all the way to Triple A in Richmond. He did pitch in a Major League spring training, but never made it to the big leagues and finished his pro career in 2014, pitching in one game for Triple-A Toledo (Detroit Tigers organization). In part 2 of this two-part episode of the podcast, Will continues to share the emotional and powerful story of his son Copeland. He also takes us to the moment in 2018 when he was finally able to make his Major League Baseball debut, but not in the way you think.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 169 Will Startup was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 5th round of the 2005 MLB Amateur Draft. He played his college ball at the University of Georgia where he pitched in the 2004 College World Series. He was a minor league pitcher for 10 season from 2005-2014 with the Braves, Padres, Orioles and Tigers organizations. In 2006, Startup quickly moved through the minor league system and made it all the way to Triple A in Richmond. He did pitch in a Major League spring training, but never made it to the big leagues and finished his pro career in 2014, pitching in one game for Triple-A Toledo (Detroit Tigers organization). But the trials Startup faced on the field paled in comparison to the adversity he and his wife, Lauren, went through off the field with their son, Copeland. In part 1 of this two-part episode of the podcast, Will shares his roller coaster baseball journey, being selected by the Braves, why being traded devastated him, how he lived out his faith as a pro pitcher, and the day that his

Episode 168 Chris Guccione is an umpire for Major League Baseball. He made his MLB debut on April 25, 2000 and has been a full-time umpire in the Big Leagues since 2009.  He has umpired many postseason series including the Division Series 6 times, the LCS twice and his first World Series in 2016 (Cubs/Indians). He was also a part of the crew that umpired the 2011 MLB All-Star game.  On this episode of the podcast, we hear Chris' incredible journey to Christ, why he finally made the decision to walk with the Lord, what its like to be a part of the umpiring crew at the World Series, and the difference between umpiring a regular season game as opposed to the postseason.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com