At The Podium with Manuel Amezcua

Welcome to another empowering episode of "At The Podium," where we bring you exclusive conversations with extraordinary individuals who have defied the odds. In this episode, Manny takes the stage with Craig Reynolds, the resilient running back currently leaving an indelible mark with the Detroit Lions. Join us on a riveting exploration of Craig's life, from his early days in Willow Gr...

Anthony Tomey is a former MLB baseball player turned serial entrepreneur. Anthony is the owner of Detroit-based brands Born in Detroit and 8 Mile Vodka as well as the CEO of The Tomey Group, who owns and operates over 50 Jimmy John's franchises across Metro Detroit. In this episode, Anthony shares: - The mindsets and secrets behind his continued personal and professional growth - The lessons h...

Chris Bertish is a South Africa-born ocean pioneer who is most famously known for his 93-day solo paddle-board trip across the Atlantic Ocean. Chris has been conquering oceans and testing his limits his entire life which has led to setting numerous world records. In this episode, Chris joins Manny At the Podium to talk about: - How Chris grew an initial love for the ocean and all things water - Th...

Today we celebrate the power of teamwork and the remarkable journey of rebuilding a team from the bottom to becoming champions. Join us as we explore the story of two exceptional student-athletes from Michigan State University who have set the new standard in Spartan soccer. In this captivating episode, we delve into the historic run of these remarkable individuals and their team, who defied all o...

Today, Manny is joined At The Podium by 2x Super Bowl Champ, Michigan State Legend, and lover of all things fashion & food, Carl Banks. In this episode, Manny and Carl talk about: How Carl had the ultimate 'If you're going to do it, do it right' type of father and the story of the jockstrap check Magic Johnson's incredible impact on Carl's story and the time Magic cheated C...

New York Jets TE Tyler Conklin joins Manny to talk about his journey growing up in a small town in Michigan, earning a college opportunity to play at Central Michigan University, and overcoming adversity to earn a starting spot in the NFL. In this episode, you'll hear: - Why Tyler decided to forfeit a full-ride scholarship to walk-on at CMU - How Tyler battled from walk-on to earning a scholar...

Darqueze Dennard is an NFL player, former Michigan State University standout cornerback, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. In this bonus episode before the next season, Darqueze and Manny talk about:  - How Darqueze always heard the narrative that he "wouldn't amount to anything" and how he has overcome it - How Darqueze started as a 0-star recruit and ended up getting drafted in the f...

Sean Gleason is the CEO and Commissioner of Professional Bull Riders (PBR) which is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation. Sean has been with PBR for 24 years and has played a pivotal role in helping PBR reach millions of fans including the recent launch of the Amazon Prime Video docuseries, The Ride. In this episode:  The pivotal move that Sean made that propelled PBR into the limelight...

Jim Kielbaso is a speed and strength coach to some of the top athletes in the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA as well as Olympic athletes and thousands of youth, high school, and college athletes. He is the president of the International Youth Conditioning Association and the owner of Impact Sports Performance in Michigan. In this episode:  Why people are addicted to fatigue and how it’s ruining our performanc...

Maurice "Moe" Ways is a former college football player at The University of Michigan and The University of California, Berkeley. A native of Michigan and alumni of Detroit Country Day School, Ways currently serves as a Senior Business Analyst at ESPN and lives in New York City.  In this episode:  - The parenting moments that changed the trajectory of Moe’s athletic career and life - The im...

JD Duplain is a current college football player at Michigan State University. JD is entering his fifth and final season as an offensive lineman at MSU and has started 30 straight games for the Spartans. In this episode, Manny and JD discuss:  - The impact of the E + R = O equation JD learned from a high school football coach - Why you should trust in the vision your coaches (or leaders) have for y...

Nick Samac is the starting center for the Michigan State Spartans college football program. Hailing out of Mentor, OH, Samac is entering his fifth and final year at MSU and has played in 38 career games at Michigan State. Listen in to hear:  - The impact of Nick's childhood growing up in a football family with his father as his first coach - Nick's thoughts on why he decided to enroll in c...

Greg Jones is an entrepreneur,  Super Bowl Champion, and former All-American linebacker at Michigan State University. He was recently inducted into the Michigan State Hall of Fame in 2022. In this conversation, you'll hear: - The story of how Greg went behind his mother's back to start playing football - The people and mindsets that helped Greg defy projections of his ability to compete at...

Jake Butt is a former All-American tight end at the University of Michigan, retired NFL player, and current College Football Analyst with the B1G Network. In this conversation, Manny and Jake talk about:  How Jake thought he would NEVER attend the University of Michigan and his story of getting there. The moments in Jake’s sports career that redefined how he views adversity and rejection.  The dev...

Todd Anderson is a performance coach who trains some of the top athletes and executives in the world. After a successful collegiate career at Michigan State University, Todd spent time playing in the NFL before launching his career as a peak performance coach and starting his company, Dream Recovery. In this conversation, Todd shares:  How he built confidence in the weight room and used it as a pl...

Amir Siddiq plans to find his name cemented on an NFL roster in the coming weeks. After a successful college football career at Central Michigan University and Charlotte, the Detroit-born standout defensive end has entered his name into the 2023 NFL draft. In this episode, Manny and Amir talk about:  - The mindsets and actions that led to Amir's rise through college football - The surprising t...

Anthony Pittman is a Detroit-born athlete who battled his way into the NFL and currently plays linebacker for the Detroit Lions. In this episode, Manny and Anthony talk about:  - How Anthony's father and mother separating at a young age impacted his childhood and outlook on life - Anthony's surprising rise to the NFL and the impact of his college experience playing football at Wayne St. Un...

Mel Tucker is the Head Football Coach at Michigan State University. Tucker's resume includes coaching under legendary college coaches like Nick Saban and Jim Tressel as well as coaching in the NFL. Tucker's early success at Michigan State earned him B1G Coach of the Year honors in 2021. What you'll hear in this conversation: - Tucker's thoughts on how college football is evolving a...

Jon Gordon is a 14-time bestselling author and world-renowned keynote speaker. His leadership principles, stories, and insights have inspired fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits around the world. Today, Jon and Manny discuss: The keys to positive leadership and why positivity is necessary to be an effective leader 3 things ever...

Folks, Season 3 starts with a bang as the host of At The Podium, Manuel Amezcua, is interviewed by guest host, Lauren LoGrasso. Hear Manny dig deep into his childhood, career, family, wins + losses, and more as he shares:  What his parents, immigrants from Mexico, and childhood taught him about success The importance of confronting adversity and glory in life The three most important things that l...

Message from Manny:  "At the Podium with Manuel Amezcua listeners - First I want to express my gratitude to each of U. Thank U for investing your most valuable asset, your time and attention, with us this year as you've tuned into these conversations.  As my dear friend, mentor, and advocate, Ben Newman, often says, "Be where your feet are." This holiday season, I will be investing...

How do you want to be remembered?  Serial entrepreneur and All-Pro NFL Player, Herman Moore, is writing his own story and defining his brand in his own terms. Football will only serve as a footnote for Herman whose impact off the field has stretched even greater than his incredible accomplishments with the Detroit Lions.  In this episode, we take a deep dive into Herman's story. We unpack what...

Kalif Raymond is an NFL Wide Receiver for the Detroit Lions. Standing at 5' 7", Kalif defied all odds to make it to the professional level as one of the smallest players in the NFL after a standout college athletic career at Holy Cross.  In this episode, Kalif shares what it looked like to put in the work after hours to make his dream of playing in the NFL a reality. He shares the value he...

Suzy Merchant is the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Michigan State University. She has accumulated 300+ wins as Head Coach at Michigan State and 500+ wins in her career as a head coach. In my conversation with Suzy, we get an inside look at her accomplishments, big decisions, and her powerful core values, covering her time at Michigan State University and beyond. A born winner, Suzy has also fie...

Darien Harris is the Director of Player Relations and Program Advancement for the Michigan State Football Program. Darien played linebacker at Michigan State University and was part of the winningest Senior class in MSU history before he went to the NFL.  In our conversation, Darien shares the lessons he learned from his father including the ONE thing we can control in any situation. Darien talks...