Gridiron Gut Check

Ben DiNucci is BACK in the NFL after crushing it in the XFL, and now he’s on the pod! Shek and Shazier chat with Ben about his crazy 2020 season, going from the Cowboys’ 3rd string QB to starter and the roller coaster that led the XFL Seattle Sea Dragons to come calling in 2023. The former Cowboys’ QB set the league on fire, throwing for a league high 2,671 yards leading Seattle to the playoffs. T...

Just because it’s the NFL offseason doesn’t mean there’s any shortage of comeback stories to talk about! Wondery’s own John Gonzales from the Lead: Starting Five is in the house talking all the mini-comebacks coming out of NFL mini-camps! Gonzo, Shek and Shazier whiz through Philly’s chances of staking another Super Bowl run, how much of an impact Aaron Rodgers will make for the Jets this season,...

There are miracle comebacks and then there’s the story of Jake Olson! He’s a blind cancer survivor who played long snapper for the USC Trojans and he joins Shek & Shazier this week to tell his amazing story. From losing his sight completely in high school to returning to the field despite his predicament his junior year, to walking on to the Trojans as a D-1 college athlete, and later becoming...

Did lightning just strike twice in San Antonio? The Spurs have gone through a bit of a rough patch since their dynasty ended, but that’s what happens when Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili retire and Kawhi Leonard decides to leave town… BUT with Wemby on the way, the comeback has to be right around the corner, right?! Shek & Shazier welcome NBA expert and lifelong Spurs superfan Miche...

The star forward at the center of the women’s soccer comeback story of the year is in the house! Lynn Williams joins Shek and Shazier for a deep dive into the horrific hamstring injury that left her career in the NWSL and the USWNT in doubt. From the blood curdling pop she heard while chasing the ball down the line during a Challenge Cup game in 2022 to finding out that her hamstring had been torn...

The XFL is a breeding ground for comeback stories but none bigger or more emotional than AJ McCarron! After leading Alabama to back-to-back national championships in college McCarron flamed out in the NFL. Add to that a torn ACL in 2021 and his days as a starting QB looked long gone. But then the upstart XFL came calling and now McCarron is the league leader in touchdowns for the St. Louis Battleh...

It’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show season and there’s a new breed of excitement in the air! Shek and Shazier welcome on-air analyst and Director of Communications Gail Miller Bisher for a crash course on everything that goes into winning Best In Show. From why the the most popular dogs never win to the parameters of “peak form” to what it takes to become a WKC Dog Show judge. Plus the guys brea...

It’s NBA Playoff season and the drama is BACK! The Ringer’s resident flamethrower, Ryen Russillo joins Shek and Shazier to break down all the juiciest comeback storylines playing out in the playoffs like: Are the new-look Lakers good enough to get Lebron back to the Finals? Do the upstart Kings have enough juice left to keep the beam lit vs. the Warriors? And could a few key injuries det...

Boxing mega fights are BACK! Shek and Shazier are joined by Matchroom boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, talking about this weekend’s MASSIVE super fight between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Ryan Garcia. Eddie gives his prediction on the fight, drops a hot take on if celebrity boxers like Jake Paul are here to stay, teases some potential upcoming mega fights like Joshua vs Wilder and Fury vs Usyk and the g...

It ain’t your grandfather’s brand of baseball but the Savannah Bananas are selling out stadiums all over the world by playing a new, fun-first style of America’s Past Time. And World Series hero, Jonny Gomes is helping them do it! Shek and Shazier are joined by the former Red Sox and Royals legend to peel back the layers on “The Harlem Globetrotters of baseball.” Plus OBJ is back, this time with t...

Greeny's in the house giving us Big Digit Energy! That's right, numbers are at the heart of our collective sports obsession even as the games we love are constantly changing. But can the kind of long-standing records and stats that fascinated us as kids make a comeback? Shek & Shazier get up with ESPN legend Mike Greenberg to go inside the numbers on his new book, "Got Your Number: The Greates...

​​It’s Wrestlemania season and Shek and Shazier are joined by Hot 97, ESPN, WWE personality and host of the Cheap Heat podcast, Peter Rosenberg to ACKNOWLEDGE all the juicy, star-studded comeback storylines on the card. From the return of the American Nightmare Cody Rhodes after six years away, to the Emmy-worthy, dramatic reconciliation of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens as BFF’s and tag team title con...

Chances are your bracket got busted after four major upsets took place in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. With Cinderella teams like Princeton, Florida Atlantic, Fairleigh Dickinson, and Furman advancing with upset wins over powerhouses like Arizona, Memphis, Purdue and UVA, Shek & Shazier catch up with former Villanova Wildcats National Champion (‘16) Darryl Reynolds to make sense o...

He was a two-sport athlete in high school who had to choose between playing D1 quarterback or minor league baseball. Lucky for Austin Aune the New York Yankees made the decision for him, drafting him into their farm system with a million dollar contract. But after six years of bus trips and grinding in the minors, the Yankees released him. Was this the end of his dreams of playing in the pros? Not...

Jon Jones, the UFC's most contentious superstar might be the most talented fighter to ever grace the octagon, but legal troubles, steroid scandals, and contract disputes forced Jones to give up his light heavyweight belt and step out of the spotlight... at least until last Saturday, when "Bones" returned with a vengeance, recapturing the heavyweight title in just two minutes. Does this stunning co...

Matt Veretto never stopped loving basketball. He just needed a break. From high school player of the year in Connecticut to top recruit of the Delaware Blue Hens, it seemed like Veretto was living the ultimate hoop dream. But then he just walked away and put his life as a college athlete behind him. Until one day, three years later, when he decided to bet on himself, put his name in the transfer p...

After an unprecedented start to his career Tiger Woods’ perfect life imploded. First came personal turmoil, then a rash of nagging injuries, then a car accident that almost cost him his life. But never bet against Tiger Woods because he’s back, competing at the Genesis Open at the famed Riviera. Can the icon regain his legendary form? It sure looks that way, at least according to Shek and Shazier’...

On the heels of leading the Chiefs to a dramatic comeback victory against the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, Patrick Mahomes is becoming a GOAT right in front of our eyes. But can his Super Bowl comeback credentials even touch those of Tom Brady? Shek and Shazier recap the big game before looking back at Tom Brady’s legendary 28-3 comeback in Super Bowl LI with former Pats receiver Chris Hogan. Please...

It’s Super Bowl week and Shek & Shazier welcome former Kansas City Chiefs lineman, and NFL insider, Geoff Schwartz to break down all the super comeback storylines playing out in Phoenix this week including: is Andy Reid approaching GOAT coach status?; How the Eagles retooled so quickly after the Carson Wentz disaster; and all the Jason Kelce vs. Travis Kelce hype you can fit into one podcast!...

Washington Commanders special teams ace, Jeremy Reaves is about to play in his first Pro Bowl. But the road to get there was filled with more twists and turns than any roller coaster at Disney! The man himself, Jeremy Reaves, joins Shek and Shazier to take them through all the highs and lows on his long, strange journey to All Pro. From a broken back in high school to going undrafted after college...

No rookie quarterback has ever won the Super Bowl. Could Brock Purdy go from Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft to the first to ever do it? Shek and Shazier are joined by Purdy’s former teammate and fellow Niners’ back-up QB, Kurt Benkert for a first-hand look at Brock Purdy’s unlikely ascension to starting QB for the Super Bowl contending San Francisco 49ers. Plus can a hobbled Mahomes lead the...

Duuuuuuuvallll! That’s right, the Jacksonville Jaguars completed an amazing worst-to-first franchise turnaround this season culminating in not just a return to the NFL playoffs, but a jaw-dropping, 27-point comeback against the LA Chargers in the Wild Card round that shocked the entire football world. So who better to join Shek and Shazier to talk about this magical Jags transformation than a Duva...

In case of emergency, call Trey Wingo! With Shek stuck in travel hell, Ryan is joined by ESPN legend and current PFN analyst, Trey Wingo for a supersized discussion on ALL the amazing comeback storylines heading into the NFL playoffs. From the resurrection of Geno Smith in Seattle, to the “worst to first” Jags, to Saquon and CMC leaving their “injury-prone” labels in the dust, to Brady being Brady...

Prayers up for Damar Hamlin. Ryan Shazier makes his first public comments on the scary incident in Cincinnati and the eerie similarities to his own on-field injury in a candid conversation with co-host Dave Dameshek. Please support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

On a very special episode of Don’t Call it a Comeback, Shek and Shazier break format to talk Ryan’s incredible journey from high school standout in Florida, to college sensation at Ohio State, to becoming one of the best linebackers in the NFL, to that night in Cincinnati when his entire life changed in an instant. Hear straight from Ryan, candidly and in his own words about what it was like immed...