I Played, Too

This week, former Miami Hurricanes basketball player Darius Rice, whose uncle is NFL legend Jerry Rice, joins the show. Darius talks about upsetting UConn back in 2003, stories with NBA greats like Shaquille O'Neal,  Gary Payton and Yao Ming, why his NBA career never materialized, getting to hang out with Luther Campbell (aka Uncle Luke) of 2 Live Crew,  playing in unique places like Malaysia and...

This week former college lacrosse player Alex Alonso, whose brother is four-time MLB All-Star Pete Alonso, joins the show.  Alex talks about his interest in sports starting at a young age, the advice he got from his brother Pete, a terrible knee injury right before the start of his senior season at Queens University but his determination to come back from it, a family trip to Alaska, his LinkedIn...

This week Georgetown volleyball middle blocker Vaughan Anoa'i, whose wrestling relatives include Roman Reigns, The Usos, Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Rikishi, Umaga, Black Pearl, Afa, and Sika, joins the show. Vaughan talks about why she chose Georgetown, Vaughan's Block Back Pledge which donates $25 for every block, her family trips to the Dominican Republic, wanting to go law school once her volleyba...

Former Venezuelan Olympic basketball player and current La Salle assistant coach John Cox, whose cousin is former 18-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant, joins the show.  Coach Cox talks about representing Venezuela in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, playing games of one-on-one with his cousin Kobe, his time in college playing for San Francisco(where his dad "Chubby" Cox also playe...

Musician, songwriter and current member of the band Pleasantville, Aaron David Gleason, whose grandfather Monty Hall was the host of the iconic game show Let's Make A Deal and whose mother is Tony Award-winning actress Joanna Gleason, joins the show. Aaron talks about how Pleasantville came about, the important advice both his grandfather and parents each gave him, Pleasantville's debut album "The...

Composer and audio editor Roy Campanella III, whose grandfather Roy Campanella is a former Brooklyn Dodgers legend who's in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and whose father is tv and film director Roy Campanella II, joins the show.  Roy talks about the artists and composers that have made an impact on him, his creative process as a composer,  what he learned from his grandfather's struggles after being...

This week Michigan defenseman Luca Fantilli, whose brother Adam Fantilli is a former Hobey Baker winner as college hockey's best player and current member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, joins the show. Luca talks playing hockey for the Wolverines, his family's summer trip to Italy, getting to play both junior hockey and a season at Michigan with Adam, attending the Pittsburgh Penguins devel...

This week, hockey player Isaac Nurse joins the show. Isaac talks about playing at the University of New Brunswick which includes going unbeaten in 2023-2024 and winning back-to-back University Cup championships, being from such an athletic family(some of his relatives include Donovan McNabb, Kia, Sarah and Darnell Nurse) winning an OHL title with his hometown Hamilton Bulldogs, car rides with his...

This week on the I Played, Too podcast,  hockey writer and The Devils State of Mind podcast host Neil Villapiano, whose uncle Phil Villapiano was a four-time Pro Bowl linebacker and was a member of the Oakland Raiders Super Bowl XI-winning team, joins the show. Neil talks about how his love of hockey and the New Jersey Devils began, his family's homemade wine making, playing a year of high school...

Duke tennis player Connor Krug, whose grandfather is the legendary ESPN college basketball voice Dick Vitale, joins the show. Connor talks about meeting his idol Roger Federer at Wimbledon, losing to his brother Jake and not getting the poster he wanted, playing doubles with Ben Shelton in juniors, his biggest wins in junior and college tennis, Durham being a foodie town, what he's learned fro...

Former hockey player and current junior hockey coach Matt Gaudreau, whose brother is 7-time NHL All-Star and former Hobey Baker winner Johnny Gaudreau, joins the show.  Matt talks about just how close the Gaudreau family is, playing college hockey at Boston College, growing up in a small town in southern New Jersey, the advice Stanley Cup Winner and US Olympian John LeClair gave him, playing in an...

Former NHL player Wayne Primeau, whose brother Keith Primeau is a former NHL All-Star and nephew Cayden Primeau is currently a goalie for the Montreal Canadiens, joins the show. Wayne talks about scoring a goal in the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals, fighting his brother in the first NHL game they played against each other, being teammates with players like Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Zdeno Chara, Domini...

Georgia Southern sixth-year Tight End Beau Johnson, whose father Charles Johnson was a member of the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins and whose brother Brandon Johnson plays wide receiver for the Denver Broncos, joins the show. Beau talks about his time at Georgia Southern, wanting to open up his own restaurant after graduation, seeing his mom perform the National Anthem prior to a Marli...

Swedish hockey player Carl Klingberg, brother of former NHL All-Star John Klingberg, joins the show. Carl talks about playing internationally for Sweden and winning the 2017 World Championships, winning back-to-back titles with Zug in the Swiss League, his close but competitive relationship with John, playing a season with the KHL in Russia, coming back to Sweden in 2023 to play for Frölunda, trav...

Jake Maurice, the radio and tv voice of the Florida Everblades, whose father Paul Maurice is the coach of the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers, joins the show. Jake talks about the Everblades' 2024 Kelly Cup-winning run, spending two years in the Panthers organization with his dad, how he got his start doing play-by-play, the ultimate goal of calling NHL games one day, tips on ho...

Former Ole Miss and Cincinnati Reds baseball player Keith Kessinger, whose father Don Kessinger was a six-time MLB All-Star with the Chicago Cubs joins the show. Keith talks about getting his first hit in the big leagues, the role Barry Larkin played in getting the ball from his first home run, the advice former MLB All-Star Wally Moon gave him, getting to face Orel Hershiser and getting a hit, pl...

Former tennis player and current Auburn assistant coach John Roddick, whose brother is 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick, joins the show. John talks about practicing against Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Aaron Krickstein, coaching his brother Andy for three years, playing in college against future stars James Blake and Bob and Mike Bryan, what impressed him most about working with Mardy Fish, the...

Domi Hasek, lead singer of the band We Are Domi and whose father is Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek, joins the show. Domi talks about performing at Eurovision 2022, how the band got chosen as the Czech representative for Eurovision 2022, appearing on the Czech version of America's Got Talent as a teenager, going to the recent World's Hockey Championships in Czechia, attending univers...

Former college softball player and coach Nikki Gentile, granddaughter of former multi-time MLB All-Star Jim Gentile, joins the show. She talks about her love of softball, the recruiting process, playing college softball at both Iowa and then Coe College, her love of the pogo stick growing up, being a "dumpster raccoon" when it comes to food, her life-long love of fashion and why fit is s...

This week, former hockey player and NHL scout Marty Nanne, whose father is former Olympian and later GM of the Minnesota North Stars, Lou Nanne, joins the show. Marty talks about playing college hockey for Minnesota, the neck injury that ended his playing career, why he loved playing for Darryl Sutter in the minors, some of his favorite golf courses, caddying for Bobby Orr, scouting for the Florid...

This week basketball player TJ Cline, whose mother is Nancy Lieberman, joins the show. TJ talks about being in Israel when extremists attacked the country in October of 2023, how he made it out of the country, playing basketball in Turkey, Serbia, Andorra and Spain, why he enjoys Tel Aviv, Valencia and Malaga, the differences between the European and American styles of basketball, and much more. T...

This week former Georgia Tech catcher Jason Haniger, whose brother is current Seattle Mariner and 2018 MLB All-Star Mitch Haniger, joins the show. Jason talks about hitting his first collegiate homer, the culture shock of moving from the Bay Area to Atlanta, currently living in Mexico, becoming a school administrator, why he didn't try to play pro baseball, going to Germany for sports hernia s...

This week singer Cathy Rich, whose father is the late legendary drummer Buddy Rich, joins the show. Cathy shares stories with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Johnny Carson, the advice Judy Garland gave her, making and producing Burning for Buddy with Rush drummer Neal Peart, the close relationship she had with her mom, still touring with the Buddy Rich band, and much more. Tune in now!! If you wou...

This week quarterback Derek Green, whose father is former Pro Bowl quarterback Trent Green, joins the show. Derek talks about playing professionally in Italy and in France, living in Bologna and enjoying Bolognese pasta while in Italy, visiting Monte Carlo as well as Cannes, how he ended up at SMU, having a road game in Ann Arbor at "The Big House," playing with his older brother TJ in h...

This week Hobart first-year hockey player Chris Duclair, whose older brother is former NHL All-Star Anthony Duclair, joins the show. Chris talks about playing in a 4 OT game, winning a national title this past season, his relationship with his brother, why Usain Bolt was an athletic idol growing up, having teammates at Hobart from Belarus, Ukraine and Russia, his mom's cooking and much more. T...