In The Front Row Podcast

Jim Kaat grew up in Zeeland, MI, a small Dutch community in Western Michigan. It was there that Jim’s dad instilled a hard work ethic and a love for baseball in him.  Known as “Little Jimmy” for his small stature, Kaat played high school baseball but received no athletic scholarships.  Instead he enrolled in nearby Hope College where he paid his own way doing odd jobs.  In 1957, Kaa...

The Kernersville, NC native grew up playing against, and with, his older brother in all sports.  In high school, LaRue became an All-State performer in baseball, basketball and football.  When being recruited, he made it known he wanted to be a multi-sport athlete in college and eventually chose Wake Forest where he would play football for coaches Bill Dooley and Jim Caldwell, basketball...

Williams grew up in Zachary, LA with a house full of family and sports.  Baseball was the sport of choice until he tried football in the 9th grade.  He would be a multi-sport athlete in high school, but football would eventually win out and become the sport that got Williams to the next level.  That next level took Williams to Grambling State where he played for legendary coach Eddi...

Born in Pittsburgh, PA before moving to Scottsdale, AZ when he was two, Zuckerman grew up playing and watching sports. Baseball was his love and he followed the sport by reading the newspaper. Writing soon became a passion and led Zuckerman to Northwestern where he covered the football team’s run to the Rose Bowl in 1996 while also interning at a number of newspaper outlets.  Interning for th...

Playing multiple sports growing up in Maryland, Whittenburg eventually turned to basketball. He played for legendary coach Morgan Wootten at DeMatha Catholic High School where he paired with future college teammate Sidney Lowe to win the 1978 High School National Championship. When it was time to go to college, Whittenburg knew NC State was the place for him after watching his cousin, David Thomps...

Wuerffel was born in Florida the son of a Lutheran minister who was a chaplain in the US Air Force.  That job led to several moves for the family and Danny spending time in South Carolina, Nebraska, Colorado and Spain.  Wuerffel approached each stop as a learning lesson and also used sports to help make friends.  Danny played basketball and football in high school.  He helped l...

Brian Rowsom was born in Newark, NJ and raised in Columbia, NC near the Outer Banks.  While he played several sports when he was young, Rowsom concentrated on Basketball once he started to grow into his 6’10” frame in high school. That’s when he was noticed by UNCW head coach Mel Gibson who offered him a chance to play for the Seahawks.  From 1983-87 Rowsom not only played, but excelled...

Bobby Valentine grew up in Stamford, CT in the 1950s playing multiple sports including ballroom dancing (yes, he says it’s a sport).  Recruited to play both football and baseball, Valentine committed to the University of Southern California (USC) where he was to play for legendary coaches John McKay (football) and Rod Dedeaux (baseball).  However, he was drafted 5th overall by the Los An...

Qadry Ismail grew up playing sports in Newark, NJ along with his brothers Raghib and Sulaiman.  At age 15, he moved to Wilkes-Barre, PA where he and his brother Raghib excelled for the football team at E.L. Meyers HS.  Qadry was also a State Champion in Track & Field and was named the 1988 Athlete of the Year by several local publications.  With that success came recruitment by...

We talk sports and cinema in Episode 18 of “In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro”.  Our guest is former college and professional baseball player turned Hollywood stuntman Daniel Hargrave.  Growing up in Hurdle Mills, N.C., Hargrave played various sports, but fell in love with baseball thanks to his father and grandfather, who paid him for hitting homeruns.  His play was eventually not...

In Episode 17 of “In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro” we go a few rounds with former heavyweight boxing champ James “Bonecrusher” Smith.  Smith grew up in rural North Carolina where he learned the lesson of working hard and being tough.  He was the first family member to earn a college degree and would be the only heavyweight champ with a college degree.  It was in the Army that Smi...

Episode 16 of "In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro" features UCLA Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond. Growing up in Fayetteville, NC in the 1980s, Jarmond was playing multiple sports which eventually led him to UNCW in Wilmington, NC where he was a two-time captain on the Seahawks basketball team. During his time playing for Jerry Wainwright, Jarmond helped bring UNCW their first conference title...

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame center Artis Gilmore is our guest in Episode 15 of "In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro".  Gilmore grew up in Chipley, FL one of 10 kids in his family. Struggling for the resources to play sports, he started playing basketball in high school but grew to love the sport while also growing to 6'10" by the time he graduated in 1967.  Gilmore play two...

In Episode 14 of “In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro” we once again talk football and are joined by John Bunting.  Born in Maine and raised outside of Washington, DC, Bunting was a three-sport athlete in high school.  But when he was recruited, it was football that won out over basketball and baseball.  Bunting would play for Bill Dooley at North Carolina and eventually became the d...

In Episode 13 of “In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro” we’re joined by UFC Middleweight Contender Derek Brunson.  Growing up in Wilmington, NC, Brunson played a number of sports and also cheered competitively.  After wrestling in high school, he received a scholarship from UNC Pembroke where he was a three-time Division II All-American.  After college, Brunson eventually made his way...

In Episode 12 of “In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro” we’re joined by former college and NFL running back Curt Warner.  Growing up in rural West Virginia, Warner excelled at football and would play collegiately at Penn State, choosing the Nittany Lions over schools such as Pitt and West Virginia.  While at Penn State, Warner played for Joe Paterno and worked to stay out of Paterno’s offi...

We’re joined by bestselling author John Feinstein in Episode 11 of “In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro”.  A native New Yorker who grew up playing and watching sports, Feinstein went south for college where he attended Duke University.  In Durham is where Feinstein started writing for the school newspaper and found his career path.  While working at the Washington Post, Feinstein had...

In Episode 10 of “In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro” we’re joined by soccer trailblazer Kim Crabbe.  Growing up in Reston, Virginia Kim knew at an early age that athletics, and soccer in particular, would be a way to have a journey that would take her to places she could never have imagined.  After excelling in the sport in high school, Crabbe attended George Mason and was a member of i...

In Episode 9 of "In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro" we're joined by San Franscisco Giants first base coach Antoan Richardson.  A native of the Bahamas, Richardson recounts his early days raised by his mom and grandmother in Nassau.  He tells us about his journey to the states and the culture shock he felt while attending high school in Florida where he excelled as an athlete and student...

In Episode 8 of "In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro" we catch-up with Voice of the Seattle Seahawks, Steve Raible.  Growing up in Louisville, KY in the 1960's, Steve gravitated to football at an early age and carried that passion with him onto Georgia Tech where he was a wide receiver in a wishbone offense.  His speed on the football field and the track caught the eyes of NFL scouts, and...

In episode 7 of "In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro", we're joined by Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane.  Beane tells us what life was like growing up in rural Norwood, North Carolina with football the central sport he played.  An injury in high school changed his career path and sent him to UNCW where he planned to major in education to become a teacher and coach.  After a few years,...

In Episode 7 of “In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro” Mike Waddell shares tales of his extraordinary life in and around sports.  He tells us how being a talker led to a career in broadcasting which included a number of National Championships with stops at North Carolina, Virginia, Appalachian State and Army.  Waddell also recounts his transition to college administration that would take h...

In Episode 5 of “In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro” we sit down with the original Bracketologist, Joe Lunardi from ESPN.  Growing up in Philadelphia, Joe’s love for basketball started while following his favorite player Wilt Chamberlain.  That love would grow with time spent at the historic Palestra watching Big 5 Basketball games and working with Hall of Fame coaches.  Previewing college teams f...

Episode 4 of “In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro” features Dave Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic who pioneered the field of sports mascots.  The Newark, DE native tells us about growing up the son of Hall of Fame football coach Tubby Raymond who won 300 games and 3 National titles as head coach at the University of Delaware.  After playing for his dad, Dave had an internship with t...

On Episode 3 of In the Front Row with Mike Vaccaro, we spend time with current Charlotte Hornets Assistant GM Buzz Peterson.  Peterson tells us about growing up in western North Carolina with a goal of being named a McDonald's All-American.  He recounts being named NC Player of the Year twice beating out his future roommate Michael Jordan both times.  We also talk about the influenc...