Sports Spectrum Podcast

Darrell Waltrip is a NASCAR legend. He is a three-time Cup Series champion (1981, 1982, 1985) and posted a modern NASCAR series record of 22 top-five finishes in 1983, and 21 top-five finishes both in 1981 and 1986. Overall, Waltrip won 84 NASCAR Cup Series races, including the 1989 Daytona 500, and a record five victories in the Coca-Cola 600 (1978, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1989). He began his racing ca...

Taylor Morton is a former University of Alabama football player who currently serves as a student pastor at Valley View Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He is the author of several books including, " It's Only Pain But it's Real and it Hurts " and " Finding Purpose Through the Pain: Lessons Learned Through Losing Our Son. "  His football career saw him make Alabama's team as a walk-on and ev...

Jeff Jarrett is a legend in the professional wrestling business. He is a third generation promoter and has been in the wrestling business for more than four decades. He made his pro wrestling debut in 1986 and reached the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 1992. Jarrett is a six-time WWE Intercontinental Champion and one of three men to hold both the Intercontinental and European Championships...

Kyle Snyder is a 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler. He is the youngest Olympic gold medalist and youngest world champion in U.S. wrestling history. He was a three-time NCAA national champion at Ohio State with a career record of 75-5, and ended his college career as the first and only wrestler to win the NCAA, world and Olympic championships as a collegiate athlete. Today we talk to Kyle ab...

Andrew East is a former professional football player. Shawn Johnson East is a former Olympic Gold Medalist. Together, they are now creating content on their YouTube channel "The East Family" with over 1 million subscribers. They also host their own podcast "Couple Things with Shawn and Andrew." They were married in April 2016 and their daughter Drew was born in October 2019. Their second child is...

Bob Richey is the men's head basketball coach with Furman University. In 2020-21, he led the Paladins to a 16-9 record after a 25-7 record the year before in a season that ended with the global pandemic.  In high school, Richey led Florence Christian school to a 28-2 record, a state championship his senior year and was named the 3A State Player of the Year. After playing his college ball at North...

Jack Nicklaus II is the first of five children born to Jack and Barbara Nicklaus. His father is a golfing legend, having won 73 PGA Tour pro events including 18 victories in Major championships. Jack II carved out his own golfing journey, attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was a member of the UNC golf team.  After a brief career as a professional golfer, Nicklaus II turn...

Former MLB player Xavier Scruggs joins us today to share about his journey from 19th round draft pick to Korean baseball star and now retired from the game and finding purpose as a dad, husband and media professional.  --- If you enjoyed this podcast with Xavier, we know you'll love these conversations as well. - Xavier Scruggs on life in Korea (from 2018) - Dansby Swanson, Atlanta Braves Shortsto...

Marc Davidson is the boys high school basketball coach at Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian in Indiana. He is a two-time state champion winning the title in 2019 and 2021. Before coaching, he played basketball in high school under the coaching of his father Don, a member of the Illinois Basketball Association Hall of Fame.  He would go on to play college basketball at Illinois under coach Lou Henson...

Dean Inserra is the founding lead pastor of City Church in Tallahassee, Florida. He is also an author of two books, his 2019 release “The Unsaved Christian: Reaching Cultural Christianity with the Gospel” and his latest “Getting over Yourself : Trading Believe-In-Yourself Religion for Christ-Centered Christianity.” Today on the podcast, we talk to Dean about his love for sports. Jason and Dean deb...

Lucas Black is a film and television actor who has starred in multiple movies including 42 (Jackie Robinson film), Sling Blade, Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift among many others. He is most known for his role as Christopher LaSalle on CBS' NCIS: New Orleans where he appeared from 2014-2019.  Born and raised in Alabama, Lucas enjoys the outdoors and has a YouTube channel called "Real Life Lucas Bl...

Today on the podcast, our Sports Spectrum Managing Editor Jon Ackerman joins our host Jason Romano to preview the 2021 Summer edition of the Sports Spectrum Magazine.  If you order a 1 or 2 year magazine subscription by Father's Day, June 19, you'll get a free Sports Spectrum "Increase" t-shirt. Use the code Dad2021 when you order here . 

Brian Dawkins is a former NFL safety who played 16 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos from 1996-2011. His career saw him named to nine Pro Bowls and culminated in 2018 when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.  His foundation, “ The Brian Dawkins Impact Foundation ,” provides inspiration, education and resources to youth, families and communities...

Marcus McMaryion is our guest today on the Sports Spectrum podcast. He's currently a quarterback in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders. In college, he was voted a team captain and started 25 games in two seasons with Fresno State, where he led the team to two bowl wins and the best record in school history.  In high school at Dinuba High in Fresno, CA, he threw for 6,136 yard...

Christine Caine is a bestselling author and sought-after international speaker who has a heart for reaching the lost, strengthening leadership and championing the cause of justice. She and her husband Nick founded the anti-human trafficking organization "The A21 Campaign," which was honored with the "Mother Theresa Memorial Award" for their work combating human trafficking among refugees.  Nick an...

Mickey Weston is the Executive Director of Unlimited Potential Incorporated, a ministry that serves the professional baseball community. He was originally selected in the 12th round of the 1982 MLB Amateur Draft by the New York Mets and played professionally for fifteen seasons in MILB and parts of five seasons in MLB with the Orioles, Blue Jays, Phillies and Mets.  Upon retirement in 1996 from ba...

Jehyve Floyd is a professional basketball player currently playing in the Israeli Premier League. He is the author of the new book "Godfidence" and is a former Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year (2018/2019) during his time with Holy Cross.  Today on the podcast, we talk to Jehyve about playing basketball overseas in Israel, what basketball is like overseas during a pandemic, growing up as...

Jimmy Mellado is the president and CEO of Compassion International, which is a partner of Sports Spectrum as we help them release children from poverty. Mellado is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, where he was a member of the Division 1 track and field championship team in 1983. He competed in the 1987 Pan American Games and the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, as a decathle...

Bryan Koch is a former pro baseball player who was selected in the 26th round of the 1982 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox. A promising career was cut short just a few years later when Koch was blinded in his left eye by a 90 mile per hour fastball. Koch's baseball injury led him into ministry and for 33 years, he was the pastor of GT Church in Reading, PA. For many years, Bryan served God faith...

Mitch Mason is the football chaplain for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Before arriving with UNC, he was the Associate Pastor of FreeWay Church in Clemson, SC and served as a mentor with the Clemson Football TigerHood program.  A former college football player, Mitch was a four year starter at cornerback for Missouri Western State Univers...

Mike Hamilton directs Learfield IMG College's university and conference business. Prior to his time with Learfield, Mike served nearly 19 years with the University of Tennessee, in addition to stints with Wake Forest and alma mater Clemson. During his time with the Volunteers, he served as Athletic Director from 2003-2011.  Today on the podcast, Mike shares his powerful story of adoption, his pass...

Scott Linebrink pitched for 12 seasons in the Major League with the Giants, Astros, Padres, Brewers, White Sox and Braves. He was selected in the 2nd round of the 1997 MLB Draft by the Giants out of Texas State University. He made his MLB debut on April 15, 2000 and in 2004 and 2005, he was the setup pitcher for Trevor Hoffman in San Diego, where had a combined record of 15-4 and an E.R.A. of 2.14...

Colt McCoy is entering his 12th year in the NFL as a quarterback. He's currently with the Arizona Cardinals where he will be the backup to Kyler Murray. He was originally selected in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.  In college, Colt was a decorated quarterback at the University of Texas where he led the Longhorns to the 2010 National Championship game and won dozens...

Kyle Mangas just finished his college basketball career after playing four seasons with Indiana Wesleyan University. His career saw numerous awards including back-to-back NAIA National Player of the Year honors in 2020 and 2021, as well as winning the Bevo Francis Award in 2020, recognizing the top small college basketball player in the United States for a given season. The four-time NAIA All-Amer...

Vad Lee is the Director of Campus Ministry with Young Life at the University of Maryland. The former James Madison All-American QB joins us to talk about his desire to be a pastor and a football player, the lessons learned through adversity and how being injured opened a door from God for him to become a chaplain.  You can order Vad's books "Purpose over Position" and "That's my Friend"  here .  -...