Sports Spectrum Podcast

Episode 123 Mark Appel was destined for baseball greatness. The former Stanford pitcher was selected number one overall in 2013 by the Houston Astros, one pick ahead of Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs. Many thought it was just a matter of time before he would make it to the Major Leagues. But the career path of Appel didn't go as everyone expected. He never made it to the big leagues.  In February...

Episode 122 Andrew Yun is in his first season as a professional golfer on the PGA Tour.  He graduated college from Stanford University, where he had a stellar golf career, finishing with the third-lowest scoring average in the program's history behind Tiger Woods and Patrick Rodgers.  Yun turned pro shortly after graduating and joined the Web.com Tour in 2015 before making his PGA Tour debut this...

Episode 121 Jon Peters was the first high school baseball player ever to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated. In 1989, he set a record with 53 consecutive wins by a high school pitcher. He finished his dominant 4-year career by going 54-1.  With dreams of making it to the Major Leagues, Jon accepted a scholarship to Texas A&M where injuries would end his baseball career. In his first book "When...

Episode 120 Ben Utecht played 6 seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals. He was a 4-year starter at the University of Minnesota, but went undrafted in 2004 due to an injury.  He was signed by the Colts and head coach Tony Dungy. 2 years later, he was a part of a championship team, helping Indianapolis win Super Bowl XLI over the Chicago Bears.  Ben signed with the Cin...

Episode 119 Dan Winkler is a pitcher with the Atlanta Braves. Thus far in 2018, Winkler has been dominant on the mound as a reliever. Through June 14, Dan has pitched in 27 games and has a team-best ERA of 0.99 with 38 strikeouts in 27 innings. Even more, the Braves are near the top of the standings in the National League East as the young team looks to return to the postseason for the first time...

Episode 118 Michael Chadwick is a swimmer for TEAM USA and a 2016 Olympic Trials finalist. He won 22 All-America honors as a swimmer at the University of Missouri. He is considered the most decorated swimmer in the history of the school and is currently training with his sight set 2020 and qualifying for the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan.  David Chadwick is Michael's father. He's also the p...

Episode 117 Jon Gordon is the author of 18 books, including 5 best-sellers:  The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, You Win in the Locker Room First and The Power of Positive Leadership. His latest book, The Power of a Positive Team releases today, June 13, 2018.  Jon and his leadership principles have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends and in nume...

Episode 116 James Ihedigbo played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Jets, Patriots, Ravens, Lions and Bills. He was undrafted in 2007 after playing his college football at the University of Massachusetts.  As a member of the Patriots in 2011, James played in Super Bowl XLVI against the Giants. The following season, James signed with the Baltimore Ravens and not only played in Super Bowl XLVII but won...

Episode 115 Gene Watson joined the Kansas City Royals organization in 2006, and is currently their Director of Pro Scouting. In 2017, he was the recipient of the Legends in Scouting Award, given by the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation. Gene began his baseball career in college, playing at the University of Texas-Arlington. After his playing days ended, he joined the Texas Rangers stadium op...

Episode 114 Just as professional athletes need a head coach to help them reach their full potential, Darleen Santore helps individuals gain clarity and focus in order to live well, lead well, and propel themselves to new heights. A Board Certified Occupational Therapist and coach, Dar's clients include professional teams and athletes, including the Phoenix Suns. Darleen grew up a big sports fan in...

Episode 113 Léonce Crump Jr., is an author, international speaker, and the founder and lead pastor of Renovation Church in Atlanta. In 2006, Crump answered God’s call to relocate from Tennessee to Atlanta and begin the process of planting Renovation Church. He details the obstacles he and his family faced and the revelations he uncovered during this process in Renovate: Changing Who You Are by Lov...

Episode 112 Inky Johnson is a motivational speaker, author and former college football player with the University of Tennessee. With a dream of playing in the NFL, Inky rose from a life of poverty and drugs in the ghetto of Atlanta to play college football with the Volunteers. In 2006, his dream was shattered when Johnson suffered a life-altering injury on the football field that would take him fr...

Episode 111 Jeremy Affeldt pitched for 14 MLB seasons with the Royals, Rockies, Reds and Giants. He was selected in the 3rd round of the 1997 MLB Amateur Draft by the Kansas City Royals. 5 years later, on April 6, 2012, he made his Major League debut for Kansas City against the Chicago White Sox. In November 2008, after stints in KC, Colorado and Cincinnati, San Francisco signed Affeldt to a 2-yea...

Episode 110 Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries, which began in 1990. Previously, he served as a pastor for fourteen years.  He is a New York Times bestselling author who has written over fifty books including Heaven, which sold over one million copies, and The Treasure Principle, which has sold over two million copies. His books have been translated into sev...

Episode 109 Donnie Floyd ministers to NASCAR drivers and staff each day as the chaplain for Hendrick Motorsports in North Carolina. He currently leads a Bible Study (fellowship lunch) each Wednesday to over 100 race crew members.  Prior to becoming a chaplain, Floyd was a pit crew member with Hendrick for 18 years where he traveled to the biggest races in NASCAR.  Floyd also served our country for...

Episode 108 Steve Springer teaches baseball players about the mental aspect of hitting. His clients include MLB stars Nolan Arenado, Ben Zobrist, Paul Goldschmidt, and Daniel Murphy.  He played 14 seasons of Minor League Baseball from 1982-1995. In 1,591 games played with six different organizations, Springer slugged 128 home runs and collected 1,592 hits.  His dream to play the highest level of b...

Episode 107 Julianne Viani is our guest on Episode 107 of the Sports Spectrum Podcast. She was a 4-time MAAC champion and MAAC MVP her senior year with Marist College. Upon graduation in 2009, she was inducted into the MAAC Basketball Hall of Fame. She's currently a basketball analyst covering men and women on the college and pro level for ESPN, CBS Sports Network, NextVR, Pac 12 Network and MSG N...

Episode 106 Born on the south side of Chicago, LaMorris Crawford was born in a life of poverty, gangs, drugs and violence. His mother gave birth to him at the age of 16 and was shot to death at the age of 17. LaMorris' Dad was nowhere to be found and to this day, he's never met his own father.  Amazingly, LaMorris escaped his tough upbringing and was able to become the first person in his family t...

Episode 105 Jerry Schemmel is the radio voice of the Colorado Rockies. But that's just the tip of the iceberg on the life that Jerry has lived. He survived a horrific plane crash in 1989. He has participated in 9 triathlons and 3 marathons and he's spent 7 days racing a bicycle across America.  In the movie GODSPEED: The Race Across America , Schemmel's 7 day bike race across America is chronicled...

Episode 104 Matt Atkins is a golfer on the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup. He finished 19th on the Web.com Tour Regular Season money list in 2017 and got his first tour victory winning the El Bosque Mexico Championship. The 27-year-old carded two additional top-10 finishes, making 15 cuts in 25 starts.  In college at South Caroilna-Aiken, he was named a Division II All-American in his junior and senior year...

Episode 103 Thomas Davis is a 3-time Pro Bowl linebacker with the Carolina Panthers. He's the 2014 NFL Man of the Year, and played in Super Bowl 50 with Carolina.  Selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by Carolina, Thomas has played his entire 13-year career in Charlotte. In early April 2018, the NFL suspended Thomas 4 games after he tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing d...

Episode 102 Jason Benham is a former minor league baseball player. Along with his brother David, they've written the book "Miracle in Shreveport," an incredible story of their baseball journey from age 5 to 25.  Benham and his brother are nationally acclaimed entrepreneurs, and bestselling authors of "Whatever the Cost" and Living Among Lions." The twin brother's business success earned them a rea...

Episode 101 John O'Korn is readying himself for the NFL after spending 5 years playing quarterback in college, first with the University of Houston, and then with the Michigan Wolverines.  O'Korn attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida. In his senior season, he led the team to the 2012 FHSAA 7A state title with an average of 43 points per game. Throwing for 22 touchdowns with just 4 int...

Episode 100 Jennie Finch is a 2-time U.S.A Olympic softball player. She won the Gold Medal in 2004 and the Silver Medal in 2008. The 7-time USA Softball world champion went to the University of Arizona, where she was a picture of pure dominance. She went 32-0 in her junior year with an ERA of 0.54, 279 strikeouts and a National Championship. For her 4-year college career, she went 119-16, with an...

Episode 99 Daniel Jeremiah is an analyst with NFL Network. He is also the co-host of the "Move the Sticks" podcast and contributes to NFL.com. Daniel will be a part of the NFL Network's NFL Draft coverage starting Thursday April 26 at 8pm ET.  Growing up a "pk" pastor's kid to well known preacher David Jeremiah, Daniel's love of sports came from his father and continued throughout high school and...