The Dragon's Den

Join me as I talk with a true legend in UAB football history, Pat Green! Pat and I went into so many great stories! He shared his unusual "recruitment" to UAB, what the program's early years were like, his long-standing friendships with teammates, and so much more! UAB fans will enjoy hearing some of the stories that don't often get told about the football program in its infanc...

Join me as I talk with one of the heroes from the hardwood in the mid-90s, Cedric Dixon! Cedric and I had a great talk about his life growing up in Selma and his recruitment to UAB, his time playing at UAB under head coach Gene Bartow and Murry Bartow, and life after basketball. We also discuss his book, After the Ball Stops Bouncing , and his current career in education. He shares many great less...

Join me as I talk with a legend on the gridiron for UAB, Zac Woodfin! Zac has a unique story with UAB because he not only played for the Blazers during some of their most memorable seasons, but he also played and coached for Bill Clark. Woodfin talks about playing for Coach Clark in high school at Prattville and returning to UAB to be his strength and conditioning coach. We also discussed some big...

Join me as I talk with another legend in UAB sports, Robert Vaden! Robert shared his story about his journey from recruitment in high school to Indiana, then to UAB, and finally his professional career in the NBA G League and playing overseas. He also gave a great glimpse into the mind of a player preparing for games, playing in some of the biggest environments in basketball, and how it translates...

Join me as I talk with Thomas Cox, UAB Football Quarterback from 1999-2002. Thomas shared some great stories from his playing days at UAB, including his first start versus #17 ECU, what he learned, and what it was like playing alongside some of the greats in UAB football history. We also discussed his coaching career, his transition into business, and his current life. Hope you enjoy! Go Blazers!...

Join me as I talk with Janice Ward, mother of the late Torrey Ward, UAB men's basketball guard from 1996-2000. Janice shared great stories about Torrey's early life, time at UAB, and journey into becoming a coach. We also discussed her fandom for our UAB Blazers and what the university means to her as an alum, employee, and fan. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you will too!...

Join me as I talk with a legend in UAB athletics, coach Watson Brown. Watson shared some amazing stories about his start in football at an early age, his playing days at Vanderbilt which led to many years in coaching, and his time at UAB as head coach and athletic director. Some great behind-the-scenes stories that you won't want to miss. I truly enjoyed this conversation and I can't tha...

Join me as I talk with former UAB men's basketball guard Jordan Swing! Jordan has had a great career in basketball dating back to his high school years winning a state championship with Vestavia Hills High School. He played alongside some very talented UAB players and has been playing pro basketball overseas and in the NBA G League (including the Birmingham Squadron in 2022-2023) for over 10...

Join me as I talk with Jakob Hornsby, UAB Club Hockey forward from 2016-2020 and current head coach! Jakob gives great insight into the life of a club sport athlete and the amount of hard work that goes into making a season happen! The team is back from a brief hiatus that started around the pandemic. We also discussed his history playing hockey here in Alabama, his playing time with UAB, and what...

Join me as I talk with former UAB football defensive lineman Bryant Turner Jr.! Bryant and I discussed many topics like his athletic participation at Daphne High School, his friendships with teammates at UAB, the many big environments he played in, his time playing in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and BC Lions, his current career in real estate and more! Hope you enjoy...

This is the first episode I've had with a family member of a former player! I talk with Neena Speer, daughter of the late former men's basketball center Donnie Speer. Donnie was a big part of UAB's very first basketball teams and of course the run to the Elite 8 in 1982. His legacy carried on beyond the hardwood as it lives on in the memories of UAB fans and his friends and family....

For this episode I pay tribute to the biggest UAB fan of all time, my dad Morris "Butch" Harris. Sadly, my dad passed away two years ago before I could have him on the podcast to share his stories as a UAB fan, so I thought I'd share some of them and my best sports memories with him. I also received some shared memories from his longtime friend and fellow UAB fan, Steve Rutherford....

Join me as I talk with one of the greats from the UAB men's basketball program in the early 2000s, Mr. Carldell "Squeaky" Johnson. Squeaky and I had a great talk about his UAB playing days, his pro career journey after UAB, life now, and more! Hope you enjoy!  Be sure to follow my social media pages @DragonsDenEFEL on Facebook, Twitter (X), and Instagram! Go Blazers!

Join me as I talk with former UAB baseball pitcher, Kevin Fehr! Kevin was on the very first UAB baseball teams and recounts his playing days with the upstart program. Kevin also went on to coach baseball at the high school and college level all while officiating high school and college basketball. This led to an 18-year career officiating in the NBA. Kevin and I talked about his time in sports wit...

Join me as I talk with one of the recent stars for the UAB men's basketball program, Quan Jackson! Quan and I had a great discussion about his two seasons at UAB, his leadership of the team, his current pro career in Finland, and so much more! Hope you enjoy! No This Week In Blazer History this week. To listen to the postseason history of UAB basketball in the NCAA tournament and NIT, check o...

Join me as I talk with one of the original pioneers of the UAB football program, Kevin Drake. Kevin has been a journeyman throughout his life in football and in his career. We had a great conversation about his playing days with UAB, his move from quarterback to wide receiver in his senior season, his life after football, and more! Be sure to stick around for another This Week in Blazer History se...

Join me as I talk with former UAB football kicker Ty Long! Ty and I discuss his time at UAB, his playing career in the Canadian Football League and the NFL, his current life as an NFL free agent, and more! Hope you enjoy! Be sure to follow my social pages @DragonsDenEFEL on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Go Blazers!

Join me as I talk with one of UAB Softball's all-time greats, Caitlin Attfield! Caitlin shares great insight into her approach to the game, her adjustment to the college level, her playing days, and her special memories from her time at UAB! I really enjoyed the conversation! Thanks for listening!  Be sure to check out my social pages @DragonsDenEFEL on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Go Bl...

Join me as I welcome Chris Giles (UAB Men's Basketball Forward 1979-1982) back on the podcast to promote his new book! The book is titled,  Birmingham Golden Years of High School Basketball. It discusses great historical accomplishments by former and current basketball players that have gone on to the pros, great basketball coaches, highlights high schools in the Birmingham area and more! You...

Join me as I talk with one of the all-time greats from UAB basketball, Jack Kramer! Jack shares a lot of great stories about his friendships with his former teammates including Andy Kennedy, Barry Bearden, Alan Ogg, Carter Long, and many others! Jack also goes into great detail about the lives of his kids, two of which are division 1 NCAA athletes. Jack does a great job setting the scene of what i...

Join me as I talk with former UAB football wide receiver and kick returner, Frantrell Forrest. This has been one of my favorite episodes so far! Frantrell was 100% real in his discussion about the highs and lows of his playing days and life in general. He is one of the most dynamic players to ever step foot on the field for UAB football. We discussed everything from his life before college, his bi...

Join me as I talk with one of the greats from the UAB basketball program in the early 2000s, Mr. Paul Delaney III! Paul had a fantastic career at UAB and his name is still all over the Blazer record book. We discuss his role on the team as a leader during the transition from Mike Anderson to Mike Davis, his clutch baskets, battling back from injury, and his current career playing basketball overse...

Join me as I talk with Holly Holland-Berry! Intrigued by the opportunity to play in the upstart Conference USA, Holly came to UAB from her hometown near Tampa, Florida and provided a spark for the Blazers. She was one of the greatest sharp shooters from three-point land played alongside some of the greatest Blazers in the history of the program. Holly played a big role in the Sweet 16 run by the U...

Longtime Blazer fan Steve Rutherford and I collaborate to recap the NCAA tournament appearances for the men's and women's teams in UAB's basketball history! The 1981 first appearance and the 1982 Elite 8 run for the men's team will be left out due to my last episode with Chris Giles going into great detail about both of those appearances! UAB has a rich history of basketball, a...

Join me as I talk with one of the pioneers of UAB basketball, Mr. Chris Giles! Chris came to UAB through an unusual way and was there from the beginning! I was so impressed by his attention to detail in his stories about in-game situations, life on campus and around Birmingham, coach Gene Bartow, off the court memories with teammates, and so much more. Giles also came back and coached at UAB both...