The National Football Foundation's Good in the Game Podcast

Chad Hennings' story is one of the most extraordinary journeys in football and American service. From an Iowa farm boy to the Air Force Academy, where he lead the nation with 24 sacks, to flying 45 A‑10 combat missions, Hennings lived two elite careers before ever stepping into the Dallas Cowboys locker room during the teams dynasty run in the '90s. In this episode of Good in the Game, LaVar Arrin...

Derrick Johnson — College Football Hall of Famer, Texas Longhorn legend, and the all‑time leading tackler in Kansas City Chiefs history — sits down with LaVar Arrington for one of the most powerful conversations ever on Good in the Game. From growing up in a football family in Waco, to becoming the most dominant linebacker in Big 12 history, to overcoming adversity in the NFL, DJ breaks down the m...

What does it look like when a player truly does it all — the right way? In this episode of Good in the Game, the official podcast of the National Football Foundation, host and College Football Hall of Famer LaVar Arrington sits down with one of the greatest linebackers in the history of college football — Paul Posluszny. A two-time Butkus Award winner, Academic All-American of the Year, two-time t...

LaVar Arrington sits down with Sterling Doty, head coach at Stephenville High School in Texas. Stephenville was announced as the winner of this years Hatchell Cup by the National Football Foundation. LaVar and Coach Doty discuss getting into the game, what football has done for him in his life and what he wants his legacy to be. The Good in the Game Podcast, hosted by 2022 NFF Hall of Fame inducte...

LaVar sits down with one of the best coaches in the country right now, Texas Tech's Joey McGuire. The guys discuss their past coaching together in the Under Armour All-American game, Texas Tech's big year, McGuire's coaching career & how Coach keeps his teams motivated. 00:00 - Intro 01:32 - LaVar and McGuire Coaching Together 04:45 - Coach's Relationship with the NFF 07:15 - McGuire's Coaching Ca...

LaVar brings us another interview with a member of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame, Minnesota's Greg Eslinger! Greg and LaVar chat about the 2025 Hall of Fame class, Greg's path to to Minnesota and how lineman get the glow up once they step away from the game! Transcript - https://docs.google.com/document/d/191ejQN5W7Ae5KPLMiOhaVyTJgETPo54rhNQrqFtGjBA/edit?usp=sharing The Good in the Game P...

LaVar Arrington chats LIVE with Tennessee and Jags great Big John Henderson! The guys catch up at the NFF Awards diner honoring the college football hall of fame class of 2025, which John was elected to. John and LaVar discuss the Hall of Fame, his INSANE pregame slap routine & what advice he would give to younger players in the game. Transcript - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rUrvloBEZgqRgf...

LaVar Arrington sits down LIVE with Oregon and Ravens great Haloti Ngata! The guys catch up at the NFF Awards diner honoring the college football hall of fame class of 2025, which Haloti is a part of. Haloti and LaVar discuss the Hall of Fame, how to face adversity and what the game means to him! Transcript - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G9OOX4X2W9BoS2sd93ELpY_mRCCY0wBWVD_TySMxrdA/edit?usp=...

LaVar Arrington sits down with the legend from Appalachian State, Armanti Edwards! The guys discuss App State's historic upset over Michigan in 2007, Armanti's career from college to the NFL and how he found his love for the game again in the CFL. Transcript - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eap9sXT0bHUMri8X4fsOU11MkmAtI9gYQDJw6ZYRz5I/edit?usp=sharing The Good in the Game Podcast, hosted by 20...

The Good in the Game Podcast, hosted by 2022 NFF Hall of Fame inductee LaVar Arrington (Penn State) is a new podcast from the National Football Foundation where twice a month, we will be looking at everything we love about the game of football. Our mission is to promote and develop the good in the game, and this podcast will tell those stories through exclusive interviews and in-depth discussions...

LaVar Arrington is joined by national champion head coach & 2018 college football hall of famer Mack Brown. LaVar and Coach discuss the famous Rose Bowl between USC & Texas, the current state of college football, some solutions and what the game means to him. Transcript - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b7o1_wtoDkkJOJa2lkOs_DRJdPiKZLAKKXj2YOzcWpw/edit?usp=sharing The Good in the Game Podcast,...

LaVar Arrington sits down with former Ohio State Buckeye first round pick and current Arizona Cardinal Paris Johnson to discuss his journey to the NFL, earning his spot at OSU and how his faith has helped him on and off the football field. Transcript - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bXayqgQ6T1LRfV0haUdV5ftJU80ryQX5D1o1YhKB_PM/edit?tab=t.0 The Good in the Game Podcast, hosted by 2022 NFF Hall...

LaVar sits down with long time ESPN reporter Holly Rowe to chat about her career, getting started in the business, how football helped save her life and what she wants her legacy to be. Transcript - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UjNsQEm6wgmGHjsawgobfkkAZgB5NlYMAfOSRR6wSC8/edit?usp=sharing The Good in the Game Podcast, hosted by 2022 NFF Hall of Fame inductee LaVar Arrington (Penn State) is a...

LaVar Arrington sits down with the legend of Fort Worth, former TCU head coach Gary Patterson. Coach and LaVar discuss how Gary got to TCU, his philosophy in teaching the game and what he wants his legacy to be when it's all said and done. 00:00 - Intro 02:01 - Working with the NFF 03:05 - Philosophy at TCU 09:55 - Facing Adversity as a Head Coach 14:30 - Never Missed a Day of Work 20:44 - Legacy...

LaVar sits down with two long time members of the Villanova Wildcats, former head coach and 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Andy Talley and current head coach Mark Ferrante. The guys discuss Coach Ferrante playing for Coach Talley as well as coaching under him at Nova PLUS Coach Talley's initiative to create a registry with collegiate athletics to recruit blood stem cell and marrow donors. The Good in...

Two legends of Happy Valley sit down for an in-depth interview as LaVar is joined by 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Nominee Ki-Jana Carter. The guys discuss how Ki-Jana got to Penn State growing up in Ohio, almost leaving Happy Valley during his freshman year, the 1994 undefeated Penn State team and what the game has done for him in his life. 00:00 - Intro & Welcome 05:00 - Ki-Jana Carter's St...

LaVar Arrington sits down with long time friend, VP of NFL Football Development Roman Oben! LaVar and Roman discuss how the game has helped him in his career, the 2002 Super Bowl winning Tampa Bay Bucs, being the first Cameroon player drafted in the NFL and what he wants his legacy to be! 00:00 - Intro 04:15 - What the Game Means to Roman 13:30 - 2002 Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Bucs 20:49 - Bei...

LaVar sits down with Dr. Jen Welter, who made history in 2015 by becoming the first female to coach in the NFL. The wide ranging interview gets into how Dr. Welter got into the game, what drove her to coaching and how difficult it is to be the first and earning the respect of players in the locker room. Transcript - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FtGbLYXWeBKsaRhoyhdOrnBVty98SqTWpq8Tb5_Ofqw/ed...

LaVar sits down with the Fighting Illini's Kevin Hardy to chat about how he fit in with the famed 90s linebackers at Illinois, what got him into the game and how he thought he'd be able to wear number 50 at UI (hint...the legend who's award he won in 1995 went to UI and wore number 50...there was no shot!) 00:00 - Intro Kevin Hardy, 1995 Dick Butkus Award Winner 04:55 - Illinois Linebackers in the...

LaVar sits down with the young pup, Alex Brown. The former Florida Gator chats about getting into the game, playing for the Gators and earning playing time after sitting behind Jevon Kearse + what he's up to now in life and what the game means to him. The Good in the Game Podcast, hosted by 2022 NFF Hall of Fame inductee Lavar Arrington (Penn State) is a new podcast from the National Football Foun...

Two Butkus Award winners sit down for an in-depth interview as LaVar chats with former Michigan Wolverine linebacker Erick Anderson. Erick discusses his time in Ann Arbor, the magical 1991 season, where the game has taken him and what has meant the most to him outside of the game. 00:00 - Intro 04:45 - How Game of Football Impacted Erick 07:40 - 1991 Season 12:45 - Process of Being Special 19:30 -...

LaVar Arrington sits down with his former head coach in the pros, the ol' ball coach Steve Spurrier. Coach chats about how he got into coaching, being the only living member of the college football hall of fame to be inducted as a player and coach and what went wrong during his time in Washington DC as head coach of the Redskins. 00:00 - Intro and Welcome the Ol' Ball Coach 03:45 - Getting Started...

LaVar Arrington sits down with the head coach of the Syracuse Orange, Fran Brown. Coach dives into what got him into the game, his time at Georgia winning a national title and why the game of football is so important to him. The Good in the Game Podcast, hosted by 2022 NFF Hall of Fame inductee Lavar Arrington (Penn State) is a new podcast from the National Football Foundation where twice a month,...

Texas Football Head Coach Steve Sarkisian sits down with LaVar Arrington to discuss his coaching career, the coaching influences he's had from Pete Carroll to Nick Saban and how the NFF has been continuing to grow the game. 00:00 - Intro 02:37 - Texas 2024 Season 04:22 - Coaching Influences 11:20 - "Tough All Day" 14:58 - Michael Huff's Impact on Staff 19:36 - NFF's Impact on the Sport Transcript...

2013 College Football Hall of Famer Tommie Frazier joins LaVar to discuss his career at Nebraska, playing football in the 90's, his life after football, Lawrence Phillips and what the game has meant to him. The Good in the Game Podcast, hosted by 2022 NFF Hall of Fame inductee Lavar Arrington (Penn State) is a new podcast from the National Football Foundation where twice a month, we will be lookin...