Sports Spectrum Podcast

Episode 465 Sydney Romero played four seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners softball team from 2016-2019. Her storied career at OU featured two Women's College World Seres championships and four consecutive Women's College World Series appearances. In 2019, she was the Big 12 Player of the Year and was named National Fastpitch Coaches Association First-Team All-American in helping the Sooners to within one game of another championship before losing to UCLA in the WCWS finals.  She also won the Big 12 Triple Crown hitting .427 with 20 HR’s and 56 RBI’s.  She led the nation in total bases with 176. Following her OU journey, Romero was selected third overall in the National Pro Fastpitch League by the USSSA Pride and played her first professional season in the summer of 2019. In the spring of 2020, Romero returned to Oklahoma as a student assistant with the softball team. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Sydney about her incredible softball career, where the softball journey began, what her coach Patty Gasso means to her, how she came to faith in Jesus and her favorite moment as an OU Softball player. For more stories of sports and faith, log on to our website http://SportsSpectrum.com 

BONUS EPISODE Demario Davis is a linebacker with the New Orleans Saints. He was selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, where he played from 2012-2015 and again in 2017. During the 2016 season, he played with the Cleveland Browns. In 2018, Demario signed a free agent deal with the Saints and in 2019, was named to the AP All-Pro First Team despite not making the Pro Bowl. Early in the 2019 season, Davis was fined for wearing a “Man of God” headband. But after the NFL rescinded the fine, he was able to make the headbands available to the public and raise money for St. Dominic Hospital in his home state of Mississippi. In October 2019, he became a published author, releasing his first book, “The Unsuccessful Champion: Finding True Victory in the Midst of Adversity.” On this episode of the podcast, Demario looks back at the 2019 season, what he learned from God, being an unsuccessful champion and finding joy and peace in Jesus when things don't go his way on the field. For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 464 Tony Graffanino played 13 seasons in the Major Leagues from 1996-2009. He was selected in the 10th round of the 1990 MLB Amateur Draft by the Atlanta Braves and made his MLB debut six years later in April of 1996.  He would go on to play for seven different teams in his 13 years including stints with the Rays, White Sox, Royals, Red Sox, Brewers and Indians.  Upon retirement, Tony entered into ministry and is currently working with Unlimited Potential Incorporated (UPI) as well as serving with the White Sox as their Spring Training chaplain. Tony leads a variety of small groups for players and their wives in the Phoenix area throughout the year and has helped serve missionaries in over 8 different countries around the world.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Tony about his baseball career, coming to faith in Christ, being a Christian in the big leagues, and why he felt called into baseball ministry.  For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com   

Episode 463 Chase Anderson is a pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was traded to Toronto from Milwaukee in November 2019 after pitching for three seasons with the Brewers. In 2017, he went 12-4 with a 2.74 ERA in 25 starts. In 2018 and 2019, he won a combined 17 games and started 57 games in helping Milwaukee to the playoffs.  Originally selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the ninth round of the 2009 MLB Draft after pitching collegiately at the University of Oklahoma, Chase would make his MLB debut in May of 2014. After two seasons with the Diamondbacks, Chase was traded to Milwaukee in January of 2016 to the Brewers.  On this episode of the podcast, we welcome back Chase to talk about being traded to Toronto, preparing to pitch in the AL East, the lessons he learned during his time in Milwaukee and how he's staying connected to God in such an uncertain lifestyle that is a Major League Baseball player.  For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com

Episode 462 Joe Gibbs is a legend in two sports. He's a Pro Football Hall of Fame coach who has won three Super Bowl championships with the Washington Redskins. He's also a five-time NASCAR Cup Series champion as the owner of Joe Gibbs Racing.  He began his NFL coaching career in 1973 as an assistant with the Cardinals before moving to the Buccaneers and Chargers where he would grow as an assistant coach until his first and only head coaching job with the Washington Redskins in 1981. He would coach the Redskins for 12 seasons until his retirement in 1992.  After stepping away from the NFL, Gibbs focused on NASCAR, creating Joe Gibbs Racing in 1992. He currently still has four drivers but in 2004, Gibbs felt called back to football and back to the Redskins for a second stint as their head coach from 2004 to 2007. He was able to lead Washington to the playoffs twice before retiring for good in January of 2008. In 1996, Gibbs was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 2020, he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He's the only person ever to be inducted in both the Pro Football and NASCAR Halls of Fame. In 2020, he was also named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team and participated in ceremonies celebrating the honor prior to Super Bowl LIV in Miami. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Joe Gibbs about being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, why he's so outspoken about his faith, where his relationship with Jesus began and how that strong faith helped him during the difficult loss of his son JD.  For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 461 Anthony Rendon is the new third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels. He signed a seven year deal with the Angels in December 2019 and will begin the 2020 season in the middle of a lineup that includes Mike Trout and Albert Pujols.  Rendon was selected in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals (6th overall) and two years later would make his MLB debut on April 21, 2013. For the next 6 years, Anthony would be a key player in leading the Nationals to three NL East division titles (2014, 2016, and 2017) and a World Series championship in 2019.  In that 2019 season, Rendon had a career year, hitting .319 with 34 home runs and an MLB-leading 126 runs batted in. He finished third in the NL MVP voting and hit .276 with 2 home runs and 8 RBI in the 2019 World Series victory over Houston.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Rendon about winning a World Series, the decision to sign with the Angels, how his faith gives him peace and keeps him grounded and why an injury that he suffered at age 19 was what led him to turn his life over to the Lord.  For more stories on sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com.

Episode 460 Zach Zenner is an NFL running back who came into the league in 2015 with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent following a stellar college career at South Dakota State. He rushed for 2,000 yards in 2012, 2013 and 2014 with the Jackrabbits and was an Academic All-American in his senior season of 2014. After coming to the NFL, Zenner made his debut in 2015, and in 2016 he burst onto the national stage, rushing for 67 yards and two touchdowns on Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. He went on to play two more seasons in Detroit in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, Zenner lived a whirlwind football life seeing action with the Saints, Cardinals and Dolphins. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Zenner about his crazy 2019 season, how he stayed positive in the midst of being released multiple times, how his faith in Jesus became real during his time in college, and what he envisions himself doing in 10 years. For more stories on faith and sports, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

BONUS On today’s episode of the podcast, we look at faith within the 2019 Tennessee Titans locker room with four members of the team: quarterback Ryan Tannehill, offensive lineman Rodger Saffold, linebacker Wesley Woodyard and team chaplain James Mitchell. Woodyard, who handles the hosting duties on this interview, came to Tennessee in 2014 as a free-agent signing from Denver. Tannehill played seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins before being traded to Tennessee in March 2019. Saffold came to Tennessee in 2019 after playing nine seasons with the Rams in St. Louis and Los Angeles. And Mitchell just finished his second season as team chaplain with the Titans after spending a decade with the Duke Blue Devils football program. This podcast episode takes a look at how Mitchell has helped cultivate a culture of faith within the Titans locker room, why new guys like Tannehill and Saffold were able to assimilate themselves so well within the team, and how Woodyard has provided a spiritual spark as a veteran leader for Tennessee. For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 459 Jose Campo is a National Wrestling Hall of Famer who coached wrestling for over forty years. He is the son of Hall of Fame wrestling coach Joe Campo and is currently the team chaplain for the USA Olympic wrestling team. Growing up, Jose was taught right from wrong, but a series of bad choices including his involvement in the largest cheating scandal in West Point history at Army, spiraled Jose down a bad path. Ultimately, it was putting his faith and trust in Jesus Christ that allowed him to come back and today, he spends his life dedicated to God and serving the Lord through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as well as a spiritual mentor for the U.S. wrestling team. On this episode of the podcast, Jose shares how he is serving with USA Wrestling, growing up with a legend of a father, how his life got caught up in a cheating scandal and the beautiful redemption story that God played in bring him out of his mess.  For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

BONUS EPISODE Morgan Trent is a former NFL player who was selected in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played his college football at the University of Michigan, where he started 41 of 48 games and had eight career interceptions. He also was a track and field sprinter with the Wolverines before joining the NFL. After playing four seasons with the Bengals, Colts, Jaguars and Redskins, Trent’s NFL career was over and he turned to real estate. He earned his real estate license and is currently working with Aaron Kirman Partners and selling real estate in Southern California. And he is currently featured on CNBC’s newest show “Listing Impossible,” airing Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET. You can also watch the show online at CNBC.com. He attends Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and lives by the simple phrase “Love God, Love People.” On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Trent about going from the reality show of the NFL to a reality show on CNBC. He tells us how he got interested in real estate, how his personal relationship with Jesus took shape in college, what faith was like in the NFL, living out that faith now as a real estate agent, and the difficulty that so many have in transitioning out of the NFL into the workplace. For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com