Sports Spectrum Podcast

Today we look back to July of 2018, Episode 132 of the podcast with ESPN announcer Maria Taylor.  Maria is becoming a household name on sports broadcasts. She has been an ESPN host and reporter covering college football’s National Championship game, college basketball, the NFL Draft, the NBA Combine, the NBA Draft, the ESPYs and College Gameday.  A graduate of the University of Georgia in 2009, Taylor played basketball as well as making All-SEC honors in volleyball for the Lady Bulldogs. Her passion to serve the Lord and give back culminated in 2014 with her co-founding the Winning Edge Leadership Academy. The Academy provides a place where college student and young professionals, particularly women and minority leaders, can get professional development to prepare them for the sports business world. Maria shares on this THROWBACK edition of the podcast about her walk with the Lord and where that began.  You can listen to the entire interview with Maria Taylor by clicking here or by searching her name on iTunes/Apple podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio App or anywhere podcasts are listened to. 

Episode 366 Tammi Carr is the co-founder of the Chad Tough Foundation. She and her husband Jason met in college at the University of Michigan and have been together ever since. Jason played quarterback for the Wolverines football team. Tammi's father Tom Curtis, played football at Michigan and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Tammi's father in-law is Lloyd Carr, the legendary Michigan football coach from 1995-2007. In 2015, Chad Carr, Tammi and Jason's son, died at the age of 5 years old. He lived 14 months after being diagnosed with an inoperable, malignant brain tumor: diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. It is a cancerous tumor located within the brain stem, which overwhelmingly targets children, and there are zero long-term survivors.  After his death, the Chad Tough Foundationwas formed in 2015. Tammi is on the board of directors of the foundation and her husband is president of the part-time staff and they have raised close to $10 million dollars for DIPG research.  On this episode of the podcast, we remember Chad Carr through the words of his mom Tammi, trusting in God as they walked with their son in his fight, starting the Chad Tough foundation, how Chad's death has brought others to come to faith in Christ and finding purpose in the pain.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 365 Semi Ojeleye was selected by the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft (37th overall). He's played in 129 career games for Boston over his two NBA seasons including 23 playoff games. He scored a career high 17 points in a 116-110 win over Washington on April 9, 2019. Semi came to the Celtics after a college career that saw him begin at Duke University with Coach Mike Krzyzewski and then move on to SMU, where he was named AAC Player of the Year after averaging 18.9 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Mustangs.  Ojeleye's parents emigrated from Nigeria to Kansas and Semi starred at Ottawa High School where he was named Parade Magazine's National Player of the Year in 2013.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Semi about coming to the NBA, adjusting to his role with the Celtics, preparing for a bigger role in 2019-2020, where his faith in Christ took root, living out his walk with God as an NBA player and finding a church home in Boston.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 364 Steve Merriman spent the 2019 baseball season as the pitching coach for the Colorado Rockies AA affiliate, the Hartford Yard Goats.  Since 1995, Merriman has coaches baseball at both the college and professional levels. He began his coaching career with the University of Michigan Wolverines as their hitting coach. His pro baseball coaching career has seen him make stops with the Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs.  On this episode of the podcast, Merriman talks about his whirlwind baseball coaching journey, the challenges of being a pitching coach, his testimony of faith in Christ, and the broken relationship he's had with his father.  Steve's story is a powerful one. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 363 Anthony "Booger" McFarland is a former NFL player turned analyst on ESPN's Monday Night Football coverage.  Selected in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Booger would play 8 seasons with Tampa before being traded to Indianapolis in October of 2006. He would play two seasons with the Colts before retiring after the 2007 season. Booger was a a first-team All-American in 1998 with LSU and would win two Super Bowl rings during his time in the NFL with Tampa in 2002 and Indianapolis in 2006. In 2014, he began his broadcasting journey when he joined the SEC Network and ESPN. In 2018, he was named as an analyst on ESPN's Monday Night Football coverage.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Booger McFarland about his role on Monday Night Football, how he got the nickname "Booger," his story of faith, growing up without a Dad in his life, how the loss of his mother tested his faith, and what coach Tony Dungy meant to him as a player and as a person. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

On this throwback edition of the Sports Spectrum podcast, we bring you a conversation with former NFL QB and current Dallas Cowboys QB coach Jon Kitna.  Jon played 15 seasons in the NFL with the Seahawks, Bengals, Lions and Cowboys. He has thrown for just under 30,000 career passing yards and 169 touchdown passes. He has coached football on the high school level for many years before coming to Dallas and his current role with the Cowboys. On this podcast, we hear from Jon about how he began his walk with Christ and how he's learned to become a real man of God. You can listen to the entire interview with Jon and pastor Bryan Loritts from Episode 93 here or by searching his name on iTunes, Spotify, iHeart Radio, or anywhere else podcasts are found. 

Episode 362 Jay Feely is currently an analyst for CBS Sports Network’s coverage of  The NFL On CBS. Prior to joining CBS Sports, Feely spent 14 years in the NFL as a kicker with the Falcons, Giants, Dolphins, Chiefs, Jets, Cardinals and Bears. Throughout his career he had an 82.7 field goal percentage and was the NFL field goals made leader in 2002. Following a record-breaking season with the Giants, Feely was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2005. He was named the 2002 Atlanta Falcons Man of the Year; 2006 New York Giants United Way Man of the Year; 2007 Miami Dolphins Man of the Year; and the 2013 Arizona Cardinals Man of the Year. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Feely won the National Championship with the Michigan Wolverines in 1997 and earned an honorable mention for the All-Big Ten team in 1998. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Jay about his crazy NFL journey, serving in the NFL broadcast booth as a former kicker, the state of faith in the NFL, why living out his faith is vital, his favorite broadcasting moment, and what it was like to work on a broadcast team at the Super Bowl.  For more information, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 361 Tim Burke pitched for 8 seasons in the Major Leagues from 1985 to 1992. He was selected in the second round of the 1980 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates and was traded four times in his MLB career. He made his MLB debut in April of 1985 with the Montreal Expos and pitched for 7 seasons in Montreal before being traded to the Mets in 1991 and then to the Yankees in 1992. He he would retire from pro baseball after Spring Training in 1993.  Burke's best MLB season came in 1989 when he 9-3 with 28 saves and a 2.55 ERA, leading to his one and only trip to the All-Star Game.  After retirement, Burke would spend time raising his four adopted kids, as well as enter into the world of pro hockey ministry to share and equip NHL players in their walk with God.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Tim about his pro baseball journey, the story of pitching in the 1989 All-Star game and then adopting his child in Guatemala, coming to faith in Christ as a minor leaguer and how God has redeemed his life after bouts with heavy drinking, depression, a broken marriage, and a difficult season of parenting.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 360 Jay Harris is a SportsCenter anchor at ESPN who has been featured on the signature show since arriving in Bristol, CT in February of 2003.  Prior to his arrival at ESPN, Harris worked as a news anchor and reporter in Pittsburgh with WPGH-TV. He also worked at WAMO-FM in Pittsburgh and WOWI-FM in Norfolk, VA. Harris is a graduate of Old Dominion University and in 2004, was the keynote speaker for Old Dominion's 100th commencement ceremony.  Jay has been a part of SportsCenter's Sports Emmy-winning efforts in 2004 and 2005 and is a recipient of the Silver World Medal from the New York Festival Awards.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Jay about his journey to ESPN, living the SportsCenter life, when he began his walk with the Lord, using his platform to share his faith and his most memorable interview.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 359 Todd Blackledge is a college football analyst at ESPN and ABC. He is also a former NFL QB who was selected in the 1st round (seventh overall) of the 1983 NFL Draft by Kansas City.  Playing his college football at Penn State, Todd had a decorated career with the Nittany Lions winning the 1982 Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's most outstanding quarterback and helped his club win the national championship that same season when Penn State beat Georgia 27-23 in the Sugar Bowl.  He would go on to play six NFL seasons with the Chiefs and Steelers before beginning his broadcasting journey in 1989 and eventually coming to ABC Sports in 1994.  In 2009, he was awarded Penn State’s Distinguished Alumni Award and is a member of Penn State’s Board of Visitors for Penn State’s Center for Sports Journalism. Blackledge lives in Canton, Ohio, the birthplace for football and coaches high school basketball in the offseason. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Todd about the upcoming football season, the state of parenting in youth sports, his testimony of faith in Christ, his calling as a believer in the broadcasting industry and the state of faith in college football.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com