Sports Spectrum Podcast

Episode 215 Dansby Swanson was the first overall selection in the 2015 MLB Amateur Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. In December 2015, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves.  He played his college ball at Vanderbilt where he was named the 2014 College World Series Most Valuable Player after helping lead his club to the title.  He made his MLB debut on August 17,2016 and became the Braves every day shortstop in 2017. Last year, he hit a career-high 14 home runs and played great defense with a .981 fielding percentage in 133 games. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Dansby about the wrist injury he suffered at the end of 2018, get an update on how his recovery is going, learn about his faith journey, why prayer is essential to his spiritual life, and great stories on one of his heroes Derek Jeter, and the day he made his MLB debut.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 214 Rich Wingo played linebacker for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 1976-78. He was selected in the 7th round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, where he would play 6 seasons at Lambeau Field from 1979-1984.  A former assistant coach with the Crimson Tide from 1987-89, Wingo was part of that 1978 Alabama national championship team that won the Sugar Bowl on January 1, 1979 and famously stopped Penn State in a fourth quarter goal line stand to ultimately prevail 14-7.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Rich about this current Alabama team of 2018 and how good they really are. We also hear Rich's powerful testimony of coming to faith in Christ while he was playing in the NFL with the Packers. Wingo also shares the story of his college coach "Bear" Bryant kicking him off the 1977 team and the amazing lesson he learned from that incident.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Every Sunday during Autumn, millions tune into the NFL Red Zone Channel to watch the National Football League. The man who leads the charge on that show is Scott Hanson from the NFL Network. The Syracuse graduate has been with the NFL Network since 2006. In this #ThrowbackThursday edition of the podcast, we hear the i amazing story of how he came to faith in Christ, the movie that he rented that changed his life and why he believes his faith is the greatest fact in his life. You can listen to the entire interview with Scott on Episode 37 here. 

Episode 213 Jacie Hoyt is in her second season as the head coach of the University of Missouri-Kansas City women's basketball team. She is the youngest Division One coach in women's basketball.  From 2014-2017, Jacie was an assistant coach with Kansas State. Prior to that, from 2011-2014, she was an assistant coach at the University of Nevada.  Her basketball career began in Kansas, playing for her mother, legendary high school coach Shelly Hoyt, where she scored 2,016 career points in just 3 seasons for Hoxie High School and was a 3-time all-state performer.   She earned a scholarship to Wichita State where she was a team captain point guard from 2006-2009. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Jacie about her basketball journey, what she learned from the successes and failures, becoming the head coach at UMKC, the biggest differences in being a head coach from being an assistant, and and how her faith in Christ has shaped it all.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 212 D'Brickashaw Ferguson played 10 seasons in the NFL from 2006-2015, all with the New York Jets. He was selected 4th overall in the 2005 draft after playing college football at the University of Virginia. He announced his retirement from football in April of 2016 at the age of 33. In his decade of football, Ferguson played and started in every game of his career. He played in 10,707 out of 10,708 offensive snaps and was named to 3 Pro Bowls. Married to his wife Kirsten, the couple has 2 daughters. In part 2 of our two-part podcast, D'Brickashaw and Kirsten share the difficulties they walked through trying to become parents, what they learned from God in that process, how they bring faith now into parenting their 2 little girls, and what Sundays now look like after retiring from football. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 211 D'Brickashaw Ferguson played 10 seasons in the NFL from 2006-2015, all with the New York Jets. He was selected 4th overall in the 2005 draft after playing college football at the University of Virginia. He announced his retirement from football in April of 2016 at the age of 33. In his decade of football, Ferguson played and started in every game of his career. He played in 10,707 out of 10,708 offensive snaps and was named to 3 Pro Bowls. Married to his wife Kirsten, the couple has 2 daughters. In part 1 of our two-part podcast, D'Brickashaw and Kirsten share what life in retirement is like and where their faith journey began. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 210 Dave Frey is the lead singer for the band Sidewalk Prophets since 2001. Since then, the band has released three major studio albums and five #1 hits including "You Love Me Anyway," "The Words I Would Say," "Live Like That" and "Come to the Table." A die-hard sports fan, Frey carries allegiances to the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Cubs. Dave was able to celebrate his team's 2016 World Series championship at Wrigley Field attending Game 6 in person. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Dave about touring on the road, hearing his music on the radio for the first time, his love for sports, attending the 2016 World Series and what his ultimate sports meets music moment was for him. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 209 Tommy Kyle is the Executive Director of the Nations of Coaches in Alabama. Tommy has served with Nations of Coaches since 2008. As executive director, he oversees the implementation of Nations of Coaches’ core vision: to help coaches achieve their higher calling of shaping the character of the next generation of young men. Kyle played basketball collegiately at Tennessee Temple University, where he first began working with SCORE International – a global sports ministry that reaches the nations for Christ through short-term mission trips. Kyle later worked full-time with SCORE as the national college basketball director. Between 1996 and 2007, Kyle served as the head boys basketball coach at Decatur Heritage Christian Academy, where he led the Golden Eagles to three trips to the state basketball’s final four and won five area titles. The Nations of Coaches works with 3,500+ basketball coaches by helping their players make the connection between character and sport – equipping and encouraging them with the resources they need to build young men of high character and ultimately play and coach for the Master Coach -- Jesus.  On this episode of the podcast, Tommy shares how the Nations of Coaches is helping to equip some of college basketball's biggest coaching names, why the ministry started, how Tommy became a part of it, and what the biggest spiritual battles and challenges are for college basketball coaches who are following Christ. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 208 Dan Naulty pitched for 4 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Twins and Yankees from 1996-1999. He was a member of the 1999 World Series championship team with the Bronx Bombers. He was selected in the 14th round of the 1992 MLB Draft by the Twins out of Cal State Fullerton where he played in the 1992 College World Series. Naulty was part of the steroid era of baseball and admittedly chose to use steroids, which helped him bulk up from 180 pounds in college to 245 pounds when he reached the Big Leagues. Ironically after winning the World Series, Naulty reached his lowest point and began to have thoughts of suicide. Not long after, Dan turned to his faith and found new purpose in ministry. He's now the pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church in Jenison, Michigan.   In part 2, Dan shares his testimony, how he came to Christ, the moment he stopped using steroids, and how a celebration after winning the 1999 World Series with the Yankees led him to a place of desperation and ultimately how the switch flipped back to a full commitment to Christ. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 207 Dan Naulty pitched for 4 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Twins and Yankees from 1996-1999. He was a member of the 1999 World Series championship team with the Bronx Bombers. He was selected in the 14th round of the 1992 MLB Draft by the Twins out of Cal State Fullerton where he played in the 1992 College World Series. Naulty was part of the steroid era of baseball and admittedly chose to use steroids, which helped him bulk up from 180 pounds in college to 245 pounds when he reached the Big Leagues. Ironically after winning the World Series, Naulty reached his lowest point and began to have thoughts of suicide. Not long after, Dan turned to his faith and found new purpose in ministry. He's now the pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church in Jenison, Michigan. In part 1 of our two part conversation, Naulty shares about becoming a pastor, abuse that he suffered growing up, how that shaped him as a person and an athlete, turning to steroids to help him reach the Majors, and how he views elite players from the steroid era as they are considered for the Hall of Fame. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com