Sports Spectrum Podcast

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 

Episode 458 Carson Wentz is the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. He was selected No. 2 overall in the 2016 draft, and he has started each of the 57 games he has played since. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2017 but was unable to play due to an ACL injury earlier that season, which also kept him out as the Eagles went on to win Super Bowl LII. Wentz battled injuries in 2018 as well, appearing in only 11 games, but he started all 16 regular-season games in 2019 and got to play in his first NFL playoff game. He enters his fifth season as one of the NFL’s best young quarterbacks. In the summer of 2017, Wentz started his Audience of One Foundation, which is dedicated to “uplifting individuals and communities around the world by demonstrating God’s love for His people.” It is made up of three primary ministries: Thy Kingdom Crumb (a food truck that distributes free food); Outdoor Ministry (hunting and fishing trips for kids); and the Haiti Sports Complex (sports facilities in Haiti). Wentz is also a married man and soon-to-be father. Shortly after winning the Super Bowl, Wentz proposed to his girlfriend, Maddie. The two were married in July 2018, and they are expecting their first child, a girl. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Carson and Maddie about marriage, what Maddie’s Sundays are like watching her husband on the field, how Christ is at the center of their marriage, and the excitement surrounding their upcoming baby girl’s arrival. For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 457 Clint Hurdle has been a staple in Major League Baseball for over forty years. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1975 MLB Draft and just two years later, made his MLB debut. A member of the 1980 American League championship team in Kansas City, Hurdle would play for seven more years until retiring in 1987. After his playing days ended, Hurdle went into coaching in 1988 and 14 years later, would be named the manager of the Colorado Rockies. During his time with Colorado, he would lead the Rockies to the National League title and a trip to the World Series in 2007. After his time in Colorado ended in 2010, he would sign on to manage the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011 where he led the Bucs to three straight playoff appearances in 2013, 2014, and 2015. In 2013, he was named Sporting News NL Manager of the Year.  In September of 2019, he was relieved of his duties as manager of the Pirates. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Clint Hurdle about adjusting to life away from baseball, where his faith in Jesus began, how a crisis of faith in his early forties helped him grow closer to the Lord, how he lived his faith out as a manager and why spending time with his family right now is his number one priority.  For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

BONUS EPISODE Josh McCown spent the 2019 season as a quarterback with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was originally selected in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals after playing his college football Sam Houston State.  Josh would go on to play 17 NFL seasons with eleven different teams (Cardinals, Lions, Raiders, Dolphins, Panthers, 49ers, Bears, Buccaneers, Browns, Jets and Eagles). In 2019, Josh backed up Carson Wentz in Philadelphia and found himself making his first ever appearance in a playoff game when he came in to relieve an injured Wentz in the Eagles loss to the Seahawks. In that game, McCown suffered a torn hamstring off the bone and continued to play an entire half with the injury. On this episode of the podcast, Josh McCown shares a health update on his torn hamstring, getting the opportunity to play in his first ever playoff game, why he came out of retirement to play in 2019, what faith in the Eagles locker room was like and what Josh's plans are for 2020.  For more stories of faith and sports, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 456 Since 2014, David Baker has been the President and CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At 6'9 and 400 pounds, David is an imposing figure but he's also the one guy every former NFL player loves during the Super Bowl as Baker is the guy who knocks on the door and congratulates the new inductees every year to the Hall. In 2018, the Pro Football Hall of Fame was voted the Best Attraction for Sports Fans in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest. Before his football governing days, Baker played professional basketball in Switzerland and worldwide with a Christian basketball team that beat the best in the world. He was elected Mayor and Councilman of Irvine, Calif., the country’s first master-planned city and served for 12 years as the Commissioner of the Arena Football League. Baker is the father of two boys – Ben who is the Director of Broadcasting at NASCAR and Sam who played left tackle for the Atlanta Falcons and currently serves as a coach for Mission Viejo High School football team. David and his wife Colleen also have a daughter Leyla and a son, Michael; and are the proud grandparents of eight beautiful grandchildren. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to David about his job telling football players that they're in the Hall of Fame, the parallels of football and scripture, the experience of telling Jimmy Johnson and Bill Cowher in person live on a broadcast that they were going to Canton. David's a strong leader and he shares how his walk with the Lord guides his work each day. For more stories on sports and faith, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 455 Matt Carpenter is a 3-time All-Star with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was selected in the 13th round of the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft out of TCU. A three-time second-team All Mountain West Conference selectee, he broke TCU's school record for games played and at bats. He would make his MLB debut in June of 2011 and has been a mainstay in the Cardinals lineup since becoming a regular in 2012. In 2013, he would be selected to his first All-Star game in helping St. Louis to the World Series. He would make two more All-Star game appearances in 2014 and 2016. In 2018, he hit a career high 36 home runs and in 2019, he reached 1,000 career hits. On this episode of the podcast, we talked to Matt about the 2020 season, why he doesn't wear batting gloves, how his time in college at TCU opened his heart up to the Lord and what living that faith out each day looks like today compared to when he first came to St. Louis nine years ago. We also want to send a special welcome to our new partners and sponsors International Justice Mission. You can learn more about the great work they're doing at IJM.org/TF For more stories and interviews, visit our website -- http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 454 Bob Goff is one of the most unique people in the United States. These days, he is most widely known as the New York Times-bestselling author of “Love Does,” released in 2012, and “Everybody Always” in 2018. Before Goff was an author, he was making a difference around the world as the founder of Restore International (now known as Love Does), which he started in 2001 to “find daring, productive and effective ways to fight the injustices committed against children.” Love Does now works to promote human rights and education in current and recovering conflict zones. It works in Uganda, Iraq, Nepal, Somalia, Afghanistan and India. Goff also serves as an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University, in both the law school and the graduate degree programs, with courses such as Nonprofit Law in the school’s Global Justice Program. In a previous career, he was a trial lawyer. He’s also an international speaker and launched the Dream Big Framework in 2016, a curriculum and workshop designed to motivate people to accomplish their biggest dreams and ambitions.  On this episode of the podcast, we talked to Goff at a conference in Dallas about his testimony of faith, why he wears a Boston Red Sox hat every day, why the people he learns the most from aren’t those that have it all together, starting a New Year’s Day parade on his street, and the desire he has to simply love like Jesus. Bob is great and you’ll love his story. For more stories and podcasts check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 453 Ingle Martin was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He began his college career at the University of Florida before transferring to Furman for his junior and senior season and setting multiple team records as well as being a punter for the Paladins. After being drafted in 2006, Martin found himself as a backup quarterback on a Packers team that featured Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. In August of 2007, he was released by the Packers and picked up by the Titans. He would have stints with Tennessee, Denver, and Kansas City before ending his professional career in 2009. In 2011, Martin became the head football coach of Christ Presbyterian Academy, a private high school located in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2019, his club finished as the state runner-up despite a 2-6 start.  On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Ingle Martin about his football journey, the difference is in adversity in football as compared to adversity in life and why keeping Christ has helped him both as a player and now as a coach. He also shares what his experience was like playing with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.  For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com