First & Told

We're back with a new episode...and it's a new year! Chad and Derrell chop it up for one last time in 2021, going in depth about how COVID continues to impact student-athletes, why Sidwell Friends is the best HS basketball program in the country, the world of professional sports and what we're looking forward to in 2022. Plus, stay tuned for a BIG announcement for soon-to-be high school and college student-athletes looking to BUILD THEIR BRANDS. Chad and Derrell, two of the DMV's most notable media professionals, are here to help YOU with an opportunity you don't want to miss. Also in this episode:-Plans for 2022.-Someone's getting married!!!-Chad has a new job...and so does Derrell.-From journalists to teachers?-Professional sports. 

Walter Rouse is not only one of the best offensive linemen in the country, but he's the true definition of a student-athlete. Rouse graduated from Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. and is a junior offensive lineman at Stanford University, where he majors in bio-mechanical engineering. In this episode, Chad and Derrell speak to the Silver Spring, MD-native about football, academics, the importance of taking care of your mental health and life after the gridiron. -Also in this episode:-Walter's top five artists-Two Minute Drill-Lessons learned off the field-Chad's vacation on...the farm???

Rick "Doc" Walker played in the NFL for nearly a decade, starting his career in Cincinnati before going to Washington and winning and Super Bowl with the Redskins in 1982. Today, the former tight end is the host of the Doc Walker Podcast, a pregame host for FOX 5 and the Washington Football Team's "Legacy" host. Walker also donates time and money to many local and national foundations, including Providence Health Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Alzheimer's Association, and the Arthritis Foundation.Also in this episode:-The NFL Draft-New name possibilities for the Washington Football Team-Walker's transition from Cincinnati to Washington-Winning a Super Bowl-Philanthropy -Walker's philosophy on coaching and winning. 

Brock Spalding is one of the most dynamic players in the DMV. The South County High School wide receiver joins First & Told to talk about his prowess on the gridiron, his expectations when he steps onto the field and what to expect as his team enters the Virginia playoff portion of its schedule. Also in this episode:-Who should the Washington Football Team take in the draft.-Introducing the Washington Wild Hogs...Red Wolves...Monuments...Aviators?!?!-Gonzaga CHS finished the Spring season undefeated. Should they be considered champions?-Can anybody get past Oscar Smith for a title?-Real Talk: Are today's athletes getting soft? What do we gain or lose when stars don't seem fully committed or sit out big games when fans pay good money to see them play?

You can always count on Travis Thomas to bring fun and high energy whenever he's behind a mic. The media mogul joins Chad and Derrell this week to talk all things DMV sports. A weekday host for The Team 980, Thomas who formerly hosted “DC Sports Live” and “Wizards Extra” on NBC Sports Washington, can be heard discussing the Washington Football Team, Wizards, Nationals and Capitals on his interactive show "The Travis Thomas Experience." You can catch the show weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET.Also in this episode:-The ups and downs of media.-Overcoming unexpected life moments. -Covering his hometown teams. -Who's in Travis' playlist.-Two Minute Drill.

Effortless swag and unapologetic brilliance are just a couple of ways to describe Jesse Washington. He joins Chad and Derrell to talk his role at ESPN's The Undefeated, his love of basketball (he's very good) and the cherished time he spent with late Georgetown coach and basketball legend John Thompson as co-author of Thompson's autobiography I Came As a Shadow. Washington is an award-winning journalist, Yale graduate and author who has covered everything from sports to politics at the AP, Blaze, Vibe Magazine and now as a senior writer at ESPN's The Undefeated, where he has been since 2015. 

In episode 3, Chad and Derrell speak with Maryland's own Kelsey Nicole Nelson, an award-winning broadcast journalist from Montgomery County, MD whose profile has continued to grow in her hometown and throughout the country.Also discussed:-Is Cameron Edge the next great DC-area quarterback?-Dak Prescott finally got a new deal...was it worth the wait?-Kentucky is now allowing student-athletes to opt for "do-overs"...should the DMV follow?-Expect to see transfer-heavy programs struggle once they start playing? 

Chad and Derrell are joined by March of Dimes President and CEO Stacey Stewart. As the organization's leader, Stewart is in charge of its vision, strategy and operations. The group talked to Stewart about her journey to March of Dimes, her love of hip-hop, and how she became the DMV's Clair Huxtable. The fellas also chop it up with Josh Ilori in "Everybody Hates Josh," as well as Virginia Rivals and Fifth Quarter writer Reese Becker about what to expect in the 757 this football season. Those topics, along with an in-depth discussion about comments on unpaid internships made by NFL Network reporter Jane Slater, can be found in this episode of First & Told. 

Steve Turner has led the Gonzaga College High School basketball team since 2004. On the first episode of First & Told, he talks to hosts Chad Ricardo and Derrell Bouknight about building a national powerhouse on Eye Street, battling naysayers early on as a head coach and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected him on and off the floor.