Podcasts about National Football Foundation

Two Penn State legends sit down as LaVar Arrington and Todd Blackledge chat about how the game of football has helped shape their lives, the College Football Playoff, Penn State in the 80s and being coached by Joe Paterno. Takeaways Todd Blackledge is a Penn State legend and national champion. His journey from Ohio to Penn State was influenced by family and academics. Football teaches valuable life lessons such as teamwork and perseverance. Preparation for broadcasting mirrors the preparation for playing quarterback. Joe Paterno had a significant impact on Blackledge's life and career. The National Football Foundation fosters community and connection among players. The expanded college football playoff system increases access for more teams. Blackledge emphasizes the importance of attention to detail in both sports and academics. Longevity in broadcasting requires continuous improvement and adaptation. Blackledge values the relationships built through football and broadcasting. #upongame #fsrweekends #2prosSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two Penn State legends sit down as LaVar Arrington and Todd Blackledge chat about how the game of football has helped shape their lives, the College Football Playoff, Penn State in the 80s and being coached by Joe Paterno. Takeaways Todd Blackledge is a Penn State legend and national champion. His journey from Ohio to Penn State was influenced by family and academics. Football teaches valuable life lessons such as teamwork and perseverance. Preparation for broadcasting mirrors the preparation for playing quarterback. Joe Paterno had a significant impact on Blackledge's life and career. The National Football Foundation fosters community and connection among players. The expanded college football playoff system increases access for more teams. Blackledge emphasizes the importance of attention to detail in both sports and academics. Longevity in broadcasting requires continuous improvement and adaptation. Blackledge values the relationships built through football and broadcasting. #upongame #fsrweekends #2prosSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LaVar Arrington sits down with the College Football Hall of Famer Lincoln Kennedy from the class of 2015 to discuss what the game has meant to his life, how he got on one of the most talented teams in college football history, and where life has taken him after stepping away from football. Kennedy discusses the profound impact football has had on his life, particularly in terms of education and opportunities. He reflects on his journey from a military family in San Diego to becoming a standout player at the University of Washington and later in the NFL. Kennedy emphasizes the importance of communication and personal development, sharing insights on his connection with the National Football Foundation and his transition into media after football. He also highlights the significance of community engagement and the challenges athletes face post-career. Takeaways Football provided me with an opportunity for higher education. Education is a rare opportunity that should be cherished. Communication skills are essential for personal development. I never wanted to be just a football player; I wanted to be well-rounded. The National Football Foundation plays a crucial role in promoting education. Success in football is measured by longevity and teamwork. Transitioning to the professional level is a significant challenge. Life after football requires adapting to a new identity. Community service is vital for personal fulfillment. Food is a way to bring people together and foster connections. #upongame #2pros #fsrweekendsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LaVar Arrington sits down with the College Football Hall of Famer Lincoln Kennedy from the class of 2015 to discuss what the game has meant to his life, how he got on one of the most talented teams in college football history, and where life has taken him after stepping away from football. Kennedy discusses the profound impact football has had on his life, particularly in terms of education and opportunities. He reflects on his journey from a military family in San Diego to becoming a standout player at the University of Washington and later in the NFL. Kennedy emphasizes the importance of communication and personal development, sharing insights on his connection with the National Football Foundation and his transition into media after football. He also highlights the significance of community engagement and the challenges athletes face post-career. Takeaways Football provided me with an opportunity for higher education. Education is a rare opportunity that should be cherished. Communication skills are essential for personal development. I never wanted to be just a football player; I wanted to be well-rounded. The National Football Foundation plays a crucial role in promoting education. Success in football is measured by longevity and teamwork. Transitioning to the professional level is a significant challenge. Life after football requires adapting to a new identity. Community service is vital for personal fulfillment. Food is a way to bring people together and foster connections. #upongame #2pros #fsrweekendsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HR1 - Injuries might be starting to pile up for Braves again In hour one Mike Johnson, Beau Morgan, and Ali Mac recap and react to the Atlanta Braves splitting their double-header with the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday, and they also react to the Braves young starting pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver reportedly suffering a season-ending elbow injury during his start yesterday. Mike, Beau, and Ali also talk about how Smith-Shawver's reported season-ending elbow injury is sickening, and talk how the Braves' bats had a huge game in the second game of their double-header with the Phillies yesterday giving Chris Sale plenty of run support to help him get the win in the same game where he became the fastest pitcher to reach 2,500 strikeouts. Mike, Beau, and Ali also react to the Georgia Bulldogs Football team announcing five kickoff times for their 2025 season. Then, The Morning Shift crew talks about the biggest local and national sports headlines in The Front Page! On this edition of The Front Page, Mike, Beau, and Ali recap and react to the New York Knicks keeping their season alive with a 111-94 win over the Indiana Pacers in game five of the Eastern Conference Finals, and talk about how the Pacers can't repeat their game five performance if they want to go to the NBA Finals this season. The Morning Shift crew also reacts to the National Football Foundation announcing an adjustment to eligibility criteria yesterday that will open a door to make Mike Leach a College Football Hall of Famer. Finally, The Morning Shift crew closes out hour one by diving into the life of Ali Mac in Ali's Mac Drop!

Hour 3 of May 30, 2025 Jacob Townsend previews the Nashville Regional for ETSU, specifically Louisville the Bucs first opponent. Then, Tony Vitello decides to go with Liam Doyle as his starter in game one of the Knoxville Regional, right call? Also, the National Football Foundation has changed the criteria for coaches to get in the College Football Hall of Fame, it will allow a deserved few, but not all who are deserving. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The episode presents a detailed narrative on the evolution of TV timeouts in football, led by Darin Hayes and Timothy P. Brown, who examine the critical role these pauses play in the modern viewing experience. The discussion opens with an examination of football's inherent characteristics that make it a television favorite, including its pacing and the strategic breaks that allow viewers to engage with the game without missing the action. Brown provides a historical context, explaining how the adoption of TV timeouts in football mirrored changes in the NBA, where coaches had the option to call timeouts that could be leveraged for commercial breaks. This historical anecdote sets the stage for a broader reflection on how the sport has adapted to television's demands over the decades. The episode encourages listeners to consider the balance between maintaining the integrity of the game and the commercial pressures that dictate viewer experience, ultimately pondering whether the current format still serves the fans or primarily benefits advertisers.Of course, this story is based on Tim 's Tidbit titled: Birth of TV Timeouts - Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Come join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriberGo to SportsHistoryNetwork.com/Row1 for access to the full Row One catalog for gallery prints and gift items. Plus, get a 15% discount on all prints on the Row One Pictorem Gallery with coupon code SHN15.Get a free one-week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you'll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows. We also feature great music by Mike and Gene Monroe along with Jason Neff & great graphics from time to time from the folks at Gridiron-Uniform Database.Want more Sports History delivered to your ears, come see this podcast and many more at the Sports History Network - The Headquarters of Sports' Yesteryear!We would like to thank the National Football Foundation, Pro Football Hall of Fame, On this day.com and Pro Football Reference Websites for the information shared with you today.

Brian Campbell, Assistant Vice President for Athletics Development at the University of Miami, shares his journey from growing up in Columbus, Ohio, to becoming a leader in athletics fundraising, his experiences as a cadet at the Air Force Academy, the challenges he faced, and the resilience he developed.  SUMMARY In this conversation, Brian Campbell, Assistant Vice President for Athletics Development at the University of Miami, shares his journey from growing up in Columbus, Ohio, to becoming a leader in athletics fundraising. He discusses his experiences as a cadet at the Air Force Academy, the challenges he faced, and the resilience he developed. Brian emphasizes the importance of leadership, surrounding oneself with great people, and the impact of private investment in athletics. He also reflects on his transition from military to civilian life and his current role in shaping the future of athletics at UM.   OUR TOP 5 FAVORITE QUOTES   "I think it's important to be really authentic with people, and that has worked. It's worked well for me, especially when those decisions are consistent with being authentic to what we're trying to accomplish."   "I think a lot about the elements that we put into it, because it's hard on a daily basis to know if you're doing a good job being a leader, but if you take those pieces of the fabric that we learned at the Academy, and you keep doing it the right way and thinking about these things and surrounding yourself by people with with surrounding yourself with people of those kinds of values, and people that you can take little pieces of what they do and try to try to bring them with You. I think it's the right road."   "I don't think I've arrived as a leader and I but I started to think that I probably that I would be willing to bet that General Clark might say the same thing, and Coach Calhoun might say the same thing. So I think it's always a work in process."   "If you take those pieces of the fabric that we learned at the Academy, and you keep doing it the right way and thinking about these things and surrounding yourself by people with with surrounding yourself with people of those kinds of values, and people that you can take little pieces of what they do and try to try to bring them with You. I think it's the right road."   "I think it's always a work in process, but I think it's important to be really authentic with people, and that has worked. It's worked well for me, especially when those decisions are consistent with being authentic to what we're trying to accomplish."  - Brian Campbell '08, the Long Blue Leadership Podcast   SHARE THIS EPISODE FACEBOOK  |  LINKEDIN   CHAPTERS 00:00: Introduction to Brian Campbell 02:52: Growing Up in Columbus and Early Athletic Influences 06:14: The Journey to the Air Force Academy 08:59: Life as a Cadet: Challenges and Resilience 11:53: Leadership Lessons from the Academy 15:10: Transitioning from Military to Civilian Life 18:06: Fundraising and Philanthropy in Athletics 21:00: The Kutra Legacy Center: A Personal Connection 23:53: Current Role at the University of Miami 27:06: Leadership Philosophy and Key Takeaways   TAKEAWAYS Brian's journey highlights the importance of resilience in overcoming challenges. Authenticity in leadership fosters trust and connection with others. Surrounding yourself with talented individuals can enhance personal growth. Private investment plays a crucial role in the success of athletic programs. Experiences at the Air Force Academy shape leadership philosophies. Fundraising in athletics is about building relationships and trust. Transitioning from military to civilian life requires adaptability and networking. The Kutra Legacy Center represents a significant investment in future cadets. Leadership is a continuous journey of learning and growth. Engaging with alumni can create impactful opportunities for current students.   ABOUT BRIAN CAMPBELL '08BIO Brian Campbell '08 joined the University of Miami in May of 2023 as Assistant Vice President for Athletics Development. In this role, Brian has oversight of fundraising operations, programs, and the development team for Miami Athletics. Brian came to UM from his alma mater, the United States Air Force Academy, where he had spent the previous five years, beginning in 2018 as the Assistant Athletic Director for Development and finishing as the Executive Director of Development for Strategic Programs and Athletic Giving. At Air Force, Brian was responsible for the fundraising strategy and execution for athletic capital projects, endowments, and major giving, in addition to other revenue generating initiatives.  He also served as the liaison to the Air Force Academy Foundation Board of Director's Athletic Committee.  The academy experienced unprecedented fundraising success during Brian's time at USAFA – most notably completing a $270 million campaign nearly 18-months ahead of schedule, headlined by multiple record-breaking years of fundraising. As part of the campaign, Brian led a $37.5 million fundraising effort to support the $90+ million modernization of the east side of Falcon Stadium.  Additionally, he managed the philanthropic component of a $500 million public-private partnership to develop a new hotel and visitors center outside USAFA's north gate.  Other accomplishments during this stretch included a lead gift to launch the renovation of Air Force's baseball venue, Falcon Field, and building the Wayne Baughman Wrestling Endowment, which seeks to provide operational funding for Air Force Wrestling in perpetuity. Brian brings 15 years of organizational leadership experience to UM from multiple sectors.  He rose to the rank of captain in the US Air Force, then climbed to the partner level at Anheuser-Busch InBev   where he led the sales and marketing efforts for the Northwest region, including several of the largest sports and entertainment partnerships in the portfolio. In each of the communities he's lived in, Brian has supported local initiatives – serving on the boards of the National Football Foundation of Colorado, the Missouri Veterans Initiative, and the Boys and Girls Club of Alton, Illinois.  He was a football student-athlete at the Air Force Academy and earned his MBA from the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. - Copy Credit:  University of Miami   CONNECT WITH BRIAN LINKEDIN     ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!          FULL TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS Guest, Brian Campbell '08  |  Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   Naviere Walkewicz  00:00 My guest today is the Assistant Vice President for Athletics Development, Brian Campbell, USAFA, class of 2008. Brian joined the University of Miami in 2023 as Assistant Vice President for Athletics Development, where he oversees all fundraising for UM Athletics. In 2018 he served as Assistant Athletic Director for Development for Air Force Athletics, ultimately becoming Executive Director of Development for Strategic Programs and Athletic Giving. Brian led several highly successful, multi-million dollar fundraising campaigns, including playing a significant role in securing funding for the Falcon Stadium's newly open Kucera Legacy Center. While at the Academy, Brian was a football cadet-athlete and later earned his MBA from the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. He also spent five years in sports marketing with Anheuser Busch. We'll talk with Brian about his life as a young athlete, path to the Air Force Academy, his days as a cadet, leadership opportunities, and how he now uses what he learned to lead and positively impact others. Finally, we'll ask Brian to share advice for developing leaders and those in leadership aspiring to reach similar heights in their careers. Brian, welcome to long blue leadership, and thank you for joining us today.   Brian Campbell  01:18 Thanks, Naviere. I am honored to be on the podcast, and I'm really happy to be back in Doolittle Hall, albeit remotely, and I want to welcome you to the “U.”   Naviere Walkewicz  01:29 Thank you so much. I will take that warm weather. Yeah, well, we're really excited for this. Brian, I think a lot of our listeners love to hear the different paths that our leaders take from getting to the Academy in life after but we like to start by rewinding the clock a little bit. And we'd like to get to know you, Brian, as a young boy. Tell us about what life was like growing up, where you grew up, etc.   Brian Campbell  01:51 Yeah. I mean, I was, I grew up mostly in Columbus, Ohio. My family was from California, but my dad's job took us to Columbus when I was young. And you know, as I've reflected back on some of my career and the things that have led me to different spots, I think being a kid from Columbus, and regardless of people's feelings about Ohio State, which tend to be fairly negative here at the my current institution, the lens at which I grew up in was through a place with a massive presence of college athletics, you know, everything, everything in that community, with the fabric was Ohio State. I played every sport growing up. I'm very grateful to have grown up at a time where, you know, we went out in the yard, in the neighborhood, and did everything all day. We figured out our differences in the backyard. There are a couple other guys in the neighborhood who went on to very successful athletic endeavors as well. So, you know, athletics were very important all throughout and then as we got more serious and into competitive things later on, they become, you know, more and more formal. But you know, sports and the community were tied together, and they very much provided the context at which my career followed.   Naviere Walkewicz  03:14 That's awesome. So, you're really into sports. Did you have siblings as well? Or where was your neighborhood? Kind of the sibling playground for you.   Brian Campbell  03:22 I have two sisters both swam in college, although if one of them listens to this, I think she had like a cup of coffee on the swim team and realized that the rest of the extracurricular activities were a little bit more appealing. But my little sister swam all the way through in a very competitive college program. But there were but outside, in the streets and in the yard were where we spent our time. We would change by season. So, in the fall, we play football in the yard, and then the winter, you know, you'd shovel off and play basketball, and then in the summer, we'd play baseball. So, so all of the above.   Naviere Walkewicz  04:01 I love that. And I noticed you didn't say you ever went to the pool, so I'm sure that your sisters could definitely outswim you.   Brian Campbell  04:06 I went to the pool too. There was plenty of swimming in our family.   Naviere Walkewicz  04:12 Wonderful. So, you know, life as a child, you were really into athletics, and I think it developed your sense of competitor, you know, being a competitor about and winning. But also, it's probably teamwork. You know, what other things as a child could you share with our listeners about what it was like for you in Ohio?   Brian Campbell  04:32 I think all the above. I think, you know, when you have to work things out. You know, we weren't an era then the kids had cell phones or anything like that. You had to knock on someone's door, see if you could form a team, get out in the front yard and go take care of things. But yeah, we did stuff really. I mean, I'm kind of thinking back to one of my neighbors who went on to play some college football. He one time he broke his leg in the yard and kept playing.   Naviere Walkewicz Oh my goodness.   Brian Campbell Yeah, but, you know, you learn to get along with other people. You know the saying of taking your ball and going home, that's, you know, you have to figure out how to get past those things. And I think the social dynamic that you gain from those experiences very much stayed with me, and I think is some of the foundation and the work that I do now, and being able to identify with different people in different situations.   Naviere Walkewicz  05:28 Alright, so I like what you're sharing about kind of you know, the social aspect that you've experienced growing up. Tell me about how it the Academy came into the picture. Then was it, was there someone that you grew up learning from that went to the Air Force Academy. Or how did that happen?   Brian Campbell  05:46 Well, as a sophomore in high school, as I was thinking of thinking back to some of these things, my dad actually took me to visit West Point, and we had a family friend who went to school there, and I remember going to visit him, and he was probably getting close to maybe in the summer before his senior year, and I remember him like getting pulled aside, and there was something that he had been doing wrong. Maybe. Is it related to escorting guests around the campus? It was during Sandhurst, and so we watched Sandhurst, and honestly, I remember thinking like this does not seem like any way to spend college, but as I went back, I was very fortunate to have like really, really good coaches in my life who were very interested in developing me and growing me and pushing out of my comfort zone. My high school football coach was very hard on me at times, but I think he saw something in me. And you know, when I began to look at colleges, and I was thinking about, like, could I play football somewhere? And there was a variety of schools, and I went on, I went on different visits in different places, and I just remember feeling like nowhere really made a lot of sense for me, like I didn't really feel like any of them really fit the things that were important to me. And then I got the chance to go on a visit to the Air Force Academy, and honestly, I was just like, I just, why not go see Colorado? I've never seen the mountains. So we took the trip out, and I was hosted on my visit by Rob McMenamin, who recently, unfortunately passed away, but was like just the greatest person you know, that could have possibly, that I could have come across at that time, and between him and the people I met on my visit, it was more about the fact that I felt like I was at home, and I had found a group of people that seemed so similar to me that I ended up deciding that that's what I wanted to do. Now we got back to Columbus, and my mom wanted me to talk to someone who didn't play football, and so they somehow found some other cadet, and I had, she's like, “You have to call him and ask him.” So, I called this guy, and I don't even remember his name. We'll see if he listens to the podcast. But he told me he's like, “I don't, I wouldn't do it, you know?” He's like, “It's, it's brutal, it's really hard.” And, oh, wow, I just don't think. But I got off the phone, and it didn't matter to me, like and so for me, it was, maybe it was just a feeling. It was the excitement of being part of something like that. I think I did understand how important the academies are, and what a serious opportunity that was. And maybe it was the fact that I never really thought I would have an opportunity to go to a place like that, but once I, it just kind of sat right, you know, I decided to pursue it.   Naviere Walkewicz  08:48 I love that. And I think what was really key about what you said was it felt like family or you're finding others that are like you. And so how did your parents respond to that? I mean, I think I love that your mom said, “Let's look at both sides.” Let's get everything you know, a perspective that's beyond athletics as well. And so, it's kind of a testament to, probably your upbringing, the fact that your parents are like, let's make some really sound decisions. Would you say that that's the case?   Brian Campbell  09:17 Yeah, I think once my mom got over the fact that it was a military academy. I mean, she asked the one of the coaches that came to our house, like, “What's, what happens afterwards?”, you know, but what was instilled in me at a young age, and when we that, my mom valued education a lot, and so that was, that was in me, and candidly, it was probably the best educational opportunity I was going to have, and it was the best athletic opportunity I was going to have. So those two things were really important. I mean, when we got to the Air Force Academy, I remember my dad being like, “Holy cow, this is a really big deal.” And, you know, I just, I sometimes think back to those times. Times where you know before you go through it, and you see the full grind and all the things that are required, you know, to go through our school, you forget how cool it is from the outside, and the mystique and the things that make it so unique. And I remember, I just remember all that and, and obviously the football piece was a big deal, despite how my football career ended up going to be, to be offered an opportunity to be a part of something like that. Just the weight was, you know, it was so significant, it outweighed any other opportunity I had.   Naviere Walkewicz  10:37 That's wonderful. So, let's talk about that transition then. So, you came to the Academy, you recruited football for what position?   Brian Campbell  10:46 Tight end.   Naviere Walkewicz  10:47 Tight end, awesome. And so, what was, do you remember day one? What was it like coming to the Academy for the second time after your recruiting visit?   Brian Campbell  10:55 Yeah. So, you know, as I think back to my time as a cadet, I mean, the things that really weave through everything are the relationships, and it's interesting. I don't know when we'll broadcast this, but right now we're 4 and 0 here. We just beat South Florida and because we're not for here right now. But okay, that doesn't feel good to me either. But you know, when I was, when I was there, I had a call on the way to Tampa with the first person I met on my recruiting visit at Southgate, when they were trying to figure out how to get us on the base.,   Naviere Walkewicz Really.   Brian Campbell Yeah, and it's just, you know, it's completely normal, you know, or, you know, it's not like we're out of touch. But like that, I talked to that person and the person I spent the day with Saturday before the game was the person that I roomed with in basic training and I still talk to the people that I'm very close with every day. But you know, to this day, the two people I probably met first were, I mean, we're just a very significant amount of time last week. So, I mean, I remember everything. I remember going down the shot line, getting all the things in my arm, and then the blazing hot scissors or whatever they put on our head and everything and then I remember standing in the hallway, but I honestly had no idea what was happening. And I'll never forget that the next morning, when they come and start pounding down the doors, and like, my hands were shaking and they're yelling about, like, BD us. And I was like, “What on earth is a BDU?” And then, you know, I'm like, looking around, trying to figure out what people are going to put on. And then the guy that I was telling you about that I just saw in Tampa, you know, he was a Navy Junior ROTC, so he starts saying, like, sir to people. And like, you know, all chaos broke loose, and we were off and running.   Naviere Walkewicz  12:54 Wow. Well, I could say that your roommate was helpful, but until he said, “Ill sir.”, that might not have been too helpful for you. Yeah, he wasn't running.   Brian Campbell  13:02 Yeah, he wasn't. He wasn't all that helpful.   Naviere Walkewicz  13:05 Wow. So off you went into your four-degree year. What was life like as a cadet for you? I mean, I think you know, you obviously were in football and you were having to do all the academics. So, let's talk about that experience a little bit.   Brian Campbell  13:20 Yeah. I mean, the Academy was really hard for me, you know, as the first place where I was around so many talented people, and probably at a different you know, a lot of them were at a different stage in their journey than I think I was. I was really trying to figure things out as I went. You know, I kind of hit some bumps in the road with my health. And, you know, like anybody that your four-degree years, really, really difficult. And, you know, I showed up, I was probably about, you know, 220 pounds. And they, you know, were eating and eating and eating to try to get bigger. And I think I went home for like, winter break, I was already, like, 250 and, and so, you know, I don't know where things would have gone from there, but that spring of my four-degree year, I started to have some health problems and, and it took them a long time to figure out what was going on. And I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, and I had lost like, 60 pounds by that point, and it was a really, really difficult period for me, because I was trying to get through school and academics. I tried to keep playing football. Eventually I had to, you know, step away for a little bit and figure out my health. But I learned in that time, a doctor said, like, you can't have Crohn's disease and be in the Air Force. And I remember walking out of the cadet clinic, and I took the elevator up by McDermott, and because it was a doctor's appointment, it's like, everybody's in class, so the place is completely quiet. And I walked out, and it was like just a crystal clear day, like the sky couldn't have been more blue above the Chapel and the Air Gardens are on, and I'm like, I don't want to leave here, you know. And I think that changed my perspective on the entire experience. And it was a really meaningful time for me, because I realized that the things that had already happened there and in a difficult first year were, had made a big impact on me, and I had some, I got some guidance from some other graduates, and they helped me navigate them, the medical process a little bit, and I was able to stay and I just wanted to be there long enough to graduate. And I was fortunate enough to have a little bit more. I managed to blow out both my knees after that. Naviere Walkewicz Oh my goodness!   Brian Campbell Yeah, both ACLs a year apart. So, I kept trying to do stuff, and it kept not working. But, you know, to be a part of the program and the relationships that I have from that, I mean, they still mean the world, even though, even though it was a little bit of a bumpy ride, right?   Naviere Walkewicz  16:03 So, your path, it looked a little different, probably from what you imagined coming to the Academy, especially growing up as the ultra-athlete. You know every sport for every season. Tell us about a little bit how you dealt with some of those challenges, because I think some of our listeners will experience things in life that kind of derail them from what they view as this is my path. And how did you keep your head above the fray and stay in a positive light, I guess, or maybe you didn't. What did that look like as you dealt with each of those challenges throughout the Academy?   Brian Campbell  16:38 Yeah, I mean, I think you learn in basic training there in hard times that you just are making it to the next meal. And I think for me, there was a stretch where I where I did that, and I look back now, and I feel like maybe because of that, there were things the academy offered that I wasn't able to take advantage of. But at the time, you know, I was so focused on just getting through the next thing and being able to kind of maintain my place there. But I think whether I knew it at the time or not, it built a significant resiliency in me, and I was not going to quit. I mean, if they were going to get rid of me, they were going to get rid of me, but I was not going to quit, and I was going to figure out a way to do it. And I think those are, those are elements that are very important in in what I've become and you know how I how I handle things to this day, if you can get through our school and if in everybody has challenges, and everybody has different things in their lives that they face. That's mine just happened to be health related, but I was very fortunate to have a huge support network. I had a great group of friends there. I mean, I had people who were who were rooting for me to be able to be successful and because of that, I was able to, I was able to continue to proceed through it, and all those elements were important for me in being able to do it.   Naviere Walkewicz  18:10 Now that's really, I think, insightful about you, and I think a testament to everyone just kind of finding something next to get to, like, in our case, it was getting to the next meal in basic, you know, you talked about being involved in sports and then having some of these health challenges. What did leadership look like for you at the Academy? Did you find yourself in certain roles where you were leading cadets? Or what did that look like?   Brian Campbell  18:37 Yeah, I mean, maybe this is if any cadets listen. You know, I was not in any, like, significant leadership positions as a cadet. I had, I think, what you would call some of the standard squadron jobs. And as I kind of reflect on, like, what I was learning about myself, you know, I think I tried to do a good job in those but, but, you know, I think I learned that there are formal leadership positions and then there's informal leadership. And what I don't think I appreciated was that, you know, you can still have impact on the people around you, whether or not you know the role dictates it, or your rank dictates it. I recall one time, you know, if you remember the squadron rankings, and we had gone from, like, second to 35th or something like that, and we had the equivalent of what would be like a players only meeting, where they said we were off in the S.A.R., like, trying to figure out, like, why we were in. And really, what you're driven by is there aren't going to be any passes to go anywhere, because at least at that time, it was directly related to how you were doing. And a lot of people talked, and there are a lot of opinions, and I remember finally feeling like I should say something, and I and I talked, and I just remember thinking like everyone seems to be listening. And I kind of noted that at that time, that I wasn't the squadron commander or anything like that, but it seemed like people valued my opinion, and it seemed like it resonated with a large swath of our squadron. And I think I take that with me now, because I believe there's kind of a meritocracy of ideas. You know, we all have rank in our organization, whether it's the military or whether it's something completely different. There's always different people who have different levels of authority. But, you know, I think great teams value ideas that come, that come from anybody.   Naviere Walkewicz  20:38 I think that is just a really important piece of information that you shared, because many times we have some of our developing leaders who may feel that they don't have the ability to share a thought because they think that they're too Junior. And so, what you just said, I think, was really powerful and hopefully empowering for some of our listeners to bring something to the table when they have something to share. So, I really appreciate you sharing that example. That was awesome. So, before we go into graduation, and what that looked like after you graduated, were there any specific people I know you said you had a great network of support. But were there any real like, inspirational leaders that kind of helped shaped you after you left the Academy, or right before you left into your life after the Academy?   Brian Campbell  21:31 Yeah, absolutely. I think that one thing that like means a lot to me are the people that I'm exposed to. I mean, I remember thinking a lot of General Rosa, who was our superintendent at the time. He guided the Academy through a difficult time. My four-degree AOC was just an outstanding leader, Joe Richardson. I have no idea what became of him, but, you know, in a tough year, it was like, every time we went in to our, you know, meet with our squadron, it was always like he had the right thing to say, and his presence was so strong, and we had some bumps in the road in our group that year, and he did everything he could to navigate through it. But, you know, he was, he was the kind of person who was, like, just a strong, inspirational type, type leader, and we needed that. I mean, you know, such a tough year, but you really felt like he was able to give us the energy and the courage to keep going for it, but he was also someone I think we all looked up to. And if you haven't been around the military a lot in your life, and you can see people like he went to our school and look at the kind of person he is now. That's a direction you hope you can follow. And then a completely other style was just being around Coach Deberry who wore his heart on his sleeve and said everything he wanted to say, and it came all out of love and passion. And he just he had that kind of style, and he built an organization that was really family centric and that was important to him. And then even my senior year, when I was just kind of like helping the staff in some different roles there, like when Coach Calhoun came in, it was a completely different style and tactic that he took. So I mean, the great thing about the Academy, I think we all talk about it a lot, is that you're exposed to leadership, you're exposed to cadet leaders, and you see how you respond to those things, too, and you take note of those as you grow, but we have some people who are also, like, very, very, you know, bona fide leaders that we had access to, and that would just be like the beginning of my list. I think now that makes sense.   Naviere Walkewicz  23:53 I'm sure the list is long because of just the exposure that you've had in different in different ways. So, when you graduated, what career field did you go into?   Brian Campbell  24:04 So I went into acquisitions, and my guidance from one of the doctors at the Academy there was, what can we do to take the least amount of grad physicals? So that's what I did.   Naviere Walkewicz  24:16 I was going to ask if that was what your passion was. But it sounds like it well, it teed off into something really well for you, and it also played well into your needs.   Brian Campbell  24:26 For sure, it did. It led me to things down the line, you know, Acquisitions. For me, it was an opportunity to be a part of a great organization. And there were parts of the Air Force that I valued. I also took note that that was probably not the thing that was going to excite me the most, and but I learned a lot about how, how kind of the business side of the Air Force works. And it was, it was still a great experience. I got to go all over the world. I got to be a part of a lot of really cool things that probably even at that age, I didn't really appreciate. I think the challenge for me in that particular career field is that you weren't really around a lot of active-duty Air Force members. And I think I missed that piece a little bit.   Naviere Walkewicz  25:13 Well, I think it's interesting, because one of the things that you've been able to do, I think, is find ways to give back in your career post, you know, military service, so that's probably been really rewarding for you. Can we talk a little bit about, you know, when you decided to transition out of the military? Because we do have listeners that both stay in uniform all the way through retirement and those who don't, who think about transitioning. So, I think it's really relevant. How did you come to that decision, and what did it look like for you?   Brian Campbell  25:44 Well, the Air Force came to the decision for me. So, I was going to PCS to my next station, and I'll never forget when the phone rang in my squadron commander's office. He came. It was like I knew what was going to happen, and the clock had run out on this whole Crohn's disease thing, and I was going to see a medical board and all that, all that kind of stuff. I ended up just saying that that's okay and I'll, I'm not. It was going to be like a year until I could go through that process, which didn't seem like very prudent at the time. I knew I was kind of proverbially playing with house money at that point, I was just so glad to have had my time in the Air Force and to be a part of the organization, you know, at least get to be a captain, but I didn't even fulfill my service commitment. So, it's really about the four and a half year point that that happened. And so, it was a little sudden, because I didn't know that that was going to happen. And so, I decided to kind of step away from the career field the you know, from work, I guess, altogether, and go to business school full time. So I went back to my desk, and I went through all the I got on US News and World Report and started going down the list of business schools and finding out who still had an application deadline available. And like three of the top 25 responded. And from there, I was able to do that. But the great thing for me was that I was able to spend two years away in a fully immersive environment, learning about the business side of management, which is different than the Air Force leadership style that we have in the in the military, and putting those two things together and thinking about some of my initial aspirations of, you know, maybe there's A career in sports. What might that look like? And you just get so, so many opportunities there to get exposed to people in different career fields. And those two years at “Wash U” for me were, were, I'm very, very fortunate to have those. They had a target of getting 10% of the class to be veterans, so I called the right school at the right time, and they were like, hey, just we'll help you. We'll help you figure this out. And they did everything they could to give me that opportunity.   Naviere Walkewicz  28:10 That's amazing. And I was going to ask, did you see the value of what you'd experienced at the Academy coming to play in your program there, that you were able to share with others, and what did leadership look like for you there?   Brian Campbell  28:23 Yeah, so, you know, in business school, it's a constant. I think balance between everything is about shareholder maximization and wealth creation, and they have to teach you those fundamentals. I think Olin did a good job reminding us about character-based management and leadership, and we had classes about critical decisions in leadership and management and things like that. And they brought some very senior business leaders in to talk about key inflection points of things that they had, and then, you know, we had, there's a professor there whose areas, area of study is, you know, economics with a higher purpose, and that's blending, like, how does being doing the right thing, and having something that's beyond just, you know, running your operation to the most efficient manner possible, and he's been able to show that organizations who do that and have a higher purpose are more successful. And so, for me, that is kind of the philosophy that I moved forward with in my career. So very different, very business fundamentals, but as you got towards the end, it was important to them that we understood that it wasn't always everything. Wasn't always about the near-term dollar and that things could your organizations are rewarded for doing the right thing and making decisions in the right way.   Naviere Walkewicz  30:00 Yeah. Yeah, it sounds like you absolutely picked the right program that really aligned with your own core values, you know, your own kind of, I think, navigational system as well as you know where you're wanting to go with things. So, what did that look like? Then, after you graduated, I know you spent some time at Anheuser Busch. Was that kind of just the next part of that journey?       Brian Campbell  30:20 Yeah, so I wanted to get back into sports right away, and so I started a networking process of I tried to meet with NFL teams. I didn't, I just didn't know how or what I was going to do, but I knew that that was my opportunity, a mentor of mine that I did a project for while I was at all. And he well, first of all, I started to find out also what jobs in sports pay. So, anybody listening to this guy's aspirations, just get that part settled for yourself right away. But it didn't matter to me. But I did have a bill I needed to figure out from business school. And his recommendation was, you know, you're down the street from essentially the biggest sports marketer in the world, you know, go there, you know, pursue that, and then figure out down the line if you still want to come back. And that ended up being the perfect step for me. You know, not only did I go to a place that ended up being a bridge back into this work, but Anheuser Busch, and the way that company is run is incredibly efficient and driven and lean and everything there is about value, and it's run by a set of Investment bankers who brought their philosophies into consumer goods, and, and, and they're extremely market share based, but it was, it was really cool to be a part of an organization that does things that way. And candidly, it was probably the other end of the spectrum than just being in the military. And both should operate in the way that they do, but that was such a valuable experience for me to work for an organization like that. I could not have done it forever. So, and I did get over into sports marketing, I ended up having what I think a lot of people would think is like maybe the coolest job of all time. I had the chance to run our whole northwest marketing portfolio. So, I had, you know, our Broncos partnerships and Vail Resorts. It took me back to Colorado to be in that office from, from being in New York City, we had the Seahawks, but it also we had a little college down the street that we had a partnership with called the Air Force Academy.   Naviere Walkewicz  32:39 I was wondering, how you direct to Colorado? That's where it was, yeah.   Brian Campbell  32:43 So, we had an office in Denver, and after a few years of doing that, Anheuser-Busch wants you to move around. They want you to grow. You can't stay in a lot of these jobs forever. And so, I knew there was a point where if I really wanted to do this, and I still felt such a calling to come and do this kind of work, and I kind of felt like I'd never forgive myself if I didn't try. So, I started making a lot of calls and knocking down doors. And eventually, eventually, a position opened back at the Academy, and I, like borderline forced them to hire me,   Naviere Walkewicz  33:15 Brian, I'm seeing a theme. I mean, as a kid, you would knock down doors come play. You know, when you were, got out of the military, when you were when you had to go, you were knocking down doors, “What's open for me?” So, I think the theme for you is, don't be afraid to knock down some doors and just see what's available. You went back to the Academy. Let's talk about your time there and what kind of evolved since then.   Brian Campbell  33:39 So, I came back to the Academy, we had a had the chance to learn a little bit about raising money in our athletic department, and we were coming up on a campaign like the first real significant campaign that had happened at the at the Air Force Academy. I mean, before I got back, I didn't even really know what a campaign was, to give people some context and where I was there, but General Gould said, “Hey, we're going to do this project on Falcon Stadium.” And, you know, and I thought to myself, hey, if I'm going to be here at the Academy, I need to be a part of this project. And so, I transitioned from our athletic department over to our foundation in about in 20-, early 2020, and had the chance to work on the projects that were that were happening there.   Naviere Walkewicz  34:27 So, I think this is helpful. Many of our listeners may not be aware of the ways that some of our foundations support the Academy, and I think through athletics is certainly one way. Can you talk a little bit about what that looks like, so that we can share more about the context of a campaign and giving back?   Brian Campbell  34:45 Yeah, I mean, I think my, my reflection on it is like the government's going to do enough to keep the doors open and provide a basic, solid experience. I think the US News and World Report rankings came out like today, we're number two. We're not number two without private investment. And I hear a lot from young grads about like they're asking me for money. They're asking me for money, and what they're asking you for is to invest in the experience and for us and on our resumes and the prevalence of our of our institution, and this is a competitive world that stuff matters and allows us at the Academy to keep professors that the government wouldn't necessarily be able to keep, to give very enriching research opportunities to cadets that otherwise I don't think we're really there when we were around. And it allows us, you know, militarily and then athletically, to be competitive at the highest level. And you know, when we say excellence in all we do, we're talking about being, you know, excellent in every facet of this of the Academy. And so, we're very fortunate that people have stepped forward at the Academy to invest in these areas and help us shape what they what they've created, and what they've become. And so private investment is a, is a real factor in our success there. And I got the chance to be in the middle of it and have a lot of those discussions and meet people who wanted to help. And it's an opportunity for them to kind of, you know, provide their passion or something they're particularly interested in, to shape the experience of the cadets. So, it's a very enriching process, and it's a really wonderful thing to be a part of.   Naviere Walkewicz  36:47 Well, I can share that, you know, I had the ability to work with you briefly when you came here, and then I joined in 2021 and there was so much that I learned. But I think what was really rewarding for me was to understand that to what you just said, you can actually invest in ways that you feel really compelled and what's important to you at the Academy. And so maybe you can share with our listeners what was something really rewarding, aside from the Kucera Legacy Center coming to life now, and we can talk about that. But what was something really rewarding to you that you were part of in the philanthropic side of our business?   Brian Campbell  37:20 Yeah, I mean not just being a fundraiser there, but I mean the chance to give myself and make the commitments that I could to the Academy that meant a lot to me to be able to help, but I enjoyed seeing like the little grassroots campaigns that were put together that gave cadets reprieve from life and rewarded them for different things. You know, NCLS is an amazing thing that happens there, that you get to take a step back from every year and appreciate the kind of people we bring back and put in front of the cadets. So, I mean, aside from the big projects, there's just stuff every single day, and you get emails from the cadets and ask like, “Hey, can we do this? Can we, what would it take to change our squadron to something else?” And you can help weigh out a little plan. And those aren't the dollars that necessarily drive campaign totals, but they matter because they matter to the cadets and the way that, you know those finances work there it's, you know, so many people have invested in the Foundation and the Association in a way that, you know, all these resources can get directly poured into cadets and because the government keeps the doors open, we can do things that are additionally impactful. You know, at other schools, like where I'm at now, we have to fill an endowment because of how we have to continue to operate the school. So that's not something we, I mean, there's ways that are that's helpful at the Academy too, but it's not as critical at the Academy, because the lights are on and we can be extremely effective in the investments through donors to impact cadets directly.   Naviere Walkewicz  39:06 No, that makes sense. I really like what you said about you got to give yourself. And I think part of what I've been picking up in our conversation is a lot of I think giving and investing is through relationships. And so I think some of the biggest pieces that come from that is the trust and relationships you build with people. Would you agree? Is that kind of how you feel about things?   Brian Campbell  39:26 Yeah, I do. And I you know, if I didn't go to the Air Force Academy, I'm not sure I would be doing this kind of work, even though the Air Force Academy is not designed to put you into this kind of work. But the relationships that I had from the academy and then throughout my time back there, are as important to me as just about anything you just the school exposes you to just such outstanding people. And I'm just very. Be grateful for, for all of those relationships that, that I've had the privilege to have.   Naviere Walkewicz  40:06 So, Brian, we've been talking about the ways we give back and relationships built. Let's, talk a little bit about the Kucera Legacy Center, because we just were able to the ribbon cutting and just beautiful experience with Jack and Vianne. What did it mean to you?   Brian Campbell  40:21 You know, being back at the Academy during the time that I was back, and maybe a lot of the people who listen to this maybe know what has happened on our Academy over the last three years, but the investment that's gone back into our school is just staggering. You know, not only the Kucera Legacy Center, but the Madeira Center, the hotel that's going up, the visitors center, the expansion to do it all, but the Kucera Legacy Center was kind of near and dear to my heart, and it was an opportunity given to me to be a really significant part of the entire project. Was one thing that took every piece of the institution to make happen. But it took Jack and Vianne really specifically. And it wasn't just their investment, but it was like a vision from Jack that I think got us through some times, that you know, maybe in years past, the project would not have, would not have continued on. And you know what I'll remember most is not just working on the gift that they made with them, but like working on the elements that were important to them to see in the facility. And the unique thing about that project is it's not just a facility. It is a way that we can invest back into our Academy and cadets. It's one of the few things on the Academy that can be commercialized and a positive return on investment. So, it's going to be used for a lot of things, but I'll never forget of the groundbreaking. Jack does so much for our school. And he was talking about, you know, why he flies Coach Calhoun around to recruit, and for coach, it's hugely helpful for him to get, you know, Division One coaches essentially have to fly in that manner. They have to fly private to be able to recruit effectively. That's a that's not an easy thing for our school to provide, and so Jack flies coach around a lot. And you know, I know Jack wants us to win football games, because I've watched some football games with him, and he's like one of the few people that can match as tense and nervous as I am, but he talked about the fact that everywhere they go, they knock on a door, and Coach Calhoun is giving some young person an opportunity to change their life. And you know, for them, we have this beautiful facility. Now, I can't wait to come back and see it, but I think that's what it is for them, is that's maybe the physical manifestation of their gift is knowing that, you know when, when, when young people accept that opportunity to come to the Air Force Academy, and they probably wouldn't have gotten it for this particular subset without a sport, that they can change their lives. And you know, watch being a part of that, even the small little part that I was is something that I think is a really, really significant part of my career and my journey.   Naviere Walkewicz  43:30 Wow. I mean, that's almost a 360 for you, right? You were someone who was given that opportunity, and now thinking about the future cadets that are going to be given a similar opportunity with something that you were part of in such a legacy and visionary manner, from Jack and Vianne. I mean, it's just incredible.   Brian Campbell  43:48 Yeah, absolutely.   Naviere Walkewicz  43:51 So, Brian, you have taken a role at the University of Miami, and let's talk a little bit about that. So, you were able to do some things here at the Academy. How's it been in the transition for you there at UM?   Brian Campbell  44:04 I mean, it's been, it's been crazy. So, you know, we're in the real battle of college athletics down here at a time that's very dynamic. It's an unbelievable opportunity to be a part of a traditional powerhouse with really, really significant aspirations, but a big part of it for me as I had the chance to come down here and work for a really high level team at a time that the school wanted to invest in athletics. And you know, the athletic director that I work for here, he won two national titles at Clemson. We have multiple other former division one athletic directors on our staff, and we do transformational things around this campus through athletics, but for other areas, our medical system and our academic side as well. So, it's been a challenge for me to get to learn the dynamic here. You know, at the Air Force Academy, a lot of people have a lot of thoughts on a lot of things. Miami supporters have a lot of thoughts on one thing, and that's winning football games. But, you know, the fundamentals remain the same, and I've been given a chance to kind of reshape the way we do this work. And for those that follow college athletics, it's been at a very, very fascinating time where there's huge change in the industry. There's a ton of uncertainty, and it's really forced me to think a lot about how we do our work and why we do it. And I think as a lot of people probably think that with Nio and possible rev-share and things like that, that we're losing the fabric of college athletics. There are little instances of that, but we are able to kind of double down on other ways to make an impact on our student athletes here and invest in their lives. So, it's been it's a challenge. We have a lot of work to do, but we're on the road, having some successes is really helpful. And being in a place that has really, really high expectations is really special to be a part of.   Naviere Walkewicz  46:16 So, you talked a bit about the fundamentals, and so what have you taken from your time at the Academy throughout your career to bring to UM now?   Brian Campbell  46:27 Yeah, I think the noise in college athletics and our work has become more complex. I took the opportunity to kind of distill things back down to the core mission of what we do, and that's to positively impact lives through excellence in athletics and our team, our role in that effort is to is to invest in those areas. So, we focus on, you know, kind of three key areas to do that. One of them is performance, kind of elite performance. The next one is what we call champions for life, which is investing in academics and in student athlete development. And then the last one is competitive excellence, and that's acknowledging that there's an area now with Nio and possible revenue share with athletes that we also have to be competitive in. But I've encouraged our team to think about, like, what the real purpose of our work is, and like what we do every day. And I think I kind of touched on a little bit of that earlier, when things got really confusing in the industry and stuff like that, understanding that, like our job really is simply to enrich an experience for our student athletes here, and best prepare them for the world. And if we do that really well, we're going to be really successful. And when we talk about that purpose on our team, you know, I try to find people to join our team who are going to resonate with that. And for me, I think when you identify with that purpose and kind of the core elements of it, it also makes me better at what I do, and better at leading and being authentic with the team that there are challenges but in there, and we're in a we're in an environment with headwinds and high expectations and high levels of competitiveness. But if we can focus on doing those things, we're going to make we're going to make every bit the kind of impact that has always been made in college athletics.   Naviere Walkewicz  48:33 So, what have you learned about yourself as a leader throughout this journey? It sounds like you've had just various opportunities to understand who you are in different roles. How does that translate in your leadership? What does that look like to our listeners?   Brian Campbell  48:49 Yeah, I think what I've learned over time is that in the Air Force, you are in the people business, and everything we do is kind of by for and through people. And I'm not sure if I understood it, even when I was in the beer business, but really, you're in the beer business, you're in the beer business, or you're in the people business, and your product is beer. And then now I'm kind of in the in the middle of this now, where we have a product, but our product, once again, is people. Now we have to be, you know, commercially viable, and there's a there's a significant financial side of what we do. But I think back to my time at the Academy, and I think one thing you can't escape at the Academy is that you know you're bringing your whole self every day to what we're doing. You know you are you're in it. You don't go home anywhere else. So, your squadron is where you live, and, and you realize that you know what's happening in your life, and, and, and for anybody that's on the team, like they're going to bring it with them, and, for me, I've thought, I think we talk a lot in business and leadership about acknowledging that and being there for people and being empathetic. But the other side of it is, you know, if our people are our most important asset, then what are we doing to invest in them and through, you know, this is a really busy kind of work, and authentically making sure that my team knows, and I hope that they do that we're going to try to grow them, and we're going to try to reward them for being successful, because it matters to the bottom line. It's not just the right thing to do. It helps move us forward, because if we're improving the conditions that they can go home to and spend with their families, we're going to get a better version of them, and it's going to improve the work that we do. So I think being in such an immersive type of place like the Air Force Academy, you realize that there is no turning it off when you leave or go somewhere, we go through difficult times, but we also have the opportunity in these kinds of roles to improve that and make sure people are fulfilled and finding their purpose in our work. And inevitably, I really do believe that that impacts our bottom line.   Naviere Walkewicz  51:21 What fulfills you and your work as a leader?   Brian Campbell  51:26 I mean, there's so much. This is what I love to do. And I love to be around the competition side of things, and I love to see when we're able to make something happen, a donor's vision to invest in our student athletes. And, you know, you see some of the things that they go on to accomplish, and you see what it means to the institution. I mean, you know, here, I think sometimes we think like, wow, college football in America is just bonkers, and it's crazy. It's gone off the rails, you know. But here at the University of Miami, you know, we have a we have a really, we have the biggest research based health system in South Florida, and it's the same logo that's on our helmet and that health system is successful because we have a very strong brand through football mostly, and In so I think we take that very seriously, that you know our work is directly tied to things that happen, not only on our campus, but in the healthcare system here as well. But you know, the true where the rubber meets the road is seeing the success that you know our student athletes have and enriching their experience and being able to tie that back to the people that make that possible.   Naviere Walkewicz  52:45 So, if we have any listeners that are interested in getting into the gift officer kind of role, the ability to help others invest, what would you share with them as maybe just a path or things to be considering?   Brian Campbell  52:59 Yeah, I mean, fundraising and development's a whole it's a whole industry, and it would be great to have more grads that would come into this kind of work. I mean, I was often asked by donors at the academy, why more people? Why more grads aren't doing it? And it's a unique it's a unique career path, but if there's elements of things that are meaningful to you, and you think that you know, nonprofit work might be appealing. Fundraising is a great way to do it. There's ups and downs. It's challenging. There's a bit of a craft to learn to it, but it's, this is not rocket science in any way. But if I really thought I was going to do it, I'd pick up the phone and call a grad who does it. I can think of a couple names off the top of my head and just ask and start to network. And when I moved over into college athletics in order to do that, I mean, I probably made 500 phone calls, and I always ask someone for the next name and network that way. And I received tremendous advice, and it was really good practice for what I ended up doing. I would encourage. I would love it if more would come into this line of work. You heard it here first friends, yeah, we'll see how effective it is.   Naviere Walkewicz  54:15 That is wonderful. Well, we're going to get into a couple more things before, before our podcast ends. So, Brian, I just want to ask you in advance so you have some time to think about this. Our listeners want to know something unique about you, maybe something that you haven't shared with anybody you know, something fun or some kind of talent you have. So, I'll give you a little bit of time to think about that, and then we're also going to want to hear your takeaways. So, before we get there, we're going to ask for Brian's final thoughts next. Before we do that, I'd like to take a moment and thank you our listener for listening to long blue leadership. The podcast publishes Tuesdays in both video and audio, and is available on all your favorite podcast platforms. Be sure to watch or listen to all episodes of Long blue leadership@longblueleadership.org All right, so Brian, welcome back, and we're really excited. Our listeners love to learn things here on Long Blue Leadership that they can only hear here. So, would you mind sharing with us something that is unique about you?   Brian Campbell  55:15 Well, I think before the break, you mentioned a talent, so I'm going to take credit for this being a talent during covid, I started getting into, like, amateur mixology, and so, yeah, at home. Now this is maybe a dangerous habit to have, but I do, I do share some of my work with some of the administration there still so, so it's definitely bled into Doolittle Hall a little bit, but I've learned to make, like, very specific cocktails and stuff like that. And I love doing it. I love trying something new all the time. So, I don't know if that's a talent or not. People can come have a have a drink with me at my house and decide to do when you have, when you have two little kids, you need to bring the fun. Needs to be at home. That's right, yeah, so, so, so that's, that's kind of my unique interest, I guess, more than a talent.   Naviere Walkewicz  56:13 We love that. So maybe we'll see a line down the road of a series of Campbell drinks. Or…   Brian Campbell  56:21 …yes, yeah, I do name some of them after things at the Academy.   Naviere Walkewicz  56:25 Just so, you know, okay yeah, I guess I could ask you to share one of them, maybe one name.   Brian Campbell  56:30 Well, you know, a lot of good supporters were in the class of '75 so I changed French '75 to '75 Best Alive.   Naviere Walkewicz  56:39 Love that.   Brian Campbell  56:43 People have no idea what I'm talking about.   Naviere Walkewicz  56:45 I would want to twist to that. I would want to twist that and skip it. So that's fantastic. Thank you for sharing that well. Before we close, we really like to leave our listeners with just a couple of key leadership nuggets that you'd like them to have. What would you leave our listeners with, Brian?   Brian Campbell  57:03 Yeah, you know, I think as I look at some of the people that were on this podcast, I mean, you have some folks who are very, very accomplished and at the top of their fields, and then you have some others who are at the beginning of their careers and heading down that, that road. You know, for me, I'm probably in the middle of it. And as I look at the arc of my career, I don't think I've arrived as a leader and I, but I started to think that I probably that I would be willing to bet that General Clark might say the same thing, and Coach Calhoun might say the same thing. So, I think it's always a work in process, but I think it's important to be really authentic with people, and that has worked. It's worked well for me, especially when those decisions are consistent with being authentic to what we're trying to accomplish. And the other thing that's meant the most to me, and is just surrounding myself with the best people possible, and that has continued to help me grow and evolve, and not just the people I hire, but I think back to my time working there at the academy and how cool it is in a you know, couple year period I was around, you know, Mark Welsh and Dana born, and Jack Kucera and Paul Madera and the Brunies (SP?) and Mike Gould and these kinds of people. And that's who I had the chance to surround myself with, and I, think that that has more to do with me having other opportunities in my career to go grow and learn at a different place and hopefully be successful here as much as anything that I did. And so I think a lot about the elements that we put into it, because it's hard on a daily basis to know if you're doing a good job being a leader, but if you take those pieces of the fabric that we learned at the Academy, and you keep doing it the right way and thinking about these things and surrounding yourself by people with surrounding yourself with people of those kinds of values, and people that you can take little pieces of what they do and try to try to bring them with You. I think it's the right road.   Naviere Walkewicz  59:22 Well, Brian, it's been a pleasure. I know I've just taken away some things, and in our time together here, learning about you, but also just inspiring me thinking about how we can give and it really is a pleasure. I can't wait to see where your trajectory of your career takes you and the ways that you'll continue to make an impact.   Brian Campbell  59:39 Wow. Thank you. Naviere, it was great to be a part of it. Thank you everyone at the Association and the Foundation. I'm glad that we have a podcast. I know that there's so many efforts that are happening to connect with grads at all stages in their careers and their journey, and I just really appreciate that. Audience to be on and all the incredible work that's happening back there at our school.   Naviere Walkewicz  1:00:06 Thank you. So, we can end with the Go Falcons, right?   Brian Campbell  1:00:08 Yeah. Beat Army, sink Navy!   KEYWORDS Brian Campbell, Air Force Academy, leadership, growth, development, athletics, fundraising, University of Miami, Kucera Legacy Center, resilience, sports marketing, philanthropy       The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation        

Tom Shanahan is an awarding winning writer with a 46-year career covering sports for the San Diego Union-Tribune, Voice of San Diego, freelance writing and his website, TomShanahan.Report. His three published books include The Right Thing To Do, Raye of Light, and Bubba's Dad, Duffy and College Football's Underground Railroad.Football Writers Association of America recently awarded him first place for his reporting a piece on the 1962 Rose Bowl and segregation. He won multiple San Diego Press Club sports story-of-the-year awards. He also received a distinguished American from the San Diego chapter of the National Football Foundation. He earned a Braven Dyer Award from Southern California Interscholastic Football Coaches Association. He took first place in the Copley News Service Ring of Truth Awards. He was also given a President's Award from the San Diego chapter of USA Track and Field. A sampling of where his work has appeared in includes these media outlets: Yahoo News, The Wall Street Journal, Detroit Free Press, MLB, Miami Herald, The Charlotte Observer, The Tennessean, The News & Observer, Times Union (Albany), Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, The Herald-Sun (Durham, NC), and Honolulu Star-Advertiser,  Media coverage of Raye of Light included: ESPN, Detroit Free Press, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, MSU Alumni Magazine, Dan Daly Pro Football, The State News, radio interviews with Lansing's Jack Ebling and WKAR's (East Lansing) Al Martin, and WRAL's (Raleigh, N.C.) The Adam Gold Show, 102.5 Game's Robby and Rexrode (Nashville, Tennessee) and other stations. Samples of his podcast include these: The End Game: Race and Sports - Tom Shanahan Report and Duffy Daugherty's Underground Railroad - Tom Shanahan Report. Shanahan was featured in the 2023 Sports Emmy Award-winning The Incredible Legacy of Jimmy Raye. Based on The Right Thing To Do, a four-part docuseries is being created, Game Changers of the Century, and will be produced by Bolder Spartan Media Enterprises. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he was raised in Big Rapids, Michigan. He graduated from Michigan State University, with a BA in Journalism. He now resides in Morrisville, N.C. https://tomshanahan.report/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/i-am-refocused-radio--2671113/support.

Host Gene DeFilippo is joined again this week by Steve Hatchell, the President and CEO of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. The conversation delves into the comprehensive statistics around football, such as the growing number of colleges and high schools sponsoring the sport, and why it's important for post-graduate opportunities. The two discuss key NFF initiatives and events like the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, the Campbell Trophy Summit, their Annual Awards Dinner, the criteria for Hall of Fame induction, and more in this continuation of our insightful discussion about the Good in the Game.

President and CEO of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Steve Hatchell, joins host Gene DeFilippo for an in-depth discussion about his incredible career and early days at the University of Colorado, NFF's impact on both the amateur and college football landscape, the importance of promoting and protecting the good in the game, and their initiatives aimed at advancing the sport's future. Stay tuned for the second installment of our discussion, coming out soon.

On this episode of The Extra Yard, AFCA Executive Director, Craig Bohl, sat down with Steve Hatchell and Matthew Sign of the National Football Foundation. Steve Hatchell serves as the President and CEO and Matthew Sign serves as the COO of the NFF, which is an organization that strives to support football student athletes in their pursuit of academic excellence through a variety of programs, such as the Chick-Fil-A College Football Hall of Fame, the National Scholar-Athlete Program, the Future for Football initiative, and their annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas. In this episode, they discuss the history of the National Football Foundation, some of the initiatives that the organization runs, and the impact that football has had on our society.   Learn more about the National Football Foundations and their initiative and programs here: https://footballfoundation.org  Show Notes:   0:39 Episode Introduction  3:31 Programs and Initiatives run by the National Football Foundation  21:24 Impact of football on the community and the players  25:16 Episode Conclusion   

The College Football Hall of Fame ballot is out for the induction class of 25, and it is a STAR-STUDDED list. Nick Saban and Aaron Donald are among the no-brainers, but the rest of the choices for the members of the National Football Foundation will be brutally difficult. Andy breaks down the candidates. Andy also explains why Mike Leach isn't on the ballot — and why he should be. (0:00-2:34) Intro (2:35-16:24) Escape Velocity: Deion Sanders and Caitlin Clark (16:25-25:27) Hall of Fame Ballots (25:28-30:46) Mike Leach left off ballot (30:47-50:36) EA Sports - Peak Behind the Curtain (50:37-1:01:52) Notre Dame Commit Will Black joins (1:01:53-1:04:18) Conclusion Next, Andy chats with Ben Haumiller and Christian McLeod of EA Sports about the process of bringing back the college football video game. Haumiller and McLeod both worked on the old game and kept the fires burning until they could bring it back this year. Follow Ben Haumiller here: https://x.com/BenHaumiller Follow Christian McLeod here: https://x.com/CMcLeod_EA Andy also catches up with top offensive tackle recruit Will Black, a Canadian import who plans to play at Notre Dame. Will explains why he chose the Fighting Irish and what he hopes to get out of his time in South Bend. Follow Will Black here: https://x.com/will_black60 Plus, the Super Regionals are set in college baseball! Want to watch the show instead? Head on over to YouTube and join us LIVE, M-F, at 8 am et! https://youtube.com/live/tJLRlfIqIR8 Host: Andy Staples Guests: Ben Haumiller, Christian McLeod, Will Black Producer: River Bailey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tuesday pod, Hour 1− Anthony Edwards, the next, next Michael Jordan.− GUEST: Nemer Hassey, National Football Foundation, Southern Arizona Chapter.− Future Arizona football college hall of famers.

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper caught up with BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe in Las Vegas at Big 12 Meetings and National Football Foundation. Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast! Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609 Google Play: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks Download the KSL Sports app Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id1435930251

Drew Butler is riding solo on this episode of #PuntandPass presented by @PrizePicks! It is awards season, and things kicked off this week at the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame ceremony! Congrats to Coach Mark Richt on his much deserved induction into the Hall! Plenty of discussion about the #CFBPlayoff Committee this week - how would Drew structure his committee? He explains who gets the nod, and a special caveat to the process. #UGA had their 2024 schedule leaked, and it is a gauntlet! Heisman Trophy guess, other quick storylines around CFB. Thanks for listening and please rate, review, subscribe!!! #PuntandPassSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drew Butler is riding solo on this episode of #PuntandPass presented by @PrizePicks! It is awards season, and things kicked off this week at the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame ceremony! Congrats to Coach Mark Richt on his much deserved induction into the Hall! Plenty of discussion about the #CFBPlayoff Committee this week - how would Drew structure his committee? He explains who gets the nod, and a special caveat to the process. #UGA had their 2024 schedule leaked, and it is a gauntlet! Heisman Trophy guess, other quick storylines around CFB. Thanks for listening and please rate, review, subscribe!!! #PuntandPassSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve Hatchell, President + CEO of the National Football Foundation and The CFB Hall Of Fame, Inc., takes us inside the hallowed halls of the most important organization in CFB. Steve details his journey from being Commissioner of multiple conferences, the Orange Bowl + the marquee events. Amazing stories that you won't want to miss!

Coach Bill Courtney is the founder of Classic American Hardwoods and he is the subject in the Oscar Award winning documentary Undefeated. In 2003, Bill began volunteering at Memphis' inner city Manassas High School in an effort to turn its underperforming football team around. That same year, the team had 19 players with a dismal 4-95, 10-year record. In the 2008 & 2009 seasons, the team's record improved to 18-2, with 75 players. The story inspired the Hollywood film—Undefeated—which won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Feature Length Documentary. In 2011, Bill was inducted into Bridge Builders for leadership in diversity, community, and justice. He was the 2012 recipient of the Liberty Bowl's Harry Zinn Spirit of 1776 award for distinguished citizenship, recipient of the Carnival Memphis' King's award for outstanding achievement in Business and Industry, and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of fame Memphis chapter's award winner for The distinguished American for Contribution to Amateur Athletics. In 2013, he was inducted into the prestigious Society of Entrepreneurs as a result of his success in business and community service. Today, Bill still operates as the President and CEO of Classic American Hardwoods. He speaks at a variety of events from the Para Olympics in Colorado Springs, with Nike, PepsiCo, FedEx, and other nationally recognized companies, to churches, schools, and hospitals. His first book, Against the Grain, was published in May 2014. So make sure you check out his website, book and documentary in the links. Dad Up! Dad Up YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/DadUpPodcast Dad Up Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dad-up-podcast/id1486764562 Dad Up Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daduppodcast/ Dad Up LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/Daduptribe Bill Courtney's Website: Coach Bill Courtney Official Website | Books and Undefeated Film Undefeated Documentary: https://www.netflix.com/title/70177633?s=i&trkid=0 Bill Courtney's Book: Against The Grain Book by Bill Courtney | Details and Buy Now Bill Courtney's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/an-army-of-normal-folks/id1689470062 Bill Courtney's Instagram: https://instagram.com/iamcoachbill --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/daduppodcast/support

(0:50:00) Grayson Grundhoefer-Sicem365.com Recruiting Analyst (1:12:00) Terry Mohajir-UCF Director of Athletics (1:27:00) Drake Dabney-Baylor TE (1:38:00) Kobe Savage Kansas St. DB (1:54:00) Danny Stutsman- OU LB (2:05:00) Neal Brown WVU Head Coach (2:20:00) Jared Wiley TCU TE (2:34:00) Matthew Sign, CEO National Football Foundation (2:50:00) Top 5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta gets ready to celebrate 10 years, Rick talks with the CEO, Kimberly Beaudin. Great insight and inside look at the Hall with Kimberly. The College Football Hall of Fame was established by the National Football Foundation in 1951. The Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame, which … Continue reading Kimberly Beaudin, CEO of College Football Hall of Fame →

ABOUT COACH BILL COURTNEY AND AN ARMY OF NORMAL FOLKS Coach Bill Courtney of Oscar-Winning Undefeated launches 'An Army of Normal Folks' Movement and podcast empower Americans to change our country by 'each of us doing what we can. Business leader and football coach Bill Courtney joins with other "ordinary" Americans doing extraordinary work to solve our nation's problems through the new movement, An Army of Normal Folks. "Our country's problems will never be solved by a bunch of fancy people in nice suits talking big words in Washington, but by An Army of Normal Folks just deciding 'hey, I can help,'" said Courtney. Based on his own example, Courtney is joining with the nonprofit Iron Light Labs to launch An Army of Normal Folks. Founder of Classic American Hardwoods, Inc., in 2003, he became a volunteer football coach in America's third poorest zip code and yet 31 out of 32 seniors in his last two seasons went to college. Their success on and off the field was the subject of the documentary film, Undefeated, which won an Academy Award in 2012. "We believe that everyone has the power to create change, no matter how 'ordinary' they or their actions may seem," said Courtney. "And if there's An Army of Normal Folks just doing what we can, imagine how different our country could be." As part of the movement, Courtney hosts the iHeartMedia podcast An Army of Normal Folks. iHeartMedia is the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac. The podcast features interviews with members of the Army such as Arkansas Police Officer Tommy Norman and Back on My Feet Founder Anne Mahlum. It aims to inspire listeners and present fascinating models that can be replicated in their own communities. All individuals are invited to join An Army of Normal Folks. AN ARMY OF NORMAL FOLKS - BACKGROUNDAmerica is at a crossroads.While still having an enviable position in the 21st century, we also suffer from deep divisions, both perceived and very real. From politics and culture to race and religion, Americans seem to disagree on almost everything.These challenges are complex and multifaceted. And they're not being solved by politicians. Instead, the greatest power lies in the hands of ordinary citizens doing what they can in their own communities. And if each of us does this, just imagine how different our country could be.Our solution is An Army of Normal Folks.A grassroots movement led by Coach Bill Courtney, former volunteer football coach of Manassas High School and the subject of the 2012 Academy Award-winning documentary Undefeated, An Army of Normal Folks brings together Americans of all stripes committed to "doing what we can." Bill and his fellow changemakers believe that by taking action in ordinary but meaningful ways, such as volunteering, donating, and changing even only one other person's life, An Army of Normal Folks can make all of the difference. This is how America can overcome its problems: one life and one community at a time.Featuring stories of ordinary folks overcoming life's obstacles and their own demons to make an extraordinary difference, the "An Army of Normal Folks" podcast provides a rallying cry for every individual to join a movement that can change the country. The iHeart Radio podcast, which is hosted by Courtney, launched in May 2023 and delivers much-needed inspirational, redemptive, and unifying content. Episodes include fellow members of the Army, such as:● Tommy Norman, North Little Rock Police Officer known as the "Michael Jordan of Community Policing"● Anne Mahlum, Back on My Feet founder that's helped over 7,500 homeless Americans secure jobs and independent housing through running● Luke Mickelson, Sleep in Heavenly Peace founder whose 270 chapters have built over 140,000 beds for kids without them● Rodney Smith Jr., Raising Men and Women Lawn Care founder who's inspired over 4,300 kids to take the "50 Yard Challenge" of cutting 50 lawns for free for those in need● Arshay Cooper, rower, the protagonist of the critically acclaimed film A Most Beautiful Thing and leader in starting inner-city rowing programs● Jon Ponder, a three-time convicted felon whose nonprofit Hope for Prisoners has helped over 4,700 returning citizens in Las Vegas, with only an 8% recidivism rate● Erin Smith, head of the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) program in Northwest Mississippi, and Thomas, a former foster care child she mentored● Chavis Daniels, a former Manassas Tiger football player under Coach Bill's leadership who has since mentored over 1,000 kids in Memphis● Bob Zaccheo, who offers "therapy under the hood of a car" to over 5,000 at-risk kids through Project LIFTWILLIAM B. (BILL) COURTNEY BIOWilliam B. Courtney (Bill), a native Memphian, launched An Army of Normal Folks in 2023 on the belief that if each of us just does what we can in our own communities, we can change the country. Bill doesn't just "talk the talk;" he knows this sentiment to be true. A successful business owner, Bill founded Classic American Hardwoods, Inc. in 2001. He continues to operate the company, which today employs 140 people with a 45-acre manufacturing facility and domestic sales offices in Memphis, Tennessee and international sales offices in Shanghai, China and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. As the son of a single mom who married five guys, Bill had many coaches who were his real father figures and invested in him. Because of this, helping other kids like himself has been a central part of his life.In 2003, Bill began volunteering as a football coach at Memphis' inner-city Manassas High School in an effort to turn around its underperforming football team of 19 players with a dismal 4-95, 10-year record. The school is located in a neighborhood where young men are three times more likely to be dead or in jail than have a job or be in college. Prior to Bill's involvement, the Manassas Tigers football team had never won a playoff game in its 110-year history. Under Bill's leadership, the team's record improved to 18-2 with 75 players in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. But Bill's involvement went beyond football. "My philosophy on coaching doesn't start with X's and O's. it starts with believing that players win games and coaches win players," he stated. Bill became a mentor to the mostly fatherless young men on the team, teaching them leadership skills, assisting them academically and caring for their physical and emotional needs. During his final two seasons coaching, 31 out of their 32 seniors went to college, which rarely happens in a neighborhood like Manassas.The story of Bill coaching inspired the Hollywood film, Undefeated, which won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Feature Length Documentary.While Bill ended his coaching career with the Manassas Tigers in 2012, he continues to coach a variety of teams and support efforts in and around Memphis. He is the co-founder of Man Rise, an organization that gives financial support to help five city schools with their football programs. He previously served on the board of Orphanos Foundation and supports St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and The North Memphis Steelers, a mentoring and athletics association founded by Chavis Daniels, one of the central figures featured in Undefeated. Bill's achievements and service have been recognized by several entities. In 2011, he was inducted into Bridge Builders for leadership in diversity, community and justice. He was the 2012 recipient of the Liberty Bowl's Harry Zinn Spirit of 1776 award for distinguished citizenship, recipient of the Carnival Memphis' King's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Business and Industry, and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Memphis chapter's award winner for the distinguished American for Contribution to Amateur Athletics. In 2013, he was inducted into the prestigious Society of Entrepreneurs for his success in business and community service. He is the author of "Against the Grain: A Coach's Wisdom on Character, Faith, Family, and Love," released in 2014, and is a national speaker on topics of leadership, character and business. He was a keynote speaker at the Paralympics in Colorado Springs, with Nike, PepsiCo, FedEx, and other nationally recognized companies, and has spoken at numerous churches, schools and hospitals.Bill also hosts "An Army of Normal Folks," a podcast launched in May 2023. Bill is a graduate of The University of Mississippi. He and his wife Lisa have four children and reside in Memphis.Website:https://www.normalfolks.us/An Army Of Normal Folks Podcast:https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-an-army-of-normal-folks-115890758/

Nate Boyer (@NateBoyer37) is a renaissance man. He is a former Green Beret, and played football for the Seattle Seahawks and the university of Texas despite having never played high school football! He currently works as a film producer and leadership consultant, as well as runs his not profit MVP: Merging Vets and Players (www.vetsandplayers.org)Boyer gained national attention in 2016 when a letter he wrote to the Army Times about Colin Kaepernick's protests during the national anthem led to a meeting between the men and thrust Boyer into the national spotlight.  A five-year player for the Texas Longhorns, Boyer served as the No. 1 long snapper on PAT/FG's his last three seasons and also handled punt-snapping duties during 2013-14.  He played in 39 career games.  In 2012 Boyer received the Disney Spirit Award at the ESPN College Football Awards, which is given to the most inspirational figure in college football. In 2013 the National Football Foundation awarded him with the coveted Legacy Award. He was named to the 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes players whose charitable involvement and community service contributions stand out among all other student-athletes; was a three-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 choice (2012-14); and was first-team Capitol One Academic All-American in 2013.   Boyer was named 2012-13 Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year and in 2012 became the first-ever recipient of the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).  In January of 2015, he played in the Medal of Honor Bowl in Charleston, SC. Learn more at www.NateBoyer.org or www.vetsandplayers.org.  REGISTER NOW! The 2023 Way of Champions Conference will be held August 4-6, 2023 at Colorado Academy in Denver, CO. PHIL JACKSON, 11X NBA CHAMPION COACH, WILL BE JOINING US AS A GUEST PRESENTER FOR THE EVENT!!! Click here to learn more and register.  You can save $100 until April 1 by entering EARLYBIRD at checkout, as well as get access to the best hotel rooms right across the street from Colorado Academy. Its going to be amazing to be back in person in 2023!  This week's podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a new software platform for youth sports clubs.  There are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams.  Sprocket is built for those clubs looking to thrive, not just survive, in the competitive world of youth sports clubs.  So if you've been looking for a true business partner – not just another app – check them out today at https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our most popular online courses, a $300 value. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including: Downloadable transcripts of our best podcasts, so you don't have to crash your car trying to take notes! A code to get free access to our online course called “Coaching Mastery,” usually a $97 course, plus four other courses worth over $100, all yours for free for becoming a patron. Other special bonus opportunities that come up time to time Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences. Thank you for all your support these past four years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions  

Friday pod, Hour 1: Recapping Arizona's Thursday night win at USC; guest Tim Kish, president of the local National Football Foundation chapter recaps the showcase for high school players held last weekend in Phoenix; Highlight of a media session with Arizona Football Coach Jedd Fisch.

On this edition of the High School Football America Podcast, Jeff Fisher talks with former college football coach Tim Kish about the upcoming National Football Foundation Arizona Senior Showcase. Event will be held February 25 at State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals. Learn more at highschoolfootballamerica.com

This week on Inside the Headset, we are featuring our 2022 Regional Power of Influence Award winners in a roundtable discussion. The coaches discuss their journey, some of the mentors who have had an impact on them, and some pillars of their football program. 2022 AFCA/AFCF Regional Power of Influence Award winners are: Region 1: Jim Kelliher, Abington (Mass.) High School Region 2: Rodney Saulsberry Sr., Whitehaven (Tenn.) High School Region 3: Dwight Lundeen, Becker (Minn.) High School Region 4: John King, Longview (Tex.) High School Region 5: Todd Sloat, Fall River (Calif.) High School Jim Kelliher has been the head coach at Abington High School for 49 years and currently sits fourth for career victories in Massachusetts history with 305. He has guided the Green Wave to three Eastern Massachusetts State titles in Division 5 (2002), Division 3 (2005) and Division 4 (2012) and two overall state championships in Division 5 (2014) and Division 4 (2019). Kelliher graduated from Abington in 1966 and played his college football at the University of Massachusetts. He returned to Abington as an assistant coach for three years before being named head coach in 1974. Rodney Saulsberry Sr. is in his 25th season at Whitehaven High School and 19th as a head coach. He has an overall record of 180-48 with two Tennessee 6A state titles in 2012 and 2016, the first championships in program history. Over 200 of Saulsberry's former players have gone on to play college football, and 15 of them have become coaches. He has served on the board of the Tennessee Football Coaches Association and served on the Rules Committee for the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. Saulsberry has been a speaker at various football clinics around the country, including the 2013 AFCA Convention. In 2020, he co-founded the Minority Coaches Association of Tennessee, which helps high school, college and professional coaches in Tennessee foster job opportunities and hosts clinics for continuing education. Saulsberry has earned many awards over his time as head coach, such as a two-time Tennessee Titans Coach of the Week, a Tennessee Titans/Shelby Metro Coach of the Year award winner in 2012 and 2016, three-time Regional Coach of the Year and winner of the Rex Dockery Award from the Memphis Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. Dwight Lundeen started the Becker High School football team in 1970 and has never left. In his 53 years as head coach, Lundeen has amassed an overall record of 390-166-3 with three state championships, 19 section titles, and 24 conference championships. He has served as president and on the executive committee of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association, the Minnesota Interscholastic Activities Administrators Association, and the Minnesota State High School League. Lundeen has been inducted into the National Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2019), Minnesota Activities Directors Hall of Fame (2014), Minnesota High School League Hall of Fame (2014) and the Minnesota Football Coaches Hall of Fame (2009). He is a four-time Minnesota Football Coach of the Year and was named Minnesota Football Coaches Association Man of the Year in 2015. John King is in his 19th year as head coach at Longview High School. He currently has the Lobos in the semifinals of the Texas 5A state playoffs with a 14-0 record. His overall record sits at 211-43 with a 6A state championship in 2018. King is a past president of the Texas High School Coaches Association and has served on the THSCA Board of Directors. He has served on several committees for the THSCA as well as Treasurer of the East Texas Coaches Association. King was inducted into the East Texas Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 2019 and was named Texas Sportswriter Association 6A Coach of the Year, along with Longview News Journal and American State Bank Coach of the Year in 2018. He has won 15 District Coach of the Year honors in his 19 seasons. Todd Sloat has coached football for 23 years, with the last 21 coming at Fall River High School. His overall record in eight years as a head coach sits at 78-16 with one California 7AA state championship and six Northern Section titles. Sloat earned California Coach of the Year honors in 2021 and six other Coach of the Year honors in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2017, 2018, and 2021. He stepped down as head coach after the 2021 season and works as an assistant coach with Fall River, helping the Bulldogs to a 12-0 record and the Northern Section championship. 0:50 Meaning of Power of Influence Selection 1:55 Pillars/Culture of Each Program 10:20 Impact of Program 13:50 Significant Influences 18:05 Creating a Community within Your Town & Team 21:00 Camaraderie of Coaches

The Southern Arizona Chapter of the National Football Foundation is putting on a showcase for Arizona high school football players to show themselves to schools from Div. II and III and the NAIA in hopes of continuing their football careers. Tim Kish, president of the NFF chapter and a retired college football coach, discusses the event and also weighs in on many of the issues facing college football.

NCAAFB – College Football – CFP National Championship Last Night (1) Georgia 65, (3) TCU 7 Georgia 65, TCU 7 – No. 1 Georgia bullies TCU 65-7 to win 2nd consecutive title Stetson Bennett threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores in the first half as No. 1 Georgia demolished No. 3 TCU 65-7 to become the first team to win consecutive College Football Playoff national championships. The Bulldogs became the first repeat champs since Alabama went back-to-back a decade ago and left no doubt that they have replaced the Crimson Tide as the new bullies on the block. TCU, the first Cinderella team of the CFP era, never had a chance against the Georgia juggernaut and suffered the most lopsided loss in a national title game dating to the start of the BCS in 1998. NCAAFB – Georgia becomes 12th back-to-back champ in AP Top 25 history Georgia is No. 1 in the final Associated Press college football poll, becoming the 12th back-to-back national champion in the history of the rankings after routing TCU. The Horned Frogs were No. 2, their best final rankings since the 2010 season. Michigan was No. 3, followed by Ohio State and Alabama. The Bulldogs won the College Football Playoff national championship game 65-7 to secure their third AP title overall. Their first came in 1980. Georgia also became the 14th school with as many as three AP national titles.  Notre Dame finished at No. 18. NCAAFB – Michigan All-America RB Blake Corum staying for senior year Michigan All-America running back Blake Corum is staying in school for his senior season and putting his NFL dreams on hold. Corum announced his decision on social media hours before the national championship game, writing he had “unfinished business.” He had a season-ending left knee injury on Nov. 19 after running for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns. Corum had 952 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2021. The second-ranked Wolverines lost to third-ranked TCU in a College Football Playoff semifinal. Corum will return along with quarterback J.J. McCarthy to lead Michigan with or without coach Jim Harbaugh. NCAAFB – USC’s Reggie Bush, Tebow make College Football Hall of Fame Reggie Bush, whose Heisman Trophy victory for Southern California in 2005 was later vacated because of NCAA violations, is among 18 players in the latest College Football Hall of Fame class. Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who won the Heisman in 2007, was also elected to the Hall by the National Football Foundation, along with Dwight Freeney of Syracuse; Luke Kuechly of Boston College; LaMichael James of Oregon and Michael Bishop of Kansas State. Bush played on two national championship teams with USC and led the Trojans to another title game in 2005. NHL – National Hockey League Tonight Winnipeg Jets at Detroit Red Wings, 7:00 p.m. NBA – National Basketball Association Last Night Boston Celtics 107, Chicago Bulls 99 Celtics 107, Bulls 99 – Celtics top Bulls 107-99, improve NBA’s best record to 29-12 Jayson Tatum scored 32 points, Jaylen Brown added 19 as the Boston Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls 107-99 Monday night and reached the midway point of their season with the NBA's best record. Grant Williams added 20 points and Al Horford had seven rebounds and eight points, including a clutch 3-pointer with 24 seconds to play that helped seal the win for the defending Eastern Conference champions, who are 29-12 after the first 41 games. Zach LaVine led Chicago with 27 points, scoring 15 in the fourth quarter while leading the Bulls' furious comeback bid. Chicago, which had won three straight, lost DeMar DeRozan in the third quarter with a strained right quadriceps. Tonight Detroit Pistons at Philadelphia 76ers, 7:00 p.m. NCAAMBKB – Men's College Basketball Tonight Michigan State at (18) Wisconsin, 7:00 p.m.         Superhits 103.7 Cosy-FM 6:00 p.m. Georgia Tech at Notre Dame, 7:00 p.m. Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan, 7:00 p.m. Central Michigan at Northern Illinois, 8:00 p.m. NCAAMBKB – Women's College Basketball Tonight (17) Michigan at Purdue, 6:30 p.m. NFL – Bills safety Hamlin back in Buffalo to continue recovery Doctors who treated Damar Hamlin say the Bills safety was moved to a hospital in Buffalo to continue his recovery. It’s an uplifting sign of the remarkable progress Hamlin has made a week after going into cardiac arrest and having to be resuscitated on the field during a game in Cincinnati. Hamlin was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in the morning and flown to Buffalo, where Dr. William Knight said he was “doing well.” Hamlin's return comes a day after he cheered on the Bills from his hospital bed during their 35-23 win over New England. The game proved to be a cathartic outpouring of support for the Bills and Hamlin. NFL – Lions appear to have bright future under coach Dan Campbell The Detroit Lions opened and the closed the 2022 season with a lot of excitement and a dash of hope. The Lions were featured on HBO's “Hard Knocks” in the preseason and ended the regular season by winning eight of 10 games. Detroit fell just short of making the playoffs for the first time in six years and finished with its first winning record since 2017. The Lions’ win at Green Bay on Sunday night kept the Packers out of the postseason and provided another sign that the franchise finally has a bright future. NFL – Clock ticking for Bears with No. 1 pick after brutal season General manager Ryan Poles is now on the clock after the Chicago Bears wrapped up one of the worst seasons in franchise history. They set a franchise record for losses with 14 and extended one by dropping their 10th game in a row in Sunday’s finale against Minnesota. They also got a big assist from former coach Lovie Smith and landed the No. 1 pick in the draft for the first time since 1947. The Bears also figure to have about $118 million in salary cap room. Chicago needs playmaking receivers and help on both the offensive and defensive lines. NFL – Packers’ Quay Walker apologizes for shoving Lions physician Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker apologized after the second ejection of his rookie season and said he has spoken directly to the Detroit Lions physician he shoved during the fourth quarter of Sunday night's game. Walker issued an apology via Twitter and expressed his regret again while speaking to reporters Monday. This was the second time Walker got ejected from a game in his rookie season. He also was ejected during an October 30 loss at Buffalo after shoving Bills practice squad tight end Zach Davidson on the sideline. NFL – Poor results send Indy into another offseason of uncertainty Jeff Saturday spent Monday thanking players for their effort over the Indianapolis Colts' final eight games and arguing to keep his coaching title — minus the interim tag. He'll get that answer and others in time. First, this franchise must figure out what's next. One day after finishing a dismal 4-12-1 season with another last-minute collapse, the Colts began trying to determine what went wrong, what must change and who returns from what appears to be an uncertain and perhaps tumultuous offseason. NFL – National Football League – Wild Card Playoffs Saturday Seattle at San Francisco, 4:30 p.m. L.A. Chargers at Jacksonville, 8:15 p.m. Sunday Miami at Buffalo, 1 p.m. N.Y. Giants at Minnesota, 4:30 p.m. Baltimore at Cincinnati, 8:15 p.m. Monday Dallas at Tampa Bay, 8:15 p.m. NWSL – NWSL bans 4 from coaching, takes other disciplinary actions The National Women's Soccer League has permanently banned four coaches and announced disciplinary action against several other individuals and teams in response to an investigation into alleged abuse and misconduct. Former North Carolina coach Paul Riley, former Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames, former Washington Spirit coach Richie Burke and former Racing Louisville coach Christy Holly can’t coach in the NWSL again. The league and its players association announced results of their investigation last month. The investigation found “widespread misconduct” directed at players dating back nearly a decade. MHSAA – High School Sports Last Night Boys Basketball Benton Harbor 57, St. Joseph 54 Benton Harbor's Grant Gondrezick scored a game high 33 points as Benton Harbor edged out St. Joseph 57-54 in a back and forth battle at Farnum Gymnasium.  Brian Gillespie added 12 points for the Tigers as they improved to 5-1 on the season.   Luke Lehner led the Bears with 14 points, while Chase Sanders scored 13.  St. Joe falls to 3-3. Delton-Kellogg 62, Bloomingdale 45 Girls Basketball Benton Harbor 54, St. Joseph 44 Benton Harbor jumped out to a 25-4 lead after the first quarter and held on for a 54-44 win over St. Joe at the Bear Den.  Desrae Kyles had 24 points to lead the Tigers, while Jamya Jordan had 18.   Tess Kapelke had 14 points coming off the bench to lead St. Joe, while Jaslynn Ward and Eleah Hedstrom added 12 each for the Bears. Tonight Boys Basketball BCS Our Lady of the Lake at Eau Claire, 8:00 p.m. Covert at Michigan Lutheran, 7:30 p.m. Howardsville Chr. at New Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. Lakeland Conference Buchanan at Berrien Springs, 7:00 p.m. Dowagiac at Brandywine, 7:00 p.m. SAC Lawton at South Haven, 7:00 p.m. Bridgman at Kalamazoo Christian, 7:00 p.m. Coloma at Kalamazoo Hackett, 7:00 p.m. Watervliet at Schoolcraft, 7:00 p.m. Holland Black River at Bangor, 7:30 p.m. Allegan at Constantine, 7:00 p.m. Gobles at Decatur, 7:00 p.m. Fennville at Parchment, Southwest 10 Mendon at Comstock, 7:30 p.m. Non-Conference Edwardsburg at Portage Central, 7:00 p.m. Cassopolis at Niles, 7:00 p.m. Gull Lake at Three Rivers, 7:00 p.m. Plainwell at Mattawan, 7:00 p.m. Paw Paw at Lawrence, 7:15 p.m. Portage Northern at Vicksburg, 7:00 p.m. Battle Creek Central at Charlotte, 7:00 p.m. Holt at Battle Creek Lakeview, 7:00 p.m. Sturgis at White Pigeon, 7:00 p.m. Kalamazoo Heritage at Martin, 7:00 p.m. Calhoun Christian at Delton-Kellogg, 7:00 p.m. Saugatuck at Wyoming Potters House, 7:00 p.m. Girls Basketball BCS Our Lady of the Lake at Eau Claire, 6:30 p.m. Howardsville Chr. at New Buffalo, 6:00 p.m. Lakeland Conference Buchanan at Berrien Springs, 5:30 p.m. Dowagiac at Brandywine, 5:30 p.m. SAC Constantine at Bridgman, 6:00 p.m. Kalamazoo Christian at Watervliet, 7:30 p.m. Schoolcraft at Allegan, 7:00 p.m. Parchment at Fennville, 7:00 p.m. Decatur at Gobles, 7:00 p.m. Southwest 10 Comstock at Mendon, 7:30 p.m. Non-Conference Lakeshore at Otsego, 7:15 p.m. Portage Central at Edwardsburg, 7:15 p.m. Niles at Cassopolis, 7:30 p.m. Hartford at Martin, 7:00 p.m. Mattawan at Plainwell, 7:00 p.m. Vicksburg at Portage Northern, 7:00 p.m. Bloomingdale at Paw Paw, 6:30 p.m. White Pigeon at Sturgis, 7:00 p.m.. Wyoming Potters House at Saugatuck, 7:00 p.m.Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) runs into the end zone for a touchdown against TCU during the first half of the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) looks to pass while pressured by Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (12) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NCAAFB – College Football – CFP National Championship Last Night (1) Georgia 65, (3) TCU 7 Georgia 65, TCU 7 – No. 1 Georgia bullies TCU 65-7 to win 2nd consecutive title Stetson Bennett threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores in the first half as No. 1 Georgia demolished No. 3 TCU 65-7 to become the first team to win consecutive College Football Playoff national championships. The Bulldogs became the first repeat champs since Alabama went back-to-back a decade ago and left no doubt that they have replaced the Crimson Tide as the new bullies on the block. TCU, the first Cinderella team of the CFP era, never had a chance against the Georgia juggernaut and suffered the most lopsided loss in a national title game dating to the start of the BCS in 1998. NCAAFB – Georgia becomes 12th back-to-back champ in AP Top 25 history Georgia is No. 1 in the final Associated Press college football poll, becoming the 12th back-to-back national champion in the history of the rankings after routing TCU. The Horned Frogs were No. 2, their best final rankings since the 2010 season. Michigan was No. 3, followed by Ohio State and Alabama. The Bulldogs won the College Football Playoff national championship game 65-7 to secure their third AP title overall. Their first came in 1980. Georgia also became the 14th school with as many as three AP national titles.  Notre Dame finished at No. 18. NCAAFB – Michigan All-America RB Blake Corum staying for senior year Michigan All-America running back Blake Corum is staying in school for his senior season and putting his NFL dreams on hold. Corum announced his decision on social media hours before the national championship game, writing he had “unfinished business." He had a season-ending left knee injury on Nov. 19 after running for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns. Corum had 952 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2021. The second-ranked Wolverines lost to third-ranked TCU in a College Football Playoff semifinal. Corum will return along with quarterback J.J. McCarthy to lead Michigan with or without coach Jim Harbaugh. NCAAFB – USC’s Reggie Bush, Tebow make College Football Hall of Fame Reggie Bush, whose Heisman Trophy victory for Southern California in 2005 was later vacated because of NCAA violations, is among 18 players in the latest College Football Hall of Fame class. Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who won the Heisman in 2007, was also elected to the Hall by the National Football Foundation, along with Dwight Freeney of Syracuse; Luke Kuechly of Boston College; LaMichael James of Oregon and Michael Bishop of Kansas State. Bush played on two national championship teams with USC and led the Trojans to another title game in 2005. NHL – National Hockey League Tonight Winnipeg Jets at Detroit Red Wings, 7:00 p.m. NBA – National Basketball Association Last Night Boston Celtics 107, Chicago Bulls 99 Celtics 107, Bulls 99 – Celtics top Bulls 107-99, improve NBA’s best record to 29-12 Jayson Tatum scored 32 points, Jaylen Brown added 19 as the Boston Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls 107-99 Monday night and reached the midway point of their season with the NBA’s best record. Grant Williams added 20 points and Al Horford had seven rebounds and eight points, including a clutch 3-pointer with 24 seconds to play that helped seal the win for the defending Eastern Conference champions, who are 29-12 after the first 41 games. Zach LaVine led Chicago with 27 points, scoring 15 in the fourth quarter while leading the Bulls’ furious comeback bid. Chicago, which had won three straight, lost DeMar DeRozan in the third quarter with a strained right quadriceps. Tonight Detroit Pistons at Philadelphia 76ers, 7:00 p.m. NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball Tonight Michigan State at (18) Wisconsin, 7:00 p.m.         Superhits 103.7 Cosy-FM 6:00 p.m. Georgia Tech at Notre Dame, 7:00 p.m. Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan, 7:00 p.m. Central Michigan at Northern Illinois, 8:00 p.m. NCAAMBKB – Women’s College Basketball Tonight (17) Michigan at Purdue, 6:30 p.m. NFL – Bills safety Hamlin back in Buffalo to continue recovery Doctors who treated Damar Hamlin say the Bills safety was moved to a hospital in Buffalo to continue his recovery. It’s an uplifting sign of the remarkable progress Hamlin has made a week after going into cardiac arrest and having to be resuscitated on the field during a game in Cincinnati. Hamlin was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in the morning and flown to Buffalo, where Dr. William Knight said he was "doing well.” Hamlin’s return comes a day after he cheered on the Bills from his hospital bed during their 35-23 win over New England. The game proved to be a cathartic outpouring of support for the Bills and Hamlin. NFL – Lions appear to have bright future under coach Dan Campbell The Detroit Lions opened and the closed the 2022 season with a lot of excitement and a dash of hope. The Lions were featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” in the preseason and ended the regular season by winning eight of 10 games. Detroit fell just short of making the playoffs for the first time in six years and finished with its first winning record since 2017. The Lions’ win at Green Bay on Sunday night kept the Packers out of the postseason and provided another sign that the franchise finally has a bright future. NFL – Clock ticking for Bears with No. 1 pick after brutal season General manager Ryan Poles is now on the clock after the Chicago Bears wrapped up one of the worst seasons in franchise history. They set a franchise record for losses with 14 and extended one by dropping their 10th game in a row in Sunday’s finale against Minnesota. They also got a big assist from former coach Lovie Smith and landed the No. 1 pick in the draft for the first time since 1947. The Bears also figure to have about $118 million in salary cap room. Chicago needs playmaking receivers and help on both the offensive and defensive lines. NFL – Packers’ Quay Walker apologizes for shoving Lions physician Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker apologized after the second ejection of his rookie season and said he has spoken directly to the Detroit Lions physician he shoved during the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game. Walker issued an apology via Twitter and expressed his regret again while speaking to reporters Monday. This was the second time Walker got ejected from a game in his rookie season. He also was ejected during an October 30 loss at Buffalo after shoving Bills practice squad tight end Zach Davidson on the sideline. NFL – Poor results send Indy into another offseason of uncertainty Jeff Saturday spent Monday thanking players for their effort over the Indianapolis Colts’ final eight games and arguing to keep his coaching title — minus the interim tag. He’ll get that answer and others in time. First, this franchise must figure out what’s next. One day after finishing a dismal 4-12-1 season with another last-minute collapse, the Colts began trying to determine what went wrong, what must change and who returns from what appears to be an uncertain and perhaps tumultuous offseason. NFL – National Football League – Wild Card Playoffs Saturday Seattle at San Francisco, 4:30 p.m. L.A. Chargers at Jacksonville, 8:15 p.m. Sunday Miami at Buffalo, 1 p.m. N.Y. Giants at Minnesota, 4:30 p.m. Baltimore at Cincinnati, 8:15 p.m. Monday Dallas at Tampa Bay, 8:15 p.m. NWSL – NWSL bans 4 from coaching, takes other disciplinary actions The National Women’s Soccer League has permanently banned four coaches and announced disciplinary action against several other individuals and teams in response to an investigation into alleged abuse and misconduct. Former North Carolina coach Paul Riley, former Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames, former Washington Spirit coach Richie Burke and former Racing Louisville coach Christy Holly can’t coach in the NWSL again. The league and its players association announced results of their investigation last month. The investigation found “widespread misconduct” directed at players dating back nearly a decade. MHSAA – High School Sports Last Night Boys Basketball Benton Harbor 57, St. Joseph 54 Benton Harbor’s Grant Gondrezick scored a game high 33 points as Benton Harbor edged out St. Joseph 57-54 in a back and forth battle at Farnum Gymnasium.  Brian Gillespie added 12 points for the Tigers as they improved to 5-1 on the season.   Luke Lehner led the Bears with 14 points, while Chase Sanders scored 13.  St. Joe falls to 3-3.  Delton-Kellogg 62, Bloomingdale 45 Girls Basketball Benton Harbor 54, St. Joseph 44 Benton Harbor jumped out to a 25-4 lead after the first quarter and held on for a 54-44 win over St. Joe at the Bear Den.  Desrae Kyles had 24 points to lead the Tigers, while Jamya Jordan had 18.   Tess Kapelke had 14 points coming off the bench to lead St. Joe, while Jaslynn Ward and Eleah Hedstrom added 12 each for the Bears. Tonight Boys Basketball BCS Our Lady of the Lake at Eau Claire, 8:00 p.m. Covert at Michigan Lutheran, 7:30 p.m. Howardsville Chr. at New Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. Lakeland Conference Buchanan at Berrien Springs, 7:00 p.m. Dowagiac at Brandywine, 7:00 p.m. SAC Lawton at South Haven, 7:00 p.m. Bridgman at Kalamazoo Christian, 7:00 p.m. Coloma at Kalamazoo Hackett, 7:00 p.m. Watervliet at Schoolcraft, 7:00 p.m. Holland Black River at Bangor, 7:30 p.m. Allegan at Constantine, 7:00 p.m. Gobles at Decatur, 7:00 p.m. Fennville at Parchment, Southwest 10 Mendon at Comstock, 7:30 p.m. Non-Conference Edwardsburg at Portage Central, 7:00 p.m. Cassopolis at Niles, 7:00 p.m. Gull Lake at Three Rivers, 7:00 p.m. Plainwell at Mattawan, 7:00 p.m. Paw Paw at Lawrence, 7:15 p.m. Portage Northern at Vicksburg, 7:00 p.m. Battle Creek Central at Charlotte, 7:00 p.m. Holt at Battle Creek Lakeview, 7:00 p.m. Sturgis at White Pigeon, 7:00 p.m. Kalamazoo Heritage at Martin, 7:00 p.m. Calhoun Christian at Delton-Kellogg, 7:00 p.m. Saugatuck at Wyoming Potters House, 7:00 p.m. Girls Basketball BCS Our Lady of the Lake at Eau Claire, 6:30 p.m. Howardsville Chr. at New Buffalo, 6:00 p.m. Lakeland Conference Buchanan at Berrien Springs, 5:30 p.m. Dowagiac at Brandywine, 5:30 p.m. SAC Constantine at Bridgman, 6:00 p.m. Kalamazoo Christian at Watervliet, 7:30 p.m. Schoolcraft at Allegan, 7:00 p.m. Parchment at Fennville, 7:00 p.m. Decatur at Gobles, 7:00 p.m. Southwest 10 Comstock at Mendon, 7:30 p.m. Non-Conference Lakeshore at Otsego, 7:15 p.m. Portage Central at Edwardsburg, 7:15 p.m. Niles at Cassopolis, 7:30 p.m. Hartford at Martin, 7:00 p.m. Mattawan at Plainwell, 7:00 p.m. Vicksburg at Portage Northern, 7:00 p.m. Bloomingdale at Paw Paw, 6:30 p.m. White Pigeon at Sturgis, 7:00 p.m.. Wyoming Potters House at Saugatuck, 7:00 p.m.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Celebrating the milestones in sports history made on January 8 throughout history by remembering the athletes and the jersey numbers that they wore.Here are some of the headlines we hit on in this episode:We are very thankful, honored, and humbled to be placed in the top spot of American Football History Podcasts by Feedspot.com! it is you the listeners and our fantastic expert guests that take us to these heights. Thank you!Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Come join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriberGo to SportsHistoryNetwork.com/Row1 for access to the full Row One catalog for gallery prints and gift items. Plus, get a 15% discount on all prints on the Row One Pictorem Gallery with coupon code SHN15.Get a free one-week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you'll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows. We also feature great music by Mike and Gene Monroe along with Jason Neff & great graphics from time to time from the folks at Gridiron-Uniform Database.Want more Sports History delivered to your ears, come see this podcast and many more at the Sports History Network - The Headquarters of Sports' Yesteryear!We would like to thank the National Football Foundation, Pro Football Hall of Fame, On this day.com and Pro Football Reference Websites for the information shared with you today.

Celebrating the milestones in sports history made on January 7 throughout history by remembering the athletes and the jersey numbers that they wore.Here are some of the headlines we hit on in this episode:We are very thankful, honored, and humbled to be placed in the top spot of American Football History Podcasts by Feedspot.com! it is you the listeners and our fantastic expert guests that take us to these heights. Thank you!Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Come join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriberGo to SportsHistoryNetwork.com/Row1 for access to the full Row One catalog for gallery prints and gift items. Plus, get a 15% discount on all prints on the Row One Pictorem Gallery with coupon code SHN15.Get a free one-week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you'll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows. We also feature great music by Mike and Gene Monroe along with Jason Neff & great graphics from time to time from the folks at Gridiron-Uniform Database.Want more Sports History delivered to your ears, come see this podcast and many more at the Sports History Network - The Headquarters of Sports' Yesteryear!We would like to thank the National Football Foundation, Pro Football Hall of Fame, On this day.com and Pro Football Reference Websites for the information shared with you today.

Celebrating the milestones in sports history made on January 6 throughout history by remembering the athletes and the jersey numbers that they wore.Here are some of the headlines we hit on in this episode:We are very thankful, honored, and humbled to be placed in the top spot of American Football History Podcasts by Feedspot.com! it is you the listeners and our fantastic expert guests that take us to these heights. Thank you!Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Come join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriberGo to SportsHistoryNetwork.com/Row1 for access to the full Row One catalog for gallery prints and gift items. Plus, get a 15% discount on all prints on the Row One Pictorem Gallery with coupon code SHN15.Get a free one-week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you'll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows. We also feature great music by Mike and Gene Monroe along with Jason Neff & great graphics from time to time from the folks at Gridiron-Uniform Database.Want more Sports History delivered to your ears, come see this podcast and many more at the Sports History Network - The Headquarters of Sports' Yesteryear!We would like to thank the National Football Foundation, Pro Football Hall of Fame, On this day.com and Pro Football Reference Websites for the information shared with you today.

Celebrating the milestones in sports history made on January 5 throughout history by remembering the athletes and the jersey numbers that they wore. Sports history is made every day of the year. We will preserve at least a small sampling of great athletes every day based on the uniform number they wore.Here are some of the headlines we hit on in this episode:We are very thankful, honored, and humbled to be placed in the top spot of American Football History Podcasts by Feedspot.com! it is you the listeners and our fantastic expert guests that take us to these heights. Thank you!Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Come join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriberGo to SportsHistoryNetwork.com/Row1 for access to the full Row One catalog for gallery prints and gift items. Plus, get a 15% discount on all prints on the Row One Pictorem Gallery with coupon code SHN15.Get a free one-week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you'll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows. We also feature great music by Mike and Gene Monroe along with Jason Neff & great graphics from time to time from the folks at Gridiron-Uniform Database.Want more Sports History delivered to your ears, come see this podcast and many more at the Sports History Network - The Headquarters of Sports' Yesteryear!We would like to thank the National Football Foundation, Pro Football Hall of Fame, On this day.com and Pro Football Reference Websites for the information shared with you today.

Celebrating the milestones in sports history made on January 4 throughout history by remembering the athletes and the jersey numbers that they wore.Here are some of the headlines we hit on in this episode:We are very thankful, honored, and humbled to be placed in the top spot of American Football History Podcasts by Feedspot.com! it is you the listeners and our fantastic expert guests that take us to these heights. Thank you!Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Come join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriberGo to SportsHistoryNetwork.com/Row1 for access to the full Row One catalog for gallery prints and gift items. Plus, get a 15% discount on all prints on the Row One Pictorem Gallery with coupon code SHN15.Get a free one-week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you'll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows. We also feature great music by Mike and Gene Monroe along with Jason Neff & great graphics from time to time from the folks at Gridiron-Uniform Database.Want more Sports History delivered to your ears, come see this podcast and many more at the Sports History Network - The Headquarters of Sports' Yesteryear!We would like to thank the National Football Foundation, Pro Football Hall of Fame, On this day.com and Pro Football Reference Websites for the information shared with you today.

Celebrating the milestones in sports history made on January 3 throughout history by remembering the athletes and the jersey numbers that they wore.Here are some of the headlines we hit on in this episode:We are very thankful, honored, and humbled to be placed in the top spot of American Football History Podcasts by Feedspot.com! it is you the listeners and our fantastic expert guests that take us to these heights. Thank you!Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Come join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriberGo to SportsHistoryNetwork.com/Row1 for access to the full Row One catalog for gallery prints and gift items. Plus, get a 15% discount on all prints on the Row One Pictorem Gallery with coupon code SHN15.Get a free one-week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you'll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows. We also feature great music by Mike and Gene Monroe along with Jason Neff & great graphics from time to time from the folks at Gridiron-Uniform Database.Want more Sports History delivered to your ears, come see this podcast and many more at the Sports History Network - The Headquarters of Sports' Yesteryear!We would like to thank the National Football Foundation, Pro Football Hall of Fame, On this day.com and Pro Football Reference Websites for the information shared with you today.

Celebrating the milestones in sports history made on January 2 throughout history by remembering the athletes and the jersey numbers that they wore.Here are some of the headlines we hit on in this episode:We are very thankful, honored, and humbled to be placed in the top spot of American Football History Podcasts by Feedspot.com! it is you the listeners and our fantastic expert guests that take us to these heights. Thank you!Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Come join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriberGo to SportsHistoryNetwork.com/Row1 for access to the full Row One catalog for gallery prints and gift items. Plus, get a 15% discount on all prints on the Row One Pictorem Gallery with coupon code SHN15.Get a free one-week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you'll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows. We also feature great music by Mike and Gene Monroe along with Jason Neff & great graphics from time to time from the folks at Gridiron-Uniform Database.Want more Sports History delivered to your ears, come see this podcast and many more at the Sports History Network - The Headquarters of Sports' Yesteryear!We would like to thank the National Football Foundation, Pro Football Hall of Fame, On this day.com and Pro Football Reference Websites for the information shared with you today.

We bring the sports memories back to life by discussing some of the top milestone moments in sports history that occurred on January 1, discussing the players that performed them along with a jersey number that they may have worn that day.Here are some of the headlines we hit on in this episode:We are very thankful, honored, and humbled to be placed in the top spot of American Football History Podcasts by Feedspot.com! it is you the listeners and our fantastic expert guests that take us to these heights. Thank you!Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Come join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriberGo to SportsHistoryNetwork.com/Row1 for access to the full Row One catalog for gallery prints and gift items. Plus, get a 15% discount on all prints on the Row One Pictorem Gallery with coupon code SHN15.Get a free one-week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you'll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows. We also feature great music by Mike and Gene Monroe along with Jason Neff & great graphics from time to time from the folks at Gridiron-Uniform Database.Want more Sports History delivered to your ears, come see this podcast and many more at the Sports History Network - The Headquarters of Sports' Yesteryear!We would like to thank the National Football Foundation, Pro Football Hall of Fame, On this day.com and Pro Football Reference Websites for the information shared with you today.

In this edition of the Sports Break, we cover the top events in sports history along with the players and athletes that were a part of them on December 31. As a bonus, we also place the jersey number worn at the time with the athlete.Here are some of the headlines we hit on in this episode:We are very thankful, honored, and humbled to be placed in the top spot of American Football History Podcasts by Feedspot.com! it is you the listeners and our fantastic expert guests that take us to these heights. Thank you!Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Come join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriberGo to SportsHistoryNetwork.com/Row1 for access to the full Row One catalog for gallery prints and gift items. Plus, get a 15% discount on all prints on the Row One Pictorem Gallery with coupon code SHN15.Get a free one-week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you'll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows. We also feature great music by Mike and Gene Monroe along with Jason Neff & great graphics from time to time from the folks at Gridiron-Uniform Database.Want more Sports History delivered to your ears, come see this podcast and many more at the Sports History Network - The Headquarters of Sports' Yesteryear!We would like to thank the National Football Foundation, Pro Football Hall of Fame, On this day.com and Pro Football Reference Websites for the information shared with you today.

Rece Davis and Pete Thamel discuss why Phil Longo leaving North Carolina for Wisconsin raised their eyebrows, Rece's night at the National Football Foundation and his picture with Andrew Luck. Then, David Pollack hops on to talk about if he'd take Caleb Williams or Drake Maye in the NFL draft today, when college football will finally be rid of the NCAA and his multiple Christmas trees. Later, Bill Connelly on whether Georgia caught a tough draw against Ohio State, his excitement for UTSA-Troy in the Duluth Trading Cure Bowl, why Scott Satterfield thinks it'll work in Cincinnati when it didn't at Louisville, and Christmas biscuit recipes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Rodriguez is a Sports Information Director at The University of Texas at Austin, highly regarded as one of the most competitive collegiate athletic institutions to not only work at, but also regarded as one of the biggest brands in sports and most successful in college athletics, having won the Learfield Director's Cup the previous 2 years. Kevin is the lead SID for UT baseball and UT Women's Volleyball, with the former fielding the NCAA Men's Player of the Year and the latter being regarded as one of the most prestigious volleyball programs in the history of the sport (they're the #1 lock to win the NCAA 2022 Women's Volleyball Title). Kevin has done extensive work with these sports and more, directing information and serving as a key liaison between the players, coaching staff, media, and other key sports stakeholders. Kevin graduated with a degree in Mass Communications from Sam Houston State University, where he also served as an SID there for two years, along with having worked with the National Football Foundation and University of Memphis as a Director of Athletic Communications. Above all, Kevin is not only a savant within the sports communications field, but a hilarious and down-to-earth dude who's helped me learn more about the sports space and gain experience in collegiate athletics. Connect with Kevin:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krodthesid/ Keep up with UT Athletic Teams Kevin Works With:Texas Volleyball: https://texassports.com/sports/womens-volleyballTexas Baseball: https://texassports.com/sports/baseball  OUTLINE:IntroWhat a Sports Information Director is and why Kevin wanted to go into Sports CommunicationsWhat is the role of an SID within College Athletics?How crucial are SIDs to the entire athletic program, and specifically the team?What it's like working with one of the biggest brands in sports and most famous college athletics program at UT AustinWhat keeps Kevin going in the space despite the travels and at times long hoursAdvice for those wanting to break into sports communicationsMost memorable moments  Recorded on November 30th, 2022 #Sports #sportscommunications #collegeathletics  #sportsinformationdirector #sid #texas #longhorns #hookem #texasvolleyball #texasbaseball  Connect with Alec on Social:- Linktree to all platforms: https://linktr.ee/smartalec  Podcast info:- Podcast website: https://smartalecshow.com- RSS feed: feed:https://feeds.simplecast.com/ngBH2BfM- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/634MOIW582k2STgC06Rvl9?si=ulGRaagxSBCHROX0OEQCCA- Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-smart-alec-show/id1577614268 - Amazon Music & Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/96993c84-1664-4a67-921d-9b731fbdca99

Rece Davis and Pete Thamel discuss why Phil Longo leaving North Carolina for Wisconsin raised their eyebrows, Rece's night at the National Football Foundation and his picture with Andrew Luck. Then, David Pollack hops on to talk about if he'd take Caleb Williams or Drake Maye in the NFL draft today, when college football will finally be rid of the NCAA and his multiple Christmas trees. Later, Bill Connelly on whether Georgia caught a tough draw against Ohio State, his excitement for UTSA-Troy in the Duluth Trading Cure Bowl, why Scott Satterfield thinks it'll work in Cincinnati when it didn't at Louisville, and Christmas biscuit recipes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Mizzou football coach Gary Pinkel will be inducted into the National Football Foundation college football hall of fame Tuesday in Las Vegas. He'll also be recognized during Saturday's SEC championship game as an SEC Legend. Mr. Pinkel is the winningest head coach at Mizzou (2001-2015) and at Toledo, where he coached from 1991-2000. Coach Pinkel joined us live in-studio on 939 the Eagle's "Wake Up Mid-Missouri." He says he honored by the recognition. We also discussed his GP Made Foundation:

J.D. Mehlhorn joined the Georgia State Athletics Department in June 2019 and currently serves as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for Olympic Sports. He previously served as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the football team at Connecticut for two years. As part of his role at UConn, he assisted the Director of Football Strength and Conditioning with all aspects of training for the team. His additional responsibilities included acting as a liaison to incoming student-athletes, coordinating the internship program, and handling the team's nutritional supplements. Prior to UConn, Mehlhorn served as an Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning at Minnesota from 2015-2017. In his time there, he oversaw all aspects of strength and conditioning for the baseball team, men's track and field/cross country and men's/women's diving teams. Furthermore, he assisted with the training for the men's/women's hockey teams while also maintaining an athlete fueling station and helping develop the internship program. Before being hired at Minnesota, Mehlhorn completed a graduate assistantship at Appalachian State. There, he directed strength and conditioning for the men's/women's tennis teams while also assisting with the training for the football team and the men's/women's basketball teams. Mehlhorn's other coaching experiences included working with Olympic, professional, small college, high school, and youth athletes in a variety of settings. Mehlhorn played football at Bethel University (MN) where he majored in biokinetics and physics while minoring in mathematics. Mehlhorn received multiple honors during his playing career including Academic All-American, Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, Bob Stein Scholar-Athlete of the Year through the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation, and two-time MIAC All-Conference. Mehlhorn earned his master's degree from Appalachian State studying exercise science with an emphasis in strength and conditioning. Mehlhorn is a certified member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS & RSCC), as well as USA Weightlifting (Level 1 Sports Performance Coach), and is a Reflexive Performance Reset Pro- Level 2. Mehlhorn and his wife, Katie, currently reside in Decatur.

Like many who are just starting out in their careers, Jimmy Pitaro was uncertain of the direction he was headed in as he prepared to enter the workforce. He was attending Cornell University where he had secured a spot on the football team, but Jimmy knew that the odds of him becoming a professional athlete were slim to nonexistent. Nonetheless, sports had always played an influential role in his life and he was determined to incorporate the world of sports into his career path. As the now Chair of ESPN, it's safe to say that Jimmy had reached this goal, but not without learning many important lessons along the way.In this episode, Randall and Jimmy discuss the progression of Jimmy's career, how to recover from a huge disappointment, determining when you should stay on course or move on to something else, identifying the subject matter you are most passionate about to lead your career direction, finding opportunities to work with like-minded people, and so much more.Topics include: -How Jimmy's early love of sports shaped his future-Importance of having a support network-Why having compassion and respect for others is advantageous -Prioritizing mentorship-Erring on the side of over preparation-Jimmy's “Four North Stars” at ESPN-Creating a culture of innovation-Why work ethic is the single greatest determinant of our success-The relationship between fear and courage-Networking-Finding the right work-life balanceJimmy Pitaro was named Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content on October 12, 2020. His focus is the entirety of ESPN's multimedia offerings - including live sports programming, sports news and original and non-scripted sports-related content, audio, digital and social endeavors - plus all sports-related content for Disney's cable channels, ESPN+, and ABC.He was named ESPN president and co-chair, Disney Media Networks, on March 5, 2018, after serving eight years as a top Disney executive. In making the announcement, Bob Iger, then The Walt Disney Company chairman and chief executive officer, said, "Jimmy's appointment was the result of more than 20 years spent at the intersection of technology, sports and media."Pitaro's record of success leading businesses focused on consumer products, digital initiatives and sports made him the quintessential selection for ESPN at a pivotal point in its then 38-year history: a time of unprecedented technological advancements and rapidly changing consumer habits.Pitaro originally joined The Walt Disney Company in 2010 as co-president, Disney Interactive, where he successfully led the turnaround of the digital media and gaming division.He serves on a variety of industry and charitable boards, including the NCTA, the Paley Center for Media, The V Foundation, The National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, Pacer and CoachArt. Pitaro also serves as Co-Committee Chair of the March of Dimes, and is a Board Observer at Draft Kings. He is a member of the Cornell Athletic Alumni Advisory Committee.

Show NotesLike many who are just starting out in their careers, Jimmy Pitaro was uncertain of the direction he was headed in as he prepared to enter the workforce. He was attending Cornell University where he had secured a spot on the football team, but Jimmy knew that the odds of him becoming a professional athlete were slim to nonexistent. Nonetheless, sports had always played an influential role in his life and he was determined to incorporate the world of sports into his career path. As the now Chair of ESPN, it's safe to say that Jimmy had reached this goal, but not without learning many important lessons along the way.In this episode, Randall and Jimmy discuss the progression of Jimmy's career, how to recover from a huge disappointment, determining when you should stay on course or move on to something else, identifying the subject matter your are most passionate about to lead your career direction, finding opportunities to work with like-minded people, and so much more.Topics include: -How Jimmy's early love of sports shaped his future-Importance of having a support network-Why having compassion and respect for others is advantageous -Prioritizing mentorship-Erring on the side of over preparation-Jimmy's “Four North Stars” at ESPN-Creating a culture of innovation-Why work ethic is the single greatest determinant of our success-The relationship between fear and courage-Networking-Finding the right work-life balanceJimmy Pitaro was named Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content on October 12, 2020. His focus is the entirety of ESPN's multimedia offerings - including live sports programming, sports news and original and non-scripted sports-related content, audio, digital and social endeavors - plus all sports-related content for Disney's cable channels, ESPN+, and ABC.He was named ESPN president and co-chair, Disney Media Networks, on March 5, 2018, after serving eight years as a top Disney executive. In making the announcement, Bob Iger, then The Walt Disney Company chairman and chief executive officer, said, "Jimmy's appointment was the result of more than 20 years spent at the intersection of technology, sports and media."Pitaro's record of success leading businesses focused on consumer products, digital initiatives and sports made him the quintessential selection for ESPN at a pivotal point in its then 38-year history: a time of unprecedented technological advancements and rapidly changing consumer habits.Pitaro originally joined The Walt Disney Company in 2010 as co-president, Disney Interactive, where he successfully led the turnaround of the digital media and gaming division.He serves on a variety of industry and charitable boards, including the NCTA, the Paley Center for Media, The V Foundation, The National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, Pacer and CoachArt. Pitaro also serves as Co-Committee Chair of the March of Dimes, and is a Board Observer at Draft Kings. He is a member of the Cornell Athletic Alumni Advisory Committee.

Steve Robinson is the former CMO of Chick Fil A. and is currently a consultant, author, and speaker on organizational culture design & leadership, brand strategy development, marketing planning, and distinctive advertising principles. He is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc., 1981-2015. Before joining the company, Steve was the director of marketing for Six Flags Over Georgia theme park in Atlanta, Georgia. This role was preceded by marketing positions at two other Six Flags properties and communications manager at Texas Instruments. After beginning his career at Chick-fil-A as director of marketing, Steve went on to serve as vice president of the department before becoming chief marketing officer. In his most recent role, he was responsible for overseeing marketing, advertising, brand development, menu development, and hospitality strategies. In addition to serving on Chick-fil-A's board of directors from 2016-2018, Steve serves on several boards for organizations and ministries, including FamilyLife, Fellowship of Christian Athletes of Atlanta, Links Players International, and Atlanta Hall Management & College Football Hall of Fame, and the National Football Foundation. He holds an associate degree in business administration from Faulkner State Junior College, a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Auburn University, and a master's in advertising from Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Steve and his wife, Dianne, have two children and four grandchildren. In this episode, Chris and Steve discuss Why every company should have a purpose for existing. Hint: it's used to make decisions ;) The incredible story behind Chick Fil A's growth and the thriving culture that got them there. Hire people through a lens that "you'll work with them forever." Chick Fil A cows, "My Pleasure", and more. And more! Purchase Steve's Book here Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fort-capital/ Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris  Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/  Subscribe to The Fort on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJ32shRt8Od3MxMY-keTSQ Follow The Fort on Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheFortPodcast (2:04) - How Steve got to Chick-fil-A (8:55) - What's your response to the fast-paced hiring processes of today's businesses? (11:37) - The purpose statement of Chick-Fil-A (23:21) - Why doesn't every company have a purpose statement? (27:59) - What do you tell to already established companies who want to totally rebuild their culture? (32:09) - Do you have an example of a major decision that was made or not made based on the company's purpose statement? (37:40) - Is there something different about today's culture that would make a culture like Chick-Fil-A's much harder to implement? (40:14) - Can selflessness be taught? (43:54) - Turnover is the #1 enemy of cultural sustainability (46:00) - How did the cows become the mascots? (53:41) - The CFA operator model (1:06:06) - The origin of “My Pleasure” The Fort is produced by Johnny Podcasts

Two of Iowa football's greatest are on this year's college hall of fame ballot. OT Robert Gallery and Tight End Dallas Clark are among 80 players and 9 coaches nominated by the National Football Foundation. Voting concludes the end of June and we'll know who's in this years class the end of December.Both Gallery and Clark were consensus All Americans from small town Iowa. Both were highly coveted 1st round Nfl draft picks, Gallery #2 over-all by the Oakland Raiders. Clark was chosen with the 24th selection by the Indianapolis Colts. Born in Sioux Falls and growing up in Livermore in Northern, Iowa, population 380, Dallas Clark would wear his Incredible Hulk pajama's most of the day if allowed. Folks in Humboldt county had no idea then that Clark would grow into the Nfl's version of the short tempered Dr. Bruce Banner. Clark played a mad blocker and pass catcher at Iowa for a couple years and then for 11 seasons as QB Payton Manning's main target, winning a Super Bowl along the way. While Dallas Clark loved Marvel comics super hero's he settled for a Rudy Ruettiger role. Rudy was turned down three times by Notre Dame before he was allowed to walk on, Dallas Clark arrived in Iowa City in 1999 wide eyed and with out a scholarship offer but determined to work his way into a Hawkeye uniform. The rest is material that books and movies are made of. Dallas Clark joins us on this week's Fight for Iowa podcast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former Nebraska head coach Frank Solich is one of nine FBS coaches to earn a spot on the 2023 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced the ballot of players and coaches on Monday morning.

Ep #132 - In this week's podcast episode, I sit down with the former Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Chick-fil-A, Steve Robinson, who held these positions from 1981-2015. Steve went on to serve on the board of directors for Chick-fil-A from 2016-2018 and now operates as a consultant, author, and speaker on organizational culture design and leadership, brand strategy development, marketing planning, and distinctive advertising principles. Steve continues to serve on several boards for organizations and ministries, including FamilyLife, Fellowship of Christian Athletes of Atlanta, Links Players International, Atlanta Hall Management & College Football Hall of Fame, and the National Football Foundation. Prior to joining Chick-fil-A, Steve was the director of marketing for the Six Flags Over Georgia theme park in Atlanta, Georgia and the communications manager for Texas Instruments. Learn More About Steve Robinson, His Consulting Company & Book: Visit Steve Robinson's consulting company website at: https://srobinsonconsulting.com/ Connect with Steve Robinson on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/srobinsonconsulting/ Get Steve Robinson's book, Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A: How Faith, Cows, and Chicken Built an Iconic Brand, on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Covert-Cows-Chick-fil-Chicken-Iconic/dp/1400213169/   Also, please remember to subscribe, rate, and leave a written review for the show if you find value in it. Your reviews help this show to reach a wider audience and I appreciate everyone that has been leaving them.   FOLLOW CHARLES GAUDET ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow Charles Gaudet on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/charlesgaudet Follow Charles Gaudet on Facebook: https://facebook.com/charlesgaudet Follow Charles Gaudet on Twitter: https://twitter.com/charlesgaudet   VISIT THE PREDICTABLE PROFITS WEBSITE: https://PredictableProfits.com

This week on Inside the Headset, we are featuring Wayne State University Head Coach, Paul Winters. In this episode, Coach Winters highlights the various factors that go into selecting a coaching job, shares his thoughts on the evolving nature of college football, and details his personal involvement with the AFCA. Paul Winters is entering his 19th season as the Wayne State University head football coach this upcoming football season. Winters is the school leader in coaching victories with 93 and is a three-time GLIAC Coach of the Year award winner (2006, 2008, and 2019). His 2011 squad set the school record for overall wins (12) and road wins (8), while winning four consecutive road playoff games to reach the national title contest. After guiding the winningest team in school history in 2011, he was honored for his efforts with the AFCA NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year award. Since 2004, Coach Winters has coached 197 All-GLIAC award winners as well as 515 Academic All-GLIAC honorees. Prior to his appointment at WSU, Winters was the offensive coordinator and running backs coach at his alma mater Akron University (1995-2003). After the 2000 season, and for the second time, Winters was nominated for the Broyles Award, a national honor recognizing the nation's top Division I-A assistant coach. In addition, he was chosen Assistant Coach of the Year by the Northeastern Ohio Chapter of the National Football Foundation from among 13 universities and colleges in the region. Before returning to Akron following the 1994 campaign, Winters was an assistant football coach at the University of Wisconsin for two seasons (1990-91). Prior to UW, he was on the coaching staff at the University of Toledo for four seasons (1986-89). A former member of the AFCA Division II Board of Coaches, Winters served on the NCAA Regional Ranking Committee as well as the NCAA Rules Committee.  Winters is entering his fifth year on the AFCA Board of Trustees after being selected in January of 2017. [1:49] Start of interview [2:28] Maintaining longevity at one program [4:32] Factors that go into accepting a new job [6:10] Being where your feet are [7:10] Evolving nature of college football [10:21] Inspiring others to coach [11:54] Building a coaching staff [13:18] Personal involvement with the AFCA [15:11] Working in compliance at Wisconsin