Rich Take On Sports

Episode 38: Rob Vaka | Athlete Mentor – Helping NFL Players Tackle Life After Football Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Rob Vaka Grew up in New Jersey with 2 brothers and played all sports and gravitated towards soccer Playing soccer led to playing football as a kicker and had aspirations of kicking in college Interested in University of Florida however due to recruiting violations in the mid ’80’s the Gators were placed on probation Dad played college football in Ohio and Rob visited Ohio and fell in love with Wittenburg University Rob went on to play all 4 years at Wittenberg University and set several kicking records NFL aspirations were short-lived as his feels today that his mindset at that time wasn’t ready to compete at that level Moved into business with Mobile and eventually was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 31 in 1999

Episode 37: Digger Phelps | Former Notre Dame Men’s Basketball Head Coach Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Digger Phelps Played all sports with the neighborhood kids in Beacon, NY Father was a funeral home director and mortician He convinced his parents to let him try coaching basketball instead of going to embalming school to continue in the family business Spent one year at Fordham as Head Coach and then took the job at the University of Notre Dame in 1971 Defeated seven #1 ranked teams in 20 years Most notable #1 ranked team to defeat was UCLA ending their 88-game win streak Felt it was time to move on after 20 years as Head Coach at Notre Dame Briefly contemplated a job at DePaul but decided his coaching days were done and moved into broadcasting and as an analyst with ESPN in 1994 Retired from ESPN in 2014 and stays active with painting and recen

Episode 36: Bryce Johnson | Founder & President  UNPACKIN ‘it Ministries Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Bryce Johnson Basketball & swimming were his first love of sports Two younger brothers and dad was an athlete and both brothers became better athletes Moved away from swimming but coached in high school and played church league basketball as his faith became a main focal point in his life in high school Realized that sports was such a great way to connect with people from different backgrounds Attended Appalachian State University and worked for the radio station on campus (WASU) Started Sports YAPP after graduating and convinced a friend to be his producer and gained airtime in Charlotte but pressures were too great to continue with that model Fox Sports 730 launched in Charlotte and was able to get airtime on with Sports YAPP Something wa

Episode 35: Dan Mowrey | Former Florida St. University Placekicker Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Dan Mowrey Baseball was his first love Started playing soccer and begged his dad to play football Practiced in a field kicking over a pear tree Chose FSU over Florida after first committing to Florida Redshirted Freshman year at FSU and it took time to regain full confidence Uniquely tied to the FSU-Miami rivalry after missing game-tieing kick in final seconds in 1992 known as “Wide Right II” The missed kick does not define him and was actually one of the best things to happen to him NFL opportunity never materialized and eventually decided on law school and is now a partner in Mowrey, Shoemaker, Beardsley law firm in St. Augustine, FL Words of Wisdom from Dan Mowrey: “Stay centered.  Allow yourself to get upset but don’t lose sight in

Episode 34: Tony Villani | Founder and Owner of XPE Sports Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Tony Villani Became involved in sports because his dad played football at Duke Dad wouldn’t let him play football though Basketball was his favorite sport Graduated from Clemson University and received a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from George Washington University Worked with Orlando Magic before a job as Director Of Human Performance at Cris Carter’s FAST Program Founded XPE Sports in Atlanta in 2002 Trained Jamal Lewis for free which ultimately led to breakout seasons for Jamal Relocated XPE Sports to Boca Raton, FL in 2009 and created the SHREDmill in 2011 Has now become one of the most trusted and respected trainers for speed and agility training for NFL Combine Words of Wisdom from Tony Villani: “Sometimes praise can be hard

Episode 33: Dave Odom | Former Wake Forest & South Carolina Men’s Basketball Head Coach Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Dave Odom Grew up in Goldsboro, NC playing all sports Could have a been a coach in football or baseball but his first job opportunity was coaching basketball First college job came after his time working at the Five Star camp in Pennsylvania Left East Carolina as Head Coach because he missed the ACC and it was a great opportunity to work with Terry Holland at University of Virginia The Wake Forest job came about very quickly and ultimately decided to leave for the University of South Carolina because he felt it was time for a change Misses coaching but doesn’t miss the recruiting and fundraising Words of Wisdom from Dave Odom: “Don’t be in too big of a hurry, let things happen naturally. Enjoy yourself, enjoy you

Episode 32: Ally McDonald | LPGA Tour Member Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Ally McDonald Her journey started with her dad modifying a 3-iron when she was 4-years old She loved any sport with a ball and the thrill of competing Her favorite sport was basketball but her talent from God was Golf She petitioned to be on the boy’s high school team because there wasn’t a girl’s team at her high school and she was allowed to play but from the boy’s tees and eventually won the Boy’s Mississippi High School State Championship She attended Mississippi State University before embarking on the Symetra Tour and eventually the LPGA Tour Biggest adjustment on tour is understanding the challenges with travel While the first half of her rookie season on the LPGA Tour wasn’t up to her expectations, she feels that she is becoming much more

Episode 31: Dabo Swinney | Clemson University Head Football Coach Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Dabo Swinney His journey doesn’t seem real at times but so gives thanks to God each day Youngest of 3 boys growing up so sports has always been a part of his life Grew up wanting to be a doctor (pediatrician) His best sport was baseball and his favorite sport is basketball Felt he had more chances to make the Alabama football team because the number of players on a football team His colloquialisms such as “All In”, “The Fun is in the Winning”, “Control the Input” probably comes his dad Sports has given him family, structure, direction, toughness, how to win and lose, and how to set goals Words of Wisdom from Coach Swinney: “Keep your eyes on the lord, believe in yourself, and don’t quit.” Weekly Wo

Episode 30: Taylor Stern | Dallas Cowboys Social Media Coordinator Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Taylor Stern Influenced greatly by her grandfather who was a high school basketball coach Grew up a Notre Dame fan Loves Sports because of the stories Even though she didn’t make the cheerleading squad at the University of New Mexico it allowed her to seek other Sports intern positions Had to choose between a job with Notre Dame or Dallas Cowboys Favorite Dallas Cowboys social media follows are Jason Witten and Jaylon Smith Words of Wisdom from Taylor Stern: “Keep an open mind and understand that you can be there. You really can go wherever you want to go.” Weekly Words of Wisdom: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”  Albert Einstein Social Media: To Follow Taylor Stern on Twitter:

Episode 29: Jay Richardson | Former NFL & Ohio State University Defensive End Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: The Nation needs to be addressing the issue at hand which is racial inequalities and not the rhetoric currently being focused on. Social Media: To Follow Jay Richardson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayRichardson99 (@JayRichardson99) To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Twitter: https://twitter.com/richtakesports (@richtakesports)

Episode 28: George Wrighster III | Former NFL and University of Oregon Tight End Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: George Wrighster III Wrote the column about masculinity because of things in his life after getting married Grew up in Memphis but moved to California and even though he was a chubby kid and battled stuttering he wanted to be a professional athlete and work in TV Attended the University of Oregon after a last minute visit before signing day Realized that the NFL was a business early in his career after being drafted in the 4th round by the Jacksonville Jaguars Focusing now on building his brand through multiple platforms which include a podcast coming out soon called UNAFRAID Becoming less optimistic that Colin Kaepernick will be in the NFL Words of Wisdom from George Wrighster III: “A man’s weaknesses flow from the same well as his st

Episode 27: Jay Bilas | ESPN College Basketball Analyst Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Jay Bilas Grew up in Rolling Hills, CA in Southern California and gravitated to Sports because he wanted to have more trophies than his older brother Baseball was probably his favorite sport at first but eventually knew that basketball would be the sport he could play in college Signed with Duke because he trusted Mike Krzyzewski Made a family decision to not pursue coaching because they didn’t want to move across the country in pursuit of jobs Started broadcasting college basketball games on the side while working full-time as a lawyer Started with ESPN in 1995 and eventually left the law practice to pursue broadcasting full-time “35-Second Shot Clock” Segment Q&A: Boyz in the Hood or New Jack City – NEW JACK CITY LeBron James or Michael Jor

Episode 26: Alan Stein, Jr. | Performance Leadership Coach Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Alan Stein, Jr. Basketball has been so good to him and he will always give his full support to basketball and hopes that parents and athletes will stop focusing on exposure and start focusing on fundamentals Fell in love with basketball first but played all Sports Performance side of Sports and training started in high school after meeting Washington Redskins Strenght & Conditioning Coach John Philbin Attended Elon College now Elon University on a basketball scholarship Never has worked a traditional job and loves entrepreneurship Continues to be involved with basketball performance coaching and training but now is focusing on another venture in corporate leadership speaking Considers Jay Bilas, Kevin Eastman, Jon Gordon, George Raveling as mentors Focuses on the

Episode 25: Peter Burns | ESPN SEC Network Studio Anchor Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Peter Burns Almost surreal that he and his wife are about to parents and of course his wife’s due date is on October 21st during the busiest time of his working year First memories of Sports is attending LSU games with his dad Played all Sports but eventually decided on golf after he stopped growing and realized how much he enjoyed golf Attended UT-San Antonio for 2 years while playing golf and then transferred to St. Mary’s University to finish college and his playing career Never intended to have a career in Sports but won a national contest on the Tony Bruno show which was the springboard for his career in Sports Still amazed that he’s in his “Dream Job” but stays focused on always being prepared to perform his best Words of Wisdom from P

Episode 24: Brad Brownell | Clemson University Men’s Basketball Head Coach Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Brad Brownell Blessed to have a dad that was a high school basketball coach in Indiana and that was Coach Brownell’s first exposure to basketball and sports Never was coached by his dad in high school but his dad helped teach him the fundamentals Attended DePauw University where he played basketball Ultimately, was given his first break into coaching Division I basketball by Jerry Wainwright when Coach Wainwright became the head coach at UNC-Wilmington Coach Brownell then moved up the ranks at UNC-Wilmington eventually to head coach making the NCAA Tournament Made a very tough decision to leave UNC-Wilmington to become the head coach at Wright State and once again took that program to the NCAA Tournament Now he felt he had a good opportunity

Episode 23: Jared Emerson | World-Renowned Artist & Live Performance Speed Painter Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Jared Emerson First memories of Sports for Jared were playing basketball with his dad and brother Attended Bible College in NY and played basketball for one year before suffering multiple knee injuries Had to make a decision regarding his future and his artistic talent led him to follow a career in art As a “starving artist” in FL he was technically homeless but always had a home through friends Eventually moved to Greenville, SC to take the next step in his art career and performed his first live speed painting at church Now he continues to focus on his faith and reaching as many people as he can through his speed painting performances and his motto, “Art Reaches Everyone” Words of Wisdom from Jared: “Love God, love

Episode 22: Wes Durham | Voice of Atlanta Falcons & Radio/TV Play-by-Play Announcer Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Wes Durham Wes loved basketball from an early age and fell in love with the art of storytelling with play-by-play His dad Woody Durham who was the Voice of the Tarheels was a huge influence in his life and still seeks his advice Started his career at Radford but knew he would move on since Radford didn’t have a football team Spent 18-years at Georgia Tech and felt that he wanted to prove that he could do TV and ultimately left Georgia Tech to pursue TV Play-by-Play opportunities Before leaving Georgia Tech he was able to call games opposite of his dad who was calling the games for UNC and it was a thrill Wes understands the differences between tv play-by-play versus radio play-by-play and just wants to make sure and get out of the way

Episode 21: Carnell “Cadillac” Williams | Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Auburn University All-American Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Carnell “Cadillac” Williams Carnell shares how he thought the call he received from the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame was a prank call His mom wouldn’t let him play organized football so he would play with adults in a local park with his older brother and he eventually was the person always picked first even though he was 8-9-years old “Robo Cop” helped convince his mom to let him play At 11-years old, Carnell wrote down goals of graduating college and playing in the NFL and his friends laughed at him As a Freshman in High School, a University of Florida coach told him that he could play and contribute at Florida right now Even though he grew up an Alabama fan, he fell in love with Aub

Episode 20: Eric Mac Lain | Former Clemson University All-ACC Offensive Lineman Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: Eric Mac Lain Life has been a whirlwind for him lately with a new job with JMI Sports, moved to Greenville, SC and was recently married on June 24th Started playing soccer but Basketball was his first love and dreamed of playing in the NBA and his dad didn’t want him and his brother to play football Started out as a Tight End but continued to play basketball throughout high school and it was the summer basketball camps that he went to each summer, not football Eric went to a football camp at the University of Tennessee and met Coach Dan Brooks at the camp. Head Coach Phillip Fulmer offered him a scholarship during camp His mom didn’t understand the magnitude of the offer but his dad did and wanted them to turn around and tell Coach Fulme

Episode 19: David Pollack | ESPN College GameDay Football Analyst & Former UGA All-American Subscribe on http://apple.co/2qdc4AB (Apple Podcast) | http://bit.ly/2r8lKvs (Google Play) | http://bit.ly/2qnGiRP (Stitcher) Rich Take On Sports Show Notes: Rich Spotlight: David Pollack David doesn’t have one specific moment that caused him to post his thoughts about sports and parenting and really doesn’t know why he did it other than God put it on his heart He had no idea that it would be received like it was and even USA Today writing an article about it: http://usatodayhss.com/2017/david-pollack-shares-advice-on-parenting-young-athletes (David Pollack Shares Advice on Parenting Young Athletes) Competition is the driving force behind David and he did not control it growing up and still today has to focus on not let his competitiveness control him Loved playing all sports and thinks it’s valuable to allow kids to play all sports and not just focus on one year-round Loved football mor