Stay ConnectedSports Spectrum brings you stories and conversations at the intersection of sports and Jesus.
On Tuesday, former Chicago Bears pro bowl running back Matt Forte hosts TUEDAY MORNING RB.
On Friday, we feature a guest from the world of sports to share their Jesus story.
Copyright: © Sports Spectrum
Daniel Ponce de Leon is a pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals. His new book "ONE LINE DRIVE" depicts his story of being struck in the head by a line drive while pitching in AAA with Memphis in May of 2017. And after emergency brain surgery and multiple weeks in the hospital, he was able to make it back on the mound to pitch.
In July of 2018, he made his MLB debut and pitched 7 innings of no-hit ball against the Reds.
Today on the podcast, Daniel talks about writing his first book, why Jesus is the most important thing in his life and why he wants others to experience that as well, preparing for the 2021 season, becoming a dad for the 3rd time and the importance of his family and friends to support him during the most difficult time in his life.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Daniel, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Adam Wainwright and Francis Chan from 2017
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Rashad Jennings is a former pro running back who played eight seasons in the NFL with the Jaguars, Giants and Raiders. He was originally selected in the 7th round of the 2009 NFL Draft by Jacksonville and played four seasons there before coming to the Raiders in 2013 and then spending his final three NFL seasons with the New York Giants. He announced his retirement in December of 2017.
Away from the field, Jennings was the winner of Season 24 of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" in the spring of 2017 and wrote his first book "The IF in Life" in 2018, which became a New York Times Bestseller.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Rashad about his reading challenge for kids in the month of March, how the last 12 months have shaped him in the midst of a pandemic and the loss of his dad, and the importance of breaking down his hypocrisies.
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If you enjoyed this podcast, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
Shay Knighten is a former college softball player with the Oklahoma Sooners. Known as "Big Play Shay" during her time at OU, Knighten won two WCWS National Championships and was the 2017 Big 12 Player of the Year and the 2017 WCWS Most Outstanding Player. In her four seasons with the Sooners, Knighten hit .360 with 42 home runs and was a four-time All-Big 12 honoree.
She is currently an assistant softball coach with the University of San Diego and is continuing her pro softball career with the USSSA Pride in the National Pro Fastpitch League.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Shay about her journey to Jesus, the difference between Shay the softball player and Shay the person, why community has been so integral for her after recovering from two knee surgeries, and her memories after hitting clutch home runs of the 2017 and 2019 WCWS.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Shay, you'll love these conversations as well:
– Patty Gasso, Oklahoma Head Softball Coach
– Janie Reed, USA Softball Player/VP of Church on the Dirt
– Sydney Romero, Oklahoma Sooner All-American Softball Player
Mallory Weggemann is a record-setting, two-time Paralympic swimmer for Team USA. She has set fifteen world records and thirty-four American records, and is also the recipient of an ESPY Award, a 15-time World Champion and a Paralympic gold and bronze medalist.
Her new book "LIMITLESS" released March 2, 2021 and is available everywhere books are sold.
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If you enjoyed Mallory's incredible story, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
Greg Hendricks is the campus pastor at The Rock Church in San Diego, California. He was a former standout basketball player at Morehead State University and played overseas professional basketball for 8 years. He also served as a volunteer coach in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics.
In his role as campus pastor, Greg is a mentor and speaker, teaching the word of God. He has taught and spoken at churches, athletic camps, worships and clinics both domestically and globally. He has delivered team chapel services to various pro sports teams.
Today on the podcast, Greg shares his incredible story of coming to faith in Christ, growing up without a Dad, and his recent trip to the Super Bowl in Tampa.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Pastor Greg, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Miles McPherson, Pastor/Author
- Dr. Tony Evans – Pastor, Speaker, Dallas Mavericks Team Chaplain
Liberty Men's Basketball is back in the Big Dance, earning a trip to the 2021 NCAA Tournament for the third straight year and head coach Ritchie McKay joins us to talk about what this season has been like, the difficult year that 2020 presented, the importance of cultivating a culture of vulnerability and the lessons that God has taught him and his program this year.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Coach McKay, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
- Tony Bennett, Virginia Men's Basketball Coach
- Inky Johnson, former Tennessee defensive back, motivational speaker
Jordan Hulls is a former Indiana University basketball player, currently playing pro basketball overseas in Germany. Jordan was born and raised in the backyard of Indiana Hoosiers basketball in Bloomington, Indiana. In high school, he was the 2008-09 Gatorade Player of the Year and led Bloomington High School South to a perfect 26-0 record and a Class 4A IHSAA State Championship.
In college at Indiana, he led his club to back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances under head coach Tom Crean and played with future NBA players Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller and Yogi Ferrell.
After his college career, Jordan began a pro basketball journey that has seen him play overseas in Poland, Kosovo, Belgian and now Germany. In 2019, he was the FIBA Europe Cup Fan Vote MVP.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Jordan about his crazy basketball journey, playing at Indiana University after growing up in Bloomington, what Indiana basketball is really about and the importance of Jesus Christ in his life.
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If you enjoyed this podcast with Jordan, you'll love these conversations as well:
Kevin Burrell is the Area Scouting Supervisor with the Chicago White Sox. He has worked in pro baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 40 years. He was originally selected in the first round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th overall) and played 10 years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He reached as high as AAA before finishing his playing career in 1992.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Kevin Burrell about his desire to use baseball as a mission field to share the Gospel. He also shares some fun stories of his 40 years in pro baseball and what it was like to be at Spring Training as a player with the New York Mets in 1986.
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If you enjoyed this podcast, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
Dalton Risner was selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, and has started all 32 games of his NFL career. During his time in college, he turned in an All-American career at Kansas State, and also created the Risner Up Foundation, which is designed to help those in need.
Today, Risner talks about the 2020 NFL season, why he’s rooting for Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl, how football isn’t where he finds his identity, and his favorite story of growing up on a ranch.
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If you enjoyed this podcast, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
Nick Ahmed is a shortstop for the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2011, he was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft, and he was traded after the 2012 season to Arizona in a seven-player deal. He made his MLB debut on June 29, 2014.
The University of Connecticut alum became the regular shortstop for the Diamondbacks in 2015, and is a two-time Gold Glove winner in 2018 and 2019.
Today on the podcast, we travel to Nick's home in Massachusetts to talk with him about his offseason training, playing the 2020 season during a pandemic, the picture he drew as a young boy that sits in his workout gym, what it means to tame the tongue as a Christian in professional baseball and why he's a part of Compassion International's Fill the Stadium Initiative.
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If you enjoyed this podcast, you'll love these conversations as well:
- Nick Ahmed and Darryl Strawberry on Biblical Manhood from 2020
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