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.
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Episode 268
Jayson Gee just completed his first year as associate head coach of the Eagle basketball program. Gee has spent 29 years coaching collegiate basketball. Previously, he was the head coach at Longwood from 2013-2018.
In addition to his time at Longwood, Gee was also a head coach at the University of Charleston (1996-2003) in West Virginia and combined has a 202-175 record in his head coaching career. That is just the tip of the iceberg for his experience as an assistant or associate head coach at Youngstown State (1989-93), Ohio University (1993-96), St. Bonaventure (2003-06) and Cleveland State (2006-13).
The veteran hoops coach is also the author of The Battle for Brandon, a book that is a dramatic and compelling story about Jayson Gee and his wife Lynette and their son Brandon's courageous fight against child onset paranoid schizophrenia. The Gee family also worked with mass media veteran Chad Bonham to transform the book into a documentary that has received endorsements from Emmy Nominated and Golden Globe Award winning actress Jennifer Garner, WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings, former Pittsburgh Steeler Antwaan Randle El, and many more.
The 2015 recipient of the prestigious John Lotz Barnabas Award, Gee was also named one of the nation's top 10 assistant coaches by BleacherReport.com while at Cleveland State. The John Lotz Barnabas Award is presented annually to honor a basketball coach who best exhibits a commitment to Christ, integrity and encouragement of others, and lives a balanced life.
Gee took over at Longwood in 2013 to lead the program into its second season as a member of the Big South Conference. He produced the program's first All-Big South first and second team selections (five total) and sent four players on to play professionally.
On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Jayson about his journey to coaching, why we're so caught up in March Madness, where his faith foundation was born, his prescription to the supernatural and the powerful story of his son Brandon.
For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com
James Brown is the host of CBS Sports' NFL Today show and joined us on Episode 17 of the podcast back in June of 2017.
Since February 2006, JB has served as host for the CBS Television Network’s NFL pre-game show, THE NFL TODAY. He has also hosted the Network’s Super Bowl pre-game show for its coverage of Super Bowl LIII in February 2019.
On this Throwback Thursday edition of the show, we bring back JB's story of his faith journey.
You can listen to the entire interview of Episode 17 of the podcast here.
For more, log on to SportsSpectrum.com
Chris Low is a senior writer covering college sports for ESPN.com. A graduate of Tennessee, he grew up in South Carolina.
On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Chris about covering football everyday for ESPN, telling uplifting positive stories, his faith testimony, how his mom's passing encouraged him in his walk with the Lord and why he wants to live a sermon rather than preaching a sermon.
For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com
Episode 267
Seth Morrison is the lead guitarist for the band Skillet. He joined the group in 2011 and has shared the stage with many well-known artists such as Disciple, Kutless, Sanctus Real, Tait, Audio Adrenaline, Relient K, TobyMac, Kirk Franklin and many more.
A die-hard sports fan, Seth pledges his allegiances to the Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Reds and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Seth about his devotion to the Cincinnati Bengals, staying the course as a sports fan, following his call to be a musician, how he came to be a part of the band Skillet, what life on the road is like and reaching music fans in both the Christian and mainstream genres.
For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com
Episode 266
Hugh Freeze was introduced as the ninth head coach in the history of the Liberty Flames' football program on Dec. 7, 2018. Prior to coming to Liberty, Freeze's collegiate head coaching stops have included Lambuth University (2008-09), Arkansas State (2011) and Ole Miss (2012-16) where he posted a combined 69-32 mark in eight seasons.
In 2017, he resigned from his position at Ole Miss amid an NCAA investigation and evidence of personal misconduct.
Prior to taking over as head coach at Lambuth, Freeze served on the Ole Miss staff from 2005-07, including the final two seasons as an assistant coach.
Before going to Ole Miss, Freeze served 13 years at Briarcrest Christian School (Memphis, Tenn.) as a classroom teacher, coach and administrator. He was the Saints' head football coach from 1995 to 2004, running the no-huddle "spread system" for six years that led to six straight state championship games.
Freeze compiled a 99-23 record while at Briarcrest, which included an undefeated season in 1996 and led the school to state championship titles in 2002 and 2004. Briarcrest won regional titles in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2002, and Freeze was named the Region 8-AA Coach of the Year five times and Associated Press Coach of the Year four times.
In 2014, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) awarded Freeze the Grant Teaff Coach of the Year award. Freeze has been heavily involved with FCA during his entire coaching career and has been featured in the FCA Magazine and spoke at FCA functions.
On March 30, Coach Freeze will be a part of GameDay 2019, a groundbreaking event coming to churches to meet men at the intersection of faith and sports. Creating an atmosphere much like a locker room with coaches laying out the big game plan, GameDay engages men in a discussion about how to become the spiritual leader of their families. Its real guys discussing real issues and how to become a better follower of Christ, husband, father, friend and worker. You can sign up for GameDay 2019 by clicking here.
On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Coach Freeze about his new role with Liberty and how God has worked in and through his life since the new opportunity came forth.
Episode 265
Blair Schaefer is a college basketball analyst for the SEC Network. She played her college basketball at Mississippi State where she was a part of a team that made back to back appearances in the Women's National Championship game.
She was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team and was the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2017-18. A standout guard for Starkville High School, Blair was rated as one of the state’s top players after coming to the Magnolia State from Texas following her sophomore season. She earned all-state honors her junior and senior seasons after moving to Starkville High School from A&M Consolidated High School in College Station.
On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Blair about playing in back to back national title games, the differences in preparation for each game, beating Connecticut and ending their 111 game winning streak, how her faith in Christ was enhanced after her brother suffered a head injury, and what it was like to have her Dad as her coach in college.
For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com
On this THROWBACK THURSDAY edition of the podcast, we revisit our conversation from Episode 20 with Pastor Louie Giglio of Passion City Church in Atlanta.
Louie Giglio is the founder of the Passion movement, which exists to call a generation to leverage their lives for the fame of Jesus.
Since 1997, Passion has gathered collegiate-aged young people in events across the U.S. and around the world. At the Passion gathering in January of 2017, more than 55,000 students gathered in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome in one of the largest collegiate gatherings in its history.
Louie is a passionate sports fan, who lives and dies with his Auburn Tigers football team. He’s also a huge fan of Atlanta sports, including the NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons. Giglio pastors tons of athletes in their walk with Jesus Christ and even started Passion City Church with a former NFL kicker, Todd Peterson.
You can listen to the entire interview with Louie from Episode 20 in July of 2017 here.
For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com
Episode 264
Andrew Putnam is a professional golfer on the PGA Tour. He played his college golf at Pepperdine University where he was a 3-time All-American. He made his professional debut in 2011, and he played on the eGolf Professional Tour in 2012.
Putnam won for the first time as a professional in April 2014 at the WNB Golf Classic on the Web.com Tour. He made his PGA Tour debut at the Shell Houston Open in 2014.
In August 2018, he gained his first PGA Tour win at the Barracuda Championship near Reno, Nevada. He finished the 2017-18 PGA Tour Season with 5 Top 10s and earned $2,387,382. He finished 35th in the season-long FedEx Cup.
He began the 2019 season in January at the SONY Open in Hawaii where he finished second overall to Matt Kuchar.
On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Andrew about turning 30 years old, coming to faith in high school, his welcome to the PGA Tour moment with Tom Watson and Tiger Woods, being a part of the PGA Tour Bible study and why he became a part owner in a golf towel company called PlayKleen.
For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com
Darryl Strawberry returns for his second appearance on the podcast. Darryl was selected number one overall in the 1980 MLB Amateur Draft by the New York Mets He made his MLB debut in May of 1983 and was a 7-time All Star for the Mets from 1984-1990. A member of the 1986 World Championship team, Darryl's 252 career home runs remains at the top of the Mets all-time list.
In 1991, Strawberry signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. After a short stint with the Giants, Strawberry returned to New York and helped the Yankees win 3 World Series titles in 1996, 1998 and 1999.
After many years of struggling with substance abuse and addiction, Darryl has been sober for over a decade now and spreads the good news of Jesus across the country as a traveling evangelist.
On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Darryl about why he is traveling the country sharing the Gospel, the biggest struggle for men, why being all in for Christ is the only way, his memories of Gary Carter and Mariano Rivera and his thoughts on guys like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens being kept out of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com
Episode 262
Carson Tinker is a veteran NFL long snapper who played 6 seasons in the NFL with the Jaguars before being released on March 8, 2019. He played his college ball at Alabama, where he won three BCS national championships as a member of Nick Saban's club.
After going undrafted in 2013, Tinker signed with the Jaguars and has remained with the club for his entire 6 year NFL career.
In April of 2011, Tinker's story became national news when he was injured in a devastating Alabama tornado that ended up taking the life of his girlfriend Ashley. Carson suffered a broken wrist, a concussion, and other injuries but was able to return to play and contribute to the 2011 and 2012 title teams.
In 2015, he married Annie and together, the couple has a son named, Carson Jr, a.k.a. ‘Hootie’
On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Carson about recovering from injury, his decision to go to Alabama and play for Nick Saban, how his faith has sustained him through the trials and especially in the aftermath of the 2011 tornado.
For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com
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