Aggie Pride Podcast

In this episode of Aggie Pride: A UC Davis Football Podcast, Dwight sits down with one of the most electric players in FCS football — Sam Gbatu Jr. Known for his toughness, precision, and quiet swagger, Sam opens up about his journey from Japan to California, his growth as a receiver, and his love for the UC Davis community.

With the Aggies preparing for a primetime playoff matchup on ESPN2, Sam talks finals week, preparation, leadership, confidence, and the decision to return to Davis next season — a move that has the entire Aggie community buzzing.

• Growing up in Japan and discovering football

• His bond with family and influence of Coach Bells

• How confidence is built through preparation

• Film study, weekly prep, and developing mastery at receiver

• Leadership in the WR room and mentoring younger players

• Key mentors like CJ Hutton, Chaz Davis, Lance Babb, and others

• Why he chose to stay at UC Davis despite transfer-era pressures

• Relationship with Coach Plough and Coach Trey

• In-game adjustments, working with Caden, and the value of iPads on the sideline

• Favorite routes, toughest DB matchups, and slot development

• What the team feels heading into the playoffs

• A message to Aggie Nation

• Favorite DB matchups: Tiko, Marquis, Drew, Ty

• Favorite route: Take 4 (deep post)

• Most improved area: Playing the slot + reading defenses

• Favorite food in Davis: Alibaba, Guads, and a new ramen spot by Trader Joe’s

A heartfelt shout-out to his parents, siblings, teammates, and the Aggie community — plus a call to pack UC Davis Health Stadium for Saturday night’s playoff game.

🎧 Aggie Pride: A UC Davis Football Podcast
Available on: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify

In this episode, Brock sits down with former UC Davis quarterback Brock Johnson for a deep, insightful, and funny conversation about football, family legacy, mental health, and building a massive business in his 20s. The two Brocks talk QB rooms, pressure, perfectionism, Tim Plough stories, Instagram growth, and how football shaped every part of Brock Johnson’s professional success today.

You’ll hear:

• Growing up in a three-generation quarterback family

• His grandfather becoming one of the winningest coaches in California

• Life as a Mission Viejo quarterback under intense expectations

• Starting 0–2 and then never losing again in high school

• Transferring from Georgetown to UC Davis and joining the Hawkins/Plough era

• Becoming Tim Plough’s “assistant” for a year and how that changed everything

• How therapy helped him uncouple his identity from football

• Learning to let go of perfectionism and people-pleasing

• What he learned from big “valley moments” between Georgetown and Davis

• Why “Find Joy” is tattooed on his ribs and how it became his life mantra

• Starting his first business as a college freshman

• How UC Davis compliance supported his entrepreneurial path

• What he learned from posting every day and embracing “cringe”

• How he stays mentally healthy on social media (don’t read the comments!)

• Brock’s take on Caden Pinnick

• Why this year’s Aggie team has “dudes” he wishes he played with

• Love for Tim Plough’s creativity and wrinkles on offense

• Score prediction for Saturday: 26–14 UC Davis (with at least one missed PAT, obviously)

Brock closes the episode with two words that changed his life: Find Joy.
Detach from outcomes. Control your effort. Live in the moments that spark you. That’s his challenge to players, fans, parents, creators—everyone listening.

Follow Brock on IG if you've been living under a rock: https://www.instagram.com/brock11johnson/

Watch Callahan Calls: https://youtu.be/Bn1j0wQCS6E

In this special ESPN Week episode, Brock sits down with former UC Davis running back Trever Facey—a player whose story, heart, and resilience run far deeper than anything that happened on the field.

Trever shares his journey from small-town Northern California to the UC Davis backfield, his tight bonds with legends like Ulonzo Gilliam, Lan Larison, PJ Dixon, and Jeremiah Chukwudobe, and how the running back room shaped him as both an athlete and a man.

But this conversation goes beyond football.

Trever opens up about the loss of his father, the profound grief he walked through, and the healing and hope he’s found in the years since. He and Brock revisit their 24-hour one-day documentary shoot—returning to the exact place his father passed—and reflect on faith, legacy, and the belief that life is worth living, even in the darkest seasons.

The episode also hits on:

• Trever’s path as an ICU nurse at Vanderbilt Medical Center

• His dream of becoming a CRNA (and his goal to attend UC Davis’ new program)

• The parallels between football and critical-care nursing

• Why relationships, mentorship, and community matter

• The possibility of UC Davis making a playoff run all the way to… Nashville

• And yes—Turkey Bowl highlights, hamstring pulls, and staying “young” in the mid-20s

This is one of the most emotional and meaningful conversations of our season. If you or someone you love is struggling with grief, loss, or thoughts of suicide, Trever reminds listeners they are not alone and that hope is real.

Trever’s Instagram: @faceytrever
(Reach out—he genuinely means it.)

If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available:
📞 988 — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
You are seen. You are loved. You are not alone.

UC Davis quarterback legend Jake Maier joins Aggie Pride during ESPN Week to break down the Aggies’ playoff run, share wisdom from the CFL, and give a detailed look at quarterback Caden Pinnick’s development. Fresh off a Grey Cup championship, Jake talks life in the CFL, fatherhood, quarterback coaching, and what makes this year’s Aggie team special.

What We Cover:

• Jake’s unforgettable CFL season and life after winning the Grey Cup

• Coaching young QBs and raising his daughter during football season

• Insight on Caden Pinnick’s growth, confidence, and late-game clutch moments

• Grant Harper, the QB room dynamic, and what real leadership looks like

• How Davis stacks up stylistically vs. Rhode Island

• Why this team plays with more heart and toughness than any in recent years

• Jake’s message to Aggie fans, parents, players, and alumni

• His official score prediction for Saturday

Prediction:
Jake calls it: Aggies 31 – Rhode Island 21

Sponsors:
Brought to you exclusively this week by
The Larison Real Estate Group, BPMNJ, and Moon Real Estate Group

Coach Plough on the Bye Week, Sac State, Rhode Island, & ESPN2 History

In this special post-Thanksgiving episode, Brock and Danny sit down with Head Coach Tim Plough to break down a massive week for UC Davis Football: the win over Sac State, the program’s second straight top-8 seed, the healing impact of the bye week, and the historic upcoming first-ever home ESPN2 playoff game at UC Davis.

The guys dive deep into:

• How the bye created space for rest, recovery, and much-needed family time

• Why the team desperately needed a reset after playing for weeks with only ~50 healthy players

• Why even though no major injured players are returning, the team feels rejuvenated and locked in

• Why Coach Plough calls it one of the greatest Causeway Classics ever

• The defensive masterclass vs. an explosive offense

• Caden Pinnick’s most poised, complete performance of the season

• Mitch & Jaden’s emotional trophy moment with Coach

• Why that win meant so much culturally, personally, and programmatically

• What national exposure means for UC Davis, the program, and recruiting

• Why this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase Shredville

• A direct call to students, alumni, parents, locals, and the Sacramento/Bay Area community:
  “Every seat matters. Don’t let this opportunity go to waste.”

• Alumni buying student tickets so the game can be free for students

• Strengths of Rhode Island’s offense: experienced QB, explosive receivers, slippery RB

• Defensive keys to slowing their QB’s improvisation

• Offensive keys for Davis: protect the ball, run efficiently, spread it out

• Why special teams will quietly be decisive

• How he’s balancing his natural playmaking with learning the offense

• Why his Sac State performance was a breakthrough

• What “four or five missing touchdowns per game” really means

• Why Coach believes Pinnick’s ceiling could be national-championship level

Coach Plough announces on the pod:

• ⭐ Sam Gbatu Jr. is officially returning for 2026

• ⭐ Grant Gerritsen is returning as well

• Why Sam’s decision reflects the culture UC Davis has built

• How these players could’ve chased big NIL elsewhere, but chose Davis

Coach Plough shares a powerful closing reflection on:

• Why he and his family sacrifice for this program

• What it means to represent every alum who ever wore the gold helmet

• Why the “army is growing”

• Why Saturday is a defining moment for UC Davis athletics

• UC Davis Student Tickets: Free (thanks to alumni donors)

• Saturday Kickoff: 7:00 PM PT — ESPN2 National Broadcast

• Location: Shredville (UC Davis Health Stadium)

Thank you to our generous sponsors, BPMNJ, Moon Real Estate Group, and Larison Real Estate

This week, Brock and Dwight sit down with UC Davis starting center Zaire Collier fresh off the epic Causeway Classic win and the Ags locking in a Top-8 seed in the FCS Playoffs.

Zaire takes us inside:

– Selection show reactions
– Why the team wasn’t surprised by the 8-seed
– Banquet moments and seeing Aggie legends in the room

– The fast start, the rough patch, and the “Mo Bamba Moment”
– Why the sideline’s energy down 10 was the difference
– Breaking down Sac State’s front and where the Ags took control

– What it’s like blocking for an improviser
– Adjusting from Miles Hasting to Caden Pinnick
– How the O-line plays in space on scrambles

– Growing up near Sac State but knowing he wasn’t “green”
– First exposure to UC Davis culture and what pulled him in
– Learning the rivalry from the inside

– Zaire opens up about confidence, doubt, and finding joy
– The backstory behind his viral mental-health films
– Why he sees his calling as helping people, not chasing titles

– Blue Force stepping up again
– J Fish’s hat trick
– Sievers + Rutchena flying around
– And what lies ahead in the playoffs

One of the most thoughtful, grounded, and self-aware players we’ve ever had on the pod — perfect episode for the bye week and holiday drive.

Learn more about UCU’s UC Davis partnership: ucu.org/ucdavisGuest: Megan Eisenhard, Chief Growth Officer at University Credit Union

In this Causeway Classic Week episode of Aggie Pride, Brock sits down with Megan Eisenhard, Chief Growth Officer for University Credit Union (UCU)—a major campus partner and title sponsor of UC Davis Athletics.

Megan shares her sports origin story, from growing up in the Central Valley playing every sport imaginable to competing in collegiate volleyball, working at Sac State, and eventually landing at Cal during the Marshawn-Lynch-golf-cart era.

She walks us through her path into sports business, her time at Learfield, and how it ultimately led her to UCU—an institution founded by UC employees in 1951 and now deeply integrated throughout UC Davis.

• Megan’s athletic background and early sports memories

• Working at Cal during the Aaron Rodgers / Marshawn Lynch years

• Journey from student-athlete to sports business to financial leadership

• How UCU partners with UC Davis—athletics, campus programs, alumni, students

• Financial literacy, HELOCs, budgeting, and practical money advice

• Supporting student-athletes: workshops, Aggie Leverage, women in leadership

• UCU’s role in the Causeway Classic and campus community

• Final score predictions for the potentially last Causeway Classic

• UCU is uniquely tied to the UC system and intentionally invests in UC Davis.

• Financial wellness is a core part of their mission, especially for students and alumni.

• A HELOC can be a smart safety-net tool for homeowners.

• UC Davis student-athletes are a priority for UCU’s programming and resources.

• Megan predicts 42–35 UC Davis, in a high-scoring rivalry showdown.

• Learn more about UCU’s UC Davis partnership: ucu.org/ucdavis

• Follow Aggie Pride Podcast on Instagram & YouTube

• Join our subscriber community for bonus episodes and early access

Buy Last Causeway T-Shirt: https://aggiepridepodcast.com/product/the-last-causeway-shirt/

It’s the final Causeway Classic ever, and the boys break down the matchup, recap the Montana State game, honor Coach John Beam, and sit down with UC Davis senior athletic administrator Josh “Flush” Flushman for one of our best interviews yet.

• Montana State Recap: Strong defensive showing, missed opportunities, and why the score doesn’t tell the story.

• Causeway Classic Preview: Rivalry memories, keys to the game, and what’s at stake for playoffs.

• Tribute to Coach John Beam: Reflecting on his legacy and impact in Oakland.

• Interview with Flush:

  • His path from Berkeley to UC Davis

  • 18 years inside Aggie Athletics

  • Culture, coaching transitions, and building game-day experience

  • Stories from behind the scenes and why this season means so much

Pure rivalry energy, real emotion, inside access to the program, and a fantastic long-form conversation with one of the most respected figures in UC Davis athletics.

It’s a big week in the Big Sky, and the Aggies are heading to Bozeman for a top-10 showdown with Montana State on national TV. Brock and Dwight break down what’s on the line, the weather forecast, key matchups, and the mental edge needed for UC Davis to pull off the upset.

Then, they’re joined by one of the most respected voices inside the Aggie football program — Assistant AD and Director of Sports Performance, Coach Jeff Bourque — for a deep conversation about leadership, training philosophy, injuries, and how trust and culture drive performance.

(0:00) – Intro & personal check-ins
(3:30) – Brock previews his Bozeman trip and tailgate plans
(6:00) – Dwight on what’s at stake and how Davis can still fight for a Big Sky title
(10:00) – Injury updates, roster depth, and Caden Pinnick’s growing leadership
(15:00) – Mentality heading into Bozeman: believing vs. knowing you can win
(19:00) – Stopping the run and key X-factors for the Aggies
(25:00) – Buckhorn Meat Co. ad read & score predictions (Brock 31-17 Bobcats; Dwight 22-20 Aggies)

(27:00) – Guest segment: Coach Jeff Bourque joins the show

• His journey from Massachusetts to UC Davis and 19 years in D-I coaching

• Coaching philosophy centered on impact and relationship-building

• How he and his staff individualize load management during the season

• Handling player injuries and using technology (GPS, force plates) to prevent them

• The art of motivation, playlist debates, and fostering trust

• Insights on off-season development, flexibility, and integrating yoga

• The culture behind Aggie strength & conditioning and what keeps him inspired

“My one-word philosophy is impact — I want to make a positive impact on every player I work with.” – Coach Bourque

“We’re the process. Every day in the weight room is the process.” – Coach Bourque

“The football gods are setting up the last Causeway Classic to be pressure-filled and high-stakes.” – Brock Galvin

“If we can make special teams a net positive and protect the pocket, we’ll be right there with a shot.” – Dwight Smith

Buckhorn Meat Co. – Visit buckhornmeatco.com or stop by their Esparto shop for premium cuts and game-day tailgate essentials.

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• YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts: Aggie Pride: A UC Davis Football Podcast

Learn more about Next Level: https://nxtlvls.co/AggiePrideIn this special in-season bonus episode, Brock and Dwight sit down with one of Aggie Pride’s cornerstone sponsors and a true Aggie himself: Lance Smith, CEO of Next Level Sports.

Lance shares his winding path from Redding to UC Davis, how intramural wall-fame accidentally set the stage for his entrepreneurial life, and how Next Level grew from a single site to a nationwide youth sports movement. He also opens up about the future of flag football, the sport’s upcoming Olympic moment, and why UC Davis still sits at the center of his story.

• Lance’s early football roots, Pop Warner lore, and Jason Sehorn obsession
• How UC Davis shaped his worldview, career path, and leadership style
• The origin story of Next Level Sports and why community-based youth sports matter
• Girls flag football, Olympic growth, and the global future of the game
• How UC Davis football fits into the national FCS picture
• A challenge to Aggie alums: pick up a shovel and build
• A fiery look ahead to this weekend’s showdown with Montana State

This pod is all heart. All community. All Aggie DNA. It’s a chance to hear from someone who believes deeply in UC Davis athletics, youth development, and the power of sport to shape lives. And it’s a thank-you to a sponsor who doesn’t just write checks — he invests in culture.

New episode drops tomorrow featuring UC Davis Strength Coach and a deep dive into development, preparation, and building the Aggie blueprint from the weight room out.