Big Stories

Cassady Brewer wanted out of Apopka, Florida. The softball player wanted to play anywhere else other than UCF. But her mother’s dying wish was for Cassady to be a star player for the Knights. In this podcast episode, we discover why Cassady decided to stick close to home to play softball and how coach Cindy Ball Malone influenced her life and her ultimate return to the Knights as an assistant coach.

Guests:

Cassady Brewer - UCF Assistant Softball Coach

Bobby Brewer - Cassady's Father

Cindy Ball-Malone - UCF Head Softball Coach

We hope you've enjoyed the Big Stories podcast. We will have more great stories featuring some of BYU's Big 12 basketball foes in January 2024. They will include tales from UCF, Kansas, Texas Tech, Texas, and Iowa State.

Oklahoma State’s wrestling team is legendary. The Cowboys have won 34 national titles and it’s largely been supported by wrestlers from Oklahoma. How hard work has produced some of the top wrestlers in the country and set men up for life. Also, Kay Norris asked how she could help OSU’s athletic department during the expansion of Gallagher-Iba Arena. They asked her to turn a hallway into Heritage Hall. Find out how Kay was able to turn it into a museum where Cowboys can come and learn about the history and traditions of Oklahoma State sports.

Guests:

John Smith - Oklahoma State Wrestling Coach

Lee Roy Smith - Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Daton Fix - Oklahoma State Wrestler

Dustin Plott - Oklahoma State Wrestler

Larry Reece - Oklahoma State's  Senior Associate Athletic Director for  Development

Chris Norris - Son of Kay Norris

The Selmon Brothers are among the best football players ever to don an Oklahoma Sooners jersey and anchored one of the best defenses in college football in the 1970s. They have been honored with a statue outside of Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. But Lucious, Dewey, and Lee Roy Selmon are so much more than their success on the football field. Discover their rise to prominence and how their parents and God helped guide them in life. (AP Photo/Cliff Brunt)

Guests:

Dewey Selmon - Former Oklahoma Football Player

Lucious Selmon - Former Oklahoma Football Player

Barry Switzer - Former Oklahoma Football Coach

Berry Tramel - Sports Columnist, Sellout Crowd

Jack Trice Stadium is home of the Iowa State football team. But who is Jack Trice? We dive into the life and death of the Cyclone's first African-American player and how the stadium came to be named after him. And, how former Iowa State softball player Lea Nelson's social media post led to two team's fan bases coming together to support the "Cycloneers."

Guests:

George Trice - Jack Trice's Cousin

Tom Emmerson - Former Iowa State University Journalism Professor

Darien Porter - Iowa State Football Player

Rebecca Wells - Iowa State University Student Life Archivist

Lea Nelson - Former Iowa State Softball Player

Randy Mazey - West Virginia Baseball Coach

West Virginians take pride in their Mountaineers. In this episode, we will focus on five who have blazed their own trails. The 69th Mountaineer mascot, Mikel Hager, is small in stature but big in heart. We detail Hager’s determination that got him to the University of West Virginia and to be the living symbol of WVU. Hot Rod Hundley was a basketball legend. We document the Mountaineer basketball legend's journey away from the state only to return home to a hero's welcome. Finally, three European Mountaineers have traveled across the sea to fulfill their football dreams in Morgantown. How they discovered the American-created sport and received scholarships from West Virginia.

Guests:

Mikel Hager - 69th WVU Mascot

Melanie Martin - Mikel's Mother

Brett Kuhn - Boone County Commissioner and Scott High School Teacher

John Atonik - WVU's Director of Athletic Content

Dan Lohmann - Director of Documentary Film, "Hot Rod"

Victor Wikstrom - Mountaineer Tight End

Jairo Faverus - Mountaineer Safety

Edward Vesterinen - Mountaineer Defensive Lineman

This podcast episode focuses on a Texas Longhorns legend and the son of a legend. Former Texas running back Earl Campbell is an official Texas state hero. His son, Tyler, is a hero of a different kind. Tyler shares his football tale of redemption, faith, and a no-quit attitude after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Darrel K. Royal is football royalty at the University of Texas. The school's football stadium has his name plastered on it. The former Longhorns coach impacted the lives of many players, but a decision at the end of Royal's life will affect many others in the future.

Guests:

Tyler Campbell - Motivational Speaker, Former College Football Player

Sammy Mack Royal - Son of Darrel K. Royal

David Kazen - Grandson of Darrel K. Royal

Debbie Hanna - President of the Darrel K. Royal Research Fund

Lubbock may not be to everyone's liking when it comes to scenery, but there is a different feel when it comes to the people. This podcast episode tells four stories of strength, resilience, and love. Tim Siegel's son Luke suffered severe brain damage from a golf cart accident, but his strength and faith in God have led him to help other families going through similar trials. Texas Tech Football Chaplain Bobby Dagnel hopes to show players the good life outside of football, even if he has to be careful what he says. Red Raider quarterback Tyler Shough draws strength from his mother, who is a cancer survivor. Tech defensive lineman Tony Bradford wants to be the change in policing and desires to be a police chief one day.

Guests:

Tim Siegel - Team Luke Hope For Minds Executive Director

Bobby Dagnel - First Baptist Church Pastor and Texas Tech Football Chaplain

Tyler Shough - Texas Tech Quarterback

Tony Bradford - Texas Tech Defensive Lineman

TCU walk-on point guard Darius Ford brings energy and determination to every Horned Frog basketball practice. How he went from homelessness to college hoopster is truly inspiring. And one of college football's biggest awards is named after a Texas Christian University quarterback. We dive into the man behind the Davey O'Brien award, why the winner isn't always the best college quarterback, and how the the O'Brien Foundation is more than just a trophy.

Guests:

Darius Ford - TCU Point Guard

Duane Broussard - TCU Assistant Basketball Coach

Riquel Archer - Create and Collaborate Founder and CEO

David O'Brien - Son of Davey O'Brien

Kendall Cason Iles - Davey O'Brien Foundation Executive Director

Cincinnati. The Queen City. It's the home of the first-ever professional baseball team and the chili capital of the U.S. It's also the city that showed a lot of love for a foe. This podcast episode reflects on how Cincinnatians came together to support Buffalo Bills DB Damar Hamlin after he collapsed in a game against the Bengals. Also, football saved former Cincinnati Bearcat running back Isaiah Pead's life. Then, that saving grace of football was taken away from him after he severed his left leg in a car accident. Pead proves you can move on with help from God. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Guests:

Joe Danneman - Fox19 Now Sports Director

Tim Pritts - UC Health Trauma Surgeon

William Knight - UC Health Emergency Medicine Physician

Sarah Robin - Cincy Shirts

Isaiah Pead - Former Cincinnati Bearcats Running Back