Raising Fame: Sports Edition

He was snubbed by the school he wanted. He was benched by the school he got. Instead of lying down and giving up, Joe Burrow took that chip on his shoulder and hauled it along to a national championship, a Heisman trophy, and a shot at #1 in the NFL draft. Hear his parents’ story of raising the superstar who got knocked down but keeps getting up, and up, and up.

Anyone who watched Michael Phelps win Olympic gold, after gold, after gold, is familiar not just with his 24-karat smile in the water but also with the beaming face of his mother, Debbie, in the stands. In this candid interview, Debbie talks about raising the boy who would become the most decorated Olympian of all time. She speaks with great openness about the fact that raising a superstar isn’t always shiny. She puts no gloss on the early days when Michael considered quitting, and repeatedly got in trouble at the pool. And she shares some astonishing stories about the inner drive her son possessed from a very early age.

Some call the Oregon Ducks senior point guard one of the best kept secrets in college basketball…but if you’re in the Pacific Northwest, and pulling for him to win Pac-12 Player of the Year, you know he’s a local legend. His dad, a former college tight end and his mom, a former college gymnast, taught him that old fashioned grit could more than make up for his lack of size…and he proved them right when he led his high school team to four straight state championships, the first time that’s happened in the state of Oregon. Today he owns several Oregon career records, and his toughness has him splitting defenders in the paint and hitting buzzer-beating, game-winning threes with cold-blooded confidence. Hear his parents’ tale of raising this fiery, feisty competitor.

After 20 years as a New England God, Tom Brady is flying south to Tampa Bay. In this exclusive interview, his parents share their immediate reaction to their son’s huge decision...why they’re so excited about the move…their thoughts about Bill Belichick and Bruce Arians...how the Florida weather might benefit their son’s “aging” bones…and what Tom’s ambitions are for this season and beyond. Then they take us back — long before Tommy became an icon…before the organic plant-based diet and 5 AM training mornings…to when he was just little Tommy riding his bike around the neighborhood, craving cheeseburgers, getting into mischief, and dealing with some major disappointments in his early athletic career. Come along for the journey of the joys, and the setbacks, of a little boy destined for greatness.

You don’t become the assist king and defensive boss of the NBA just by chance. You are RAISED to become that icon. And sure enough, as Charles and Robin Paul tell it, CP3 was shaped by some tough love and strong guidance into the superstar he is today. Listen to their story of raising the legend and his older brother, and how Chris was trained from an early age to become the assist master, philanthropist and man he is today.

She’s simply the best. The best college player, male or female, of all time. Mentored by Kobe and shattered by his loss. Setting records perhaps never to be broken. And while this is a thrill for her parents, none of it is shocking. Hear the detailed story of how Sabrina set her sights on greatness from the earliest age; how she competed fearlessly in face of bigger, older and stronger male players; how she and her twin brother hustled unsuspecting competitors for treat money in the park; how she learned to use mental fortitude to overcome stronger opponents; and how the late Kobe, whom she still texts from time to time, helped her to find that “one missing piece” for greatness.

As a little boy, Obi watched his father’s epic street ball exploits and learned his dad’s nickname, “Dunkers Delight.” As it turned out, the apple fell close to the tree. Hear his parents’ roller coaster tale of the ups and downs of raising Obi into a dunk master himself…and how that little boy went from an unexpected arrival in their lives to a Dayton folk hero and projected top NBA draft pick.

Lucille O’Neal, mother of the great Shaquille O’Neal, is today a wise and respected oracle whose every sentence contains a pearl of wisdom. But she was once a scared 16-year-old who found out she was pregnant by a man who had no interest in being a father, and had to face her stern religious grandmother with the news. Here is her amazing story of growing up alongside her amazing son, embarking on the journey of life together, and reaching for her own goals while helping him reach for his.

Faith built the foundation of the Wilson household. Talent, discipline and passion were the bricks laid on top of it.

Tammy Wilson, in a very rare interview, tells all about raising the gifted two-sport athlete whose life would have tremendous ups and downs -- losing his beloved father; winning one Super Bowl; throwing away another one; becoming the highest paid player in the NFL; getting divorced; marrying a superstar. Through the massive highs and lows, nothing has shaken this family’s deep faith and enduring optimism.

Raising Fame, hosted by Dell and Sonya Curry, launches February 6, 2020.