Welcome back to another episode of the RU Strong Podcast, where we share powerful stories from athletes who have pushed themselves to the highest levels of competition while navigating the challenges that come with elite performance.

Today’s guest is Emma Misal, an outstanding soccer player whose journey is a true example of resilience, sacrifice, and perseverance.

Emma grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where she quickly established herself as one of the top players in the region, earning Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division First Team and All-Centennial Girls Soccer First Team honors, while also being selected to the U.S. Women’s National Team Under-18 pool.

She went on to play for Rutgers University in the Big Ten Conference, where she was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team, earned Third Team All-Big Ten honors as a defender, and was recognized as Academic All-Big Ten. During her time with the Scarlet Knights, Emma helped lead the program to a Big Ten Championship and a Final Four appearance.

After graduating from Rutgers with a degree in psychology, Emma continued her academic and athletic career at the University of South Carolina, completing her master’s degree before taking her talents overseas to play professional soccer in Sweden.

In this episode, we dive into Emma’s journey through elite college athletics, the mental challenges that come with injuries and high-level competition, and the mindset required to keep pushing forward.

Emma Misal, welcome to the RU Strong Podcast.

On this episode of the RU Strong Podcast, host Jeff Durr welcomes an extraordinary guest whose story is the definition of resilience and strength, Lauren Sisler.

Lauren is a Rutgers University graduate and former Scarlet Knights gymnast, where she was a four-time letter winner and team captain. After graduating, she went on to build an incredible career in sports media as an Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster and reporter for ESPN and the SEC Network, covering college football and gymnastics across the country. She has also been honored as Alabama Sportscaster of the Year and recognized as one of the top sports anchors in the industry.

But Lauren’s journey goes far beyond athletics and broadcasting.

As a freshman at Rutgers, Lauren faced an unimaginable tragedy when she lost both of her parents within hours of each other. That life-altering experience forced her to confront grief, shame, and adversity at a young age, ultimately shaping the person and professional she would become. She later shared that powerful story in her book “Shatter Proof.”

Today, Lauren uses her platform not only as a broadcaster but also as a speaker and advocate for mental health, addiction awareness, and resilience. She also serves on the Addiction Prevention Coalition in Birmingham and recently joined the Rutgers Foundation Board of Directors, continuing to give back to the university that helped support her during one of the most difficult seasons of her life.

In this episode, Lauren shares her journey from Rutgers gymnastics to ESPN, the lessons she learned about perseverance and identity, and how adversity can shape purpose.

This is a powerful conversation about resilience, leadership, and finding strength through life’s toughest challenges.

💪 Welcome to the RU Strong Podcast, Lauren Sisler.

🎙️ RU Strong Podcast Intro – Scott Roussell

Welcome back to another episode of the RU Strong Podcast, where we bring you powerful stories of resilience, identity, and life after the game.

Today’s guest is Scott Roussell, a former Division I soccer player from one of the most dominant programs in college soccer history, the University of Virginia. During his time there, Virginia was a powerhouse, winning four NCAA national championships in five years, building what many would call a true dynasty in collegiate soccer.

Scott was surrounded by elite talent, teammates who went on to play in the World Cup, coached by legendary coach Bruce Arena, and competing at the highest level of college soccer. But like many athletes, Scott’s journey took an unexpected turn when injuries cut his playing career short just as he was coming into his prime.

That moment, when the game you love suddenly ends, can leave athletes asking one powerful question:

“Who am I without the game?”

Scott didn’t just ask that question; he built a mission around answering it.

Today, Scott is the founder of After We Play, an organization dedicated to helping athletes navigate the mental and emotional transition from sports to life beyond competition. His work focuses on what he calls “The Invisible Game” the mental and emotional challenges athletes face that no one sees but every competitor experiences.

Through his programs, Scott is helping athletes develop the tools to handle pressure, identity shifts, mental health challenges, and life after sport, before that transition ever arrives.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• The brotherhood and intensity of competing at the highest level of college athletics

• The emotional toll when injuries end a career prematurely

• Why so many athletes struggle when the locker room disappears

• The concept of “The Invisible Game” happening inside every athlete’s mind

• And how Scott is now helping athletes prepare for life after they play

If you’re a current or former athlete, coach, or someone who understands the identity that comes with competition, this episode is going to resonate deeply.

So, sit back and enjoy this powerful conversation with former Virginia Cavalier soccer player and founder of After We Play, Scott Roussell.

🎙️ RU Strong Podcast – Featuring Matthew Downing

On this episode of the RU Strong Podcast, we sit down with one of the most resilient quarterbacks in college football, a man whose journey defines what it truly means to bet on yourself.

From the state of Georgia to becoming a 4.06 GPA scholar-athlete and two-time team captain, Matthew’s story is about far more than football.

He began as a preferred walk-on at the powerhouse program at University of Georgia, competing alongside elite talent like Jake Fromm and Justin Fields. With no scholarship guaranteed, he chose opportunity over comfort and earned respect the only way he knew how, through relentless work.

His journey then took him to Texas Christian University, where he battled injuries, COVID uncertainty, and depth chart competition, yet continued to grow as both a leader and a man.

Next stop: Louisiana Tech University. He earned the starting role, only to suffer a devastating knee injury in the middle of the season.

Many would have walked away. Matthew didn’t.

He transferred to Elon University, earned his master’s degree, rebuilt his confidence, led with vulnerability and toughness, and ultimately played in the Hula Bowl.

This episode is about:

🔥 Betting on yourself when no one guarantees you anything

💪 Earning respect in four different locker rooms

🙏 Growing in faith and leaning into community

❤️ The power of family, mentors, and a supportive wife who walked every step of the journey

🧠 Becoming “the calm in the storm” when your team needs you most

Matthew opens up about self-belief, leadership, authenticity, and what it truly takes to command trust as a quarterback, especially when you're the new guy every time.

For every athlete navigating transfers, injuries, NIL, or uncertainty.

For every leader trying to earn respect.

For anyone chasing a dream without guarantees.

This episode will move you.

🎧 Tune in to the latest episode of the RU Strong Podcast and hear why Matthew Downing’s journey is proof that resilience builds leaders.

On this episode of the RU Strong Podcast, we welcome an extraordinary former Rutgers student-athlete whose story goes far beyond the water.

Our guest is Rachel Maeng, former Rutgers Women’s Varsity Rowing coxswain, student leader, entrepreneur, and fearless advocate.

While competing at the Division I level in the inaugural Big Ten era, Rachel wasn’t just steering an eight-person boat, she was leading across campus. From serving on the Rutgers University Student Assembly executive board, to representing student-athletes on the Athletics Affairs Committee and SAC, to volunteering with Embrace Kids and the R Fund, Rachel was building impact long before she built companies

But her journey wasn’t easy.

She faced team conflict, battled years of undiagnosed back pain that eventually required surgery, navigated identity as a Korean Filipina adoptee growing up in a predominantly white community, and openly shares her experience with OCD, anxiety, and depression.

And yet, through adversity came clarity.

Rachel transitioned from athlete to advocate. From biomedical engineering to economics. From working with Rutgers Football and the New York Mets to launching and selling her own influencer agency. Today, she works at the intersection of sports, strategy, and entrepreneurship, advising brands, working with athletes, and continuing to serve Rutgers as an Alumni Affairs Senator.

This conversation is about:

• Losing confidence and rebuilding it

• When your sport “dies” before you do

• The physical toll of stress and leadership

• Mental health in athletes and entrepreneurs

• Betting on yourself and building something that matters

Rachel’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and rediscovering purpose when the original dream changes.

If you’ve ever felt misunderstood, out of place, injured, anxious, or called to something bigger, this episode is for you.

This is RU Strong!

Welcome back to the RU Strong Podcast!

Today’s guest is the definition of global grit, discipline, and belief.

All the way from England, this young man crossed the Atlantic to chase two dreams at once, elite soccer and elite academics.

Danny Lokko.

A product of the English academy system, discovered at just six years old by Everton, trained in the professional ranks, and faced with an 18-year-old decision most adults wouldn’t be ready for go pro or bet on education.

He chose Cornell University.

Ivy League. Economics & Management. Dean’s List every single semester. 3.7 GPA.

All while waking up at 4:30 AM for lifts, grinding through snow-covered slopes in Ithaca winters, battling injuries, navigating identity beyond sport, and helping lead one of Cornell Soccer’s most successful runs in program history.

But this conversation isn’t just about goals scored or GPAs earned.

It’s about:

⚽ Making the hard choice when the pro contract is on the table

📚 Managing two full-time jobs, Ivy League academics and Division I athletics

🧠 Confronting self-doubt and redefining identity beyond the game

🙏 Faith, vulnerability, and mental toughness

💪 Sacrifice, sweat, and courage

Danny opens up about the pressure of high expectations, the moment he had to confront fear head-on, and how becoming “Big Unk” the veteran leader, meant serving others before himself.

This episode is about resilience.

It’s about maturity.

It’s about choosing growth over comfort.

And it’s a reminder that greatness isn’t handed to you, it’s built at 4:30 in the morning when nobody’s watching.

Welcome to the RU Strong Podcast. Danny Lokko

Welcome back to another episode of the RU Strong Podcast.

Today, we’re joined by a New Jersey homegrown legend, Ned Bolcar.

Out of Phillipsburg High School, Ned was a USA Today High School All-American, the 1985 National High School Player of the Year, and one of the most heavily recruited athletes in the country

He took his talents to the University of Notre Dame, where he became:

🏆 A National Champion

🏆 A Two-Time All-American

🏆 A Two-Time Team Captain

🏆 Maxwell Spirit of Notre Dame Award Winner

🏆 CBS Defensive Player of the Year

🏆 Fiesta Bowl All-American

Then came the NFL, drafted in 1990, playing for the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins

But what makes this episode powerful isn’t just the accolades.

It’s the mindset.

Ned talks about:

• The difference between recruiting “back then” and today’s NIL era

• The emotional high of competition, a feeling he says can’t be replicated anywhere else

• The humility that comes from playing against great players and great teams

• The moment his father told him it was time to walk away from the game

• Transitioning from the NFL to Wall Street

• Reinventing himself again as an entrepreneur

• And what it truly means to compete, lead, and stay grounded

He shares something profound in this episode:

“I feared losing more than I enjoyed winning.”

This conversation is about:

🔥 The high of the game

🔥 The pain of transition

🔥 The discipline of reinvention

🔥 And the lifelong impact of great parents, great coaches, and great teammates

From Phillipsburg to Notre Dame.

From Lou Holtz to Don Shula.

From NFL locker rooms to Wall Street trading floors.

Ned Bolcar’s journey defines what it means to be RU Strong.

Today on the RU Strong Podcast, we welcome an incredible guest whose journey is a masterclass in resilience, leadership, and betting on yourself, Eli Fisher.

Eli’s story begins at Wagner College, where he carved out an outstanding lacrosse career as a First Team All-MAAC selection, two-time team captain, and member of the SAC Executive Board. Being voted captain once is rare, being voted twice tells you everything you need to know about the respect he earned in that locker room.

But Eli didn’t stop there.

After honoring his commitment to Wagner, he made the bold decision to enter the transfer portal and landed at one of the biggest stages in college athletics, Ohio State University. Competing in the Big Ten, Eli elevated his game once again, earning Second Team All-Big Ten and Third Team All-American honors, all while excelling academically. That’s where preparation meets opportunity.

Eli would go on to play professionally in the Premier Lacrosse League, capturing a championship with the Utah Archers, living out a dream that very few ever reach.

And then came another powerful pivot.

Instead of chasing the next contract, Eli chose purpose, dedicating his life to serving student-athletes. Today, he’s giving back to the game and the next generation as an Assistant Athletic Director at Monmouth University.

In this episode, we dive deep into:

• Being unrecruited and finding belief when no one’s watching

• Leading through adversity and earning the trust of teammates

• Navigating the transfer portal with integrity

• Mental toughness, injuries, burnout, and staying present

• Why success off the field matters just as much as success on it

This is a conversation about earning everything, staying grounded, and becoming the leader you once needed.

🔥 RU Strong Nation, you’re going to want to hear this one.

Welcome back to the RU Strong Podcast, where we share powerful stories of resilience, identity, and life after the game.

Today’s guest is someone whose journey will stop you in your tracks.

She’s a former #1 player in the country, recruited to two powerhouse programs, Duke University and University of Connecticut, and coached by legendary figures like Geno Auriemma.

But this story isn’t just about accolades. It’s about identity. It’s about pressure.

It’s about what happens when the game you love is taken from you.

Three games into her freshman season at Duke, Britt blew out her knee on national television. What followed were multiple surgeries, a cadaver meniscus transplant, constant pain, mental exhaustion, and a battle with depression that led to a suicide attempt in her freshman year.

And yet that is not where her story ends.

After transferring to UConn, battling back through injury, and redefining what it meant to compete, Britt eventually transitioned beyond the court, earning her MBA from Vanderbilt, stepping into leadership at Microsoft, and now becoming a dynamic keynote speaker, executive coach, and candid storyteller.

As she says best, she’s a “candid storyteller, period, full stop.”

In this episode, we talk about:

• What it’s really like to be the #1 recruit at 17 years old

• The pressure of elite programs and managing identity beyond basketball

• Navigating catastrophic injury and the mental toll that follows

• Leadership, maturity, and owning your voice

• Why entrepreneurship feels easier than surviving five years of knee surgeries

• And how unlocking your strengths starts with radical honesty

Britt’s story embodies what RU Strong is all about, not just surviving adversity, but redefining success on your own terms.

Get ready for a raw, honest, and incredibly powerful conversation.

This is one you don’t want to miss.

Welcome to the show, Britt Hunter.

🎙 RU STRONG PODCAST

Welcome back to the RU Strong Podcast!

Today, we’ve got another Rutgers warrior joining us, a guy who helped build Rutgers Football during one of its most electric eras.

From 2005 to 2008, when Rutgers was climbing into the Top 10 in the country.

Team Captain in 2008, selected by his coaches and teammates.

Winner of the Iron Knight Award for strength, speed, and performance.

Recipient of the Frank Burns Award for extraordinary mental and physical toughness.

Over 200 career tackles.

Four bowl games, Texas Bowl, International Bowl, Papa John’s Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl.

And then, undrafted.

But that didn’t stop him.

He carved out a four-year NFL career with the Chicago Bears, Tennessee Titans, and Jacksonville Jaguars proving once again that heart, toughness, and preparation beat labels every time.

But Kevin Malast’s story goes deeper than tackles and trophies.

He battled adversity off the field during his freshman year when his brother suffered a life-changing accident. He learned resilience at a level most of us will never understand. He embraced special teams when others chased the spotlight. He lived “Keep Chopping” before it became a brand.

Today, he brings that same locker-room leadership mindset to the business world as Vice President of Talent at Legend Agency, representing NFL players, coaches, and broadcasters, paying forward the mentorship he once received.

This episode is about:

• Joint suffering and brotherhood

• Leadership earned, not given

• Undrafted mentality

• Perspective through adversity

• And what it truly means to maximize your moment

From Manchester Township to Rutgers captain.

From 1–5 to seven straight wins.

From undrafted to the NFL.

From player to mentor.

This one is powerful.

Let’s chop it up with former Rutgers linebacker, NFL veteran, and leader in life after the game

Kevin Malast.