RU STRONG

🎙️ RU STRONG PODCAST – EPISODE INTRO

Welcome back to the RU Strong Podcast.

Today’s episode is special because I’m joined by another Rutgers Scarlet Knight who truly embodies what it means to be RU Strong.

My guest is John Poznanski, a standout wrestler from Colonia, New Jersey, whose journey is defined by discipline, resilience, and an unshakable mindset.

John put together one of the most impressive wrestling careers you’ll hear about:

• 164 high school wins

• 2020 New Jersey State Champion

• 40–0 senior season

• Three-time NCAA Qualifier

• Two-time Big Ten placer & Big Ten bronze medalist

• Freshman All-American at Rutgers

• Two-time Academic All-American

• Multiple-time Academic All–Big Ten honoree

But here’s what makes this episode powerful, John’s story goes far beyond wins and medals.

He competed at the highest level of college wrestling with vision in only one eye, after being born with Coats disease and losing his left eye at a young age. Instead of letting that define his limits, John turned it into a source of strength adapting, grinding, and proving what’s possible when mindset beats circumstance.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• Competing in the Big Ten, the toughest wrestling conference in the country

• The discipline behind weight cuts, training, and elite performance

• Balancing academics and athletics at Rutgers

• Identity after sports and navigating life once the final whistle blows

• What wrestling taught him about persistence, organization, and leadership

• Why athletes live two lives and how to win the second one

• And how John is now using his voice through his own podcast, Destination Talk, to inspire others on their journey

This episode is a must-listen for:

• College athletes

• Wrestlers and combat-sport competitors

• Parents and coaches

• Anyone navigating transition, adversity, or identity after sports

So, buckle up because this is a story about grit, purpose, and becoming more than the sport you play.

🎧 Welcome to the RU Strong Podcast with John Poznanski.

🎙️ RU STRONG PODCAST INTRODUCTION – MJ WRIGHT

Welcome back to the RU Strong Podcast, where we sit down with athletes who embody resilience, discipline, and the mindset to win both on and off the field.

Today’s guest is a powerful example of what it means to bet on yourself.

MJ Wright is a New Jersey native out of Freehold, a product of Red Bank Catholic High School, and a standout wide receiver at Fordham University. A three-time All–Patriot League selection, 2023 team captain, and one of the most productive receivers in Fordham history, MJ finished his career ranked 6th all-time in both receiving yards and receptions all while earning Academic Honor Roll recognition and graduating with a business degree.

But MJ’s story goes far deeper than stats.

In this episode, MJ opens up about being a late bloomer, overcoming serious adversity early in his college career, including a life-threatening battle with rhabdomyolysis, and navigating the mental grind that comes with injuries, setbacks, and moments when the game is taken out of your hands. He shares how journaling, mindset discipline, faith, and family helped him protect his thoughts and rebuild confidence when everything felt uncertain.

We also dive into:

• What it truly feels like to play “in the zone”

• The unseen daily grind of a Division I student-athlete

• The power of brotherhood and shared suffering

• How structure, discipline, and adversity prepare athletes for life after sports

• Why belief, patience, and persistence matter more than early hype

Now, after earning an invite to the New York Giants Rookie Minicamp, MJ is taking the next step in his professional journey, signing with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League — continuing to chase the dream with the same hunger and humility that got him here.

This is a must-listen episode for:

✔️ College athletes

✔️ Late bloomers

✔️ Anyone facing setbacks

✔️ Anyone learning how to win the mental game

MJ Wright’s story is a reminder that growth isn’t always linear, success is earned in silence, and the strongest athletes are built through adversity.

Let’s get into it. 💪

This is RU Strong.

🎙️ RU Strong Podcast | Episode Spotlight

On this episode of the RU Strong Podcast, we sit down with Steve McGuiggan, a former Division I standout, culture builder, and co-founder of one of the most impactful human performance organizations in the country.

Steve’s journey is a masterclass in grit, self-belief, and responsibility.

From becoming one of the most decorated players in UIC baseball history, to facing the reality of life when the game ends, Steve opens up about the moments that shaped him most—not just on the field, but as a man, leader, and mentor.

In this conversation, we dive deep into:

• What it really takes to build sustainable confidence in athletes

• Why culture and character matter more than talent alone

• The responsibility that comes with opportunity academics, family, and life after sports

• How failure, humility, and support systems became the foundation for building MASH

• Why being present, not projecting the future, is the key to long-term success

Steve shares powerful stories about his parents’ belief in him, the lessons learned from not reaching the big leagues, and how those experiences now fuel his mission to help young athletes grow into resilient, grounded adults.

This episode is a must-listen for:

• Current and former athletes

• Coaches and parents

• Entrepreneurs and leaders

• Anyone navigating transition, identity, and purpose after sport

If you believe that success is built through culture, accountability, and service to others, this conversation will hit home.

🎧 Listen now and get ready to rethink what it means to truly be “RU Strong.”

Welcome back to the RU Strong Podcast, where we go beyond the highlights and into the moments that truly shape an athlete’s life.

In this episode, host Jeff Durr sits down with Brandon Hance, a former Big Ten starting quarterback whose journey is filled with pressure, perspective, and powerful self-reflection.

Brandon opens up about:

• Graduating high school, a year early to chase his dream

• Starting as a young quarterback at Purdue in the heart of the Big Ten

• Carrying the weight of leadership while quietly battling homesickness, culture shock, and instability

• Learning under Drew Brees and what it meant to prepare at an elite level

• Navigating injury, transferring to USC, and redefining identity beyond football

This is a raw and honest conversation about what athletes don’t talk about enough the internal battles, the loneliness, the pressure to lead while struggling inside, and the lessons that only come with time and hindsight.

Brandon also shares how football prepared him for life after the game, transitioning into entrepreneurship, building companies, and eventually owning and operating a real estate investment and development business proving that the mindset built through sport can carry forward long after the final snap.

If you’re a current athlete, former athlete, coach, or parent, this episode is a reminder that strength isn’t just physical it’s emotional, mental, and learned through experience.

🎧 This episode defines what it means to be RU Strong

RU STRONG PODCAST | NEW EPISODE

On this episode of the RU Strong Podcast, I sit down with an exceptional leader who truly understands the connection between physical performance, mental resilience, and elite leadership: Jamey Mroz.

Jamey’s journey is powerful and unconventional. From playing linebacker at Springfield College, to earning degrees in kinesiology, exercise science, and sports psychology, he went on to coach and work at the highest levels of sport including the NFL with the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns, as well as elite academic institutions like Vanderbilt, Harvard, and Boston College

What makes this conversation special isn’t just Jamey’s resume, it’s how he thinks.

We dive deep into:

• The mental side of performance that athletes and leaders don’t talk about enough

• Why focus beats motivation and how vision drives every decision

• The powerful relationship between physical capacity and mental capacity

• How leaders build confidence, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness

• Why great leaders must learn to lead themselves first

• Translating lessons from the gridiron to the boardroom

Jamey explains why success isn’t about avoiding adversity, it’s about mental agility, learning how to respond, and bouncing back faster when things don’t go your way. Whether you’re an athlete, coach, executive, or parent, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership, competition, and personal growth.

This is a must-listen for anyone who wants to perform at a higher level, mentally, physically, and professionally.

💪 RU STRONG. ALWAYS.

🎙️ RU Strong Podcast – Featuring Dom Clegg

On this episode of the RU Strong Podcast, I sit down with Dom Clegg, a former college football player turned elite mental performance and leadership coach, whose journey is built on resilience, mindset shifts, and relentless growth.

Dom played college football at Ohio Dominican University, where he began his career as a walk-on, earned a scholarship, and ultimately helped lead his team to a conference championship after navigating setbacks, self-doubt, and adversity. His story is a powerful reminder that success isn’t linear and that mindset often matters more than talent.

After his playing career, Dom transitioned into coaching at both the high school and collegiate levels, including stops at Wheeling University and Kent State, and contributed to a state championship program as a performance coach. Today, he is the founder of A1pha Pack, where he works one-on-one with athletes, teams, and organizations on mentalperformance, leadership development, discipline, and identity beyond sport.

This episode is packed with real talk, locker-room wisdom,and practical tools for current athletes, former athletes, coaches, andhigh performers looking to win the mental game.

If you’ve ever struggled with confidence, transition, or finding your next purpose after sports this episode is for you.

Welcome back to the RU Strong Podcast, where we highlight leaders who embody resilience, excellence, and service through sport.

Today’s guest is someone whose journey in swimming is nothing short of extraordinary, Katie Robinson.

Katie’s story begins as an elite student-athlete at the University of Texas, one of the premier powerhouses in college swimming. As a Longhorn, she was an 11-time All-American, three-time Big 12 Champion, team captain, and helped lead Texas to four consecutive Top-10 NCAA finishes.She earned First Team ESPN The Magazine All-District honors, was an Academic All-American, and accomplished all of this while majoring in kinesiology, one of the most demanding academic paths in college athletics. Her excellence was further recognized with the VF Doc Newhouse Endowed Presidential Scholarship, the highest honor in Texas women’s athletics.

Following her competitive career, she built an elite coaching résumé that spans some of the most respected programs in the country. She contributed to six ACC team championships at the University of Virginia, helped elevate Rutgersto one of its strongest conference finishes, and as Head Coach at Tulane, she shattered every school swimming record. She later made history at Northwestern as just the second woman in Power Five history to oversee both men’s andwomen’s programs, leading the team to the highest national ranking in school history.

Her impact continued at Stanford University, where she helped guide the program to a 2025 NCAA National Runner-Up finish, a 2024 Top 5 NCAA finish, produced three NCAA individual champions, and coached 34 NCAA All-Americans, all while Stanford maintained its distinction as the only program to never finish outside the NCAA Top 10

On the global stage, Katie has coached with Team USA, contributing to performances that included 21 world records and 39 total medals, 18 gold, 13 silvers, and 8 bronze, at international championships.

Beyond the accolades, what truly defines Katie Robinson is her commitment to developing the whole athlete, blending elite performance, mental toughness, trust, culture, and leadership. From navigating the evolving recruiting landscape, NIL, and the transfer portal, to mentoring athletesthrough pressure, identity, and growth, Katie’s perspective offers invaluable insight for athletes, coaches, and leaders alike.

We’re honored to welcome college swimming coach, Olympic-level leader, and transformational mentor, Katie Robinson to the RU Strong Podcast.

Today on the RU Strong Podcast, I’m honored to welcome one of the most respected leaders in college baseball, Rick Heller, Head Baseball Coach at the University of Iowa.

Coach Heller’s career is a masterclass in patience, persistence, and culture-driven leadership. He began his coaching journey at Upper Iowa University, where he built a winning program from the ground up, then continued that success at Northern Iowa and Indiana State, winning a Missouri ValleyConference regular-season championship for the first time in school history.

Since taking over at Iowa in 2014, Coach Heller has transformed the Hawkeyes into a consistent Big Ten contender, capturing the program’s first-ever Big Ten Championship in 2017, earning seven straight postseasonappearances, multiple NCAA Regional berths, and developing many MLB Draft picks along the way. His career has now produced nearly 1,100 wins, a testament tolongevity, leadership, and relentless standards.

But what truly separates Coach Heller isn’t just the wins, it’s his culture-first, process-driven approach, his commitment to player development on and off the field, and his beliefthat real success is built in the hours no one is watching. From navigating the challenges of coaching in the North, to adapting to NIL, the transfer portal, and today’s evolving college landscape, Coach Heller offers a powerful perspectiveon leadership, accountability, and doing things the right way.

This conversation goes far beyond baseball.It’s about earning trust, building programs the right way, and developing young men for life after the game.

Coach Rick Heller, welcome to the RU Strong Podcast.

Today on the RU Strong Podcast, we’re bringing you an incredible story of perseverance, discipline, and unwavering belief. Our guest is someone whose journey from Middlesex, New Jersey to the bright lights of Division I football is nothing short of inspiring.

Jordan Campbell isn’t just a standout defensive end at Rice University; he’s the definition of resilience. Coming out ofMiddlesex High School with a 3.9 GPA, Jordan dominated both in the classroom and on the field. But when he tore hisACL before his senior season, during a camp, no less, it derailed recruiting and forced him to rethink everything he thought was ahead of him. Instead of quitting, Jordan chose the toughest route: JUCO.At Nassau Community College, he hit the ground running, all gas, no brakes, becoming an Academic All-American with a 3.8 GPA while proving to every coach in the country that hewas physically and mentally built for the next level. That discipline and grit earned him a scholarship to Rice University, where he continued balancing high-level football with high academic standards, posting a 3.4 GPA at one of the most demanding institutions in the country.

His journey didn’t get easier, more injuries, setbacks, and the pressure of big-time D1 football but Jordan kept showing up. He kept working. He kept believing that he belonged.

Today, Jordan is a leader, a role model, and a testament to the power of sacrifice, family support, and mental toughness. His mantra? “All gas, no brakes.” And his why?
To make his family proud and turn every setback into strength.

Get ready for an honest, powerful conversation aboutadversity, mindset, injuries, JUCO life, family, academics, pressure, and what it really takes to climb your way from a torn ACL to the Division I stage wearing number 0 and making it mean something.

 Please welcome … Jordan Campbell.

Welcome back to the RU Strong Podcast. Today, we’re joined by an exceptional coach and leader shaping some of the most disciplined student-athletes in the nation, Coach Jimmy Criscione of the United States Naval Academy.

Jimmy is a summa cum laude graduate of Monmouth University, a former team captain, and a three-time MAAC All-Academic selection. Before that, he competed at powerhouse Bergen Catholic, where his passion for sport and leadership first took shape.

But today, Jimmy’s impact is felt in Annapolis, where he’s now in his third season as Assistant Coach for Navy Men’s Golf. At the Naval Academy, he works daily with midshipmen who balance military training, elite academics, and Division I athletics, a level of structure, intensity, and accountability unlike anywhere else in college sports.

From navigating their packed military schedules,
to preparing them for the pressure of the Army–Navy rivalry,
to helping future officers become mentally strong, technically sound, and physically ready.
Jimmy plays a pivotal role in developing young men who will not just compete but serve our nation.

With certifications as a PGA Class A Professional, TPI Coach, and Golf Digest Fitness Trainer, Jimmy brings a complete,holistic approach to coaching, reflecting his core philosophy of “Developing Champions in Life.”

It’s an honor to have Coach Jimmy Criscione on the show. Welcome to the RU Strong Podcast.