A stage four cancer diagnosis is hard enough. Now stack it with respiratory failure, a flooded house, and saying goodbye to a beloved dog, all inside a few days. That’s the real-life backdrop JC Cox brings to Saturdays in Jonesboro, and he tells it with the same blunt honesty Red Wolves fans have heard from him on the sideline for years.

We talk about how Arkansas State athletics became JC’s safe space as a kid in Jonesboro, riding his bike to practices and games because it was the one place life felt steady. That personal connection turns into a career in Arkansas State sports media, from early print and sports radio to betting on himself when coverage could have faded. If you care about the story behind the games, you’ll hear how local media, broadcasters, and loyal supporters helped grow A-State coverage into what it is today.

Then we get into Saturdays: what it’s like to work the sideline, why road trips build real friendships, and how memories of Coach Bill Keaty still shape the broadcast family. We also dig into college football right now, including NIL, the transfer portal, and the pressure for instant results, plus why Butch Jones’ detail and long-term approach feel different up close.

JC also shares the medical details he usually keeps private: the diagnosis, the fight to start treatment, the insurance delays, the targeted medication for a genetic mutation, the MD Anderson second opinion, and the moment his doctor called with scan results that changed everything. If this story hits you, subscribe, share it with a Red Wolves fan, and leave a review so more people can find it.

@Arkansasstatemedianetwork.com.

00:00 - The Hardest Week: Cancer, Floods, and Heartbreak

01:45 - A-State as a Childhood Safe Space

03:50 - The Rise of Red Wolves Sports Media

06:15 - Betting on Yourself in Local Broadcasting

08:30 - Life on the Sideline and Road Trip Bonds

10:45 - Remembering Coach Bill Keaty

12:55 - The Modern Game: NIL and the Transfer Portal

15:20 - Up Close with Coach Butch Jones

17:40 - The Diagnosis and Insurance Battles

20:15 - Targeted Treatments and MD Anderson

22:30 - The Scan Results That Changed Everything

An undefeated 11-0 team with no bowl invite sounds impossible now, but Arkansas State lived it, and the echoes still shape how we talk about fairness, money, and recognition in college football. We’re joined by Jonesboro native and A-State Hall of Honor defensive end Robert Speer, a walking historian with stories that stretch from the 1960s to today’s Red Wolves era. 

We go back to the roots: growing up around A-State coaches, falling in love with the program before ever wearing a uniform, and navigating a recruiting world that relied on landlines, persistence, and personal pressure. Robert also relives a legendary Arkansas high school football moment, a seven-quarter state championship played in freezing rain and mud, and then brings us onto campus for the final season at Kays Field, where students walked in, the stands shook, and game day traditions included the Indian family ceremonies and a horse sprinting the track after touchdowns. 

From there, the conversation opens up into the Louisiana Tech rivalry, the grassroots effort that built what fans now know as Centennial Bank Stadium, and the blueprint behind the dominant 1975 Arkansas State football season. We also talk about the history that can disappear if nobody records it, including the experiences of early Black athletes at A-State, and why those voices deserve time, respect, and urgency. 

If you care about Arkansas State Red Wolves football, Sun Belt Conference history, stadium traditions, or the human side of college athletics, hit subscribe, share this with an A-State fan, and leave a review. What’s one Arkansas State story you think needs to be recorded before it’s gone? @Arkansasstatemedianetwork.com.

0:00 Welcome and Why Robert Matters

2:21 Kays Field Life and Old Traditions

4:43 Recruiting Stories and a Muddy Classic

13:21 Centennial Stadium is Born

15:21 Louisiana Tech Rivalry and Hard-Nosed Era

25:46 The 1975 Team That Went 11-0

33:50 No Bowl Invite and Saving History

46:07 Helping Today’s Athletes Thrive

An 80-yard touchdown should never land in front of an empty end zone, and that moment becomes our jumping-off point for a bigger conversation about Arkansas State, Jonesboro, and what it really takes to build momentum. We sit down with Ted Herget, founder of Gearhead Outfitters and proud A-State alum, and Davy Carter, former Arkansas Speaker of the House and regional president at Centennial Bank, to talk about how fandom grows up with you and why “our school” hits harder the older you get.

We dig into what’s changed around Arkansas State University, from the look and feel of Centennial Bank Stadium to the broader growth of Jonesboro, Arkansas. Then we get honest about what drives winning: expectations, leadership, and a community that buys in even when it’s easier to stay home and stream. Ted and Davy share what they’ve learned from supporting the Red Wolves through their businesses, why the scarlet and black brand travels, and how a loud crowd can change the way a team plays.

Tailgating and the Alpha Pack concept take center stage as we break down how to turn a game into an event, lower the barrier for first-timers, and create the kind of FOMO that fills seats. We also touch on the NIL and revenue-sharing era, why culture still matters, and how stability under Coach Butch Jones is reshaping Arkansas State football.

If you care about Red Wolves football, Sun Belt Conference pride, or the future of college sports in a true college town, this one’s for you.Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a nudge to show up, and leave a review so more people find Saturdays in Jonesboro. @Arkansasstatemedianetwork

0:00 - Welcome To Saturdays In Jonesboro

3:04 - Where Their Red Wolves Passion Started

4:14 - Campus Growth Fuels City Growth

12:55 - Business Support And Brand Pride

16:21 - Coaching Leadership And Program Standards

17:03 - Why Being There Beats Streaming

22:48 - Alpha Pack And Tailgate FOMO

28:06 - Turning Games Into Must-Go Events

35:11 - NIL Changes And Sun Belt Identity

37:23 - A North End Zone Game Day

44:17 - Meet The Team Events To Attend

49:13 - Culture Turnaround Under Butch Jones

52:03 - Subscribe And Closing Thanks

The most interesting part of college football is rarely the box score. It’s the people, the prep, the traditions, and the small details that turn a kickoff in Jonesboro into an all-day experience. We recorded a first pilot conversation in the Arkansas State Media Network Studio to explain why we’re launching Saturdays In Jonesboro and what kind of access we want to create for Red Wolves fans. 

We get into the real shape of an Arkansas State game day: tailgating culture, community leaders who help build the vibe, new fan areas like the Den Zone, and why the “behind the scenes” work matters as much as the action on the field. We also pull back the curtain on what it takes to run a broadcast and coordinate game day operations, because most fans never see the hours of effort that happen long before the team runs out of the tunnel. 

Then we zoom out to the bigger story of Arkansas State football and athletics. We reflect on the 2011 to 2019 era and the kind of winning seasons that created lifelong memories, and we talk about what it takes to rebuild and sustain that energy today. With NIL and the transfer portal changing how rosters evolve, we want deeper conversations with current players, former players, coaches, and the alumni who still bleed scarlet and black. And we’re not stopping at football: the same storytelling can spotlight basketball, baseball, golf, track and field, and everything rising across Arkansas State athletics. 

Subscribe, share this with a fellow Red Wolves fan, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What part of a Saturday in Jonesboro do you want us to explore first?

You can tell a lot about a football program by what happens before kickoff and after the final whistle. We’re launching Saturdays In Jonesboro to pull back the curtain on Arkansas State athletics and show the full game day picture: the preparation, the people, the relationships, and the moments fans remember for years.

For our first guest, we brought in the person Matt sits next to every Saturday in the fall: Darion “Grizz” Griswold. Grizz walks us through his Arkansas State football journey from arriving on campus in 2011 to becoming an all-conference tight end, then leaping into the NFL with the Colts and Falcons. He shares what it felt like joining a winning culture, adapting through coaching changes, and living through defining Sun Belt Conference moments like the electric 2012 finale at Centennial Bank Stadium.

We also get into what fans rarely hear about the broadcast side: how a former player prepares to call a game, why blowouts are the toughest to talk through, and how note-taking and film study still matter when you’re in the booth instead of the huddle. Then we zoom forward to the modern era of college football, talking NIL, roster turnover, and why Butch Jones’ attention to detail and culture-building approach gives Arkansas State a foundation to keep growing into 2026 and beyond.

If you love the Red Wolves, college football stories, and the real behind-the-scenes of Saturdays in Jonesboro, subscribe, share this with a fellow fan, and leave us a review. What part of game day do you want us to spotlight next? Follow us on @arkansasstatemedianetwork