This Episode Description was completed with the support of AI.
EPISODE 13
More Than a Coach — Part II
Host: Dwayne Smith | Co-Host: Rudy Davis | Guest: Vonn Webb
Runtime: 34:10
EPISODE OVERVIEW
Part II of the conversation with Coach Vonn Webb goes to the places Part I only hinted at. Dwayne Smith and Rudy Davis pick up with Vonn's memories of playing alongside Michael Jordan, then turn the conversation to NIL, player branding, and the real economics of college athletics — before arriving at the moment that changed Vonn's life forever.
On May 10, 2022, Vonn received a call from the Clark County Coroner's Office in Las Vegas. His son Taelin — a record-breaking athlete with NFL aspirations — had died from accidental fentanyl poisoning. In this episode, Vonn shares Taelin's story in full: the basketball-to-football transition, the injuries, the pain medication, the one bad pill. And out of that grief, the founding of the Stay Shaded Foundation — whose mission is to make sure no parent has to get that call.
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 — Show Intro & Theme "Power and control is a lifelong struggle for each of us."
0:33 — Welcome Back — Recap of Part I Dwayne recaps Vonn's credentials and invites listeners who missed Episode 12 to go back.
1:35 — The Michael Jordan Story Vonn was in an All-Star game with MJ. What do you say sitting next to Michael Jordan in the training room? Vonn figured it out — and Jordan never let him forget it.
3:29 — "Set Screens." — On Jordan's Competitiveness Game time, Jordan pulls Vonn aside: "All I want you to do is set screens." Rudy: "Vonn, you were the same way at Fifth Street Park."
5:29 — Setting the Stage: NIL & the Supreme Court Ruling Dwayne frames the NIL landscape — the 2021 Supreme Court decision, endorsement deals, social media income, Texas Tech's billionaire booster, and the critics who call it pay-to-play recruiting.
6:42 — Is NIL Really Empowering Athletes? Vonn: "I think it's a little of both." Athletes earn billions for the NCAA — they deserve to get paid. But right now it's the Wild Wild West, with no real regulation and the power sitting with agents and handlers.
8:41 — "If You Don't Have the Money, You Don't Have the Honey" Vonn on the haves and have-nots in college sports: players chase schools with the money. Most of them aren't going pro — they're trying to get financially secure.
9:03 — The Uncomfortable Truth: College Football & Revenue Dwayne raises the controversy: 90% of college athletic revenue comes from football. What does it mean that football — largely played by poor and minority kids — subsidizes every other program on campus?
10:22 — Vonn Responds: Earn It or Accept It "If you're not earning it, I don't know how you can have issues with how much is being paid out." The programs generating the money have earned the right to drive the bus.
12:00 — How NIL Changes Player Development Vonn: "You have them for a year if they're pretty good." The transfer portal means development isn't what it used to be. Kids will leave if they can get paid more elsewhere.
12:50 — Deion Sanders Understood It First Everybody has a brand. Deion taught his kids that. What should an 18-year-old athlete with real NIL potential know that nobody is telling them?
13:27 — "It's About We, Not Me" — But Not Anymore Vonn's answer: today's system teaches kids, parents, and agents to maximize individual value. He doesn't like it — but he understands it. He draws the line at branding that pulls focus away from performance.
15:00 — When Sports Meet Business Rudy connects NIL to the corporate world — you've had a personal brand your whole career, athletes just didn't get paid for it. Vonn shares his work with Athletes to Business, training players to interview and land Fortune 500 jobs.
16:04 — The Call No Parent Ever Wants Rudy gently transitions: Vonn got a call not long ago that no parent wants to get. It was about his son Taelin. Rudy gives Vonn all the space he needs.
17:06 — Taelin Webb: The Athlete, the Son, the Dream Vonn coached Taelin his senior year of high school after Taelin begged him to take the job. 6'10"-6'11" high jumper. 23-24 foot long jumper. 45" vertical. Set an unofficial world record in kneeling box jumps. Always trying to outdo his dad.
19:43 — Basketball to Football: The Victor Cruz Effect Taelin watched an ESPN special on Victor Cruz and called Vonn: "Pops, I think I want to do something different." Vonn called three college football contacts. Southern Utah responded first. Taelin made all-conference as a cornerback.
21:45 — Injuries, Pain Medication & the Slide Nobody Saw Injuries on the field led to prescription pain medication. After football, still training for Canada (the NFL wanted more film), Taelin began self-medicating. Coaches had no idea. Family had no idea.
22:43 — May 10th, 9:48 AM The call from the Clark County Coroner's Office in Las Vegas. Taelin had passed away. Cause of death: accidental fentanyl poisoning. Three memorials. Three cities. 1,700-1,800 people at each one.
24:09 — From Grief to Purpose: The Birth of Stay Shaded Vonn and his friend LaRondon talked one night: "I just can't stand by. I got to do something." Stay Shaded Foundation was born. The name comes from how Taelin ended every phone call: "Stay shaded, Pops. Stay cool. Stay safe."
25:02 — Fentanyl Is Everywhere Now It’s not just pills anymore. Fentanyl is being mixed into marijuana, meth, cocaine, and illegal vapes. Vonn: "That's where it really concerns me — kids dying and they don't even know what they took."
26:52 — What Every Parent Needs to Do Right Now Vonn’s message: talk to your kids. Not lectures — real conversations. Kids make decisions based on who they're around during their formative years. Give them someone to call before they make the decision they can't take back.
29:03 — Building a Safety Net: Stay Shaded on Campuses Vonn’s vision: Stay Shaded chapters in high schools and colleges — places where kids can say "I need to talk to somebody" instead of making a move they can't undo.
30:14 — Final Reflection: What Does It Mean to Matter in This World? Dwayne's closing question. Vonn's answer is quiet, honest, and unmistakable. "I know that God has me. I know that everything I am is to try to be the best I can for everyone around me."
32:05 — Resources, Closing & How to Support Stay Shaded
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Vonn Webb
Coach | National Speaker | Founder, Stay Shaded Foundation
Vonn Webb is a 1981 Junction City High School graduate, two-time CIF state champion basketball coach, Division I assistant (Wyoming, UC Riverside, Fresno State), and co-director of Jalen Green's Elite AAU program. On May 10, 2022, he lost his son Taelin to accidental fentanyl poisoning. He founded Stay Shaded — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — to bring awareness, education, and honest conversation about the fentanyl crisis to families, schools, and athletic programs nationwide.
● 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vonn-webb
● ❤️ Stay Shaded Foundation: www.stayshaded.org
● 🌐 Speaking & Booking: www.coachvonnwebb.com
YOUR HOST & CO-HOST
Dwayne Smith
National Speaker | Leading Legal Authority | Host, Shifting the Power Balance
Dwayne Smith is a nationally recognized speaker and employment law attorney. A former High School Assistant Principal and Director of HR Compliance. Dr. Smith specializes in civil rights and professional misconduct workplace investigations as well as NIL collegiate athlete representation.
● 🌐 www.wplawsolutionskc.com
Rudy Davis
CEO, Stella Vista Consulting | Co-Host, Shifting the Power Balance
Rudy Davis grew up alongside Vonn Webb on the streets of Junction City. He was the one who brought Vonn to this show — and the one who gently opened the door to Taelin's story. Rudy is a former VP of Sales in Telecom and consults with executives on strategic growth.
● 🔗 linkedin.com/in/rudy-davis-6a5baa7
© Shifting the Power Balance Podcast | www.shiftingthepowerbalance.com
This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes and does not constitute an attorney-client relationship or legal advice.
