We believe everyone has an underdog story and we want to share them. From professional athletes to self-starters, we cover all the bases.
Episodes
Wednesday Jun 10, 2020
Wednesday Jun 10, 2020
Our guest this week is the head football coach, Neal Brown. Currently, he calls Morgantown, West Virginia home, but that isn’t where his journey started.
After graduating from college, he was unsure of where his professional career would lead him. He accepted a grad assistant position at the University of Massachusetts, his alma matte, and knew within months that coaching was what he needed to be doing.
Recent events led to a tweet by Coach Brown: Be a Light which was inspired by a song written by country artist, Thomas Rhett. It includes a screenshot of the notes he took on his phone regarding the death of George Floyd and the topic of social injustice. Coach Brown explains that his message to the team was simple: Hate can’t win.
Coach Brown developed a program called the 5th Quarter. This program concentrates on the development of the young men off the field. It includes a focus on character, leadership, and career development as well as discussing real-life (financial literacy, personal branding, cooking), and responsibility (current issues and community engagement).
We love that Coach Brown believes football is more than a sport; he believes it is a tool he was given to be able to develop young men.
Follow Coach Brown on Social Media:
Facebook: @NealBrownWVU
Instagram: @nealbrown_wvu
Twitter: @NealBrown_WVU
Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media:
Twitter: @UnderdogPod
Instagram: @underdog_pod
Facebook: The Underdog Podcast
Wednesday Jun 03, 2020
Wednesday Jun 03, 2020
Our guest this week, Chris Herren has been sober since August 1, 2008.
He had his first drink at the age of 12 and was addicted to drugs by the age of 18.
Growing up Chris’s desire to fit in lead him to the partying scene in high school which he recalls as just, “doing what all the other kids were doing” or so he thought. Surprisingly, through the drinking and the drugs, his natural athleticism and his fear of failure are what pushed him to make a career of basketball. He worked hard to made it to the NBA, he had a wife and kids and almost lost it all.
After being arrested, overdosing and a few other tragic events that unfortunately are common in the life of an addict, he finally hit his rock bottom and started to work towards getting sober.
He is now a motivational speaker using the brand name Herren Talks allowing him to share his story and generate raw necessary conversations. He is also the founder of the Herren Project which helps individuals and family members find treatment or support. He is also proud of Herren Wellness which is a holistic residential treatment facility focused on assisting men and women with recovery.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, we encourage you to reach out using one of the resources listed below.
Please, get help. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it
1-800-622-HELP (4357)
Social:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/chrisherren24/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-herren-333381178/
Twitter – @c_herren - https://twitter.com/c_herren
@HerrenTalks - https://twitter.com/herrentalks
@herren_wellness - https://twitter.com/herren_wellness
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/c_herren_/
https://www.instagram.com/herrentalks/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYtRxEKlfIL9MRWcj_TGblw
Website - https://herrentalks.com/about/
Herren Wellness - https://herrenwellness.com/
Wednesday May 27, 2020
Wednesday May 27, 2020
Our guest this week is Brian Zachary Pillman, the son of the late Brian William Pillman the American Professional Wrestler.
Brian faced adversity at the age of 4 with the death of his father. He was raised by his Aunt Linda and “Uncle” Mike who he gives praise to for helping to shape his life.
Brian took the traditional route by completing his formal education and accepting a corporate job, but he felt he needed more.
Follow Brian on Social Media:
Instagram: @flyinbrian41
Twitter: @FlyinBrianJr
Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media:
Twitter: @UnderdogPod
Instagram: @underdog_pod
Facebook: The Underdog Podcast
Wednesday May 20, 2020
Wednesday May 20, 2020
First-generation college graduate, Joe Coniglio has fought his way to achieving a successful football career.
After graduating from college, he wasn’t sure exactly where his career would go, but it was his desire to find his passion and purpose in life that allowed him to embrace every situation.
Joe is currently the Outside Linebackers and Defensive Recruiting Coordinator at Kent State University.
He believes the past and future success of his team starts with their head coach who brings a clear vision; Flash FAST is what they live by.
Fun – team bonding
Accountable – player lead team – coaches must show up and be the standard – mutually invest in each other to create the brotherhood
Smart – take care of each other on and off the field
Tough – must be willing to fight & grind
Joe also discusses extreme ownership, how change is always possible, relationships, and embracing where you are. There is so much depth in this episode, you may need to pause, rewind, or listen again!
Follow Joe on Social Media:
Linkedin: Joe Coniglio
Twitter: @CoachConiglio51
Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media:
Twitter: @UnderdogPod
Instagram: @underdog_pod
Facebook: The Underdog Podcast
Wednesday May 13, 2020
Wednesday May 13, 2020
Our guest this week is 25-year Austin Hatch who will undoubtedly stop you in your tracks and encourage you to be grateful for everything you have.
He survived not just one plane crash, but two. Tragedy struck during both crashes ultimately resulting in every single member of his family dying. It is a true miracle that he was able to survive.
He discusses the road to recovery and how he was able to persevere. While he does admit to suffering from survivors’ guilt, he chose to focus on controlling what he could control to make it through.
Austin went on to play basketball at the University of Michigan and is now a motivational speaker. He wakes up every morning with one goal; To make his family proud.
Follow Austin on Social Media:
Twitter: @AustinHatch30
Linkedin: Austin Hatch
Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media:
Twitter: @UnderdogPod
Instagram: @underdog_pod
Facebook: The Underdog Podcast
Wednesday May 06, 2020
Wednesday May 06, 2020
Four-time cancer survivor, Casey O’Brien continues to beat the odds.
Casey was 13 years young when he was first diagnosed with a rare bone cancer, osteosarcoma.
After kicking cancers ass for the fourth time, Casey joined the University of Minnesota’s football team as a walk-on placeholder. He fulfilled his dream by holding for an extra point during their 2019 season.
Casey will continue to be at risk and face additional surgeries as a result of his treatment, but he leans heavily on his faith to get him through any adversity and has won our hearts!
Follow Casey on Social Media:
Twitter: @caseyob14
Instagram: @caseyob14
Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media:
Twitter: @UnderdogPod
Instagram: @underdog_pod
Facebook: The Underdog Podcast
Wednesday Apr 29, 2020
Wednesday Apr 29, 2020
This week’s guest, Jerry Schemmel is a famed broadcaster, author, cyclist and motivational speaker who has had a brilliant career. He had his underdog moment and beat the odds early in his life by surviving a plane crash.
After an engine blew, his flight went down killing 112 people. Leaning on his faith in God, he was able to overcome his survivors’ guilt from that terrible day in 1989.
He continued to push himself to new limits cycling 3,000 miles in seven days and 14 hours winning the two-person relay division. To say he understands how to overcome adversity would be an understatement.
Follow Jerry on Social Media:
Twitter: @jschemmel6
Instagram: @underdog_pod
Linkedin: Jerry on Linkedin
Website:www.jerryschemmel.com
Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media:
Twitter: @UnderdogPod
Instagram: @underdog_pod
Facebook: The Underdog Podcast
Wednesday Apr 22, 2020
Wednesday Apr 22, 2020
This week’s guest is Jim Walter. Easily put, he is our Jerry McGuire.
Scroll through his social media and you can see that he spends his time working hard for some pretty big names in the sports world.
But he didn’t have an easy start. At a very young age, he discovered that his father was living a double life with another family. I’m sure you can imagine what that does to a teenage boy trying to figure out life.
He made the conscious choice to use it as fuel and is now the President at Kaulig Sports & Entertainment.
Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media:
Twitter: @UnderdogPod
Instagram: @underdog_pod
Facebook: The Underdog Podcast
Wednesday Apr 15, 2020
Wednesday Apr 15, 2020
Our guest this week is 17-year-old, Adam Chaney. Adam is a World Junior Record Holder and top 5 national recruits. He has swum in places like Budapest and Fiji and holds several state, national, and world junior titles allowing him to become an Olympic trials qualifier.
After swimming an entire summer through a broken back, the injury worsened forcing him to sit out three whole months.
But that didn’t stop him. Post-injury, he went on to win two state titles and competed in the Junior Pan Pacific Championship earning a silver and bronze medal.
Adam has committed to the University of Florida in the fall, He is a levelheaded young man and we can’t wait to see what he will accomplish next!
Follow Adam on Social Media:
SwimSwam Profile: Adam Chaney
Instagram: @ace10chaney
Twitter: @ace10chaney
Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media:
Twitter: @UnderdogPod
Instagram: @underdog_pod
Facebook: The Underdog Podcast
Wednesday Apr 08, 2020
Wednesday Apr 08, 2020
Jeff Piecoro is currently a sportscaster for Fox Sports Ohio. You may have seen or heard him reporting for the Cincinnati Reds for their Reds Live pre-and-post-game shows and as a dugout reporter.
Jeff was told at the beginning of his football career (we won’t say how long ago, but will tell you he has aged very well) that he didn’t have the speed or the size to play in the SEC. But that didn’t stop him. He was a walk-on at the University of Kentucky. He was a redshirt his first year & continued to fight for his spot eventually earning a scholarship & lettering. His drive has led to his success.
Jeff is not only a passionate sportscaster but also a passionate family man. He is focused on providing better independent living options for his developmentally disabled, son & others like him. He was one of the founders of the Ken Anderson Alliance; Their mission is to build assisted living communities for people with developmental disabilities.
If you would like to volunteer or donate to the Ken Anderson Alliance go to https://www.kenandersonalliance.org/.
We are sure you will enjoy getting to know more about how Jeff manages a 10-12-hour workday & remains a huge part of his children’s lives.
Follow Jeff on Social Media:
Twitter: @JeffPiecoroc
Instagram: @jeffpiecoro
Linkedin: Jeff Piecoro
Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media:
Twitter: @UnderdogPod
Instagram: @underdog_pod
Facebook: The Underdog Podcast