The Underdog Podcast

College football, SEC games, Big 12 games – but held corporate jobs as well two total years as a professional football player – 10 in NFL & 2 in USFL Broadcasting started as a side hustle – what advice would you give? Find something you are passionate about. Look inside – if you are going to make the jump commit to it. Even though you like what you are doing still have to find a way to get it down – set a high bar. Preparation in your career – thirst for knowledge. You earn confidence when you feel like you are prepared. 8 hours of Bengal’s programming a week outside of the game. The best coach he ever played for – Paul Brown and Forest Grey

In this episode, we recap our first year! That’s right we have made it to 1 year. Enjoy some of our favorite moments across our first 49 episodes. This has been a long journey of learning and growing and we hope to see you continue along this journey with us. Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media: Twitter: @UnderdogPod Instagram: @underdog_pod Facebook: The Underdog Podcast

Coach Fickell is a firm believer in finishing what you started. He believes in building a team with a core group that speaks the same language. He also talks about the impact Coach Jim Tressel had on him and the importance of consistency and authenticity. Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media: Twitter: @UnderdogPod Instagram: @underdog_pod Facebook: The Underdog Podcast

After a 23-year coaching career, winning more than 85% of his games and 3 National Championships, Urban Meyer is arguably one of the greatest college football coaches in history. In this episode Coach Meyer talks about his leadership philosophy E+R=O, how he would address the world if it were his team during the pandemic, and having an Above the Line mentality. Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media: Twitter: @UnderdogPod Instagram: @underdog_pod Facebook: The Underdog Podcast

Currently the defensive coordinator at UC – quickly rising to the top. Former OSU player – born and raised in the 937! Huber Heights Wayne – won a lot of games in high school be was raised by a military father.Played for 2 national championships at OSU – could On three teams in 1 year – knees hurting – found the enlarged heart and retired from NFL. Those failures are what make you who you are. Called coach Fickle to get feedback before he foundCoach Fickle recruited him and told him he didn’t want to coach – I don’t want to be away from the game. Talk them out because it’s a selfish profession – a lot of hours – time away from family – he has 6 kids and his wife is a single parent while he is coaching.Why UC? He wants to be a head coach – he can get the chance to be a head coach at schools such as Kent State or Purdue.Jim Trussell – work where your butt is – work as hard as you can. Coach Trussell - “He did a great job of making everyone feel important.”Learned more about coaching & leadership by failing.George Floyd – what is your message to the players and what is UC’s approach – Sent a message to his unit to maintain humility – have empathy. We don’t have to agree but we do have to have empathy. Do research to understand. Kids these days want to understand why. The greatest motivation is love. Love is also a decision. He even dishes on his predictions on the 2020 UC Bearcats Football season. Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media: Twitter: @UnderdogPod Instagram: @underdog_pod Facebook: The Underdog Podcast

After blowing out his knee the last game of his senior year, Ryan Kelly didn’t know what the future had in store. Two things he did know was that resilience and character would see him through! Having the foresight to maximize his opportunity, Ryan is now one of the youngest and greatest leaders in his profession. Football fan or not – you’ll love this episode! Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media: Twitter: @UnderdogPod Instagram: @underdog_pod Facebook: The Underdog Podcast

In 1972 a little boy was born and immediately put up for adoption. This week’s guest might have the most dramatic and heartwarming story we or anyone else has ever had the pleasure of sharing. Our guest, Deland McCullough was adopted and raised in Youngstown, OH. Football wasn’t just a thing to Deland, it was the thing that allowed him to escape all hardships he was facing. In true underdog fashion, Deland wasn’t the star athlete from the beginning. He worked hard and had passion. Heck, he even enrolled in the Navy because he wanted out of Youngstown so badly. His break came when he was recruited by Miami University, more specifically, Sherman Smith (remember that name, it will hold great importance later). Deland continued to be the underdog fighting hard to earn his position which ultimately leads to a record-breaking career for him at Miami. He met adversity yet again when he went undrafted in 1996. He joined the Cincinnati Bengals and in true Deland spirit was fighting for his position until an unfortunate knee injury resulted in several surgeries. He recovered and joined the Philadelphia Eagles, but never saw any regular season playing time. He made his last attempt in the Canadian league with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before retiring as a player. He had no idea who his father was when he started his coaching career in 2000, but always stayed in touch with his mentor, Sherman Smith. He finally reconnected with his biological mother in 2017, only to find out that his father was his mentor, Sherman Smith. Yes, the same Sherman Smith who recruited him out of Youngstown, OH. Can you imagine his disbelief? Now a very humble running backs coach for the Kansas City Chief’s, he leads with control and confidence. He is very invested in the people that make up his teams. Success comes in many forms, but for the NFL the crowning achievement is the Superbowl Championship, which Deland can name proudly add to his resume. He is also a proud husband and father of four young men; One of which is following in his footsteps and making his way at Miami University. We are so grateful for the opportunity to share this story with you, Underdog Nation! Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media: Twitter: @UnderdogPod Instagram: @underdog_pod Facebook: The Underdog Podcast

Our guest this week is former GM of both the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals. Currently, Jim Bowden is an MLB Analyst and Insider for CBS Sports HQ, writer for The Athletic, Talk Show Host for SiriusXM’s MLB Radio, and Fantasy Alarm. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Jim shares how his love of sports and a little bit of luck landed his first job with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his words, “getting rid of my mouth and getting a third ear” is what led to his success. Early in his career, he was challenged with tasks outside his skill set or knowledge base, but he figured it out by asking questions with an authentic desire to learn. The hours, days, weeks, even years that lead to his first go-round as GM was spent doing just that, learning. Jim has been able to sustain his success because he is always preparing for plan B. He was one of these first GMs to leave baseball and switch to the broadcasting side of the sport offering fans a unique perspective on the game. He even dishes on a few very unique family traditions he and his sons have completed every year for the last couple of decades. Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media: Twitter: @UnderdogPod Instagram: @underdog_pod Facebook: The Underdog Podcast

Our guest this week, Joe Oliver needs no introduction to all of our baseball fans and of course Reds nation! Joe had one of the most pivotal at-bats in the Cincinnati Reds history, clinching Game 2 of the World Series ultimately leading to the 1990 World Series victory! Joe caught over 12,000 documented innings between the major and minor leagues, not to mention all of the countless practices and pull pen sessions. After his 19-year career, Joe took 13 years off to raise his children and be a family man. Joe talks about everything from the culture of the 1990’s Red’s team to coaching and his professional future. Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media: Twitter: @UnderdogPod Instagram: @underdog_pod Facebook: The Underdog Podcast