Strive Sports Podcast

Strive Sports Podcast- Ep. 2 Jerod Fernandez

A Sanford, Floride native, Jerod Fernandez began his football career playing under high school Head Football coach Scott Perry at Lake Mary High School. From there, the passion grew for the game. Originally recruited by, then, North Carolina State Wolfpack HC Tom O'brien, Fernandez arrived to Raleigh, NC in the Fall of 2013, but instead, would arrive on campus with newly hired HC David Doeren. Doeren, who previously coached the NIU Huskies, would go 3-9 in his first year. By his secomd year, in Jerod Fernandez's redshirt freshman season, it would serve as the foundation to what would be an illustrious collegiate career for Fernandez. Not only would the Wolfpack go 8-5, but Fernandez would notch 76 tackles and be the Wolfpack's leading tackler in 2014. By his senior season, Fernandez would finish his career on 311 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 INT's, and 9 TFL's. In 2017, Fernandez would go undrafted, signing with the, then, Washington Redskins as an undrafted rookie free agent. In August of 2017, Fernandez would shine early on in the preseason. However, Fernandez would come up just short of his shot in the NFL. After a stint in the Canadian Football League (cut short by COVID=19) Fernandez decided to return south to the United States to play in the, then, United States Football League for the New Orleans Breakers. Now, after being drafted in the supplemental draft by the Michigan Panthers, Fernandez looks to return to his role as middle linebacker. This week, in his second appearance on the podcast, Fernandez sits down with Keegan Hartman to discuss his football career. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Our Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strivesportsproductions/?img_index=1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/strivesportsmo Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@strivesportsmo ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shop Our Merch, Support the Show: True Rarity Clothing: https://www.truerarityclothing.com/

Strive Sports Podcast- Ep. 1 Jmar Smith

Fresh off of our Winter break, the Strive Sports Podcast RETURNS for its second season, and what better way to kick things off than with one of the faces of the United States Football League (USFL), 2x USFL Champion with the Birmingham Stallions (2022, 2023), QB J'Mar Smith. In the first episode of season 2, Keegan Hartman (@KeeganHartman1 via Twitter) sits down with 2x USFL Champion, quarterback J'Mar Smith (@jMar_smith via Twitter) to talk Smith's high school/collegiate career throughout Meridian High School, followed up by his illustrious career at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA. Smith, 27, is embarking on his third season with the Birmingham Stallions, having led the Stallions to a USFL Championship in the organization's inaugural season back in 2022. In 2023, Smith would be sidelined with a hand injury, but would play an integral role as a leader for the Stallions, helping to propel them to a second consecutive league title in 2023. However, for those unfamiliar with Smith's story, J'Mar's life has not always been centered around the game of football. Although Smith has had a reputation on the gridiron for much of his football career, J'Mar also saw success on the baseball diamond as well. In fact, it was back in 2015 when Smith- who, at the time, was just completing his high school career- would be selected in the 24th round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. Ultimately, Smith would make the decision to pursue his collegiate football career at Louisiana Tech University under the direction of head football coach Skip Holtz. In this week's episode of the Strive Sports Podcast, we take a deeper dive into the career of J'Mar Smith, and get a firsthand perspective on Smith's upbringing and professional career... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 📲 FOLLOW THE SHOW ON OUR SOCIALS 📲: Twitter: https://twitter.com/strivesportsmo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551215765938 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strivesportsproductions/ 👕 SUPPORT THE SHOW, SHOP THE MERCH 👕 Royal Retros (LINK): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=39 True Rarity Clothing (LINK): https://www.truerarityclothing.com/product-page/strive-for-him-t-shirt 🎥 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL 🎥: YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeJ-EL35tWw37sVQEANjbCA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Strive Sports Podcast- Ep. 12 Marlon Williams

One of the most electrifying, most coveted names in ALL of spring football, not to mention, a 2x USFL Champion with the Birmingham Stallions, wide receiver Marlon Williams is hungry to make his long-awaited return to the gridiron after being sidelined in the 2023 season due to an Achilles injury... However, in 2022, Williams was a key offensive cog in propelling the Birmingham Stallions to a USFL Championship, recording 474 receiving yards (3rd most in 2022), and also tied for the 2nd in receiving touchdowns with four touchdowns. But, before the USFL came calling, Williams arose to prominence, serving as one of the main offensive cogs for the UCF Knights... A standout wide receiver who broke records in college, attending the University of Central Florida, Williams cemented himself as one of the top receivers in UCF program history. An electrifying receiver in college, Marlon Williams ranks 9th among his fellow Knights' receivers in receiving touchdowns all-time, recording 19 receiveing touchdowns. Likewise, Williams ranks 10th in receiving yards all-time, having recorded 2,260 in his UCF career. This week, to conclude the first season of the Strive Sports Podcast, Keegan Hartman (@KeeganHartman1 via Twitter) sits down with 2x USFL Champion Marlon Williams (@The_Reall6 via Twitter) to discuss his illustrious career at both UCF and in the USFL... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 📺 FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE 📺: Like, subscribe, and hit the '🔔' so you never miss a new episode! (LINK: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeJ-EL35tWw37sVQEANjbCA) Follow the show, Strive Sports Productions: - @strivesportsmo via Twitter (LINK: https://twitter.com/strivesportsmo) - @strivesportsmo via Tiktok (LINK: https://www.tiktok.com/@strivesportsmo) - @strivesports productions via Instagram (LINK: https://www.instagram.com/strivesportsproductions/?hl=en&img_index=1) Follow the Host, Keegan Hartman: - @KeeganHartman1 via Twitter - @keegoamigo via Instagram Follow Marlon Williams: - @The_Reall6 via Twitter - @marlonwilliams.6 via Instagram ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Episode Timestamps: 00:00- Episode Intro ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 👕 Support the Show, Shop the Merch 👕 True Rarity Clothing- "Strive for Him" (LINK): https://www.truerarityclothing.com/product-page/strive-for-him-t-shirt Royal Retros Merch (Use Promo Code "STRIVE" at Checkout, Save 10%): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=39

Strive Sports Podcast- Ep. 11 James Larsen

In Episode #11 of Season 1 of the Strive Sports Podcast, Keegan (@KeeganHartman1 via Twitter) sits down with one of the most renowned insiders of spring football, Pro Football Network's James Larsen (@jameslarsenpfn via Twitter) to discuss updates surrounding the USFL-XFL merger talks. Nearing his fourth year of covering spring league football, coupled with over 650+ articles, and numerous interviews, Larsen sits down with Keegan to discuss what inspired his pursuit for a career in spring league football media. Likewise, James offers an extensive breakdown of USFL-XFL merger negotiations, and how we've got to where we are as of the first week of December. With a tentative start date of March 30th for the newly named UFL spring league (allegedly), what will the next two months entail for free agents, rookies, and staffing? Not to mention the other logistics such as scheduling, television broadcasts, merchandising, and more! With so much still needing figured out, Larsen provides a little bit of clarity on how the two leagues got to where we currently stand, and where they will go going forward... 📺 FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE 📺: Like, subscribe, and hit the '🔔' so you never miss a new episode! (LINK: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeJ-EL35tWw37sVQEANjbCA) Follow the show, Strive Sports Productions: - @strivesportsmo via Twitter (LINK: https://twitter.com/strivesportsmo) - @strivesportsmo via Tiktok (LINK: https://www.tiktok.com/@strivesportsmo) - @strivesports productions via Instagram (LINK: https://www.instagram.com/strivesportsproductions/?hl=en&img_index=1) Follow the Host, Keegan Hartman: - @KeeganHartman1 via Twitter - @keegoamigo via Instagram Follow James Larsen: - @jameslarsenpfn via Twitter - @jameslarsenofficial via Instagram ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Episode Timestamps: Part I: 00:01- Episode Introduction 01:18- Promo #01: Royal Retros 02:05- James Larsen Biography 04:30- How James got into sports journalism- particularly spring football media? 06:55- James' Biggest Inspiration 11:45- 'UFL' Timeline: USFL-XFL Merger Timeline 15:03- 'Who Started it?': Breaking Down What Expedited the Merger Talks 19:13- Who Offer Help in the First Place? 22:44- Non-Binding Term Sheet, DOJ, FTC,... WTH: Government's Approval 28:55- "DEVELOPING: USFL will KEEP ALL 8 TEAMS!"... Or ARE THEY? 30:00- Royal Retros Christmas PROMO Part II: 35:30- The HARSH Reality! 43:16- Where Do We Go from Here?: 2025 Outlook 44:35- What We Know for 2024: Season Breakdown 46:51- Traning Camp Woes: How to Appease a 90-man Roster? 50:05- Whose the New Brand Sponsor?/Endorsement Time? 52:00- Salary Negotiations Update: Where Are We? 52:22- TV Deals: "N-B-C ya Later!" 56:40- Give the People WHAT THE WANT: Pre-game Shows 01:00:20- Painting the Playoff Picture 01:03:20- Why are 'Shelved' Teams Still Signing? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 👕 Support the Show, Shop the Merch 👕 True Rarity Clothing- "Strive for Him" (LINK): https://www.truerarityclothing.com/product-page/strive-for-him-t-shirt Royal Retros Merch (Use Promo Code "STRIVE" at Checkout, Save 10%): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=39 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Strive Sports Podcast- Ep. 10 Jace Sternberger

About 57 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma lies a small town of about 4,800 people named Kingfisher. You may know some famous people to have honed from this town: - Sam & Bud Walton (Founders of Wal-Mart) - Curtis Lofton (former NFL LB) and the next guest on the Strive Sports Podcast this week... This is a man who had recorded 20 sacks in his junior year of high school with the Kingfisher Yellow Jackets. Actually, had been recruited by an array of colleges to play defensive end, but would ultimately go on to play tight end.... a man who received First-Team, All-SEC Honors in his first and only season with the Texas A&M Aggies, and as a matter of fact, was Jimbo Fisher's first recruit to Texas A&M when Fisher was hired by the program in 2017... a man who was selected 75th overall by the Green Bay Packers in the 3rd round of the 2019 NFL Draft... that man is former USFL Champion, Jace Sternberger. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This week, Strive Sports Podcast host, Keegan Hartman (@KeeganHartman1 via Twitter) sits down with former Green Bay Packers' and Pittsburgh Steelers' TE, former USFL Champion Jace Sternberger (@_jstern via Twitter) to talk Jace's upbringing. From his beginning at Kingfisher, where Jace would flourish for the Swarm both offensively and defensively. To his collegiate football journey, where Jace would have to navigate acclimating to a few offensive systems before finding his forever home, that being Texas A&M. In this episode, Jace talks his relationship with former Texas A&M Head Coach, Jimbo Fisher, and how Fisher recruited Sternberger, making Jace his first recruit of Fisher's coaching tenure at Texas A&M. Likewise, Sternberger talks achieving his dream of making it to the pros, and how playing with guys like Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Graham, Davonte Adams, and Marcedes Lewis in his rookie year helped to mature him as a professional football player. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨: "Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to share that Strive Sports Podcast/Strive Sports Productions has teamed up with the leader in USFL merchandise, Royal Retros. From hats and jerseys, to t-shirts and replica football helmets, Royal Retros has become a pioneer in paying homage to classic sports teams. And whether you are a fan of basketball, baseball, football, or hockey, Royal Retros has something for everyone!! As a matter of fact, with the holiday season just around the corner, get ahead on your shopping list right now and head on over to their website. Matter of fact, if you’re watching this promo on our YouTube page, scan the QR code on the bottom left-hand corner of the screen with your phone, or click the link in the description. At checkout, make sure to use promo code “STRIVE”, that’s promo code “STRIVE” (S_T_R_I_V_E) and take 10% off your first oder. A great way to not only support the Strive Sports Podcast, but a tremendous way to support one of the leaders in vintage sports apparel. Go check it out today!" LINK TO PURCHASE: https://www.503-sports.com?aff=39 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 👕 To shop our MERCH and SUPPORT THE SHOW 👕 ( 🔗 SHOP THE LINK BELOW 🔗 ): - True Rarity Clothing x Strive Sports: https://www.truerarityclothing.com/pr... Ways to follow and listen to the show: ( 🔗 CLICK THE LINKS BELOW 🔗 ): - Twitter: / strivesportsmo - Instagram: / strivesportsproductions - TikTok: / strivesportsmo 🎧 To LISTEN to our PODCAST 🎧: - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7ICJZUD... - Amazon: https://music.amazon.com.br/podcasts/... - iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/53-str... -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------