Former NFL, AFL, and NCAA football greats share unforgettable stories about their lives and careers. An oral history of pro and college football that often features never-before-told stories.
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Episodes
Apr 11, 2022
Apr 11, 2022
12 min
Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Ham tells stories about winning the Orange Bowl with Penn State and the AFC rivalries the Steelers had in the 1970s. He names the two toughest running backs he played against, college and pro. Who do you think they were?
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Mar 11, 2022
Mar 11, 2022
58 min
Bill Butler played for the 1959 Green Bay Packers during Vince Lombardi’s first season as head coach. He next played for Tom Landry on the first-ever Dallas Cowboys team. He also played for the Steelers and Vikings. He talks about growing up in Wisconsin, playing college football at UT Chattanooga, and shares fantastic stories about his NFL career and the colorful characters he played with and for during his six NFL seasons.
Learn more about The Game Before the Money at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com
Oct 29, 2021
Oct 29, 2021
36 min
Dave Wilcox, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2000 class, shares memories of his career as a linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers. He also talks about his college football career at Oregon and Boise State.
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Oct 7, 2021
Oct 7, 2021
27 min
Bill McColl shares memories of Stanford winning the 1951 Pacific Coast Conference title and playing in the 1952 Rose Bowl. He also talks about playing for George Halas and the Chicago Bears of the 1950s while enrolled in medical school.
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Jul 29, 2021
Jul 29, 2021
32 min
Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel shares insights about the signature game of his career – leading Texas A&M to a victory at Alabama in 2012. Host Jackson Michael guides listeners through key moments of the game.
Hear more from Johnny Manziel on his Ball Don't Lie podcast featuring Johnny Manziel and recording artist Mike. Learn more about The Game Before the Money at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com
Jul 19, 2021
Jul 19, 2021
21 min
Willie Roaf shares memories of growing up in Arkansas, his college career at Louisiana Tech, and his Hall of Fame NFL career with the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs. Roaf stands as one of the greatest offensive tackles in NFL history.
This is Episode 50 of The Game Before the Money Podcast. Learn more about The Game Before the Money at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com
Jun 24, 2021
Jun 24, 2021
49 min
Dick Vermeil shares memories of coaching the Eagles, Rams, and Chiefs. He also discusses winning the Rose Bowl at UCLA, growing up in California, and his friendship with Bill Walsh. Coach Vermeil was an NFL head coach in the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.
Learn more about The Game Before the Money at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com
Mar 16, 2021
Mar 16, 2021
24 min
Hall of Famer Hugh “The King” McElhenny shared stories via email for this episode of The Game Before the Money Podcast. McElhenny is best known for his years with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s and his ability to turn running plays and screen passes into huge plays and long touchdowns. He also still holds school records at the University of Washington over 70 years after his NCAA football career ended.
Learn how Hugh McElhenny got his nickname, “The King,” and about his incredible college career that made him a first-round pick in the 1952 NFL Draft. McElhenny also played for the Minnesota Vikings in their first two seasons and for the New York Giants in the 1963 NFL Championship Game. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970.
Episodes of The Game before the Money Podcast are released every other week, except for certain episodes that may take longer to create. The show is produced and hosted by Jackson Michael, author of The Game before the Money: Voices of the Men Who Built the NFL, published by the University of Nebraska Press. Many episodes feature interviews with pro and college football legends. Learn more at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com.
Nov 19, 2020
Nov 19, 2020
36 min
Green Bay Packers legend Boyd Dowler joins The Game before the Money Podcast and brings us into the Packers' locker room with stories about winning 5 NFL championships under Vince Lombardi. Hear his memories about winning the 1959 NFL Rookie of the Year award, scoring the longest NFL receiving touchdown of 1960, and how President Kennedy played a role in the Packers’ 1961 season.
Dowler also talks about quarterbacking the Colorado Buffaloes to victory in the 1957 Orange Bowl and how he, Paul Hornung, and Ray Nitschke were called into military service in the middle of the NFL season. You will also hear about an incident at a Packers’ practice that left a hole in Nitschke’s helmet!
Did you know that Dowler served as an assistant coach under George Allen? Find out more in this episode of The Game before the Money Podcast.
Episodes of The Game before the Money Podcast are released each week. The show is produced and hosted by Jackson Michael, author of The Game before the Money: Voices of the Men Who Built the NFL, published by the University of Nebraska Press. Many episodes feature interviews with pro and college football legends. Learn more at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com.
Oct 14, 2020
Oct 14, 2020
50 min
John Lobon shares his experience as a member of the Syracuse 8, a group of Syracuse football players who stood up for student-athlete rights and against racial injustice. The players were ultimately suspended for the entire 1970 season but later vindicated in an investigative report ordered by the university.
John Lobon tells the story of his stellar high school football career in Hartford, Connecticut, his decision to attend Syracuse University, and his decision to join the Syracuse 8. He describes the defensive play he made that his teammates called, “The Defining Moment” of the team his freshman year, and brings us into the times of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The story of the Syracuse 8 illustrates how discrimination can occur in places one might not expect. John Lobon and his teammates rallied against discrimination and for better medical and academic support for all student-athletes. The young men paid a heavy cost to establish gains still enjoyed by student-athletes today.
The Game before the Money Podcast is released each Tuesday. The show is produced and hosted by Jackson Michael, author of The Game before the Money: Voices of the Men Who Built the NFL, published by the University of Nebraska Press. Learn more at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com.