Mike Fisher (left) and Matt Hasselbeck (right) in June 2019 (Photo by Sports Spectrum)
THIS IS EPISODE 367 OF THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST
Mike Fisher played 19 seasons in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators from 1999-2018, retiring after the 2018 season. He’s married to country singer Carrie Underwood and has two children.
Matt Hasselbeck played 17 seasons in the NFL with the Packers, Seahawks, Titans and Colts from 1999-2015, retiring after the 2015 season. He’s currently an analyst with ESPN, is married to Sarah and has three children.
On this episode of the podcast, Hasselbeck takes the mic to interview Fisher about their friendship, faith in sports, social media, retirement, role models and daily spiritual disciplines.
Webb Simpson competing in January 2026. (AP Photo/Matt York)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING WEBB SIMPSON
Webb Simpson is a PGA Tour pro and the 2012 U.S. Open champion. After a stellar college career at Wake Forest, Simpson turned pro in 2008 and now owns seven PGA Tour wins, while also appearing in three Ryder Cup events (2012, 2014, 2018). He is also the founder and co-host of the ”Bible Caddie Podcast” with fellow PGA Tour pro Ben Crane, where they bring the Good News of Christ to the world of golf.
Today on our podcast, Webb Simpson joins Matt Forte to talk about starting his faith-based podcast, winning the U.S. Open, how to handle success as a Christ-follower, the mental side of golf, and the state of faith in the sport.
Malik Willis warms up for the Packers before a game, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Day 1 of the NFL free-agent frenzy is in the books, and one of the more intriguing storylines is the Miami Dolphins’ signing of quarterback Malik Willis. The 26-year-old former third-round pick agreed to contract terms with the Dolphins on Monday, just hours after the team released former QB Tua Tagovailoa.
According to ESPN, Willis’ deal is worth $67.5 million over three years, with $45 million fully guaranteed.
Willis continued later, “I’m just trying to take advantage of every opportunity I can get. … I’m just trying to go [to Miami] and do what I can to help them do some special things. And that’s taking it one day at a time, putting the work in and seeing where the chips fall.”
Much love and respect to packer nation supporting us and me the past 2 years! It has been awesome upholding the standard for the green and gold 🧀. It has been more than a blessing and i will never forget my time here and the relationships I made! Fins Up 🐬 Matthew 6:33-34 But… pic.twitter.com/iybRtdRKCE
Willis was selected 86th overall by the Titans out of Liberty University in 2022 but struggled to adjust to the NFL, appearing in 11 games over two seasons (starting three games). He threw three interceptions with no touchdowns in 66 total attempts over that span, but did run for a score as a rookie.
Tennessee traded the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder to Green Bay just before the start of the 2024 season, and in the green and gold, Willis revived his career.
While still a backup and appearing in only 11 games over the past two seasons, Willis threw six touchdowns without an interception and completed 78.7% of his passes for 972 yards. He also rushed for three TDs on 42 attempts. In 2024, Willis started two games in place of QB1 Jordan Love and was impressive in leading the Packers to two wins. Willis relieved Love again in a game later that season and engineered a game-winning drive. Willis continued to impress in limited time last year (four games, one start), setting himself up for the big payday he just received with the Dolphins.
At the end of last season, Willis expressed gratitude to God in an Instagram post, and he again included the Bible passage Matthew 6:33-34.
It appears Willis may get another opportunity to be a full-time starter in Miami in 2026. Expectations are certainly high for him, but it’s nothing he hasn’t experienced before. He received similar praise entering his senior year at Liberty in 2021, and he sought to stay humble at that time by rooting himself in the Lord.
“I choose to always give the glory to Him,” Willis said in the Fall 2021 edition of Sports Spectrum Magazine. “People say I’m humble, but I don’t really know if it’s humble. It’s just very, very obedient, knowing that it’s not me at all. … You’re using the abilities that God gives you and go out there and glorify His name and try to spread the Gospel.”
Willis has been seen praying on the field on numerous occasions, and he often wears eye black in the shape of a cross during games. Many of his posts on Instagram and X reference his faith as well.
“No matter how long we live, we will never know what God has going on for our lives, so we’ve just got to lean on Him — ask for wisdom and the strength to get through it,” Willis told Sports Spectrum. “That’s what I ask for the most: wisdom and strength to get through it.
“Wisdom to try to not fully understand because we’ll never fully understand what He has for us, but just understand what I need to be doing at the moment, what I need to be doing to prepare myself. And the strength to get through it mentally and physically.”
Trusting fully in God’s good plan for his life, Willis may make a much-anticipated return to Green Bay’s famed Lambeau Field this fall. Times and dates are not yet available for the 2026 NFL schedule, but the Dolphins are slated to play a road game against the Packers.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power, Feb. 25, 2026 (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II).
For much of this season, the numbers haven’t told the full story for Owen Power.
One of the top defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres and a former No. 1 overall pick, the 23-year-old endured a 24-game goal drought earlier this year — an unusual outlier even for a blueliner, who typically isn’t counted on to produce like a forward. Statistically, with only 19 points through 60 games, it hasn’t been a banner season for Power.
But it’s shaping up to be a strong year for the Sabres. After a 5-8-4 start through Nov. 13, Buffalo caught fire, winning 10 straight to close out 2025. The surge vaulted it into second place in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division, and the squad has now won 10 of its past 13 games and four in a row since the Olympic break as it pushes toward what would be the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2011.
And Power insists he’s playing the best hockey of his career.
“You look at the numbers, it probably doesn’t say that,” he told the Olean (N.Y.) Times Herald following a February practice. “But being out there, the feel I have, I feel like I’m playing better than I have in years prior. And when you’re winning, everyone looks a lot better.”
For Power, the difference has been confidence — and details.
“I think I’m using my feet a lot better (than) what I have, and with that, I think my defending comes a lot easier when I’m able to use my feet defending rather than just kind of using my stick,” he told the Times Herald. “So I think that’s kind of been a big thing. I’ve been able to close guys quicker and have tighter gaps. When you do that, the game’s a lot easier.”
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) March 4, 2026
His steadiness has mirrored Buffalo’s turnaround. Following a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday — in which Power scored on a deflection, his fifth goal of the season — he credited the group’s resilience after the long break for the Olympics.
“The rest was big,” he told reporters. “But I think we did a good job of coming back and just continuing to roll and play confident, so it’s definitely nice to come out and win four straight. Hopefully we keep it rolling.”
While his on-ice growth has been evident, Power says the most important transformation in his life has been his relationship with God. Raised in a Catholic family, he was around church growing up, but his faith was more routine than relationship.
He attended on “the big holidays,” he said, mostly to “check it off the box.” It wasn’t until before college that he began attending a Bible study. When he arrived at Michigan, that habit continued. There, he also met his future wife, whom he credits with helping lead him into a deeper walk with Christ.
That foundation became especially important once hockey success — and the contract that followed — arrived, especially when it can be easy for athletes to let their identity get wrapped up in the money and fame of pro sports.
“One thing I realized pretty quickly is I signed that contract, and you realize right away that this doesn’t change how happy you are at all,” he said on the podcast. “If anything, it comes with more temptations and ability to live with more selfish desires.”
He believes God has given him those things for a reason, and he’s ready to embrace that. But using his platform to talk about his faith is not something that comes naturally.
“I’m not the most comfortable doing it,” he told Sports Spectrum, “but I think especially in the last couple of years, I’ve kind of had the opportunity to do different things that have allowed me to come out of my shell and be able to spread the Gospel to different people around the community. It’s something I know I need to do better at, and I know God has given me a platform to use.”
Like the saying goes: Giving to others often has a way of returning the favor.
“When you’re able to go and spread the Gospel, even if it’s just getting to one person, it’s some of the most fulfilling work you can do,” he said. “I think it brings a ton of joy to my life.”
The Sabres get back on the ice Thursday in Pittsburgh to face the Penguins at 7 p.m. ET.
Arkansas QB Taylen Green runs the 40-yard dash, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Records continued to fall on Saturday as quarterback Taylen Green made his way through the drills at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The former Arkansas Razorback, who measured in at 6-foot-5⅞ and 227 pounds, set quarterback records in the 40-yard dash, the vertical jump and the broad jump.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. listed Green as the No. 8 quarterback prospect in his latest position rankings released on Feb. 23, but that may change after Saturday’s performance.
The long-strided 23-year-old blistered his way to a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, the first quarterback to run under 4.4 seconds in the drill since at least 2003. Robert Griffin III set the previous record (4.41) in 2012.
Green’s explosiveness was also on display in his jumps, recording a 43.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot-2 broad jump, both combine records for quarterbacks since at least 2003. Current Indianapolis Colt Anthony Richardson Sr. set both records (40.5-inch vertical, 10-foot-9 broad jump) in 2023.
.@RazorbackFB QB Taylen Green just shattered the QB vertical jump record.
On Green’s left wrist as he competed was a red bracelet with the words “He Must Increase” and “John 3:30,” a Bible verse that says, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (ESV).
After his record-setting day wrapped up, Green was interviewed on the field by NFL Network and was asked a question about his fiancée, Analisse Batista, a track and field athlete at Arkansas. The interviewer described her as the most important person in Green’s life, but he responded with a slight correction.
“First, the most important Person in my life is Jesus Christ,” Green said with a smile, then listed his parents as second. “… [Batista is] gonna be second once we get the ring on.”
He went on to explain that she was competing that day as well, at the SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships, and he was eager to get off the field to watch her. And as it turns out, she may have had an even better day than him; she set a personal best on the way to a victory in the 800-meter final, and she was part of the Razorback quartet that won the 4×400-meter relay.
Green and Batista got to know each other as student-athletes at Arkansas, where Green quarterbacked the Razorbacks in 2024 and 2025 after transferring from Boise State. He led Arkansas to a Liberty Bowl victory against Texas Tech in December 2024. Arkansas struggled to a 2-10 campaign in 2025, but the Lewisville, Texas, native threw for 2,714 yards and a career-best 19 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He also ran for a career-high 777 yards and eight touchdowns.
In January, Green was invited to the Senior Bowl, where he completed two of his four passes. He also sat down with Sports Spectrum at the event to talk about faithfully handling the disappointments of a 2-10 season, as well as the benefits of prayer.
“That’s really a big thing,” he said, “just giving it to God. Any worries, anxieties, things that I’m going through.”
Green appeared as a guest on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in August 2024, during the lead-up to his first season with Arkansas.
“[Jesus is] everything to me,” Green said to begin the conversation. “I start my day with Him and end my day with Him. I’m just blessed to have a family that taught me to always keep Him first when I was just even a little kid.”
He explained that his father held him accountable for his prayer life, and his sister influenced him to spend more time studying God’s Word. It was in college that God drew Green into a deeper relationship with Himself.
“Without Jesus, I’m nothing,” he said on the podcast. “Without His love and His care and His guidance just going through my whole life — the ups and downs that I’ve been through — He’s the only Truth and the Way to help me through.”
Green and hundreds of other NFL hopefuls are working hard to position themselves for the 2026 NFL Draft, which will take place in Pittsburgh from April 23-25.
