Herm Edwards in 2019 (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
THIS IS EPISODE 537 OF THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST
Herm Edwards is the head coach of the Arizona State football team. The former NFL defensive back joined Arizona State in December 2017 after eight years as an ESPN NFL analyst. He led the Sun Devils to an 8-5 record in 2019 and a victory in the 2019 Sun Bowl over Florida State.
In 1977, after going undrafted, Edwards signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and spent the next nine seasons playing defensive back in Philly. During his Eagles career, he never missed a game, playing in 135 consecutive games until he was released in 1986.
After his retirement, Edwards went into coaching and was an assistant for Marty Schottenheimer in Kansas City and Tony Dungy in Tampa, before being named the head coach of the New York Jets in 2001. He spent five seasons with the Jets and then moved on to Kansas City, where he was the Chiefs head coach from 2006-2008. In 2009, he signed with ESPN worked in TV for eight years.
On today’s podcast, we talk to Edwards about the 2020 Pac-12 season being canceled, the challenges he’s faced during the pandemic, the lessons he learned as an ESPN analyst, and how his faith has played an important role in his life.
3 Thoughts:
1. A LIE can never fix the TRUTH.
2. Don’t CRITICIZE others when you are ANGRY with yourself.
3. Put your MIND in gear before you put your TONGUE in action. #ForksUp
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING PATRICK BAILEY
Patrick Bailey is the starting catcher for the San Francisco Giants. He was a first-round selection in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Giants and made his MLB debut with the team in May 2023. Bailey won back-to-back Gold Glove awards in 2024 and 2025, and last year became the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off inside-the-park home run and a walk-off grand slam in the same season.
Today on the podcast, Matt Forte talks with Patrick Bailey about his faith in Jesus, winning two consecutive Gold Glove awards, and the identity battle he’s faced in keeping baseball in proper perspective.
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.
