THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST
WITH JASON ROMANO, FEATURING BEN TROUPE
Ben Troupe is a former NFL tight end who played five seasons with the Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders. He was selected in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Titans after a successful college career at the University of Florida, where he was a 2003 first-team All-American.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Ben Troupe about the importance of a praying mother, his rock-bottom moment in 2016, forgiving his dad, and giving his life to God.
Today is my BDay and I am incredibly grateful and humbled that God has given me another year of life. I appreciate every moment, memory, and adversity to get to this day. Getting older is inevitable, getting old is a choice. I choose extraordinary. I cant wait for whats next.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)
Diego Pavia has always believed in himself, even when others might not have. All he needed was a chance — a theme that would resurface again and again on his way to stardom at Vanderbilt, and eventually, to discovering a faith that reshaped his entire life.
That journey began long before SEC stadiums or Heisman Trophy chatter. It started at junior college, where football was present but clarity wasn’t. Pavia carried big dreams, but also big questions.
“I went to JUCO. I had questions about God. It was like God wasn’t really in my life, and it was like, where am I?” he said this week on “The Pivot Podcast” with Ryan Clark. “I met these two dudes — Dalton Bowles and Carson Sullivan. One’s a preacher right now and one’s a coach. These dudes led me to Christ. The first time I ever prayed, really, on my hands and knees, tears were dropping from my eyes. I got up and it was just tears of joy — coming to the Lord and Savior. Ever since then, it was like, this is what I needed. It was a relationship with God.”
And as he moved on to New Mexico State in 2022, God kept placing people in his path. At NMSU, Pavia crossed paths with tight end Eli Stowers, whose faith wasn’t loud or performative, but steady and unmistakable. Stowers’ conviction and example through how he lived his life made an imprint on Pavia, so much so that Pavia believes they weren’t teammates by accident — both at New Mexico State and eventually at Vanderbilt.
“It was just like, Christ is real, and this is the reason why I am here right now,” Pavia said on the podcast.
But his belief in God didn’t mean his football path suddenly smoothed out. His road to the SEC was anything but easy. When he entered the transfer portal, interest was minimal.
“When I hit the transfer portal, no one wanted me,” he said. “My biggest offer was Washington State. No disrespect to Washington State, I thought I was better than that.”
He committed to Nevada at first, unsure he could complete the 21 credits Vanderbilt required for admission. But everything changed when Pavia received a phone call from Jerry Kill, his head coach at New Mexico State who had recently retired. Turns out, Kill wasn’t totally done in football yet. He told Pavia he was joining Vanderbilt’s staff as a chief consultant, and he didn’t mince words.
“You’re coming with me,” Kill told him.
That was all Pavia needed.
“I’m a loyal dude,” he said. “I feel like you took a chance on me coming from JUCO to New Mexico State, with this opportunity in the SEC, I’m going to take it.”
The chance he had long been waiting for had finally arrived — and he made the most of it.
He broke onto the scene last season, leading Vanderbilt to a 7-6 season and a win in the Birmingham Bowl. But this fall, Pavia became one of the most dynamic players in college football. He led Vanderbilt to a 10–2 record, claimed the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award last week, and was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year on Wednesday, two days after he was named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, which will be revealed at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Pavia amassed 4,018 yards of total offense with 36 total touchdowns while leading the SEC in pass efficiency (171.5), touchdown passes (27) and completion percentage (71.2%). He ranks second nationally in total offense (334.8 yards per game) and became the first Vanderbilt player ever to top 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in a single game (Nov. 8).
Yet for all the production, the statistics only reinforce the belief he’s carried his whole life.
“I was like, ‘I can win wherever I go. I just need a chance. I just need an opportunity,'” he said on “The Pivot.” “The NFL as well — just give me a chance. I just want an opportunity and I can show you that I’m going to play. That’s just who I feel I am deep inside. I’m a true competitor who, at all costs, I’m going to beat you out. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do, where you came from, I’m going to win. That’s how I grew up being.”
His confidence and authenticity have never wavered — not when he was overlooked in recruiting, not when schools passed on him in the portal, and not even when he stumbled publicly. After Vanderbilt stunned No. 1 Alabama last year, fans stormed the field and emotions exploded. Pavia, overwhelmed by the moment, praised God on live TV.
“It’s literally all God’s timing,” he said on SEC Network. “Literally from the jump. God gave me a vision when I was a little kid, and He don’t let back any promises. It’s God’s timeline. I’m super thankful.”
By the next morning, he knew he hadn’t represented himself or his faith the way he wanted to. His apology came quickly and publicly:
“I’m sorry for cussing last night but, God you are the TRUTH AND ALL THE GLORY GOES TO YOU!! For yall that don’t know him, get to know him. HE IS MAGICAL!!”
Now, after finishing the 2025 season 10-2 and just outside of the College Football Playoff field, Pavia and the No. 14 Commodores will face No. 23 Iowa in the Reliaquest Bowl at 12 p.m. ET on Dec. 31.
New Orleans Saints LB Demario Davis, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
In a sport that takes such a physical tole on a player’s body, in a league that prioritizes youth, at a position where dominance is rarely achieved past the age of 30, NFL linebacker Demario Davis stands apart. The New Orleans Saints’ star, who will turn 37 in January, is once again in the middle of one of the best seasons of his career.
He’s eighth in the NFL in total tackles with 118, and all players in front of him are in their 20s except for Washington’s Bobby Wagner (aged 35). With four games remaining in the 2025-26 season, Davis could set a new career high in tackles; his current career high is 136, set just one season ago. Davis also has two pass deflections, two forced fumbles (tied for a career high), a fumble recovery, and five tackles for loss this season.
As a team, the Saints are 3-10 and in the middle of a rebuilding year. However, New Orleans did beat the division-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road on Sunday, 24-20, in a game where Davis tied for the team lead with seven tackles.
Spirits remain high inside the New Orleans locker room, and it all starts with the team’s veteran leader.
“It really shows our culture. I think nobody wants to be 3-10. Nobody wants to be there. But not all 3-10s look the same,” Davis said after the game. “… You would not think you’re looking at a 3-10 defense. That’s a testament to our front, that’s a testament to our second-level guys, that’s a testament to our back-end guys, that’s a testament to our coaches, that’s a testament to the culture that is being built here, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Originally a third-round pick of the New York Jets out of Arkansas State in 2012, Davis became a solid starter in four seasons with the team. But after one year with the Cleveland Browns and another back with the Jets, he signed with the Saints in March 2018. He was 29 at the time his contract was signed, and he’s only gotten better in New Orleans.
Davis has surpassed the 100-tackle plateau in each of his eight seasons in the black and gold, earning a first-team All-Pro selection in 2019, second-team All-Pro selections in 2020-23, and Pro Bowl selections in 2022 and 2023. He’s proven extremely durable as well, very rarely missing games, and he’s become one of the most respected and inspiring leaders in the NFL. He’s been a team captain since his signing.
Davis has excelled off the field in New Orleans as well. He won the Bart Starr Award in 2021, “created to honor the NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community,” according to the award’s website. On Tuesday, another distinction came Davis’ way, when he was named a finalist for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
Davis has also been nominated three times while with the Saints (including this season) for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, given annually to recognize a player for his community impact and on-field performance. The winner will be announced at the NFL Honors on Feb. 5.
“Man, it’s a tremendous honor,” Davis told the media after news broke. “I think every time you get a recognition of this stature, it takes you back to your ‘why.’ And for me, my ‘why’ will always be centered around my faith. I think we’re called to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and I’m so grateful to this organization because of the platform that I have here.
“… To be able to live out your ‘why’ is so rewarding.”
⚜️ Demario Davis on Giving Back to the Community & His WPMOY Nomination 🙌
Demario Davis said being nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is one of the greatest honors of his career, because of what it represents — leadership, service, and making an impact beyond… pic.twitter.com/Rv11bQ8t9O
“I became a lot more community-oriented in college when my life changed,” he said. “Once I gave my life to Christ, it became more about living for something that was greater than myself. I had always been about the glory that I could get on the field, and once my life changed, it became, ‘How can I serve?’ Or, ‘How can I use the platform to impact the locker room and how can I use the game to impact the community?'”
During his most recent appearance on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in November 2024, Davis said all of the things he does to serve others and proclaim the Gospel stems from a heart that has been transformed by the love of Christ. It’s obedience to Him that impels Davis outward.
“It really wasn’t about all that extra stuff and going out and serving Jesus well with my life,” he said. “It was about loving Jesus well with my personhood, and just sitting before Him and sitting at His feet. … ‘Whatever You do with this platform — however great You make it — I’m gonna represent You.'”
Grounded in Christ, Davis will seek to continue to provide veteran leadership while anchoring an improving Saints defense. New Orleans will have an opportunity to win back-to-back games for the first time this season when the team faces another division rival, the Carolina Panthers (7-6), on Sunday. Kickoff is set for New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome at 4:25 p.m. ET.
Packers wide receiver Christian Watson runs for his second touchdown, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
As the new year fast approaches and the NFL regular season hits its home stretch, the league’s division races are intensifying with each passing week. One of the more fascinating races to watch is unfolding in the NFC North.
The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, fierce longtime rivals, matched up on Sunday at bitter-cold Lambeau Field for the first time this year, and the division lead was on the line. Ultimately, it was the Packers who emerged victorious, 28-21, thanks in large part to the efforts of emerging star wide receiver Christian Watson.
With the temperature at game time hovering in the mid-teens, Watson got his team on the scoreboard first. On a third-and-10, the fourth-year wideout found a soft spot in Chicago’s secondary, quarterback Jordan Love lofted a pass, and Watson brought it in and stretched over the goal line for the 23-yard score. In typical Packers fashion, he celebrated with a Lambeau Leap into the crowd.
In the third quarter, after the Bears had trimmed Green Bay’s lead to 14-11, Watson found the end zone again. Known for his speed, Watson caught a short third-down pass over the middle and then won a footrace to the end zone for a 41-yard touchdown.
The Bears tied the game in the fourth quarter, but the Packers re-took the lead with 3:32 left and held on for the win. Green Bay (9-3-1) now holds a half-game lead over Chicago (9-4) in the division while remaining a half game behind the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks (both 10-3) for first place in the NFC.
Watson finished his big day with four receptions for a season-high 89 yards and the two touchdowns. He now has five scores in his past four contests.
“[Watson is] a dynamic player, and we got to continue to find ways to get him the ball,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said in his postgame press conference. “… I’m just really proud of how he is. What happened a year ago versus the Chicago Bears and how he’s responded and how he’s worked to get him into a spot now where you go out and you see what he can do. Got a lot of love and a lot of respect for Christian Watson.”
LaFleur was referring to Watson’s non-contact injury one season ago against the Bears at Lambeau. Attempting to make a cut in the final game of the regular season, Watson’s knee buckled, and he crumpled to the ground with a torn right ACL. He made his long-awaited return from the injury on Oct. 26 in a 35-25 victory in Pittsburgh, and Sunday was his first matchup against Chicago since the injury.
“It means a lot to me, for sure,” Watson told the media after the game when asked about the moment. “Honestly, I tried not to think about it that much, but as the game was kind of getting going, it was definitely creeping in my mind a little bit. I’m just so thankful and blessed to be able to do what I do, and I’m glad that today panned out how it did, for sure.”
Watson found refuge in God in the wake of his devastating injury 11 months ago. His first post on Instagram after the injury quoted the Bible verse John 16:33, which promises peace in Christ amid the storms of life.
“[Football is] a tough sport, a lot on the body,” Watson said in August in the middle of his recovery, via the team’s website, “but I’m just grateful for where I’m at regardless of the situation. Appreciative of that.
“I always kind of fall back on that, embracing God’s plan.”
With Watson now fully integrated back into Green Bay’s offensive attack, the Packers look as dangerous as ever. They have now won four consecutive games (three against division opponents) to vault back to the top tier of the NFC.
Yet they are facing a challenging final stretch with three of their remaining four games coming on the road, including a pivotal rematch against the Bears in Chicago on Dec. 20. First, however, the Packers will travel to Denver to face the AFC-leading Broncos (11-2). Kickoff is set for Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING ALEX CALL
Alex Call is an outfielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was traded to Los Angeles from the Washington Nationals on July 31, 2025, and helped lead the Dodgers to the 2025 World Series.
Call was originally selected in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox. He was traded to Cleveland in 2018 and spent the next four years in the minors before making his MLB debut in July 2022. He was selected off waivers by Washington in 2023 and played in 128 games for the Nationals that season, hitting eight home runs. In 2024, Call played in 30 games with the Nationals and hit .343 with five stolen bases in 99 at-bats.
Today on the podcast, Alex Call shares about his journey to the Dodgers, winning a World Series, lessons God taught him this year, and being content in Christ.
