THIS IS EPISODE 545 OF THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST
Steve Palazzolo is a former pro baseball pitcher who is currently a senior analyst with Pro Football Focus, a football analytics website.
He played his college baseball at UMass-Lowell and wasn’t drafted, but signed to play independent-league ball with the Florence Freedom in Kentucky. He was able to turn that opportunity into an eight-year pro baseball career that saw him reach as high as Triple-A with the Brewers, Giants and Mariners organizations.
After his baseball career came to an end in 2011, he pursued his passion to work in pro football, joining Cris Collinsworth and the team from Pro Football Focus. Palazzolo currently lives in Cincinnati with his wife and four children, and serves in the local church and with a local addiction program called “Heritage House.”
On today’s podcast, we talk to Palazzolo about his pro baseball career, his unique job with Pro Football Focus, coming to faith on a baseball road trip in Nashville, and his desire to serve those who are stuck in addiction.
Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop was at SEC Media Days in Tampa, Florida, this week to answer questions about the upcoming season, and he did plenty of that. The 2025 second-team All-SEC selection is expected to be a major contributor for a Volunteers team looking to get back to the College Football Playoff after missing it last season.
But that didn’t stop him from using the opportunity to talk openly about his faith in Christ as well.
“First and foremost, before we begin, I want to give all glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” Bishop said Monday in his opening statement during his press conference. “I can pretend like this day is about me, but it’s really about Him. Ultimately, I would not be up here without Him, and He’s been the difference in my life. I encourage anyone out there, if you’re seeking a relationship with Him, go get it, because it does make the difference in everything you do. So all glory to Him.”
Bishop ran for 1,076 yards with 16 touchdowns last season, which were good for fourth and second in the conference, respectively. Tennessee finished 8-5 and lost 30-28 to Illinois in the Music City Bowl, where he ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns.
In Monday’s press conference, a reporter later asked what led to his success last season, and once again he turned to his faith.
“First of all, my Lord and Savior, obviously, giving me the ability to do what I do and just giving me the work ethic that I have,” Bishop said. “I came up from a lot of tribs and trials just to get to the spot I am now. So I’ve got to give the glory to Him.
“And also my offensive line. I tell this all the time, ‘I’m only as good as them.’ So those dudes pave the way for me and we are returning a bunch of stars this year and a lot of the dudes from the transfer portal. I believe that will be a big contributor to my success as well.”
Later, Bishop did a one-on-one interview with SEC Network, and was asked about the importance of his faith.
“I wouldn’t be here without it,” he said. “My Lord and Savior has treated me very good — more than I honestly deserve. I don’t really deserve to be in front of y’all, but by His grace and salvation He saved me from a really dark place, a path of destruction that I was on. It was leading me down to a place I don’t need to be.
“When God swooped in and saved my life, it came with all this that I’ve received now, so all glory to Him. If you are out there and don’t know much about Him, I encourage you to at least try to find a relationship with Him because it will change your life for the better.”
Don’t be fooled by Bishop’s calm and humble demeanor, though. When he gets the ball, his goal is “to punish people.”
“I have the mindset of not getting tackled and just fighting for as much yards as I can every time I touch the ball, just utilizing every carry I get because it could be limited,” he said in his press conference.
Bishop has relied on that approach ever since he starred at Karns High School in Knoxville, Tennessee. And he’s also carried a bit of a chip on his shoulder since then. Despite rushing for 8,347 yards and 102 touchdowns over the course of his high school career — which ranked second and third all-time in Tennessee high school football history, respectively — his only scholarship offers were from Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State. Tennessee came in at the last minute offering a walk-on spot. Despite being “really irritated” at the time that it was just a walk-on offer, he took the offer and bet on himself.
After redshirting his freshman year, he served as a backup the following season, and tallied 455 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. He topped 1,000 yards for the first time in his college career last season and has his sights set on even bigger numbers this year as he enters his redshirt junior season. He’s also getting NFL Draft buzz. The Athletic ranked him No. 8 in its list of top 15 draft-eligible underclassmen.
Having to earn his scholarship the way he did has made him into the player he is now and he chalks it all up to “God’s plan.”
“All glory to God, man,” Bishop said during his press conference. “It’s truly remarkable. Not many people would think of a walk-on from Karns would probably ever reach 1,000 yards. I came into a class where if anybody thought [someone] was supposed to transfer, man, it was probably supposed to be me.
“And just all the hard work has paid off. And it feels like I haven’t even scratched the surface, honestly, of what I’m capable of. So I’m just continuing to just praise Him. Obviously He’s telling me to get back to work because there’s a lot of work to be done this season.”
Bishop wasn’t picked for any preseason SEC awards, likely because he’s in a conference with two of the best running backs in the country — Kewan Lacy of Ole Miss and Ahmad Hardy of Missouri, who were chosen ahead of him. Lacy ranks No. 1 and Hardy is No. 3 on The Athletic’s list of draft-eligible underclassmen.
Bishop’s pro future will work itself out in due time, but for now, he’s focused on making an impact in his locker room and community. This past weekend, he hosted a football camp at Karns, where faith once again took center stage. Campers wore shirts that read, “A little bit of faith. And a little bit of hard work.”
“A lot of people out here are big believers in the Lord, and I believe that’s what you’ve got to have in your life,” Bishop told the Knoxville News Sentinel. “You’ve got to be grounded in your faith. There’s a lot of things you look for to try to satisfy you in this life, but only one thing can, and that’s your Lord and Savior.”
Tennessee opens the 2026 season Sept. 5 at home against Furman.
Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
With a 45-54 record, the Cincinnati Reds may be looking up at everyone else in the National League Central. But a bright spot for Reds fans in the 2026 campaign has been the play of rookie infielder Sal Stewart.
Stewart has proven to be one of the most promising rookies in all of baseball throughout the first half of the season, sitting at fourth in the majors with 70 RBIs and being one of just four rookies to appear in last week’s MLB All-Star Game.
Stewart made his big-league debut with the Reds last September and played 18 games with the team. Cincinnati drafted him No. 32 overall in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Westminster Christian School in Palmetto Bay, Florida.
Stewart’s play since his debut has made waves in baseball circles, but what has the Reds faithful excited that he’ll lead the team past the wild-card round for the first time since 2012 is his willingness to continue to learn. That was on full display during the preparation for last week’s All-Star Game, when he took the opportunity to walk boldly into NL All-Star Game manager Dave Roberts‘ office uninvited. He simply wanted to learn anything he could about how to have sustained success.
“We talked for like 20 minutes about what it means to be a competitor, about winning pitches, and about getting people around you that (help you) to play the game the right way and what standard you set,” Roberts, the longtime Los Angeles Dodgers manager, said via Yardbarker. “So, we went deep. But it was just impressive. A first-year All-Star coming to the manager’s office and said, ‘Give me anything, some nuggets.'”
Stewart’s boldness has also appeared in his eagerness to talk to reporters about what’s most important to him.
“How grateful am I?” Stewart asked back to a Reds TV reporter after tying his career high with six RBIs against the New York Yankees last month. “Jesus blessed me. I’m 22 playing at Yankee Stadium. My family is in the stands. I mean, Jesus is the greatest.”
Nothing but humility from Sal Stewart after collecting 6 RBI at Yankee Stadium.
"How grateful am I? Jesus blessed me, I'm 22, man, playing at Yankee Stadium. My family is in the stands, man, Jesus is the greatest."
“Jesus Christ, He’s my Lord and Savior,” Stewart told MLB Network after his first multi-homer game in April. “He’s changed my life so much. When I was younger, I always said [that] trying to get to the big leagues was always my dream. But my dream now is just to glorify His name. Without Him, I’m nothing and I can’t do this. He gives me all the strength to do this.”
Stewart is just as bold about his faith on Instagram.
Last week at the All-Star Game, Stewart was asked by CBN Sports about where he puts his identity.
“In Jesus,” he declared, “because baseball can come and go in a heartbeat, but Jesus is everlasting. … When my identity is in Christ, I always know who I am.”
With his characteristic zeal — for baseball and for Christ — Stewart will seek to lead the Reds on a second-half resurgence and into the postseason. The Reds’ first step is to take down the American League West-leading Mariners (51-50) in Seattle on Tuesday as they attempt to bounce back from Monday’s 8-0 loss.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST HOSTED BY MATT FORTE, FEATURING RYAN KERRIGAN
Ryan Kerrigan played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Washington Redskins (2011-2020) and the Philadelphia Eagles (2021). He earned four Pro Bowl selections and is the Washington franchise leader in career sacks with 95.5.
Today on the podcast, Matt Forte talks to Ryan Kerrigan about their battles between Chicago and Washington, how Ryan has seen faith guide his life, what his 2011 NFL Draft day was like, how fatherhood and marriage have shaped him, and what it was like scoring a touchdown in his very first NFL game.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST HOSTED BY ANNABELLE HASSELBECK, FEATURING JENNY TAFT
Jenny Taft is a reporter for Fox Sports and its lead reporter for 2026 World Cup coverage.
Jenny joins our Annabelle Hasselbeck to talk about the World Cup, covering the U.S. men’s national team’s run, faith at the World Cup, growing in her own faith, her daughter’s prayers at 4 years old, and why Jenny wanted to partner with IJM to bring freedom to children worldwide.
