THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST
WITH JASON ROMANO, FEATURING DAMONTRE MOORE
Damontre Moore is an NFL player who was selected in the third round of the 2013 draft by the New York Giants. He spent three seasons there before becoming a part of the Cowboys, Raiders, 49ers, Seahawks, Dolphins, Colts and Panthers over the next six years.
In college at Texas A&M, Moore was a standout linebacker who was a consensus first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC selection with 12.5 sacks in his junior year of 2012.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Moore about his relationship with Jesus, how he’s grown as a man during the ups and downs of his pro career, his desire to continue to play football, and his encouragement for young players coming into the league.
Charles Tillman in 2012. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE & JASON ROMANO, FEATURING CHARLES TILLMAN
Charles Tillman is a former Pro Bowl cornerback with the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers. He was selected in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft, 35th overall to the Bears. He spent 12 seasons with Chicago (2003-2014) and helped the Bears to an NFC championship and trip to Super Bowl XLI in 2006-07. He was selected to the 2011 and 2012 Pro Bowls, and in 2013 was selected as the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year.
Thanks to his “Peanut Punch,” Tillman owns the NFL record for most forced fumbles in a game, with four against the Tennessee Titans in 2012. He also had three interceptions returned for touchdowns that season and was a first-team All-Pro.
Today on the podcast, Charles Tillman joins his former teammate, Matt Forte, to discuss his NFL Draft story, the challenges he faced around the game of football, developing the “Peanut Punch,” and the importance of faith and family during difficult times, such as his daughter’s heart surgery.
Falcons players and their spouses — including Bradley Pinion (left) and Kaden Elliss (right) — walk through the Dominican Republic. (Photo courtesy of Compassion)
Many professional athletes are involved in some capacity with Compassion International and have served with the nonprofit in foreign countries. But until the Atlanta Falcons took a large contingent to the Dominican Republic in March, no professional sports organization had traveled as a group in partnership with Compassion.
Falcons president Greg Beadles, head coach Raheem Morris, seven players, plus staff and spouses went on the trip with Compassion, which partners with local churches to help release children from poverty. The group spent four days in the country meeting with church partners, participating in organized activities with the children, like a baseball game and football drills, and visited the homes of mothers and children facing struggles.
“One of my biggest takeaways from the trip was just the guys that went on it and seeing their hearts for Christ and seeing them outside of the football building and in a situation that can sometimes be a little uncomfortable, because of the level of poverty that you’re seeing,” Falcons punter Bradley Pinion, who spearheaded the trip with his wife Kaeleigh, told Sports Spectrum. “But then, seeing how my teammates just opened up and the joy that came on their face, and just seeing them serve and serving alongside them to the neediest of families in the Dominican Republic, it’s just something that I’ll never forget.”
The @AtlantaFalcons are making a difference beyond the football field! They recently visited the DR to see firsthand how Compassion is helping children escape poverty.
"The lives of these kids are being changed, and we've been changed too," said Bradley Pinion, punter for the… pic.twitter.com/0M2KMrZamx
— Compassion International (@compassion) April 7, 2025
Pinion has been serving with Compassion for many years. In 2023, he and Kaeleigh traveled to Tanzania to visit survival centers they helped fund, which provide critical prenatal care and access to food, clean water and medicine to mothers and babies.
This experience led to him launching “Punts for Purpose” later that year, for which he partnered with other punters around the NFL to donate $1,000 to Compassion for every punt that landed inside the 20-yard line, in support of 500 child survival centers.
When envisioning this trip to the Dominican Republic, he felt compelled to invite his teammates and other members of the organization to experience what Compassion is doing. However, he told Sports Spectrum, he was admittedly a little nervous to ask Beadles about the team partnering with Compassion, but he’s ultimately glad he did.
“It was just incredible to see, honestly, God in all of it and how it, from one simple [act of] stepping out in faith and being undaunted, led to me seeing teammates in a different light, and seeing different people within our organization in a different light, and our head coach in a different light, and our president in a different light,” Pinion said. “God has used that to draw people not only closer to Him, but also draw them to Compassion’s mission and the work that Compassion does.”
“We’ve never done anything like this before and I’m so grateful we had this opportunity,” Beadles said in a team press release. “We are a values-driven organization both on and off the field, and we’ve always wanted to be a positive, impactful force for good in communities.”
Morris echoed a similar sentiment.
“It’s what we preach every day,” he said. “When you get a chance to go live it, it means everything.”
Compassion President and CEO Jimmy Mellado commended the Falcons for their willingness to serve as a team. He said the Falcons organization is “dedicated to excellence and sportsmanship on the field,” but it went a step further because these efforts off the field were “lifesaving.”
“You can tell when a team has a culture: when they’re unified, when they’re powerful,” Mellado said in a video recap. “There are some teams that have the best athletes in the world, but they don’t ever reach their potential. But when you put ability plus culture plus that glue that puts you together, now that team is unstoppable.”
According to Compassion, 49% of households in the Dominican Republic live on less than $3.40 a day. Children in these communities are often exposed to “serious consequences of poverty,” including crime and gang violence, drug activity, human trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
Through its partnership with 234 church partners in the Dominican Republic, Compassion serves more than 62,000 children in its fight against poverty and its side effects.
“It’s what we are passionate about,” Pinion told Compassion. “We just want to bring other people along because we see the impact Compassion’s having. We want other people to see it, support it and give that same fire that we have.”
Patrick Taylor Jr. in 2024. (AP Photo/Ben VanHouten)
THIS IS THE GET IN THE GAME PODCAST
WITH SCOTT LINEBRINK
Patrick Taylor Jr. is a running back with the San Francisco 49ers going into his fifth NFL season.
Patrick joins the show today to share his faith journey, the importance of surrendering to God, and how his faith helps him navigate the uncertainties of a professional football career. He shares his experiences of identity beyond being a football player, the role of prayer in his life, and his commitment to serving the community through youth camps.
Clint Hurdle in July 2023. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE & JASON ROMANO, FEATURING CLINT HURDLE
Clint Hurdle is a former MLB player and manager. He was selected in the first round of the 1975 MLB Draft out of high school by Kansas City. He made his MLB debut in 1977 and played with the Royals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals until his retirement after the 1987 season. He was a member of the 1980 AL-champion Royals team that lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.
Clint is one of the few in baseball who have both played and managed in the World Series. He was the Colorado Rockies manager from 2002-09 and the Pittsburgh Pirates manager from 2011-19. He led Colorado to the 2007 World Series and led Pittsburgh to three straight playoff berths in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Sporting News named him the NL Manager of the Year in 2013. He is currently a special assistant in the Rockies front office.
Clint’s new book, “Hurdle-isms: Wit and Wisdom from a Lifetime in Baseball,” came out in February.
Today on the podcast, Clint Hurdle shares his transformative journey from a troubled past to a life of faith and leadership. He discusses the importance of surrender, the challenges of leadership in baseball, and how adversity has shaped his character. Hurdle emphasizes the value of lifelong learning and ultimately highlighting the grace of God in his life.
