Playing Through Pain, with RGIII and Elena Delle Donne

For many athletes, it’s their worst nightmare: getting an injury that could end their season — or even their career. In this episode of Sports in America, we sit down with two star athletes who’ve competed through painful moments. Robert Griffin III, or RGIII, had one of the most promising rookie campaigns in NFL history — but got injured soon after he made his debut. And in an attempt to lead the Washington Mystics to victory, two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne played through three herniated discs, a broken nose, and a knee injury.What’s the line between a heroic performance in the game, and the risk of permanent damage to an athlete’s body? And in the end, who’s responsible for protecting a player from themselves?Show Notes Outta Pocket with RGIII Podcast  Robert Griffin Dominates the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day | NFL Highlights Mike Shanahan: James Andrews cleared Griffin to play, but doctor disagrees | USA Today The Best Of Elena Delle Donne (WNBA Finals 2019) | WNBA Family comes first for Delle Donne, even during WNBA championship run | ESPN Elena Delle Donne listens to body, announces retirement | ESPN

Kareem Rosser was just eight years old when his brothers stumbled across the Chamounix Stables in a Philadelphia park. That wrong turn would change his life forever. In 2011, he captained the first all-Black team to win the National Interscholastic Polo Championship.Today, we learn all about the sport of competitive polo, which is less genteel than it looks. It’s almost like a mix of ice hockey and NASCAR. Kareem opens up about the whiplash of traveling from the rough neighborhood where he grew up to the Hamptons and back in a weekend. He also talks about how he uses the tragedies he’s experienced to drive his passion to help others.Show Notes  A behind-the-scenes look at Philadelphia’s inspiring Work to Ride Program | Ralph Lauren A Polo Primer: Lessons From a Pro | WSJ 'Why I Play': Dominating polo while being black | The Undefeated Ride to the Olympics CEO on increase in Black polo players: 'We break barriers' | ABC News When You're Ready: A Love Story | Kareem Rosser Show CreditsHost: David GreeneExecutive Producers: Joan Isabella, Tom GrahslerSenior Producer: Michael OlcottProducer: Michaela WinbergAssociate Producer: Bibiana CorreaTalent Booker: Britt KahnEngineer: Mike VillersTile Art: Bea WallingSports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.

Last week, we heard from former Tampa Bay Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen about how going pro was never supposed to happen to him; that dream was his brother Seth’s. This week, we sit down with Seth to talk about his own rugged athletic career, cut short by injury. We hear the highs of being a 5-star recruit, the lows of when the game was taken away from him, and how this all tested the bond between brothers.Show Notes Seth Jensen Athlete Profile | University of Nebraska- Lincoln Ryan Jensen: My Life as an NFL Offensive Lineman | CBS Back home in Colorado, the Bucs’ Ryan Jensen is still inspired by his family | The Athletic Retired Buccaneers Center Ryan Jensen Finds Post-NFL Purpose Alongside A Former D2 Rival | Forbes For sworn, retired, or family members of the law enforcement community who might be struggling with mental health, please call 1-800-267-5463 (1-800-COPLINE) Show CreditsHost: David GreeneExecutive Producers: Joan Isabella, Tom GrahslerSenior Producer: Michael OlcottProducer: Michaela WinbergAssociate Producer: Bibiana CorreaTalent Booker: Britt KahnEngineer: Mike VillersTile Art: Bea WallingSports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.

Ryan Jensen made a name for himself as a center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with quarterback Tom Brady. But even as he looks down at his Super Bowl ring, Ryan knows: None of this success was supposed to happen to him. It was supposed to be his brother’s. When Ryan was a kid, his older brother Seth was the one who seemed destined for greatness in the NFL. It caught everyone by surprise when Ryan got there instead. Over the next two episodes, we’re bringing you a story about family, expectations, and the times when fate has something else in mind. What happens when two brothers seem to switch places, and their destinies shift in a way that shocks their family, friends, and each other?Show Notes Back home in Colorado, the Bucs' Ryan Jensen is still inspired by his family | The Athletic Rams vs. Buccaneers Divisional Round Highlights | NFL 2021 Tampa Bay's Ryan Jensen is the game's best center — and one of its most relentless players | ESPN Ryan Jensen on Tom Brady: He Expects Perfection | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Press Conference Ryan Jensen Career Stats | ESPN

Nattie Neidhart is part of the legendary Hart family that produced professional wrestling greats, like Bret and Owen Hart. But none of the women in her family wrestled professionally. That is, until Nattie came along. This week, we talk to Nattie about her new memoir, “The Last Hart Beating.” She shares stories from her decades-long career in the WWE, how her family dealt with the tragic loss of her uncle in a wrestling accident, and why her legacy is more than what we see on TV. We also ask the question that wrestling skeptics have always wondered: If the results of a match are predetermined, can we even call it a sport?Show Notes Nattie Neidhart, “The Last Hart Beating” Faby Apache vs. Natalya | 2025 highlights Inside The Hart Family Dungeon | WWE The Legacy of Owen Hart Lives On | All Elite Wrestling Bret "The Hitman" Hart vs. Shawn Michaels | WWE Rivals

It’s the most successful and the most maddening play in professional football right now: the tush push. If you’re a football fan, you have probably seen the play in action — the one where the Philadelphia Eagles seem to push their quarterback Jalen Hurts over the line to gain a first down, or to score. But you might not know its surprising backstory. In this episode, we bring you the man who helped create this controversial play: Richie Gray, a former rugby coach from a small town in Scotland. Richie tells us how he made his way into the NFL, what he thinks about the tush push controversy, and what makes the play so unstoppable.Show Notes The Tush Push Explained with Kyle Brandt & Dr Neil DeGrasse Tyson | NFL Inside Packers-Eagles battle over banning the tush push | ESPN How a Scottish Rugby Lifer is Changing the Way NFL Teams Tackle | Sports Illustrated Jason Defends the Push, Travis’ Record-Breaking Connection and Coach Prime Makes History | New Heights Podcast 26 Minutes of the Tush Push | Philadelphia Eagles Show CreditsExecutive Producer: Tom GrahslerSenior Producer: Michael OlcottProducer: Michaela WinbergAssociate Producer: Bibiana CorreaEngineer: Mike VillersTile Art: Bea WallingSports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.

With recent news of an FBi investigation into the NBA and mob ties around sports betting, this week on Sports in America, we take a look at how sports gambling went from the smoky parlors of Vegas to a multi-billion dollar industry that we can access from our smartphones. We talk to author Beth Raymer, who gives us a firsthand personal look at the highs and lows of sports gambling. We also talk to gambling expert Jonathan Cohen to understand how this collective obsession can ruin people’s lives, and some solutions for how we can control it.Show Notes Lay the Favorite: A Memoir about Gambling | Penguin Random House What we know about arrests in FBI's illegal gambling investigation | BBC Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling | Columbia Global Reports Inside how sports betting went mainstream | ESPN What is Gambling Disorder? | American Psychiatric Association   Show CreditsExecutive Producer: Tom GrahslerSenior Producer: Michael OlcottProducer: Michaela WinbergAssociate Producer: Bibiana CorreaEngineer: Mike VillersTile Art: Bea WallingSports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.

Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway had a stellar career in the NBA, from his time with Run TMC on the Warriors to the epic Heat/Knicks rivalry in the late 90’s. But maybe the biggest accomplishment in Tim’s career was the time he admitted he was wrong. This week, we talk about his new memoir “Killer Crossover,”  where Tim tells us about honing his craft in his hometown of Chicago, how his life on the court has changed his relationship with his son, and the ways his toughness on the court translated directly to his accountability off of it.Show Notes Knicks @ Heat 1997 ECSF Deciding Game 7 Highlights | NBC Tim Hardaway’s Killer Crossover | NBA Killer Crossover | My Life from the Chicago Streets to Basketball Royalty Run TMC's High-Scoring Offense | NBA Tim Hardaway: Gay rights champion | The Denver Post Show CreditsExecutive Producer: Tom GrahslerSenior Producer: Michael OlcottProducer: Michaela WinbergAssociate Producer: Bibiana CorreaEngineer: Mike VillersTile Art: Bea WallingSports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.

Pablo Torre is a podcaster, host, and one-of-a-kind media personality. He got his start as a fact checker for Sports Illustrated, then guest hosted shows on ESPN, and now has his own podcast called Pablo Torre Finds Out. His witty sense of humor and in-depth reporting, have made him one of the leading voices in the industry. In this episode, we see the world through Pablo’s unique lens and learn why he thinks sports are more vital than ever to break through the noise in our divided country.  Show Notes The Bill Belichick Ring Video: Pablo Torre Found a New Tape — and Finally Solved the Mystery | PTFO How We Investigated Jordon | Pablo Torre Kawhi Leonard Signed a Secret $28M Deal. Steve Ballmer Funded a Fraud. We Followed the Money. | PTFO Athletes Quick To Go Broke | NPR Watching the Dallas Cowboys on Death Row: Our Visit to a Supermax Prison | Pablo Torre Show CreditsExecutive Producer: Tom GrahslerSenior Producer: Michael OlcottProducer: Michaela WinbergAssociate Producer: Bibiana CorreaEngineer: Mike VillersTile Art: Bea WallingSports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.

Back in 2021, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin was at his peak. He had just led his team to victory in the NFC Championship, and they went on to win the Super Bowl that year. But right at the top of his game, he suffered numerous serious injuries that could have ended his career.In this episode, we sit down with Chris, who is finally back on the field after a year out of the game, to talk about what it feels like to not play for weeks, months, or even seasons at a time. And we’ll hear from an expert about how an athlete, someone known for their strength and perseverance, can even begin to heal mentally from that experience. Show Notes: Freezing Temps Don't Stop Chris Godwin from Racking Up 110 Yds | NFL Half Man, Half Monster | The Players Tribune How long is Chris Godwin out? Injury update, timeline for Bucs WR | USA Today Chris Godwin at the 2017 Rose Bowl | Antonella Crescimbeni Chris Godwin Mic'd Up vs. the Saints | Tampa Bay Buccaneers  Show Credits:Executive Producers: Tom Grahsler and Joan IsabellaSenior Producer: Michael OlcottProducer: Michaela WinbergAssociate Producer: Bibiana CorreaEngineer: Mike VillersTile Art: Bea WallingSports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.