WalkieTalkieZ Podcast: Recent Episodes
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THE STORIES OF THE WALK-ONS! With insight into the world of college sports and beyond, WTZ features current and former college walk-ons who reflect on their personal experiences and journeys in the role of a walk-on and the role it played for them in their life. What they took away from those invaluable walk-on experiences that led them into their careers and just what that experience ultimately did for them to help shape their growth mindsets and perspectives. The show is hosted by current Duquesne University Men's Basketball walk-on, Noah Buono.
Zone 1 of WTZ Podcast, host Noah Buono dives in the role reversal of LeBron having a great supporting cast that's helping increase this Laker team's postseason success and Curry all of a sudden not having as great of a supporting cast as we're used to seeing.
Noah also dives into LeBron's foot problem, Lakers closing this series out in 5, how he has been on the Philly train all year, Steve Kerr and Darvin Ham's chess match on the Warriors offensive strategies vs. the Lakers defensive strategies to limit Curry and why Jordan Poole's Game 1 shot was actually a better shot than Steph Curry's Game 4 shot.
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John Terzian is the owner and co-founder of The h.wood Group, which is an LA based hospitality & lifestyle marketing company with an iconic portfolio of luxury nightlife and restaurant venues.
John was a former USC Football walk-on back in the early 2000's. He joins the show to discuss the direct correlation his walk-on journey has had with his current successes.
John and Noah discuss:
- Being tormented as a walk-on
- Friendship with Drake
- Working for Kobe Bryant's agent
- Skill that propelled him most
- Law School teaching him to speak
- His failures then vs. now
...Book recommendations....Studying entrepreneurs....Having a foundation....Finding stability....Paul Hackett/Pete Carrol....& so much more!
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Rudy and Noah dive into all things involved with the making of the movie "Rudy"!
Things like:
- Where the inspiration to sell there film came from
- How he got the writer of Hoosiers & ND on board
- How much he sold the script for
- His involvement with the making of the movie
- Casting the movie
- Joe Montana's negative comments about the movie
....5 best sports movies.....5 pillars of being a walk-on....Brian Kelly & Lou Holtz...& so much more!
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Rudy Ruettiger, the inspiration behind one of the greatest sports movies in history ... the movie "RUDY", joins the podcast to talk about his journey as a walk-on and the successes that followed.
A former walk-on for the Notre Dame Football program from 1974 to 1976, Rudy is the epitome of what walk-ons represent and what walk-ons around the world embody.
In PT.1, Rudy & Noah discuss:
- 27 years to play 27 seconds
- How being dyslexic impacted Rudy
- Why forgiving is the secret sauce
- Mistreatment he dealt with
- Being around winners & who the real losers are
- Developing charter schools for skillsets
-Stigma around walk-ons
....Quotes from Sylvester Stallone & Kobe Bryant about Rudy....getting rid of doubt & fear.....clearing your mind from the clutter.....getting a gameplan.....& so much more!
PT.2 to follow next week with more about the making of the movie "RUDY" and how it all came together....his role on the set of the movie....interasctions with actor Sean Astin.....debunking comments from Joe Montana about the movie....current ND football state.....Brian Kelly leaving....so much more!
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On Part 2, Brad & Noah talk about:
- Kentucky's dribble drive offense
- Tyler Herro's storm into the NBA
- Brad's best teammate at UK
- Brad's work with Sahvir Wheeler
- His time as a GA at UK & new role at LIU Brooklyn
- Young coaches finding their coaching voice
....Losing to 15 seed St. Peter's...Best rapper at basketball...Current best player in the NBA...and so much more!
Video Highlights of every episode:
Twitter / IG / TikTok - @WTZPodcast
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EP #15 PT. 1 | Brad Calipari - Former University of Kentucky Walk-on |
Episode Description:
Brad Calipari, a former 3 year player for the University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team.
Brad, son of legendary coach, John Calipari, walked on for his dad's team at Kentucky from 2016-2019. Played 2 seasons at Detroit Mercy from 2019-2021 before taking a Graduate Assistant Coaching position at Kentucky during the 2022 season and is now the Special Assistant to the Head Coach at LIU Brooklyn.
In Part 1, Brad and Noah talk about:
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If Coach Cal forced him to play hoops
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Core values Coach Cal instilled in him growing up
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Dynamic of being coached by his Dad at a school like Kentucky
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13 former Kentucky teammates in the NBA
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What bothers him most about being known as Coach Cal's son
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Expanding his basketball knowledge & seeing different styles of play
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How he's taken advantage of the opportunities Coach Cal has given him
... and so much more! More on Part 2, coming next week!
Video Highlights of every episode:
Twitter / IG / TikTok - @WTZPodcast
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Conor Glennon, current walk-on for the University of Memphis Men's Basketball team under Head Coach Penny Hardaway, joins the pod for the 2nd time to talk about his journey within the program and all things Memphis Basketball.
Here in PT. 2, Conor talks about:
- Building the culture at Memphis
- Coach Hardaway finding his niche
- What slowed them down during the '21-'22 season
- Emoni Bates getting thrown into the fire
- Jalen Duren getting drafted
.... and so much more!
Find us on socials:
Twitter:
@snowdot3
@wtzpodcast
@conorglennon12
IG:
@_snow.3
@wtzpodcast
@conor_glennon12
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Conor Glennon, current walk-on for the University of Memphis Men's Basketball team under Head Coach Penny Hardaway, joins the pod for the 2nd time to talk all things Memphis Basketball.
A 2 part episode with PT. 2 coming next week, Conor talks about: Conor's hustle to find a spot on the team Being coached by NBA Legends Earning the respect of those coaches Winning the NIT in 2021 Stepping into more of a leadership role The Emoni Bates situation Jalen Duren getting drafted The criticism Coach Hardaway faces Team facing postseason suspension
.... and so much more!
Find us on socials:
Twitter: @snowdot3 @wtzpodcast @conorglennon12
IG: @_snow.3 @wtzpodcast @conor_glennon12
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Kyle Vasey, a 5 year long-snapper for the Penn St. Nittany Lions from the start of the 2013 season through the 2018 season, was a walk-on in the program his first 4 years before being awarded a scholarship for his 5th and last season.
Kyle talks about: - Working 8pm to 3am to pay rent - The moment he was about to quit the team - The mentality shift he made that propelled him forward - Moment Coach Franklin gave him the scholarship - Signing NFL deal with the Atlanta Falcons
... along with a breakdown of the rules of long-snapping ... growing into his voice ... his take on effort & output ... & so much more!
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Today's guest is 28 year old, 2x NBA All-Star, 3rd team All-NBA selection, 4x NBA rebounding leader & former #1 player in the country, Andre Drummond.
Andre spent one year at UConn and was a walk-on for the team because of his late decision to commit to the school after reclassifying, they given their last scholarship away making a walk-on.
Andre and Noah discuss: - 2 hiccups he faced as a walk-on - Playing for 5 teams last 3 szns - Competing against & w/ Embiid - Dre's value in today's NBA - Draymond & the New Media
... and so much more about his time with LeBron in LA, being around the drama in Philly & Brooklyn, going from max contracts to veteran's minimums, and more!
WTZ Merch Link: http://crashing-the-boards.creator-spring.com/
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Myles Wheeler, a former walk-on for The University of Oklahoma's Track & Field team, sits down and discusses his journey as a walk-on as a track and field athlete and his current journey in dental school!
Myles touches on: - What events he had to run to make the team - What a track walk-on is like - The fulfillment being on the team gave him - Balancing track & pre-dental - Reading 25 books in 2021
Only a 30 minute run time here with Myles and he offered so much great perspective on his journey from track to dental school and the importance of taking advantage of being in your 20's!
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Noah Buono, creator and host of WalkieTalkieZ Podcast, sits down with his sister Gillian, his brother Greg, and his girlfriend Kori, as they reverse the roles and interview Noah on his walk-on journey.
The 3 Guest-Star Co-Hosts use their unique perspective's on Noah's journey to guide the conversation and pull out some of the details of Noah's experience.
The conversation includes: - How walking on may have been a mistake - The commitment / passion Noah had for the game - Greg & Noah's time in college together - Team of doctor's supporting Noah through his injury - Noah's mental health battle ... and SO much more! The crew shares so many laughs and jokes about the journey and interesting perspectives on how things shook out for Noah.
Social Media's: Instagram: @gellybelly91 @korimccullum, @gregoryjames____ @runtheshow.us @_snow.3 Twitter - @TheHoopHerald
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Machaela "Mac" Simmons, was a 3 year walk-on for the Duquesne University Women's Basketball team in the A10 from 2018-2020.
After many hardships, constant struggle, unfair treatment and uncontrollable situations thrown at her, she decided to step away from the program.
Mac & Noah discuss: - Coaching staff being weird from the start - The lack of respect given to her - Her mental health: wanting to cry all day everyday - Going from validation seeking to believing in herself - Coaches lying to her and leading her on - How she got through it / what she took away from it
Mac is currently finishing up her degree in Physical Therapy & runs a newsletter & fitness account called 'GetMactive'. which focuses on connecting people to mindfulness through fitness; which she explains more about in the show.
Link to GetMactive pages: https://linktr.ee/getmactive
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7 footer Braden Burke, joins the pod to talk about his college basketball journey.
Braden started on scholarship at Robert Morris University for his freshmen year in 2017 before transferring to Michigan St. University to be a walk-on under Head Coach Tom Izzo the next 3 years.
After MSU, Braden enrolled in Central Michigan & then Oakland on scholarship each of the last two years for post grad years before extenuating circumstances forced him to opt out of playing at both schools
The conversation between Braden & Noah is only 60 minutes in length and the breakdown is as follows:
-Why he left RMU & his scholarship after 1 year to be a walk-on at MSU
-Entire journey at MSU / scholarship to walk-on dynamic / what changed for him
-Friendship with Jaren Jackson Jr.
-Relationship with Coach Izzo / MSU Family atmosphere
-2019 Final Four run
-Enrolling @ CMU in 2020 & having to opt out
-Enrolling @ Oakland in 2021 & having to opt out
..... and so much more in between!
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Marvin Davies, an Ohio native, is a sophomore walk-on wide receiver for the Buckeyes.
Marv talks about:
-Every dynamic as a college football walk-on
-Scripted nature of the scout team
-Competing against future NFL players
-Differences in treatment scholarship vs walk-ons
-Being released from the team then put back on
-Where he’s currently at with the team
-What he hopes people can take from hearing his story
Marvin and Noah draw many parallels from Marv’s journey as a football walk-on to Noah’s journey as a basketball walk-on. Diving into each topic really opens the conversation up. Lot of inspiration to draw on from Marv's journey.
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Matt Leon showed up to Seton Hall's campus in the Fall of 2014 with no guarantee he'd even end up on the baseball team. To eventually become a UNANIMOUS 1st Team All-Big East player his senior year as a closer, where he holds the Seton Hall single-season saves record with 12 .... to then signing a contract with the LA Angels.
Matt's walk-on story entails: - How he tried out for consecutive months leading up to the season - When he found out he made the team - His battle to be put on scholarship - Feeling guilty about inquiring for the scholarship that he knew he had earned - What changed for him his senior year that helped him be so dominant on the mound - Signing with the Angels in 2018 & where he's at with his pro career right now
Matt and Noah also talk about: what he'd change about the MLB.....what aspiring MLB players do as side jobs to sustain living expenses.....working on his velocity.....his perspective on the journey overall.....and BETTING ON HIMSELF!
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Jeremy Sallee is currently the Head of Design for PUMAHoops and spent his first year of college playing basketball at Division 3 school Case Western Reserve before walking-on to the University of Akron Men’s Basketball team from 2005 through 2008.
Jeremy played in 19 games as a walk-on behind Dru Joyce Jr., the newly-named Associate Head Coach at Duquesne University. Jeremy was given a scholarship the following year, but said it still never really felt like he even had one, leaving a bad taste towards basketball.
Jeremy and Noah also talk about:
• Designing shoes for J. Cole and LaMelo Ball
• The drive that being a walk-on gave him
• Playing pick-up with & against LeBron James
• How he got the job offer from PUMA & why he chose them
• Finding happiness & handling success
Jeremy has 3 degrees in Fashion Design, Graphic Design and Business and has worked for: Ralph Lauren, Reebok and now PUMA. He also is the Founder, Owner and Creative Director of Freeman Platt, a luxury shoe company.
Jeremy’s socials : IG - @jeremy.sallee, Twitter - @jermsal10
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Leigh Bodden was a non-scholarship athlete during most of his time at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, a I-AA non-scholarship football program (at the time), before going undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft. Leigh played 9 years in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and New England Patriots.
On Episode 13, Leigh & Noah talk about the underdog mentality and the mindset it took for Leigh to go from not even playing football his freshman year of HS, to signing million dollar deals in the NFL. Speaking about his: confidence starting at a young age...seeking out crazy challenges...self-assessing himself...questioning if he'd make it...keeping the faith and so much more!
Noah & Leigh talk about:
- How being crazy worked for him
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Eagerness to learn
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Financial literacy / financial freedom / building a team
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What clicks in the pro's mind at a young age
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Sustaining the mindset through the ups & downs
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Beating the odds of being non-scholarship & undrafted
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What he would tell himself to eliminate his doubt & fears
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Advice he'd give to someone who has played a sport their whole life and is now approaching the end
Time Log
0:00 - 3:25 - Noah's Intro
3:25 - 37:25 - Leigh's story / Mindset / Underdog mentality & perspective
37:25 - 1:07:45 - "Quick" Hitters - Memory of Brady & Belichick.....One fun moment about 0-16 season in Detroit....Moment w/ Deion Sanders....Being released by Pats.....What receiver in his era did he check the best....and a few more!
1:07:45 - 1:15:25 - Extra Leigh & Noah candid convo / Leigh's Commencement Speech / Noah’s Outro
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Leigh scared to tried out for football freshmen yr of HS
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How Noah got Leigh on the pod
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THE UNDERDOG! Shavar Reynolds, was a former walk-on at Seton Hall University in 2017, before earning himself a scholarship after his freshman year in the program. Each year he slowly climbed the ladder at Seton Hall; going from freshmen walk-on, to sophomore year on scholarship, to 6th man and main defensive stopper junior year, to starting point guard senior year. Shavar speaks with charisma, confidence and the ultimate belief in himself throughout the episode about his journey from the underdog walk-on to the scholarship player who showed he really belonged there and how that all unfolded for him. Shavar talks about the differences between being a walk-on and a scholarship player and what changed for him, hitting the buzzer beater vs. St. Johns; as well as how much being around Myles Powell helped his game, his decision to transfer to Monmouth University for his 5th year, his goal to play in the NBA and what NBA player he models his game after the most!
Make sure to listen to the intro so you can hear the story be tied together in the outro to hear how Shavar's lone season with Monmouth came to a close, by host, Noah Buono.
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On episode 2 of WalkieTalkieZ podcast, host, Noah Buono, sits down with Mike Lukashewich, a 2-year walk-on for the Minnesota Gophers Men's Basketball team, under Head Coach Rich Pitino during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, who had to earn his walk-on stripes the hard way.
Mike wasn't a preferred walk-on, as he was never recruited by the program. He earned his stripes at the open tryout held during the Fall semester of his freshmen year. Mike and Noah talk about:- Mike's journey in joining the team in the middle of the season as a freshmen- The appreciation of the relationships made with teammates and coaches (Rich Pitino)- Mike's stigma on walk-ons- The depth of understanding what the walk-on experience can be like for some - His takeaways from the walk-on role and the mentality it's given him
Mike has a degree in Sports Management and after some time working as a marketing coordinator at X-Games, he is now a digital marketing agent at Homestead Studio in his hometown of Wisconsin!
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Matt Ferris was a walk-on for the Wisconsin Badgers from 2014-2018, when they were magnetic to wins and success; beating 38-0 Kentucky in the Final Four before eventually losing to Duke in the National Championship. He was apart of two more Sweet 16 teams the following two years as well; which he talks all about!
Matt also talks about: How he got his walk-on spot at Wisconsin & coming into the program fresh off their first Final 4 appearance His journey as a walk-on and the kind of role he played on these winning teams Being a net-positive for the team The positive stigma around walk-ons Hardest part for him as a walk-on Playing Willie Cauley-Stein on the scout team before the Kentucky game What he would do if he had NIL & what advice he'd give current college athletes with NIL His choice not to pursue a career in coaching His recruiting pitch for why a recruit should go to Wisconsin So much more awesome inside college basketball stories and perspective!
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Leigh Bodden was a non-scholarship athlete during most of his time at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, a I-AA non-scholarship football program (at the time), before going undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft. Leigh played 9 years in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and New England Patriots.
On Episode 13, Leigh & Noah talk about the underdog mentality and the mindset it took for Leigh to go from not even playing football his freshmen year of HS, to signing million dollar deals in the NFL. Speaking about his: confidence starting at a young age...seeking out crazy challenges...self-assessing himself...questioning if he'd make it...keeping the faith and so much more!
Noah & Leigh talk about:
- Being crazy- Eagerness to learn
- Financial literacy / financial freedom / building a team
- What clicks in the pro's mind at a young age
- Sustaining the mindset through the ups & downs
- Beating the odds of being non-scholarship & undrafted
- What he would tell himself to eliminate his doubt & fears
- Advice he'd give to someone who has played a sport their whole life and is now approaching the end
- Quick Hitter question's below!
Time Log
0:00 - 11:10 - Noah's Intro
11:15 - 45:05 - Leigh's story / Mindset / Underdog mentality & perspective
45:10 - 1:17:10 - "Quick" Hitters
- Memory of Brady & Belichick.....One fun moment about 0-16 season in Detroit....Moment w/ Deion Sanders....Being released by Pats.....What receiver in his era did he check the best....and a few more!
1:17:15 - 1:26:15 - Leigh's Commencement Speech / Extra Leigh & Noah candid convo
Matt Leon showed up to Seton Hall's campus in the Fall of 2014 with no guarantee he'd even end up on the baseball team. To eventually become a UNANIMOUS 1st Team All-Big East player his senior year as a closer, where he holds the Seton Hall single-season saves record with 12 .... to then signing a contract with the LA Angels.
Matt's walk-on story entails:
- Spending the entire Fall & Winter with the team was over the course of multiple months
- When he found out he made the team
- His battle to be put on scholarship
- Feeling guilty about inquiring for the scholarship that he knew he had earned
- What changed for him his senior year that helped him be so dominant on the mound
- Signing with the Angels in 2018 & where he's at with his pro career right now
Matt and Noah also talk about, what he'd change about the MLB, the MLB lockout, what the Rule 5 Draft is, side jobs Matt's been working during his training, working on his velocity ... and so much more!
George Papas, senior captain and leading scorer for the Monmouth Hawks, '20-'21 2nd Team All-Conference & '21 Preseason 1st Team All-Conference selection - showed up to an open gym at Monmouth in the Spring of 2017....earned himself a walk-on position and then turned it into a full scholarship the following year.
George also talks about:
- His journey from walk-on to scholarship to All-Conference
- Humbling himself
- How Head Coach King Rice lacing into him helped his game & mentality going forward
- Holes in his game that he addressed to help him earn the scholarship
- Pre-meditating his dunk down 50 at Kansas
- Opting to stay at Monmouth & where he can find his growth this last year while staying within his comfort zone
- Why he LOVES that he was a walk-on!
Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Tim Carroll decided to walk-on to the Akron Men's Basketball program in 2006 under current Duquesne University Head Coach, Keith Dambrot. Tim and Noah share their similarities in being walk-ons under the same coaching staff roughly 10 years apart.
Tim and Noah also discuss:
- Why Tim chose the walk-on route and how the opportunity came about
- His Akron ties with Coach Keith Dambrot, LeBron James & Dru Joyce JR
- His biggest takeaways from being a walk-on: 'you earn what you fight for, life isn't fair, helped him resist that urge of instant gratification'
- The story of how he earned minutes as a walk-on to be put in games at any moment and not just during blowouts- Crazy foresight from Coach Dambrot that ended up coming true for Tim
- Being around LBJ during his 6 years at Akron and what that was like for him
- If Nike Dunk Low's will ever become cheap and easy to buy again ....
Tim is now a Head Coach with Nike as he is a manager for multiple Nike retail stores around the country.
Matt Ferris was a walk-on for the Wisconsin Badgers from 2014-2018, when they were magnetic to wins and success; beating 38-0 Kentucky in the Final Four before eventually losing to Duke in the National Championship. He was apart of two more Sweet 16 teams the following two years as well; which he talks all about!
Matt also talks about:
- How he got his walk-on spot at Wisconsin & coming into the program fresh off their first Final 4 appearance
- His journey as a walk-on and the kind of role he played on these winning teams
- Being a net-positive for the team
- The positive stigma around walk-ons
- Hardest part for him as a walk-on
- Playing Willie Cauley-Stein on the scout team before the Kentucky game
- What he would do if he had NIL & what advice he'd give current college athletes with NIL
- His choice not to pursue a career in coaching
- His recruiting pitch for why a recruit should go to Wisconsin
- So much more awesome inside college basketball stories and perspective!
Danny DiGeorgio tells the story of how his desire to tryout for the Rutgers Baseball team came about, how he made the team and how he turned into the starting 2nd basemen as a freshmen walk-on and was named to the All-BIG 10 Freshmen Team. Danny talks about all the dynamics of being a college baseball walk-on and what goes into it from the baseball side.
The former walk-on turned scholarship player, 6 foot 5 infielder, originally chose not to play college baseball out of high school so he could focus on getting his degree in civil engineering.
Now with a degree in Civil Engineering, Danny is taking graduate classes during his last year and pursuing a Masters in supply chain management with aspirations of playing in the MLB. Noah asks Danny what he would change about the game of baseball to make it more watchable and what the differences in levels are from a D1 baseball player to a Major Leaguer.
THE UNDERDOG! Shavar Reynolds, current member of Monmouth University's basketball team, was a former walk-on at Seton Hall University, before earning himself a scholarship after his freshmen year in the program. Each year he slowly climbed the ladder at Seton Hall ; going from freshmen walk-on, to sophomore year on scholarship, to 6th man and main defensive stopper junior year, to starting point guard senior year. Shavar speaks with charisma, confidence and the ultimate belief in himself throughout the episode about his journey from the underdog walk-on to the scholarship player who showed he really belonged there and how that all unfolded for him. Shavar talks about the differences between being a walk-on and a scholarship player and what changed for him, hitting the buzzer beater vs. St. Johns; as well as how much being around Myles Powell helped his game, his decision to transfer to Monmouth, his goal to play in the NBA and what NBA player he models his game after the most!
Brad Colbert was born and raised in Ohio and is currently a sophomore walk-on at the University of Louisville on the Men's Basketball team. Brad talks about his journey and experience as a walk-on in the program after one year, as well as: how he chose Louisville over Ohio State, what it's like being coached by Head Coach Chris Mack, a glimpse of the new Louisville offense, what the worst thing that happened to him was, and the route he hopes to take with his finance degree in becoming a sports agent or financial manager. COVID-19 played a major role in a lot of parts during Brad's first year, mostly bad/uncontrollable things, but Brad and Noah joke around about all those horrible COVID restrictions that were in place. Brad's a really genuine guy who says he's a good dancer, hates LeBron, and loves when Coach Mack yells at him. A must listen!
Pantelis Xidias, the most energetic walk-on we might ever see. Pantelis has been referred to as a national treasure, college basketball's greatest hype man, and a one-man goggles-wearing party on DePaul's bench. Known for his incredible dance moves and sideline intensity, Pantelis shares all the details behind his walk-on journey from all the good to the all the bad. That guy we all saw jumping up and down, full of energy and full of joy, didn't necessarily have the easiest times behind the scenes as a walk-on in my opinion, but because of how he is and his nature, he made the experience what HE wanted it to be regardless of what the circumstances were. He was just happy to be there as he puts it and he wouldn't trade it for the world, stating, "the good far outweighed the bad." Pantelis created his own unique role in the DePaul program and absolutely thrived in it; making a name for himself that will live on in the college basketball and walk-on world forever!
WalkieTalkieZ Podcast Episode 4 is an absolute banger podcast episode. Alex and Noah talk about it all. Starting with Alex's journey as a walk-on in the Florida program, his transition from playing high level high school basketball with two 5-star recruits - Scottie Lewis (Charlotte Hornets) & Bryan Antoine (Villanova University) and just what the transition in his roles were like from that high school team to his Florida team.
Alex gives a preview of him and his families new company, "Open Locker", which will help athletes sell and profit off NFT's of themselves! Very interesting concept that he talks indepthly about.
So much other pure basketball content here too, about shooting mechanics, jumping technique; Alex's time being coached in AAU by former Rutgers basketball coach, Mike Rice with Team Rio, his experiences training with I'm Possible Training starting with Micah Lancaster and so many more of their trainers. Alex has been around so many talented people during his basketball career, crediting his dad for helping expose him to it all; from all his different teammates, coaches and trainers, which explains his unique and intelligent perspective about the game. He's a basketball junkie with a really bright future way beyond just basketball!
On episode 3 of WalkieTalkieZ podcast, host, Noah Buono, sits down with Mike Lukashewich, a 2-year walk-on for the Minnesota Gophers Men's basketball team during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Mike wasn't a preferred walk-on, as he was never recruited by the program. He earned his stripes at the open tryout held during Fall semester of his freshmen year. Mike and Noah talk about Mike's journey in joining the team in the middle of the season, the appreciation of the relationships made with teammates and coaches, the journey of walk-ons and those sore feet we get from time to time, and much more! Mike has a degree in Sports Management and after some time working as a marketing coordinator at X-Games, he is now a digital marketing agent at Homestead Studio in his hometown of Wisconsin!
The second episode of WalkieTalkieZ Podcast features a member from one of the four Final Four teams of last year's March Madness, Ryan Elvin, from the University of Houston. Hosted by current Duquesne University Men's Basketball walk-on, Noah Buono; Ryan and Noah discuss an array of topics regarding the Houston Men's Basketball program, life in the Final Four bubble, Ryan's grind as a walk-on and how he ultimately chose that route over others, the relationships he's been able to form with his teammates and coaching staff, what he is learning from the experience and much more!
On the inaugural episode of WalkieTalkieZ Podcast, University of Memphis sophomore walk-on for the Memphis Tiger's Men's Basketball team, Conor Glennon, sits down with host, Noah Buono, to talk about his experience as a walk-on in the Memphis Men's Basketball program, what he learned through his first year there, and what lessons he's taking away from being a college athlete, but a walk-on specifically.