Inside The Play Call With Orange Arrow

Coming to you from Pittsburgh, we’re back with your host, Shawn Robinson, and his longtime friend and former 49er, Kevan Barlow. The two play a tough game of “This or That?” and reflect on their glory days, back when Barlow scored the last touchdown ever at Pitt Stadium and put up 275 yards against West Virginia during his last game at Pitt. They delve into the culture shock of going from college to professional sports and the “wear and tear” on athletes, especially in a league that is often “Not For Long.” For Barlow, transitioning into the real world after a successful but physically damaging career meant letting God into his life, finding new passions, and supporting kids to be the best versions of themselves.

Check it out! Today, we’re back with special guest, retired NFL athlete Hannibal “Bull” Navies. Shawn and Hannibal talk about his football career, from high school to college to playing professionally. They also discuss the hard truths of being an athlete, such as dealing with a career-long injury, balancing school and football, and managing to stay well-rounded. On and off the field, life has thrown him unexpected challenges, but they don’t call him Bull for no reason.

Inside the Play Call is back like we never left for season 2! Join our host, Shawn Robinson, as he sits down with Pitt football players and former Orange Arrow Players Association interns, Alex Kessman and Therran Coleman, to discuss everything from college recruitment to video games and finding balance as a student-athlete. These leaders also talk about learning how to deal with past failures both on and off the field, and how to turn criticism into motivation for success.

Join the Orange Arrow movement as we highlight previous Summer Academy events, discuss the lasting impact of Roberto Clemente, and share details about this year’s Academy. Stay tuned until the end for a special crew of guest hosts who discuss their favorite parts of last year’s Summer Academy!

Coming to you from the Sunshine State, our first group of South Florida interns discusses throw pillows, 5:00 AM alarms, and what it’s like to live the life of a student-athlete at the University of Miami. Plus Drake, hometown pride, and planning for life after sports and graduation help fill in the gaps.

Ohio native and standout swimmer, Mike Pichette, talks about growing up a swimmer, his injury, finding structure through Orange Arrow, and preparing for life after graduation.

Coming to you from Pittsburgh, PA, former teammates, Lousaka Polite and Shawn Robinson, reminisce about their days at the University of Pittsburgh, the Lou chant, and their lasting connection through LL Cool J and the brotherhood of sports. More than just former athletes, they also delve into the crucial importance of managing goals and expectations, the need to develop character off of the field, and Lousaka’s early, and continued, commitment to the Orange Arrow mission.

Let’s take a journey to outside of Philly, talk football, family and cheesesteaks then head to Pittsburgh and play DJ with Matt Galambos in this episode.

From inside his South Florida home, Duane Starks dives into how he determined at a young age that the environment he was growing up in was not going to define who he was. Starks combined his athleticism with hard work and perseverance at the University of Miami and became a first round NFL draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens and later a Super Bowl Champion. Through it all, Starks continues to demonstrate that he is still so much more than an athlete.

Our next guest, Torrie Cox, puts his best foot forward describing his personal experiences in his transition from Miami to Pittsburgh and back to South Florida. Torrie demonstrates exactly what tradition means by taking you through his favorite view of the city to how his talent led him to the NFL.

“Ra, Ra, Ra,” features arguably one of the top interns that has come through the doors of Orange Arrow. Rafael Araujo-Lopes aka RaRa, a current collegiate student-athlete, shares a piece of his journey, the impact he has made through Orange Arrow and how college athletes benefit.

“Another Vantage Point,” offers another insight on the team that keeps Orange Arrow moving forward, told through the eyes of Tamica and Ron!

Episode 5: "Dr. Alvarez" was first introduced to Orange Arrow while at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Urban Education. His research is about understanding how best to support educators in building instructional practices that center race and justice. We take a journey from his early years in Texas to his new position at Rowan University in NJ as an Assistant Professor of Urban Education.

Episode 4: “Bottom's Up” is a laid back interview of the Bottoms brothers. Champ and Charles are student-athletes in the Orange Arrow Players Association. Listen in as they discuss the impact of Orange Arrow on their lives and how the organization helps empower other student-athletes to reach their full potential.

Episode 3: “Giving Credit” features Allen and Karlos, two of our most recent interns, as we highlight the important role interns play within Orange Arrow and serve up freestyles and weird eating habits.

Episode 1, "God's Plan" takes you on a journey of the development of the nonprofit Orange Arrow through the eyes of its founder Shawn Robinson, starting with a city that draws 10,000 people for each high school football game to understanding why an NFL dream was not realized.