Inside The Play Call With Orange Arrow

Sit down with Shawn and Donna Sanft, the retired Executive Associate Athletics Director and Associate Dean of Students at the University of Pittsburgh! Sanft discusses her early start in gymnastics, including the tight-knit, community nature of sports in her hometown. She also explains her decision to go to Pitt and how she quickly became the head gymnastics coach, the position that kicked off her 41-year career at Pitt. During that time, she served in many roles throughout the athletic department, earning her a spot in the Pitt Hall of Fame in 2020.

Join Shawn and his former teammate, longtime friend, and award-winning writer and producer, Brandon Miree! Miree begins by explaining his early love for football and how he worked his way to playing at Alabama before deciding to transfer to Pitt. This experience allows him to give a uniquely in-depth look at the college transfer process, from initially making the decision to actually executing his transfer to Pitt, all under a tight deadline and in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks. He also explains how, after leaving his eventual career in the NFL, he grew his love of storytelling and pursued it as a career, becoming a writer and producer of short films. He finishes by discussing the story behind one of his recent and important works, The Magical Root, an animated true story about the life of Frederick Douglass.

Sit down with Shawn and Tony Fisher, Mr. Football 1997 and the Player/Alumni Specialist for the Green Bay Packers! Join Tony, aka T. Fish, as he outlines his start in sports, including his journey to becoming the best high school player in Ohio in 1997 and his college decision-making process. Fisher also talks about his transition from playing football to eventually working on the administrative side for the same NFL team that signed him in 2002. They finish off the conversation by discussing how to navigate being in a space that lacks diversity and Orange Arrow’s commitment to creating a space that reflects the society we live in.

Go Inside the Play Call with Shawn and one of the longest tenured members of the University of Pittsburgh Athletic Department, E.J. Borghetti! A Pitt man through and through, Borghetti has been at Pitt for nearly 25 years and now serves as the Executive Associate Athletic Director, Media Relations. Tune in as he discusses his own start in sports and how he always strived to both play and one day work at Pitt. He also reminisces on some of the most memorable players to come through the football program and, because “The ball always stops bouncing,” he provides advice to young athletes for pursuing a career after sports.

Join Shawn and a diverse group of Orange Arrow stakeholders as they Huddle Up for a conversation about the importance of fostering healthier relationships among different races and ethnic groups. They also discuss how Orange Arrow has been intentional in creating a program experience that allows for authentic cross-cultural relationships to form and why a multi-faceted approach is necessary to solve the huge issues of racial disparities and injustice.

Go Inside the Play Call with Shawn and this week’s guest, Jester Weah, a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears! To start, Weah discusses his early beginning in sports and outlines his family ties to his parents’ home country, Liberia. He also discusses his time at Pitt, including playing football and working with OA, where he developed a unique bond with a young student-athlete in the program. They finish by discussing transitions and how Weah continues to persevere through the ups and downs of life in professional sports.

Join Shawn and this week’s guest, Aimee Watters, the Executive Director of The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation! Watters discusses her early beginning in sports, working her way up to playing soccer at Pitt while pursuing a degree in marketing and, later, an MBA. They also discuss her first job with Heinz and her eventual transition to DICK’S Sporting Goods, where she has played an integral role in the company’s growth, including through one of her favorite projects, the Sports Matter Spring Giving Tour. #TakeAim

It’s the 50th episode of Inside the Play Call and to celebrate, Shawn sits down with the people who put the “team” in “teamwork” - the Orange Arrow core team! Join Shawn, Tamica, Hannah, Dvonya, Lucas, Rafael, and Isaiah for a lighthearted discussion of who they are, their role with the OA team, and some of their favorite memories. The conversation also delves deeper into where OA has been and the team’s vision for where it will go, providing a unique, authentic look into the inner workings of Orange Arrow from the people that aim to impact as many student-athletes as possible and grow OA into a national movement.

Sit down with Shawn and this week’s guest, Tre Tipton aka Uncle Tre! A wide receiver and graduate student in the School of Social Work, Tipton discusses his playing career as he prepares to enter his seventh year at the University of Pittsburgh. Throughout his time at Pitt, he has suffered multiple season-ending injuries, including a collapsed lung that left him to learn how to walk again, but it is through these injuries that he found the will to persevere and thrive. Today, he not only plays football and works on his graduate degree, he also helps other student-athletes to persevere through injuries and find out who they are through his organization L.O.V.E. - Living Out Victoriously Everyday - because he “Never wants someone else to feel like they don’t have someone to talk to.”

Go Inside the Play Call with Shawn and this week’s guest, Chris Slade, a former NFL athlete and current head coach at Pace Academy! Slade discusses his early start in sports and how he worked his way up to playing at UVA before being drafted by the Patriots. During his time in the NFL, he played in a Super Bowl, and he recounts his experiences and the unique opportunity he had to call the coin toss. They finish by discussing his time as a high school football coach and the impact he is able to have on his student-athletes, watching them grow and succeed over the course of four years.

Jump Inside the Play Call with Shawn and this week’s guest, Adam Gunn, a former Pitt football player and current Director of Marketing at Stryker! The two discuss Gunn’s time at Pitt, where he played football and ultimately suffered a broken neck. However, he explains how he would not change his experience of getting injured, as he had to strive to overcome adversity and make a comeback, which made him who he is today. Gunn also outlines how he became involved with Stryker immediately after college, and he explains why the sales field is often a great path for student-athletes, as they have the team mentality, work ethic, and competitive spirit needed to succeed.

Sit down with Shawn and this week’s guest, labor relations specialist and current OA Board Chair, Jody Spolar! In this episode, Spolar delves into her deep Pittsburgh roots and her decision to go to Penn State, where she left without a clear professional direction, but had the opportunity to travel around the country to ultimately find her passion for labor relations. It was this newfound passion that led to a job at the LTV Steel factory in Cleveland, making her one of the first women to lead a labor relations department in the steel industry. Spolar then discusses her transition back to Pittsburgh to work with Pittsburgh Public Schools, a job that ultimately led her to connect with Shawn as he was in the process of creating Orange Arrow. They finish by sharing some of their favorite OA experiences, and their hopes and vision for Orange Arrow as it continues to grow.

Join Shawn and this week’s guest, former NFL athlete and an inaugural player for the Houston Texans, Ramon Walker! The two discuss Walker’s time growing up in Akron, playing every sport available before choosing to pursue football at the University of Pittsburgh. They reminisce on their time at Pitt, swapping stories and discussing the grueling nature of sports. Walker then tells his story of Draft Day, where he was drafted by the Texans, eventually helping to lead Houston to the first victory in franchise history. They finish by discussing why Walker chose to make Houston his home after his time in the NFL, and his current job at ExxonMobil.

Sit down with Shawn for this week’s episode with special guest Ashley Gillis, Manager of Community Relations for the Miami Dolphins! They kick off the episode by highlighting Gillis’ early time in sports, reminiscing about their favorite cheers and their shared experiences with substitute teaching. They also discuss how taking an internship with the Dolphins while she finished her Master’s in Sports Management at Florida A&M led to a job offer from the Dolphins upon graduation, where she has been ever since. Today, Gillis oversees Community Relations and works with the Junior Dolphins program, and she uses the knowledge from her positions to share advice about networking and succeeding as a woman in the sports world.

Go Inside the Play Call with Shawn and this week’s guest, Morgan O’Brien! The Outstanding CEOs Career Achievement winner, and former CEO of Duquesne Light & Peoples Natural Gas, O’Brien discusses the importance of hard work, from coming in early to staying late and everything in-between, including volunteering to take on more projects and always being willing to do what it takes to help the company succeed. He also explains the importance of leading by example and never losing touch with who you are, and the power of building relationships not just within your company, but also with the people you serve. They close out the episode by discussing the bonds created through golf and the importance of empowering people to help others, both on and off the field.

Join Shawn for this week’s episode featuring LaMonte Jones, a former basketball player and current Director at PepsiCo! They start by discussing Jones’ background, from growing up on the South Side of Chicago to getting his start in basketball and advancing to the collegiate level at Southern Illinois University. It was this time in college that brought an end to his playing career, as an injury caused him to make the difficult decision to walk away from sports to pursue other opportunities through obtaining his accounting degree, which led him to his job of 25 years at PepsiCo. They also discuss how the rivalry between Pepsi and Coke makes each brand stronger, and how Jones played an integral role in the 2019 Super Bowl in Atlanta.

Sit down with Shawn and this week’s guest, Dontez Ford - a Pittsburgh native, former Pitt and NFL athlete, and current medical sales representative. They discuss Ford’s slow start in sports, as he grew from a “video game kid” to a successful football player who began his college career at Syracuse before transferring to play at Pitt. They talk about the difficulties of walking on and how he persevered, overcoming his desire to leave the sport after breaking his collarbone during his senior year, and going on to play for the Detroit Lions before leaving football on his terms to pursue new opportunities. They finish by discussing the importance of family and community and the role that each, especially his Sto-Rox community, have had on his life.

Jump Inside the Play Call with Shawn and special guest, Shirelle Jackson, as they discuss her early beginnings in sports, including how her grandma became her biggest source of motivation to succeed both on and off the track. They also outline how her job in retail buying led her to be uniquely positioned to pursue a new career path in college advising. They finish by discussing Jackson’s transition from Ohio to Miami, leaving what she once considered her dream career to pursue new opportunities, and eventually opening the Office of Student-Athlete Development at the University of Miami where she currently serves as the Senior Associate Athletic Director of Student-Athlete Development.

Tune in as Shawn sits down with Eddie Edwards Jr. to discuss his beginnings, from playing sports to his early media exposure through learning the ropes at his father’s television stations. He explains how he was able to learn the value of hard work and the importance of immersing yourself in all aspects of your business, as he worked his way up from cleaning TV sets to editing and camera work to management. They finish by discussing his transition from the media industry to law, including how he landed his position as a pro sports agent and, currently, as a lawyer at Blank Rome.

Join Shawn and this week’s guest, his former Pitt teammate and the current Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student Life, Penny Semaia! The two discuss their time at Pitt, including how Semaia was able to maximize his college experience, doing everything from volunteering to joining student organizations and even being named Homecoming King. They also discuss his transition to life after sports, a time that gave him “the rude awakening he needed,” as he held seven jobs to make ends meet before being offered a job at Pitt. Now 15 years into the job he loves, Semaia gives an inside perspective on the relationships he builds with student-athletes and explains the growing connection between Pitt Life Skills and Orange Arrow.