He Missed Every Friday Night Game… and Still Made the NFL

Close Space, Don’t Give Space: Ben Creamer on Performance, Faith & Facing Pressure What does training elite athletes have to do with how we handle pressure in everyday life? Quite a lot, as it turns out. In this episode of the Sam Acho Podcast, Sam Acho and Clif Marshall sit down with Ben Creamer, Director of Sports Science for the Washington Huskies football team and a longtime friend and colleague of Sam and Clif. Ben shares what he has learned from years of working with athletes and explains why great performance coaching starts with relationships. For him, the job isn’t simply about making athletes faster, stronger, or more successful. It’s about being part of their journey as they grow from teenagers into young men and learning how to balance that demanding career with being present for his wife and three daughters. The conversation also takes a fascinating turn into hand-to-hand combat and pass rush training. With a background in taekwondo, wing chun, judo, and boxing, Ben explains how Clif encouraged him to bring those skills into football. His approach is simple but powerful: close space, don’t give space. Instead of instinctively pulling away when an offensive lineman reaches for you, the goal is to move toward the challenge, control the space, and make the opponent react to you. Ben explains how repeated movements can train athletes to overcome the natural flinch reflex until their reactions become instinctive. That lesson extends far beyond football. Ben also takes us inside the world of **sports science**, explaining how GPS tracking, force plates, and other technology help coaches understand an athlete’s workload and physical response. But despite all the data, he believes technology should support good coaching—not replace the human judgment that comes from knowing your athletes. The conversation becomes even more personal when Ben talks about moving his family across the country, the loneliness that came with the transition, and a dramatic car accident where he pulled a man from a burning vehicle. For Ben, the experience became a powerful reminder of purpose and the importance of being present when someone needs you. Sam and Ben then explore **faith, fatherhood, approval, and grace**, including the pressure many of us put on ourselves to perform in order to feel worthy. Their conversation challenges that idea and points toward something deeper: faith isn’t about constantly trying to earn approval. It’s about relationship, presence, and understanding grace. From elite football training to fatherhood and faith, this episode keeps coming back to one powerful idea: When pressure comes, don’t give space. Face it. Because sometimes the way we learn to face an opponent on the field is the same way we learn to face adversity in life.

What happens when the game you’ve dreamed about your entire life becomes harder than you ever expected? NBA forward Trayce Jackson-Davis joins Sam Acho and Clif Marshall for a candid conversation about the realities of life as a professional athlete—and the lessons that come with it. From his days as an Indiana Hoosier to the NBA, Trayce opens up about the highs and lows of his journey, including his sophomore slump, dealing with criticism and hate mail, making the jump to the NBA, and adjusting to life in Toronto. He also takes us behind the scenes of one of basketball’s biggest viral moments: his unforgettable dunk over Victor Wembanyama, But this conversation goes far beyond basketball. Trayce talks openly about mental health, faith, family, NIL, the transfer portal, and the importance of having people around you who will tell you the truth even when you don't want to hear it. He shares what he learned from his NBA mentors, why game-day chapel remains important to him as a professional, and how his younger brother Tayvin’s football journey has brought a whole new perspective to family and competition. At the heart of the conversation is a powerful question: How do you win without losing it all? Trayce’s answer comes down to perspective, gratitude, and remembering that there is always more to life than the scoreboard. This is an honest look at NBA life, adversity, faith, mental health, and what it really means to keep growing when the pressure is on.‍

What do surviving war, playing in the NFL, building wealth, and growing your faith have in common? Sam Acho and Clif Marshall go there, talking about adversity, money, football, family, and the mindset it takes to keep climbing when life gets hard. You’re not made for the mountaintop. You’re made for the climb. 🏔️ Watch the full conversation and discover why the hardest seasons might be shaping you for your greatest purpose.

Sam Acho reflects on the impact his father had on his life and the kind of example he wants to carry forward. He shares how his dad worked hard while remaining present, faithful to his wife, and deeply involved in raising their four children. Sam also recalls hearing his usually reserved brother speak emotionally about their father’s influence. It is a simple but powerful reminder that fatherhood is not only about providing, but about being there and leaving something meaningful behind.

Hadley Ott was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at just 12 years old and weighed only 53 pounds. After more than a decade of medications, steroids, a feeding tube, biologic drugs, and surgery, he was still struggling with his health. In this powerful conversation with Sam Acho and Clif Marshall, Hadley shares the turning point that led him to pursue a different approach centered on nutrition, fitness, and faith. He opens up about his darkest moments, his decision to take control of his health, and the journey that took him from 53 pounds to 170 pounds. His experience inspired his bestselling book, *Drug Free Crohn’s*, and has taken him to universities across the country to share his story. This episode is ultimately about resilience, faith, hope, and finding the courage to keep going when life feels impossible.

Sam Acho explores what it truly means to live out your God given purpose, challenging the idea that doing good is enough if it is not what God created you to do. Through powerful illustrations, personal stories, biblical insights, and reflections on heaven, accountability, and calling, he encourages listeners to pursue a life of courage, growth, and faithful obedience to God's unique purpose for their lives.