Cut Traded Fired Retired
We follow them on social media. We pay money to watch them play or coach. We check headlines for breaking news and rumors about them. Professional athletes and coaches are the best at what they do. They are also people. People with emotions, self-doubt, insecurities, family obligations and setbacks. In every professional sport, a player or coach is inevitably cut, traded, fired, and/or retires. Hosted by Susie Wargin, a 30-year Radio & TV broadcaster and Emmy Award winning sportscaster, who sits down with some of the biggest names in Denver sports. Hall of Famers, Ring of Famers, Super Bowl winners (and losers) and many who have reinvented themselves in retirement. The results are conversations full of never-before-heard stories as well as inspiration on how to keep moving forward. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Please follow, rate, review & subscribe. For more information visit www.CTFRPodcast.com. Thank you for listening!
Episodes
June 6, 2023 • 40 mins
You won’t find anyone else like her. At her Catholic high school and later in college at Kentucky, she competed at a high level in sports - even before Title IX was in full force. At age 23 she landed her first head coaching gig at Cincinnati. Four years later, she was offered two head coaching jobs, one in Washington state and the other in Colorado. She chose the University of Colorado because she knew she could recruit to Boulder...
Mark as Played
May 30, 2023 • 37 mins
He was an athletic legend at East High School in Denver as well as the University of Colorado, which is why he’s in both of their Hall of Fames. Chuck Williams was also a journeyman through the ABA and NBA in the late 1960’s and into the 1970’s, but he almost wasn’t. Chuck was drafted by the 76’ers out of college, but he got ousted by a player who came over from the Lakers in a trade for Wilt Chamberlain. Chuck decided basketball w...
Mark as Played
May 23, 2023 • 46 mins
He's been a teammate, player or business associate with some of the biggest names in sports: Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy, John Elway, Tiger Woods and Arnold Schwarzenegger to name a few. Throughout Brad Pyatt’s football career he networked and learned from the best of the best. It started at Arvada West High School when he played under a brand-new high school coach named Dave Logan and the Wildcats won a state championship in 1997. ...
Mark as Played
May 16, 2023 • 54 mins
Bo Scaife is a Denver native who grew up playing several sports and credits Tae Kwan Do for teaching him discipline. Eventually football and baseball became his favorites at Mullen High School and in 1999, the tight end helped the Mustangs to a 5A State Championship. Bo was noticed by college scouts throughout high school and was heavily recruited. He opted to head to Texas and play for Mack Brown who at the time was called “Coach ...
Mark as Played
May 9, 2023 • 40 mins
He was always the best. Until Josh McDaniels told him he wasn’t.
At the age of 9, Jarvis Moss set his sights on playing in the NFL. He achieved that goal as the Denver Broncos first round draft pick in 2007. Mike Shanahan even moved up to get the defensive end coming off a BCS Championship with Florida under Urban Meyer. Everyone had high expectations for Jarvis, including himself. Afterall, he’d made it through so much get to the ...
At the age of 9, Jarvis Moss set his sights on playing in the NFL. He achieved that goal as the Denver Broncos first round draft pick in 2007. Mike Shanahan even moved up to get the defensive end coming off a BCS Championship with Florida under Urban Meyer. Everyone had high expectations for Jarvis, including himself. Afterall, he’d made it through so much get to the ...
Mark as Played
May 2, 2023 • 47 mins
“I think I’ll join the Air Force just like my dad.” That was Dave Veres’ plan after high school when he didn’t have a single offer from a college and figured his baseball career was done. Then a phone call came from a junior college coach and his path was completely altered. Dave went on to pitch for Mount Hood Community College, got drafted and spent 17 years in Major League Baseball between the minors and the majors. There were n...
Mark as Played
April 25, 2023 • 39 mins
Born into a military family, Reggie Rivers learned how to adapt to new situations early. Not only did he move from state to state, he also spent time in foreign countries where he found one common language: sports. During his high school years, he stayed in San Antonio and attended Randolph High School on the Randolph Air Force Base. He played several sports and football eventually rose to the top. While on scholarship to Southwest...
Mark as Played
April 18, 2023 • 48 mins
Mike Myers loves a challenge. Thank goodness, because the pitcher’s resume is filled with 10 different teams: Giants, Marlins, Tigers, Brewers, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Red Sox, Yankees and White Sox. He was in the majors with most of those clubs, however if he hadn’t taken some advice during his stop in Detroit, his run may have stopped with the Tigers. That was when a Hall of Fame pitcher told Mike he needed to add some f...
Mark as Played
April 11, 2023 • 46 mins
He's the perfect example of how school and sports can coexist and be successful. David Bruton Jr. graduated with a double major in Political Science and Sociology from Notre Dame. He was also a starting safety for the Fighting Irish his junior and senior years and got noticed by NFL scouts. In 2009, he was chosen in the 4th round by the Denver Broncos where he would play for seven years. He became known as an exceptional special te...
Mark as Played
April 4, 2023 • 40 mins
He's in the Hockey Hall of Fame, his jersey is retired and he holds a franchise record for goals scored in a single season (57). All that and you still may not recognize his name. Michel Goulet is too humble to boast about his incredible 15 years in the NHL or the fact that his name appears FOUR times in the top 10 list of single season goals scored in Colorado Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques franchise history. He’s too modest to ask wh...
Mark as Played
March 28, 2023 • 47 mins
When Michael Jordan wrote about Mark Randall’s release from the Chicago Bulls in his book, the first round draft pick was ticked. But he also realized the underlying reason he was so mad: he was told in front of the Bull’s owner, GM, head coach and teammates that he wasn’t good enough to play. Tough words to swallow for a guy who had always been a standout player with a high basketball IQ. After he was cut and placed on waivers, th...
Mark as Played
March 21, 2023 • 41 mins
“I don’t want you to look back on this in 5 or 10 years and wish you would have tried to play baseball.” What if Jeff Huson’s dad hadn’t said that to him as he walked out the door to start school with his friends at the University of Arizona? Chances are very likely “Huey” would have missed out on a 15-year baseball career between college and the big leagues. He would not be in the Glendale Community College Hall of Fame or the Wyo...
Mark as Played
March 15, 2023 • 39 mins
Raised by his grandparents and later foster parents, Rick Upchurch had his share of ups and downs growing up, however there was no denying the love and support he received from his family and his community in Holland, Ohio. From his grandparents passing away, being held back in the 6th grade, getting his GED and going to junior college hours away from his hometown, Rick learned how to persevere.
The Broncos didn’t even have him on t...
The Broncos didn’t even have him on t...
Mark as Played
March 7, 2023 • 27 mins
Despite playing basketball at three different high schools, Bill Hanzlik still stood out and had many options for playing at the next level. He chose Notre Dame where he played for four years and earned an engineering degree. Bill helped the Fighting Irish get to their first Final Four where they lost in the semifinals. He was also part of the 1980 Men’s Olympic basketball team that never made it to Russia because of the US boycott...
Mark as Played
February 28, 2023 • 34 mins
He estimates he played on 40 teams from T-Ball to the Big Leagues and was the best player on about 10 of those teams. If that’s the case, how did Ryan Spilborghs make an MLB roster and spend over a decade in professional baseball? Because he just kept chasing the dream. He knew if he kept going, others would fade away and he’d still be there.
“Spilly” was born in Santa Barbara and stayed close to home for his college baseball caree...
“Spilly” was born in Santa Barbara and stayed close to home for his college baseball caree...
Mark as Played
February 21, 2023 • 49 mins
He didn’t make varsity on his high school basketball team in Batavia, Illinois until he was a junior. A huge growth spurt from 5’11” to 6’8’ helped, as did his high school coach who took the time to help make Dan Issel a future icon at the University of Kentucky, the ABA and the NBA.
Dan still holds the record as the all-time leading scorer at Kentucky, a record he set in 1970 that will likely never be broken. After college Dan pla...
Dan still holds the record as the all-time leading scorer at Kentucky, a record he set in 1970 that will likely never be broken. After college Dan pla...
Mark as Played
February 15, 2023 • 48 mins
He is the only coach in NCAA hockey history to win a Division I National Championship as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He’s coached in a Stanley Cup Final and led a high school team to back-to-back state titles. George Gwozdecky has also been fired, when he least expected it.
“Gwoz” grew up living and breathing hockey in Canada. In college at Wisconsin, he was part of the 1977 NCAA Championship team. When it becam...
“Gwoz” grew up living and breathing hockey in Canada. In college at Wisconsin, he was part of the 1977 NCAA Championship team. When it becam...
Mark as Played
February 7, 2023 • 66 mins
Mark Jackson grew up in a rough part of Chicago as the youngest child of a single mom. He thought ducking when hearing gang gunfire was normal. Playing in the NFL was never a dream, in fact, he quit football for a year when he was at Purdue.
Despite being shorter than most and claiming very little talent, Mark was drafted by the Broncos in the 6th round of the 1986 draft. His career was on the fast track from the beginning: Mark wa...
Despite being shorter than most and claiming very little talent, Mark was drafted by the Broncos in the 6th round of the 1986 draft. His career was on the fast track from the beginning: Mark wa...
Mark as Played
February 1, 2023 • 40 mins
For every marquee name in the NFL, there are thousands of names who never see their name in lights. They are the ones who keep trying and trying (and trying) to live the dream. They are the grinders. That’s Chad Friehauf. The Morgan County product from Brush had every reason to dream big: he helped turn around a football program and culture at Colorado School of Mines, a school known more for engineering than sports. In 2004, Chad ...
Mark as Played
January 25, 2023 • 45 mins
He was on the Broncos Offensive Line for three different stints during his 10-year NFL career. His final tenure in Denver included a victory in Super Bowl 50. Ryan Harris grew up in the Twin Cities and was inspired to play football after attending a Vikings game as a "chubby kid." He was the big lineman and knew he had a place in the game. Over time he acquired the skills and speed to get noticed and the offers from Division I scho...
Mark as Played
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