Find out more about our good friend and returning guest, Kevin D. Miller about his latest ventures as an author! We also talk ASU football as Cam Skattebo has been drafted by the New York Giants!
For more on his books and appearnces visit http://authorkevinmiller.com/
For more on his books and appearnces visit http://authorkevinmiller.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here's your host, Alex Garrett.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
All right, Well, I've been following this guy's TikTok and
social media forever since we talked about his you know,
great grandfather, Kevin Miller back you all remember him from
the Heart of Steel. Now he's doing so much more
and he's back on my podcast on One Leg Up
with Alex Herret. First of all, Kevin, it's been a while,
haven't been.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
I've been great, Alex. I've been great. I mean I'm
doing the same. I'm following you all the time on
TikTok and your social media and watching all the stuff
you're involved in, and you inspire me. Man, you know
you're you're uh. I enjoy I enjoy watching your videos
and stuff. But I've been busy just continue writing books
and stuff and hanging out with the family here and
(00:49):
in sunny and very warm Arizona. We uh, you know,
we're in California for a while, but now we're back
in Arizona and enjoying the heat.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Well, it's seem like you've been diving more into the
Native American you know, writing. So tell us what the
latest is.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yeah, Well, the latest the book I'm writing right now
is called Blood of Yara Maya and it's set in
the the Brazilian Amazon.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
So it's it's an interesting story.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
I'm really having fun writing this guy's I should have it.
I should have it published probably in about another month.
I plan on doing it about like next month. And uh,
the story is basically, you know, a young young protagonist
is a twenty five year old gen Z Stanford grad
kind of you know, spoiled rich kid from Malibu.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
And she is bored in her life.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
She's got a relationship that's broken up, and she she
she takes on this. She wants to be an assistant
to a doctor who's working in the Amazon to finish
her thesis. And uh, she ends up going down there
to do this, and and finds herself alone in the
Amazon because when she gets there, the doctor's not there,
(02:07):
and the boat leaves and the radio doesn't work and
she has no way to get there. So she's so
as the book opens up, it's already she's already been
there a week and she's you know, desperate to know
what to do, and you know, and and uh, basically it's, uh,
the the doctors down there studying an indigenous tribe that
has an unusually long lifespan and trying to figure out why.
(02:30):
But he needs a botanist and and the young lady's
a botanist and they're going to study this year a
maaya tree that has this resin that seems to be
associated with their unusually long life.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Uh So, anyway, that's kind of where the book.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
That book is and just having fun writing it and
it should be out in another month.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
You you know, you.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Can check my website for updates on author Kevinmeller dot com.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Well, and you've been.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Doing you've been doing some other events, like I think
you're going out in the community to meet some of
your fans and all that, right.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I actually have a book signing this October,
October eighteenth, and uh right near Scottsdale, Arizona.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
So so I'll be out there with all my books
and signing autographs and you know, just meeting people and
talking to other authors. You know, those events are great
because you know authors, you can talk to other authors
and you know, see what they're doing and bounce ideas
off each other. So yeah, that's a lot of fun
to do. And I've got my I finished my time
(03:37):
travel series I've got a book A four, a series
of four books kind of a time travel fiction, time travel.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Historical romance type thing.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
So people who are into time travel romance, like the
Outlander type of thing would probably enjoy the series, the
time Piece series.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
So again, that's up up on my website.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
And and uh yeah, I was just I was ready
to after finishing book four, I was ready to start
a you know, a different, different genre, different book to
just kind of step out of that world for a while.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
But it was a lot of fun right in the series.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Now, if you follow Kevin on TikTok and social media
and you see all the beautiful covers, I know you're
a graphic designer. Did you create a lot of your covers?
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah, no, I create them all I do.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
The only two that I haven't, well I was involved
in is the two that are that are traditionally published
by Headline Books out there in West Virginia. Shout out
to them. But yes, all the book covers are my
own design. I've designed some book covers for other authors
as well.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
You know, it's something I like to do.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
It's I enjoy it because it's like you know, I
That's why I kind of.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Went back to some self publishing a lot of my books.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Just to have that control, you know, the control over
the book cover, the control over how I market it,
you know, and I kind of a lot of authors
are doing that these days. You know, some of them
are more self publishing more and more because you know,
it's you know, it's kind of a next Week where you.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
And you owner and you own all your rights when you.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Do that, yeah, exactly, And the and the you know,
the royalties are higher too. I mean, you get most
you know, traditionally published houses will pay you ten percent.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
They'll give they'll give you a.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
You know, an advance and then they'll pay you ten
percent royalties.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Or you know, post it on Amazon.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
You're getting like seventy percent royalty for most everything.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
So so long you market, you're good.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
We're going to get to why you're wearing your air
on the State shirt in a minute, because it does
impact New York City and New York Giants football, because look,
I'm excited for the preseason. I know you watched it
very closely. But before we get to that, let's follow
upon your great grandfather Stanley. Yeah, wowowski has he come
to life yet? Are you bringing him to life in
in movies. What's up with all the projects there with
(05:50):
that we've.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Got, Yeah, we've you know, that's a Hollywood's Those things
take a long time.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Sometime.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
We had a TV series set up with the ID
Network and they they kind of backed out on that recently.
You know, That's kind of how it goes sometimes. But
so that kind of fell through the cracks. But we're
still pitching it to production companies for the feature film
and you know, just actively working on it, just kind
(06:15):
of waiting.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
There's a lot we have a lot of.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
People interested, but Hollywood has slowed down so much, you know,
from the strike and from a lot of the you know,
the stuff that's gone on the last couple of years
in Hollywood, and that's kind of slowed production down, it
slowed green lighting projects.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
So I just have to be patient. You know.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I'm very confident that, you know, we're going to get
this thing greenlit for film and possibly for some TV
you know as well. So we're just you know, I
just keep pushing away.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
And you know, I have.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
A friend of mine, Kevin Sizemore, who's an actor in Hollywood,
has own production company who optioned the book and he's
constantly pitching it and pushing and he's got a lot
of recent projects that he's greenlit, so he I know
I'm in there, and I know I have a lot
of confidence in him that he's going to get it done.
So you will be the first to know, my friend.
As soon as I have.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Something, we'll do red carpet interviews if there's ever a
movie in there. You know, Hey, I got to ask
you though, because Youngstown, Ohio, it does get into the
news sometimes and whatnot. Do you follow all the trends
of Youngstown because of that, That's where the story started.
And I'm sure podcasts and radio station is there still
call you up?
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Yeah, no, I do, I yeah, definitely. And the other
thing I was going to do.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
The one of the things I wanted to do exces
is I want to go back to Ohio and now
that I know where the property was, it was like
a ninety two acre property where this uh More my
grandfather lived and the murders took place. The murder took place,
and I want to go walk that property with video,
you know, I want to record that. And I started
(07:53):
to do that and a lot of the people I
was working with that wanted to buy the rights to
the TVs here and stuff, So like, no, no, no, don't
do that because we want to We want you to
do that and you know and get your genuine reaction
to it, you know, but you know that might take
a while. So I'm I'm planning a trip, you know,
probably you know, the next couple of months or very
(08:14):
soon to go back and walk that property, do a
video of it, and you just kind of talk about
the story as I do that, and you know, just
I like to go walk around the area in Southington
and talk to the locals, talk to the people and stuff,
and just you know, some people it's funny because some
people say, yeah, I kind of remember something about that story.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
You know.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
It's you know, but uh, and it's interesting because Southington
where the where the farm was, where my grandparents you know, lived,
and the tragedy happened.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
It's it's not changed. It's like a time capsule back there.
You know. You go back there and it's like you
could be standing.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
In nineteen twenty as easy as you could be standing
in you know, twenty twenty five. So it's fascinating. But yeah,
I do stay in contact with a lot of people.
I do get emails. People drop in on me sometimes
with emails and say, I read your book, you know,
and I've got some questions for you, and would you
be interested in talking to you know, So that does
happen a lot still.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
So the book it was true crime, but also it
had a lot of yeah in to it too. How
did you balance that out? Yeah, the yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
When I want to go write that book out, it's
like it's a true crime story, but I wanted to
write it in a novel format. I wanted to be
like a not a documentary or a biography or anything.
I wanted it to be an actual novel that people
can just dive into and visualize the story through my
grandfather's eyes, you know, kind of a cinematic, you know,
(09:42):
version of that.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
So when you read the.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Book, it's it's an emotional book because you're living the
story and you kind of through his eyes and and
you know, and feeling it and feeling the you know,
the the challenges and the and the hurt and the
tragedy and the you know, and and him overcoming I mean,
his his story is very inspirational.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
You know.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
It's twelve thirteen year old boy, you know that could
overcome such a tragedy and rescue his family and you know,
and you know, and it was.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
A euro And also then you document the love story
between your grandmother and grandfather. I mean that's part of
this too.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Oh yeah, that's definitely about part of it.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
That's that's kind of part three of the story, because
the first part of the story is, you know, the tragedy,
how it happened, the mystery, the murder mystery, everything that
goes on after my grandfather wakes up and finds his
father murdered in his bed and there's his mother is
bound and gagged and claiming that men broke in and
(10:40):
murdered the father and stole money and stuff. So that
first part's the investigation and how things fall apart and
go just sideways. And then the second part is when
my grandfather and his siblings is thrown into that orphanage
and Warren Ohio, that terrible place that he decides to
escape from a twelve years old to go take hop
a train in Chicago and and make enough money to
(11:02):
go back and bust his siblings out and take care
of them.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
And then the third part is kind of his story where.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
He meets my grandmother, my Irish grandma, Mma and you know, and.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
That that's kind of how it goes. That that's that's his.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Finding, you know, coming full circle and finding that love
that he needed in his life after sufferings and he.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Began Look, he ended up in the Prohibition era, you know,
it was right there, and that's why he made his
money for his wife. I mean it was pretty that's
pretty remarkable.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Too, yeah, yeah, yeah, no, because he got initially got
a job in a steel mill that wasn't really doing
enough for him, and there he got involved with bootlegging
because that was the time, that was the era, and
he made enough money doing that and he just kind
of stayed in it for a while, you know, and
kind of did that. They in the in the book,
you know, they my grandparents or my grandfather owned a speakeasy,
(11:53):
you know, bar and stuff, and you know there there
was a story that one time the cops showed up
to his house and he had a whole bunch of
liquor in the attic, you know, and they were pressing
him and you know as to you know, you guys,
got any illegal liquor in here? And stuff, and he goes, yeah,
it's all up in the attic, you know, he just
told him that jokingly, and they're like, oh, you know,
(12:14):
he just thought he was kidding and left.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
You know.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
So he was an interesting character. He's an interesting guy,
and I wish i'd have known more when he was
alive and I could ask him questions, although I know
he wouldn't have answered most.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Let me ask you this because I feel like in
your writing, there's got to be that thread which we
were first pitched about many years ago, not keeping family secrets, right,
you know, you want to bring up those secrets, you know,
the family, and I feel like that's reflected in all
of your writing.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Right, yeah, it is, it is, you know because with
this story, I struggled and I talked a lot with
my dad when he was still alive, and it's like
my grandfather took this story to his grave, him and
his siblings, you know, for over one hundred years.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
He didn't want that truth revealed.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
But I decided I want to tell this true just
because the story was so it's inspirational. It touched my heart,
you know, and it's like I need to tell this
story because I think it's going to touch other people's hearts.
And I think it's gonna people are going to relate
to this story, you know. And he truly had a
heart of steel, you know, and I think people will
relate to the story. And that's why I just decided
(13:19):
to share it, because I just was in awe of
his bravery and his courage at such a young age.
You know, you don't see that today. You know, you
don't see that kind of grit today. You know, I
don't think from from most of our youth. You know,
it's just kind of been lost over the generations, you know.
So so I thought I was a story that needed
(13:39):
to be told. And you know, I'm sorry, Grandpa, I
love you, you know, but I wanted to tell your story.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
You know what. Maybe he's you know, maybe he's approved
of by inspiring you to write so many more books
and be an award winning author all at the same time.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Here, Yeah that, you know, you know what, that's a
nice thought. I liked that thought. It really is. Because
the second book I wrote is inspired by my great
great grandmother, who was Native American. She was Ohio Seneca
and she was married to my Irish grandfather. And that
one takes place in like the Civil War, and I
did a lot of research.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
On that one as well.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
So yeah, I just kept going, you know, I kept
going with that, and maybe that's true. You know, maybe
that is true because I just found a love through
his story. I found a love for writing and decided
to become an author late in life, you know, go figure.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
But all right, well, you know, since I've rebranded to
one Leg Up Alex and one Leg Up with Alex
and whatnot, I've often brought on people that are helping
others have one leg up. So you mentioned the youth.
When you go to these conferences, are you finding that
people are turning to you for that advice to have
one leg up on their own writing as well? Oh?
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Definitely.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Yeah, Like I said, when we're yeah, even as I'm
sitting at the tables and talking to different people and
coming up, there's a lot of young young you know,
youngsters and young teenagers and young adults and stuff that
come up and look at my books. And I get
a chance to stand there and just talk to them,
you know, and ask them questions and and you know,
and they'll ask questions about the book and stuff, and
some of them do they want to write or you know,
(15:15):
a lot of times I'll ask them, you know, do
you ever think about writing a story? As we get
into a conversation, and a lot of there's so many
people that want to write stories that just don't know
where to start or they just don't get around to
doing it. So my advice to them is, you know,
just sit down and start writing. It doesn't have to
be perfect, don't worry about, you know, how good or.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Bad it is.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Just just write the story, you know, because everybody has
a story in them, you know, and I think most
people could write a book, you know, most people could
find something in their family or their experiences to you know,
to write. And yeah, I definitely definitely one leg up,
you know, and find that, you know, find that passion,
(15:56):
you know.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
But but those who are sort of breaking out into this,
like for the first time an author and I'm watching
this right now listening to us, Yeah, but they're stuck
in the corporate world. Because if I'm not miss saying,
you were in the corporate world, and of course you
served our military and then once all that was completed,
you dove into writing. Yeah, what's the message of saying, Hey,
maybe too late to be right, It's never too late.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Oh, never too late. It's never too late.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
I'm I started writing in my sixties, you know, And
I mean I'd always been a professional web developer, a
technical writer and stuff.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
But it's not the same thing.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
But but I've always had these stories inside me, you know,
I've always had that inside and if you if you're
a person who has that same kind of creativity stories,
it's just stuff that just has to get out and
get it on paper.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
It's like, it is never too late to start writing.
And it's never been easier to publish a book than today,
you know, because you just go you can use Amazon,
you can use you know, ingram Sparks. There's so many
platforms for self published authors to publish their work and
get it out there. You know, if you go through Ingrams, Spark,
(17:02):
you know that you can get your book in libraries.
I've got a lot, you know a lot of my
books and libraries, you know, because they go on and
they just buy them and you know, and get them
out there.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
So your stories are also historical, I mean, that's the
other part of this. They're historical writings. And I feel
like you're preserving the legacies of your family. What's that
mean to you when you hear something like that.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Oh, definitely, no, No, I mean it's it's definitely preserving
the legacy. And the other thing too, ox, which is
really cool. I have two younger daughters. I've got one
who's nineteen and one who's twenty three, and they feed
me a lot of material because.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
I listen to how they talk.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
I listen to their conversations and their experiences, you know,
with their with life, with their boyfriends, with their jobs,
with school, and how they talk and stuff. And one
of the things for me is I'm leaving in these
books is when they go to they don't always read
my books, you know, I try. I don't push it
on them and stuff because they're so busy in their lives.
(18:03):
But I know that maybe one day when I'm not
here and they sit down and they start reading all
my books and going through everything, They're going to recognize conversations.
They're going to recognize themselves in my writing, you know.
And that's kind of a legacy that I'm leaving for
them too, you know, because they get.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Me curiosity into their own family tree now too.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
You know, exactly it does, and it preserves and it
gives them something that to pass down and say, yeah,
this was your grandfather, this is your you know, great
great grandfather's story, and you know, and uh yeah, definitely,
it definitely seals I mean, that's the funny thing.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
About books, you know, it does. It seals a legacy.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
You know, it gives us history, it gives us you know,
an escape, and and it does allow me to leave
those kind of messages to my children and grandchildren.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
So very very cool.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Very amazing. Well I got to ask you this then, Well,
we know you're a big sports guy, so we're going
to do that in one second for sure. But as
you're writing, what does it mean to be that expressive self?
I feel like there's such a form of expression there,
not just putting the words on it, but the way
you do it, you know.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Yeah, everybody, every author has their writing process, you know,
and they're all different. There's no right or wrong way
to write a book, you know. And the first book,
when I wrote Hard to Steal, it's like I had
to kind of learn how to write a book. It
took me three years to write that book because I
had to learn how to write and you know, go
through an editor and just kind of figure it out.
(19:37):
And I've got you know, I've re edited that book
several times to make it the best it can be.
But then as each as I write each book, I
get better and better. And as I learn, I'm constantly learning,
constantly reading other books, you know, listening to other authors,
famous authors, how they write their processes and compare that
to my own and use some of their ideas. I
(19:57):
have my own ideas, but yeah, you kind of cate
your own process of writing and it just kind of
comes to you, you know. So there's and I said,
like I said, there's no right or wrong way to
do it, you know, just sit down and write and
and be honest with the you know, with the writing.
You know, sometimes you have to be real into it.
There's sections of writing that are so emotional to me
(20:20):
that you know, I get emotional and have to stop
sometimes because and and that's how I look at is
if this has affected me like this, I think the
reader is going to feel that too.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
They're going to feel that through the pages.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
So you kind of have to get to get to
that point to go really deep with your writing, you know,
and honest with that that would be my advice.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
And of course I love to blog. It's a love
than writing. So do you blog as well or is
it mainly all through books?
Speaker 1 (20:48):
That's mostly through books.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
I used to start a blog, but I just sometimes
I just don't have the time to do that. I'd
like to start up a blog and again, you know,
and maybe or youtubing or something that kind of to
put myself out there as a resource for you know,
young authors or other authors, you know, to bounce ideas
off or to you know, kind of share how my
(21:11):
process goes and my works and different things.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
So and I'll probably do that at some point.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
But all right, now the fun part because you are
wearing Arizona State. Oh yeah, I talk to you before
we talk about before kickoff, I gotta bring you on.
What can Giant fans expect from mister Scabadough. I mean,
I was excited when they drafted it.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Cam Scataboo. Okay, now there's there's a baller, there's a ballplayer.
I think New York Giants was probably one of the
best places for Cam Scataboo because this young man is
just tough as nails.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
I mean, he just fits the new York Giants.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
You know, idea of what a football player should be.
I've watched I've watched Scataboo for the last couple years
at ASU, and what what New York Giant fans should
expect is A is a young guy and that's gonna
come in there and just be a steamroller, man.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
I mean he is.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
What he brings to the game, not just his physicality
and his phenomenal athleticism. I mean, I've never seen anyone
that can take hits and just bounce off and just
keep going, but he brings a leadership, you know, he
brings a leadership to uh, you know, to the whole team.
It's just it's like contagious. His attitude, his leadership is contagious.
(22:31):
And that's kind of what helped ASU. I mean, Ahu's
got a lot of talent besides Cam Skataboo, but he
was the heart and soul of that team last year
and just fires everybody up, you know, and it just
and he's and.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
He was targeted a lot in that championship game. I'm
not mistaken too.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Oh yeah, I mean think about the championship game. The
championship game. Yeah, he just right off the bat.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
I mean, he just comes out busting, you know, busting loose.
He's hard to say. You're not gonna stop cam Skataboo.
You can try to contain him, but you're not going
to stop him. And the game, you know, the playoff
game against Texas, which hardbreaking, but the young man was
the MVP, you know, in a loss, you know, because
he what he rushed for like one hundred and forty
(23:14):
three yards. I think he had ninety nine yards receiving
forty two yards. He's passing, he had a two point conversion.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
To you know, honestly, he kept them in the game.
If I'm not mistaken.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Anything in the game that day, he did. Man, he was.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
He was sick earlier he has had like a stomach
bug or something, and then he just like you know,
hurled it and then got back out there and got
to work, you know, and Assue had to catch up
because they gave up a cheap punt return and a
one big play and then ASU turned it around. The
issue put five hundred and ten yards of offense on
that NFL type of Texas defense, so they they really
(23:50):
came to play. They really you know, punched Texas in
the mouth there and took them right to the to
the wire. You know, a couple of questionable calls could
have definitely changed that game. But just the formans of
Cam Scataboo that that when you look at that game
and watch that game, that's what you're going to get
in New York.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
You know, when when he's out, I know he's got
a little bit of a hamstring injury here.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Probably injuries are a little weird right now with the Giants.
Maleak's a little hurt, he's a little you know what
it's it's it's still enough time to recover. But I
have to say this, Uh, I'm gonna tag you on
this because people where Giant fans have to take this
guy's protective, Kevin's protective. He's right there on the ground
in Arizona, reporting on on camp for us, and I'm
(24:29):
very appreciative about that. If I want to take the
other the other sideline, because you've also watched Texas right
and we all wondered why Archie Manning didn't really get
a snap. I'm very not Archie H.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Young Manning.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Yeah, yeah, isn't it Archie?
Speaker 3 (24:47):
I think it is your arch Manning. Yeah, I think
he's got his Grandpa's name.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Yeah, I think you're right. So it is about Arch
Manning on the other side line, we're all wondering where
that Manning is right and wondering when he's gonna get
in the game. Look, I loved what Quinn you weres
did for Texas. I thought he was very good for them.
But they could have gone to Manning a little more
down the stretch and they just did not, And it
was kind of frustrating because hey, we're all manning heights
(25:12):
up here, right, But also we want to see if
this kid is were drafting. I mean, I think the
Giants have their eyes on.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Him, yeah, oh oh for sure. And you've got a
good one with with Jackson Dart.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
I mean, you've got a good young quarterback who's got
a lot of fire and spark there. So I think
the Giants quarterback room is in pretty good shape as
well as they're running back room. But yeah, it makes
you wonder, you know, I wondered that too, because it's like,
you got young Manning there, why, you know, why aren't
you giving him more playing time?
Speaker 1 (25:39):
You know, especially on.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
The goal line. I mean, they kept on the Quinn
and it's like, but Arch could run it right in
for you, you know, yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Right right.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
So we're going to get to see I mean, there's
gonna be a lot of pressure on this young man
because there's a lot of hype and that's a lot
to live up to. Hopefully his coaches, you know, will
have him, you know, not distracted from all that talk
and chatter and so he can just falls on the game,
you know, and play the game, you know, just ignore
all the all the talk and all the heisman and all.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
The high It's funny because he was I believe either
Friday or he was not on the first day, but yeah,
he when you when you got driving on that Saturday,
he texted me, you're gonna want to watch this team.
I am now a Giant fan. I'm like, oh we
converted someone, look at that.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Oh yeah, no, no, I'm on board, New York Giants.
I'm on board. I'm on board.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
I'm gonna be watching every Giant game that I can
watch because I love this kid. Cam Scataboo. You guys
are gonna fall in love with this kid man because
he just doesn't quit. He is just uh, he's just
a beast and and he's got that X factor.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
Alex.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
You know, like some players are good, but they don't
have the X factor. Camp scat who has that X factor?
And I know that Kenny Dillingham, you know, he he.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Spent you know, he called the coach.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
You know, he called the coach and the giants up
and he's and he said, uh, he said, you know what,
just let cam scattaboy do what he does because he's
gonna you know, he's going to influence that team. He's
going to fire everybody up. Everyone that's around him just
gets fired up. He just has that effect on the team,
you know. And once he's in there, once he gets
his time in there and he's he's healthy and feeling
(27:12):
good and stuff, you guys are in for a treat,
you know, because this kid, he's not the fastest. I mean,
he's got like a four to six five forty. But
I have never seen a running back, and I've seen
a lot of running backs over the years, and especially
at ASU and stuff, I've never seen a running back
that has the kind of balance that he has that
he can take these hits and just keep pushing forward
(27:33):
and you can't tackle him. He just keeps pushing forward.
He'll find a way. I mean, he's going to be
great for the Giants. The Giants running game is going
to be great, and I really sees good things happening
for New York him.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
The back round is going to be electric. All right.
I got to give a shout out to your head coach,
because many probably know this. He gave a bonus to
everybody on his staff after they advance. How cool is that?
Speaker 3 (27:57):
Kenny Dillingham is the coolest guy out. He's a young coach,
he's in They're probably the one of youngest coaches in
college football right now.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
These kids love.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
Him, you know, at a ISSU and and none of
them wanted to leave, you know, with the with the
nil and the portal and stuff.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
They all wanted to stay.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Even the backup Sims, the quarterbackup quarterback Sims could start
anywhere he wants. He started at Nebraska, you know, he
he wanted to stay and back up Sam Levitt. You know,
Sam Levitt's going to be a high His name is
going to be throw thrown out there for Heisman as well.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
You know, they they're load hues loaded at Town.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
That's one of the things people don't understand is they're like, well, skamp.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Scatta who's gone. Now, No, you guys have no idea.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
This A Issue team is going to be even better
than last year's A Issue team. They are three deep
everywhere they've they're just loaded.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Their defense is going to be one of the best
in the country.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
They've pulled in some wide receivers from you know, from
Alabama and other places that they've upgraded that Sam Levit
is gonna have more targets to throw to other than
Jordan Tyson, who's a first team All American.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
They're gonna make noise, you know. And people are kind
of you know, downplaying.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
And not still sure about but A Issue, But I
promise you A Issue is going to be right there.
And I really expect to see them back in the
Big twelve championship this year. Who they're going to play
hard to say. There's so many good teams in the
Big twelve and it's and it's it's crazy, you know,
there's a lot of there's probably seven, eight nine teams
that could probably get there. But yeah, no, Dillingham has
(29:26):
just done an amazing job, you know, at A Issue
in such a short period of time.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Well, it's all with Kevin Miller and now with all
the sports knowledge, I got to say, you got to
write a sports book. Now, that's got to be in
your repertoire.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
I think, yeah, well, you know what I exactly I'd
love to do that. I absolutely love to do that.
Loved I'd love to write Kenny Dillingham story. You know,
he's a guy that that like me. I mean, it's
like and I used to coach my brothers and I
used to go if we played football, and we coached
Pop Warner football together and won a lot, and we're
all crazed Arizona State Sun Devil fans. And that's who
(30:01):
Kenny Dillingham is. He's an alumni. He grew up, you know,
in the valley, so he's he's he to you know.
Him getting that job is like me getting that job.
That's how passionate he is. And he just turned He's
getting all kinds of offers and he just turns him down.
He's like, this is the job I want. This is
my dream job for real, this is where I want
to be. And he's so passionate about it, and that's
(30:22):
contagious to the players. All the players want to be there.
They love playing for him. These players love each other
and playing for each other. And that's what makes championships.
You know, when a team can play that, you can
have all the All stars and stuff you want him.
You got teams that have all these great players they
pulled in, but can they play together? Are they there
for the money or are they there for the love
(30:42):
of the game and the love of each other?
Speaker 1 (30:44):
And Ahu has that right now.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
They have that chemistry and that's why they're a dangerous team,
you know to play.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
So I'm excited.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
I'm very excited for the season and we'll see where
she goes and what they can accomplish this year.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
But I'm a big fan out of Dillingham.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
All right, Well, do you know we have a Hurley
up here in Yukonnor's one of a few rings already.
Oh yeah, but but the Hurley down in a she
was an equal. I mean, they're brothers. They're equally passionate
about the game, aren't they.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Oh yeah, without a doubt, definitely. Yeah. I mean that
that that.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Attitude just kind of you know, goes through all the
coaches and stuff. I mean, and I'm a I'm a
fan of Hurlees too, you know, and I think a
issue would do well to keep him on, you know,
and and because he's done, he's done some good stuff.
You know, A Issue is not a huge basketball school.
They never were, you know that that school down south
(31:39):
in Tucson that we remains unmentioned that you of a,
they're usually the basketball school.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
But Issues had some great.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Seasons and I think, you know, Hurley needs to stick
around and and they need to pay him and keep
him going because I think he's going to do good
things and you know, he's already doing some some good
work in recruiting.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
I'll never forget when you got beat us to Saint
John and I didn't go to Sain John. I love
Saint John's from them. You guys beat us in the
first four when Mullen was coach, and of course Mullen retired,
you know, left after that. But that was an impressive
showing for as you and I think that was the
real on the Matt moment.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Yeah, yeah, for sure, without a doubt. I mean, he
you know, Hurley's had some good years. You know, he's
had a couple of down years and stuff. But that's
that's that comes with coaching, you know, I mean, that
comes with the you know, you got to reload, and
we all know that everyone's got to reload. But yeah,
they've they've had some good years and they just need
to stick with the guy.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
The guy's a great coach.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
He knows basketball, and he motivates his players, and you
know he's.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
I know that.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
You know he shows up to the football games too,
and Dillingham shows up to the basketball games, and they
they just all support each other so well, so exciting
things happening.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Well on the field, off the field, and in the books.
It sounds like so very exciting stuff. And remind our
listeners one more time where you're going to be doing
the signing.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
Oh yeah, let me let me pull that up real quick.
Speaker 4 (33:07):
It's uh, let mean you just pull this up real quick,
and I'll give the exact address right off my website
and the information is on my website, author Kevinmiller dot com.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
But it's the Desert Foothills Fest book signing. It's Saturday,
October eighteenth, from ten am to three pm. It's at
the Holland Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. So I'll be out
there with all the other authors and there's lots of
books and it's the perfect time of year to get
out there and you know, get some books for the holidays.
(33:43):
You know, they make great gifts.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Yeah, all in Arizona's got to be feel really nice
now that it's hot, right, Oh yeah, no.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
It stays hot.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
It stays hot until about Halloween, you know, and even
growing up here, man, it's warm through even through September
and October. But right on Halloween is when it's kind
of the switch flips and it gets a little cooler,
cooler at night, and then from that point on it's
it's cold. It gets real cold here, but it's a
beautiful time of year.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
While we're on football, is this Kyler's make or break year?
I mean, do you follow Cardinals football as much? Or yeah?
Speaker 1 (34:18):
No, I do. I do, And I don't know.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
You know, it's just you know, there's a young man,
another Heisman winner from Oklahoma, you know that was so
full of promise coming to the Cardinals, and you know
they've had a lot of struggles, you know, and the
and his struggles aren't all his fault, you know, but
it's it's hard to say. I mean, I really am
just kind of confounded on what he's going to do.
(34:40):
You know, we're just kinda kind of got to wait
and see, you know. And and and I'm waiting for
Marvin Harrison to break out.
Speaker 1 (34:47):
You know.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
I mean, the young man is as talented as his
father was, but it's like, okay, man, but what point
or you know?
Speaker 2 (34:54):
Well? And I think this generation of Nil kids is
a little different because now they're expecting the big pay
day and that just means we have more expectations than
the fans for them to perform. I mean, there's another.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Dot right right exactly, So a lot of pressure there.
So I hope.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
So, I mean, I'm I like the Cardinals, you know,
I've liked him since they've been here and stuff, and
I've tried hard to be a fan, you know, and
and I am a fan, but but they've kind of,
you know, they kind of break our hearts sometimes, you know.
But but I'm definitely a Giants fan this year.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
Man.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
You know, I'm watching cam skataboo and we'll see where
that goes and stuff.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
But uh, yeah, I wish the Cardinals, but I hope
they have a good season.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
I hope Kyler can turn it around and and be
the quarterback that he, you know, has the potential to be,
you know, he's he's a talented young man.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
It's like, well, they look strong in preseason, so we'll
have to see both teams did so, yeah, they.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Really do, they really do.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
So I think it's going to be a good year
for football all around. And I am just chomping at
the bed on Saturdays to kick off or you know issues.
First game again the Northern Arizona University, which is not
a bad team. They they're you know, they're D two,
but they're ranked at D two and they won nine
games last year, so it won't be a cake walk,
but a issue should handle them pretty well. And then
(36:13):
they'll be off to Mississippi State, which you know they
should take that game too. But I imagine after this week,
I think Miami's going to lose, and I think ASU
will move up from eleventh and tenth and break the
top ten.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
You know, it's just, you know, they just got to.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Well right, especially because their big year last year, so
it can happen again. Sure, Kevin, I really appreciate this.
And next episode we have you, they will do one
more promo about what's going on in October for people
to freshen their minds about I want to get into
your coaching style and how maybe you brought that coaching
into your writing as well. Is there a correlation?
Speaker 3 (36:50):
Yeah, well, you know, probably so, I mean when I
think about it, because just our mindset, you know, my
brothers and I we kind of That's why I kind
of like Kenny Dillingham, because we kind of had that
same mindset. We we got the kids just so excited
to play that we.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
Would have young young men play.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
Above their talent, you know, just just having fun with them.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
And you know, we would teach them.
Speaker 3 (37:13):
Things sometimes by just like having fumble drills. We'd throw
the ball in the mud and let them them mothers
hated it, but the kids loved it and they're and
we never lost a fumble, and we would on side
kick a lot at that level, and we recover it
quite a bit because they knew how to recover a fumble,
you know, and just and they were having fun so
much fun, they didn't realize they were learning something, you know,
because we had fun just kind of playing through them living.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
My favorite my favorite thing in football is not so
much the mud, but in the snow. That's when I
love to play.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you guys got the snow
back there.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
Yeah, my dad and I used to play in the
courtyard of NYU where I went to pre k although
I was, you know, in my teens, and we'd play
when there was snow and it was one of my
favorite things. So I can't imagine excited the kids get
roll around trying to get that ball. It's it's got
to be fun to watch.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
Oh no, it's so much fun. And what's really rewarding.
I know our years of Pop Warner coach and was
when we have that.
Speaker 3 (38:10):
Kid, you know, that shy kid that kind of you know,
it is kind of a little fraid to contact and stuff.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
And you just work with them and work and you
see him progress.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
And and you know, I had one kid, his name
was Matt Gaalbert Man, and I worked at it because
I played wide receiver in defensive back, so I was
working with him at defensive back. And by the end
of the year he had like six interceptions. And the
kid went on to play high school football, which he probably.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Wouldn't have, you know, And and he was he was good.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
And and and one father came up when with his
little boy, he was struggling in school, and.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
He says he goes.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
You know what, I got to give you guys credit
because his confidence is so high right now that all
he's pulled all his grades up. They were going to
put him in special classes and now he's got good grades,
and that just touches my heart. That's what coaching is
all about, you know, is just seeing young young men
and our young women, you know, just rise above themselves
(39:05):
and be successful and find that confidence in themselves. You know,
That's that's what we try to instill.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
And when you do there in your conference, Oklahoma softball
is really amazing, by the way, and you're you know,
Oklahoma softball is fun to watch, so I'm glad to
get the women too. Hey. Yeah, No, let's have a
bigger conversation on this because we can. I always think
a fall and I always listen to a Bob Wolfe's
son Rick Rick Wolf when you used to do a
(39:33):
show on w f A N about youth sports. And
we don't have that conversation anymore, a because unfortunately Rick
Wolf passed. But b no one wants to talk about
how we can invigorate the youth sports incentives, about how
bad it is, how the coaches are, or how the
umpires and reps don't want to play do it anymore?
We can vitalize it just through these conversations of yes,
(39:54):
sports is healthy for the kid, and they have to
be allowed to play it.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
Yeah, it's it's such a vital it's such a to
me as such a vital uh, you know, the aspect
to to development, you know, to develop in our young
people the sports, you know, sports sports, sports is just
a metaphor for life, you know. And they learned so much,
you know, being part of a team, you know, and
how to how to interact, you know, and have a hed,
(40:18):
have each other's back, you know, how to overcome adversity.
You know, there's every lesson in life can be learned
through sports, you know.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Yeah, so I think it's how much And life is
so much bigger than baseball and jazz chism is one
hundredth career homer. What do you do on the bench?
He hugged all of his very emotional moment, because you're
a guy like many others, whose life is bigger than baseball,
and yet here he is thriving at the game he loves.
It's just it's so cool to see these stories unfolding
(40:48):
right here. In New York and now with Scataboo, we're
going to see how it correlates. And you know, this
NFL is not an easy transition, neither of the NBA. Nope,
I remember tell I'll tell the story till till the
day I can't. Tyler Hansborough stand out UNC ends up
packing groceries. Yeah, ends up packing groceries because he couldn't
(41:12):
make it the NBA. It's just funny how these things
end up.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3 (41:16):
Camp Scattaboo was a zero star recruit out of high school.
Nobody who recruited him. Sacramento State finally gave him an
offer and he played there for a year before he
transferred to ASU, before Kenny Dillingham discovered him and convinced
him to come to ASU.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
He's been disrespected his whole life. That's that's part of
what motivates.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
That young man is he's constantly proving he's That's why
he made the statement before Texas saying I'm the best
running back in the country, and it's like, wow, man,
you're really throwing the galllet down the Texas a defense,
But he went out there and proved it. You know,
he went out there and proved it on the field,
you know. But uh yeah, I mean it's it's and
that there's a guy who you would think wouldn't make it,
(41:54):
but there he is. He's a New York giant, you know,
so works.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
I love the first impression he made that you know,
kind of hype video and whatnot of him coming to
New York. So gotta love his energy already. All right, Kevin,
we're gonna follow you back. You know, We're gonna promote
your Instagram, your x account, your everything, because you deserve
to be shouted out, so we're gonna do that. Also,
thanks for having writers have One Leg Up on life
(42:22):
for sure.
Speaker 3 (42:23):
Absolutely, man, I appreciated, Alex, I really do.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
Man.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
It's good great talking to you again. It's been too long.
We need to do this a little more often.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
Well, now I know that you were a coach, we
got to do some breakdowns and stuff as the weeks
go on. I'd love to do that.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
Absolutely, yep, absolutely, we'd love it.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
That's Keller on One Leg Up Network. I'm Alex Carrett.
Here's your host, Alex Garrett.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
All right, Well, I've been following this guy's TikTok and
social media forever since we talked about his you know,
great grandfather, Kevin Miller back you all remember him from
the Heart of Steel. Now he's doing so much more
and he's back on my podcast on One Leg Up
with Alex Herret. First of all, Kevin, it's been a while,
haven't been.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
I've been great, Alex. I've been great. I mean I'm
doing the same. I'm following you all the time on
TikTok and your social media and watching all the stuff
you're involved in, and you inspire me. Man, you know
you're you're uh. I enjoy I enjoy watching your videos
and stuff. But I've been busy just continue writing books
and stuff and hanging out with the family here and
(00:49):
in sunny and very warm Arizona. We uh, you know,
we're in California for a while, but now we're back
in Arizona and enjoying the heat.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Well, it's seem like you've been diving more into the
Native American you know, writing. So tell us what the
latest is.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yeah, Well, the latest the book I'm writing right now
is called Blood of Yara Maya and it's set in
the the Brazilian Amazon.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
So it's it's an interesting story.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
I'm really having fun writing this guy's I should have it.
I should have it published probably in about another month.
I plan on doing it about like next month. And uh,
the story is basically, you know, a young young protagonist
is a twenty five year old gen Z Stanford grad
kind of you know, spoiled rich kid from Malibu.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
And she is bored in her life.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
She's got a relationship that's broken up, and she she
she takes on this. She wants to be an assistant
to a doctor who's working in the Amazon to finish
her thesis. And uh, she ends up going down there
to do this, and and finds herself alone in the
Amazon because when she gets there, the doctor's not there,
(02:07):
and the boat leaves and the radio doesn't work and
she has no way to get there. So she's so
as the book opens up, it's already she's already been
there a week and she's you know, desperate to know
what to do, and you know, and and uh, basically it's, uh,
the the doctors down there studying an indigenous tribe that
has an unusually long lifespan and trying to figure out why.
(02:30):
But he needs a botanist and and the young lady's
a botanist and they're going to study this year a
maaya tree that has this resin that seems to be
associated with their unusually long life.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Uh So, anyway, that's kind of where the book.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
That book is and just having fun writing it and
it should be out in another month.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
You you know, you.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Can check my website for updates on author Kevinmeller dot com.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Well, and you've been.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Doing you've been doing some other events, like I think
you're going out in the community to meet some of
your fans and all that, right.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I actually have a book signing this October,
October eighteenth, and uh right near Scottsdale, Arizona.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
So so I'll be out there with all my books
and signing autographs and you know, just meeting people and
talking to other authors. You know, those events are great
because you know authors, you can talk to other authors
and you know, see what they're doing and bounce ideas
off each other. So yeah, that's a lot of fun
to do. And I've got my I finished my time
(03:37):
travel series I've got a book A four, a series
of four books kind of a time travel fiction, time travel.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Historical romance type thing.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
So people who are into time travel romance, like the
Outlander type of thing would probably enjoy the series, the
time Piece series.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
So again, that's up up on my website.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
And and uh yeah, I was just I was ready
to after finishing book four, I was ready to start
a you know, a different, different genre, different book to
just kind of step out of that world for a while.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
But it was a lot of fun right in the series.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Now, if you follow Kevin on TikTok and social media
and you see all the beautiful covers, I know you're
a graphic designer. Did you create a lot of your covers?
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah, no, I create them all I do.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
The only two that I haven't, well I was involved
in is the two that are that are traditionally published
by Headline Books out there in West Virginia. Shout out
to them. But yes, all the book covers are my
own design. I've designed some book covers for other authors
as well.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
You know, it's something I like to do.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
It's I enjoy it because it's like you know, I
That's why I kind of.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Went back to some self publishing a lot of my books.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Just to have that control, you know, the control over
the book cover, the control over how I market it,
you know, and I kind of a lot of authors
are doing that these days. You know, some of them
are more self publishing more and more because you know,
it's you know, it's kind of a next Week where you.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
And you owner and you own all your rights when you.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Do that, yeah, exactly, And the and the you know,
the royalties are higher too. I mean, you get most
you know, traditionally published houses will pay you ten percent.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
They'll give they'll give you a.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
You know, an advance and then they'll pay you ten
percent royalties.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Or you know, post it on Amazon.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
You're getting like seventy percent royalty for most everything.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
So so long you market, you're good.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
We're going to get to why you're wearing your air
on the State shirt in a minute, because it does
impact New York City and New York Giants football, because look,
I'm excited for the preseason. I know you watched it
very closely. But before we get to that, let's follow
upon your great grandfather Stanley. Yeah, wowowski has he come
to life yet? Are you bringing him to life in
in movies. What's up with all the projects there with
(05:50):
that we've.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Got, Yeah, we've you know, that's a Hollywood's Those things
take a long time.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Sometime.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
We had a TV series set up with the ID
Network and they they kind of backed out on that recently.
You know, That's kind of how it goes sometimes. But
so that kind of fell through the cracks. But we're
still pitching it to production companies for the feature film
and you know, just actively working on it, just kind
(06:15):
of waiting.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
There's a lot we have a lot of.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
People interested, but Hollywood has slowed down so much, you know,
from the strike and from a lot of the you know,
the stuff that's gone on the last couple of years
in Hollywood, and that's kind of slowed production down, it
slowed green lighting projects.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
So I just have to be patient. You know.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I'm very confident that, you know, we're going to get
this thing greenlit for film and possibly for some TV
you know as well. So we're just you know, I
just keep pushing away.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
And you know, I have.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
A friend of mine, Kevin Sizemore, who's an actor in Hollywood,
has own production company who optioned the book and he's
constantly pitching it and pushing and he's got a lot
of recent projects that he's greenlit, so he I know
I'm in there, and I know I have a lot
of confidence in him that he's going to get it done.
So you will be the first to know, my friend.
As soon as I have.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Something, we'll do red carpet interviews if there's ever a
movie in there. You know, Hey, I got to ask
you though, because Youngstown, Ohio, it does get into the
news sometimes and whatnot. Do you follow all the trends
of Youngstown because of that, That's where the story started.
And I'm sure podcasts and radio station is there still
call you up?
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Yeah, no, I do, I yeah, definitely. And the other
thing I was going to do.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
The one of the things I wanted to do exces
is I want to go back to Ohio and now
that I know where the property was, it was like
a ninety two acre property where this uh More my
grandfather lived and the murders took place. The murder took place,
and I want to go walk that property with video,
you know, I want to record that. And I started
(07:53):
to do that and a lot of the people I
was working with that wanted to buy the rights to
the TVs here and stuff, So like, no, no, no, don't
do that because we want to We want you to
do that and you know and get your genuine reaction
to it, you know, but you know that might take
a while. So I'm I'm planning a trip, you know,
probably you know, the next couple of months or very
(08:14):
soon to go back and walk that property, do a
video of it, and you just kind of talk about
the story as I do that, and you know, just
I like to go walk around the area in Southington
and talk to the locals, talk to the people and stuff,
and just you know, some people it's funny because some
people say, yeah, I kind of remember something about that story.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
You know.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
It's you know, but uh, and it's interesting because Southington
where the where the farm was, where my grandparents you know, lived,
and the tragedy happened.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
It's it's not changed. It's like a time capsule back there.
You know. You go back there and it's like you
could be standing.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
In nineteen twenty as easy as you could be standing
in you know, twenty twenty five. So it's fascinating. But yeah,
I do stay in contact with a lot of people.
I do get emails. People drop in on me sometimes
with emails and say, I read your book, you know,
and I've got some questions for you, and would you
be interested in talking to you know, So that does
happen a lot still.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
So the book it was true crime, but also it
had a lot of yeah in to it too. How
did you balance that out? Yeah, the yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
When I want to go write that book out, it's
like it's a true crime story, but I wanted to
write it in a novel format. I wanted to be
like a not a documentary or a biography or anything.
I wanted it to be an actual novel that people
can just dive into and visualize the story through my
grandfather's eyes, you know, kind of a cinematic, you know,
(09:42):
version of that.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
So when you read the.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Book, it's it's an emotional book because you're living the
story and you kind of through his eyes and and
you know, and feeling it and feeling the you know,
the the challenges and the and the hurt and the
tragedy and the you know, and and him overcoming I mean,
his his story is very inspirational.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
You know.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
It's twelve thirteen year old boy, you know that could
overcome such a tragedy and rescue his family and you know,
and you know, and it was.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
A euro And also then you document the love story
between your grandmother and grandfather. I mean that's part of
this too.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Oh yeah, that's definitely about part of it.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
That's that's kind of part three of the story, because
the first part of the story is, you know, the tragedy,
how it happened, the mystery, the murder mystery, everything that
goes on after my grandfather wakes up and finds his
father murdered in his bed and there's his mother is
bound and gagged and claiming that men broke in and
(10:40):
murdered the father and stole money and stuff. So that
first part's the investigation and how things fall apart and
go just sideways. And then the second part is when
my grandfather and his siblings is thrown into that orphanage
and Warren Ohio, that terrible place that he decides to
escape from a twelve years old to go take hop
a train in Chicago and and make enough money to
(11:02):
go back and bust his siblings out and take care
of them.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
And then the third part is kind of his story where.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
He meets my grandmother, my Irish grandma, Mma and you know, and.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
That that's kind of how it goes. That that's that's his.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Finding, you know, coming full circle and finding that love
that he needed in his life after sufferings and he.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Began Look, he ended up in the Prohibition era, you know,
it was right there, and that's why he made his
money for his wife. I mean it was pretty that's
pretty remarkable.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Too, yeah, yeah, yeah, no, because he got initially got
a job in a steel mill that wasn't really doing
enough for him, and there he got involved with bootlegging
because that was the time, that was the era, and
he made enough money doing that and he just kind
of stayed in it for a while, you know, and
kind of did that. They in the in the book,
you know, they my grandparents or my grandfather owned a speakeasy,
(11:53):
you know, bar and stuff, and you know there there
was a story that one time the cops showed up
to his house and he had a whole bunch of
liquor in the attic, you know, and they were pressing
him and you know as to you know, you guys,
got any illegal liquor in here? And stuff, and he goes, yeah,
it's all up in the attic, you know, he just
told him that jokingly, and they're like, oh, you know,
(12:14):
he just thought he was kidding and left.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
You know.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
So he was an interesting character. He's an interesting guy,
and I wish i'd have known more when he was
alive and I could ask him questions, although I know
he wouldn't have answered most.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Let me ask you this because I feel like in
your writing, there's got to be that thread which we
were first pitched about many years ago, not keeping family secrets, right,
you know, you want to bring up those secrets, you know,
the family, and I feel like that's reflected in all
of your writing.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Right, yeah, it is, it is, you know because with
this story, I struggled and I talked a lot with
my dad when he was still alive, and it's like
my grandfather took this story to his grave, him and
his siblings, you know, for over one hundred years.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
He didn't want that truth revealed.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
But I decided I want to tell this true just
because the story was so it's inspirational. It touched my heart,
you know, and it's like I need to tell this
story because I think it's going to touch other people's hearts.
And I think it's gonna people are going to relate
to this story, you know. And he truly had a
heart of steel, you know, and I think people will
relate to the story. And that's why I just decided
(13:19):
to share it, because I just was in awe of
his bravery and his courage at such a young age.
You know, you don't see that today. You know, you
don't see that kind of grit today. You know, I
don't think from from most of our youth. You know,
it's just kind of been lost over the generations, you know.
So so I thought I was a story that needed
(13:39):
to be told. And you know, I'm sorry, Grandpa, I
love you, you know, but I wanted to tell your story.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
You know what. Maybe he's you know, maybe he's approved
of by inspiring you to write so many more books
and be an award winning author all at the same time.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Here, Yeah that, you know, you know what, that's a
nice thought. I liked that thought. It really is. Because
the second book I wrote is inspired by my great
great grandmother, who was Native American. She was Ohio Seneca
and she was married to my Irish grandfather. And that
one takes place in like the Civil War, and I
did a lot of research.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
On that one as well.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
So yeah, I just kept going, you know, I kept
going with that, and maybe that's true. You know, maybe
that is true because I just found a love through
his story. I found a love for writing and decided
to become an author late in life, you know, go figure.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
But all right, well, you know, since I've rebranded to
one Leg Up Alex and one Leg Up with Alex
and whatnot, I've often brought on people that are helping
others have one leg up. So you mentioned the youth.
When you go to these conferences, are you finding that
people are turning to you for that advice to have
one leg up on their own writing as well? Oh?
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Definitely.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Yeah, Like I said, when we're yeah, even as I'm
sitting at the tables and talking to different people and
coming up, there's a lot of young young you know,
youngsters and young teenagers and young adults and stuff that
come up and look at my books. And I get
a chance to stand there and just talk to them,
you know, and ask them questions and and you know,
and they'll ask questions about the book and stuff, and
some of them do they want to write or you know,
(15:15):
a lot of times I'll ask them, you know, do
you ever think about writing a story? As we get
into a conversation, and a lot of there's so many
people that want to write stories that just don't know
where to start or they just don't get around to
doing it. So my advice to them is, you know,
just sit down and start writing. It doesn't have to
be perfect, don't worry about, you know, how good or.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Bad it is.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Just just write the story, you know, because everybody has
a story in them, you know, and I think most
people could write a book, you know, most people could
find something in their family or their experiences to you know,
to write. And yeah, I definitely definitely one leg up,
you know, and find that, you know, find that passion,
(15:56):
you know.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
But but those who are sort of breaking out into this,
like for the first time an author and I'm watching
this right now listening to us, Yeah, but they're stuck
in the corporate world. Because if I'm not miss saying,
you were in the corporate world, and of course you
served our military and then once all that was completed,
you dove into writing. Yeah, what's the message of saying, Hey,
maybe too late to be right, It's never too late.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Oh, never too late. It's never too late.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
I'm I started writing in my sixties, you know, And
I mean I'd always been a professional web developer, a
technical writer and stuff.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
But it's not the same thing.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
But but I've always had these stories inside me, you know,
I've always had that inside and if you if you're
a person who has that same kind of creativity stories,
it's just stuff that just has to get out and
get it on paper.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
It's like, it is never too late to start writing.
And it's never been easier to publish a book than today,
you know, because you just go you can use Amazon,
you can use you know, ingram Sparks. There's so many
platforms for self published authors to publish their work and
get it out there. You know, if you go through Ingrams, Spark,
(17:02):
you know that you can get your book in libraries.
I've got a lot, you know a lot of my
books and libraries, you know, because they go on and
they just buy them and you know, and get them
out there.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
So your stories are also historical, I mean, that's the
other part of this. They're historical writings. And I feel
like you're preserving the legacies of your family. What's that
mean to you when you hear something like that.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Oh, definitely, no, No, I mean it's it's definitely preserving
the legacy. And the other thing too, ox, which is
really cool. I have two younger daughters. I've got one
who's nineteen and one who's twenty three, and they feed
me a lot of material because.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
I listen to how they talk.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
I listen to their conversations and their experiences, you know,
with their with life, with their boyfriends, with their jobs,
with school, and how they talk and stuff. And one
of the things for me is I'm leaving in these
books is when they go to they don't always read
my books, you know, I try. I don't push it
on them and stuff because they're so busy in their lives.
(18:03):
But I know that maybe one day when I'm not
here and they sit down and they start reading all
my books and going through everything, They're going to recognize conversations.
They're going to recognize themselves in my writing, you know.
And that's kind of a legacy that I'm leaving for
them too, you know, because they get.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Me curiosity into their own family tree now too.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
You know, exactly it does, and it preserves and it
gives them something that to pass down and say, yeah,
this was your grandfather, this is your you know, great
great grandfather's story, and you know, and uh yeah, definitely,
it definitely seals I mean, that's the funny thing.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
About books, you know, it does. It seals a legacy.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
You know, it gives us history, it gives us you know,
an escape, and and it does allow me to leave
those kind of messages to my children and grandchildren.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
So very very cool.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Very amazing. Well I got to ask you this then, Well,
we know you're a big sports guy, so we're going
to do that in one second for sure. But as
you're writing, what does it mean to be that expressive self?
I feel like there's such a form of expression there,
not just putting the words on it, but the way
you do it, you know.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Yeah, everybody, every author has their writing process, you know,
and they're all different. There's no right or wrong way
to write a book, you know. And the first book,
when I wrote Hard to Steal, it's like I had
to kind of learn how to write a book. It
took me three years to write that book because I
had to learn how to write and you know, go
through an editor and just kind of figure it out.
(19:37):
And I've got you know, I've re edited that book
several times to make it the best it can be.
But then as each as I write each book, I
get better and better. And as I learn, I'm constantly learning,
constantly reading other books, you know, listening to other authors,
famous authors, how they write their processes and compare that
to my own and use some of their ideas. I
(19:57):
have my own ideas, but yeah, you kind of cate
your own process of writing and it just kind of
comes to you, you know. So there's and I said,
like I said, there's no right or wrong way to
do it, you know, just sit down and write and
and be honest with the you know, with the writing.
You know, sometimes you have to be real into it.
There's sections of writing that are so emotional to me
(20:20):
that you know, I get emotional and have to stop
sometimes because and and that's how I look at is
if this has affected me like this, I think the
reader is going to feel that too.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
They're going to feel that through the pages.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
So you kind of have to get to get to
that point to go really deep with your writing, you know,
and honest with that that would be my advice.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
And of course I love to blog. It's a love
than writing. So do you blog as well or is
it mainly all through books?
Speaker 1 (20:48):
That's mostly through books.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
I used to start a blog, but I just sometimes
I just don't have the time to do that. I'd
like to start up a blog and again, you know,
and maybe or youtubing or something that kind of to
put myself out there as a resource for you know,
young authors or other authors, you know, to bounce ideas
off or to you know, kind of share how my
(21:11):
process goes and my works and different things.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
So and I'll probably do that at some point.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
But all right, now the fun part because you are
wearing Arizona State. Oh yeah, I talk to you before
we talk about before kickoff, I gotta bring you on.
What can Giant fans expect from mister Scabadough. I mean,
I was excited when they drafted it.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Cam Scataboo. Okay, now there's there's a baller, there's a ballplayer.
I think New York Giants was probably one of the
best places for Cam Scataboo because this young man is
just tough as nails.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
I mean, he just fits the new York Giants.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
You know, idea of what a football player should be.
I've watched I've watched Scataboo for the last couple years
at ASU, and what what New York Giant fans should
expect is A is a young guy and that's gonna
come in there and just be a steamroller, man.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
I mean he is.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
What he brings to the game, not just his physicality
and his phenomenal athleticism. I mean, I've never seen anyone
that can take hits and just bounce off and just
keep going, but he brings a leadership, you know, he
brings a leadership to uh, you know, to the whole team.
It's just it's like contagious. His attitude, his leadership is contagious.
(22:31):
And that's kind of what helped ASU. I mean, Ahu's
got a lot of talent besides Cam Skataboo, but he
was the heart and soul of that team last year
and just fires everybody up, you know, and it just
and he's and.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
He was targeted a lot in that championship game. I'm
not mistaken too.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Oh yeah, I mean think about the championship game. The
championship game. Yeah, he just right off the bat.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
I mean, he just comes out busting, you know, busting loose.
He's hard to say. You're not gonna stop cam Skataboo.
You can try to contain him, but you're not going
to stop him. And the game, you know, the playoff
game against Texas, which hardbreaking, but the young man was
the MVP, you know, in a loss, you know, because
he what he rushed for like one hundred and forty
(23:14):
three yards. I think he had ninety nine yards receiving
forty two yards. He's passing, he had a two point conversion.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
To you know, honestly, he kept them in the game.
If I'm not mistaken.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Anything in the game that day, he did. Man, he was.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
He was sick earlier he has had like a stomach
bug or something, and then he just like you know,
hurled it and then got back out there and got
to work, you know, and Assue had to catch up
because they gave up a cheap punt return and a
one big play and then ASU turned it around. The
issue put five hundred and ten yards of offense on
that NFL type of Texas defense, so they they really
(23:50):
came to play. They really you know, punched Texas in
the mouth there and took them right to the to
the wire. You know, a couple of questionable calls could
have definitely changed that game. But just the formans of
Cam Scataboo that that when you look at that game
and watch that game, that's what you're going to get
in New York.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
You know, when when he's out, I know he's got
a little bit of a hamstring injury here.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Probably injuries are a little weird right now with the Giants.
Maleak's a little hurt, he's a little you know what
it's it's it's still enough time to recover. But I
have to say this, Uh, I'm gonna tag you on
this because people where Giant fans have to take this
guy's protective, Kevin's protective. He's right there on the ground
in Arizona, reporting on on camp for us, and I'm
(24:29):
very appreciative about that. If I want to take the
other the other sideline, because you've also watched Texas right
and we all wondered why Archie Manning didn't really get
a snap. I'm very not Archie H.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Young Manning.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Yeah, yeah, isn't it Archie?
Speaker 3 (24:47):
I think it is your arch Manning. Yeah, I think
he's got his Grandpa's name.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Yeah, I think you're right. So it is about Arch
Manning on the other side line, we're all wondering where
that Manning is right and wondering when he's gonna get
in the game. Look, I loved what Quinn you weres
did for Texas. I thought he was very good for them.
But they could have gone to Manning a little more
down the stretch and they just did not, And it
was kind of frustrating because hey, we're all manning heights
(25:12):
up here, right, But also we want to see if
this kid is were drafting. I mean, I think the
Giants have their eyes on.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Him, yeah, oh oh for sure. And you've got a
good one with with Jackson Dart.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
I mean, you've got a good young quarterback who's got
a lot of fire and spark there. So I think
the Giants quarterback room is in pretty good shape as
well as they're running back room. But yeah, it makes
you wonder, you know, I wondered that too, because it's like,
you got young Manning there, why, you know, why aren't
you giving him more playing time?
Speaker 1 (25:39):
You know, especially on.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
The goal line. I mean, they kept on the Quinn
and it's like, but Arch could run it right in
for you, you know, yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Right right.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
So we're going to get to see I mean, there's
gonna be a lot of pressure on this young man
because there's a lot of hype and that's a lot
to live up to. Hopefully his coaches, you know, will
have him, you know, not distracted from all that talk
and chatter and so he can just falls on the game,
you know, and play the game, you know, just ignore
all the all the talk and all the heisman and all.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
The high It's funny because he was I believe either
Friday or he was not on the first day, but yeah,
he when you when you got driving on that Saturday,
he texted me, you're gonna want to watch this team.
I am now a Giant fan. I'm like, oh we
converted someone, look at that.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Oh yeah, no, no, I'm on board, New York Giants.
I'm on board. I'm on board.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
I'm gonna be watching every Giant game that I can
watch because I love this kid. Cam Scataboo. You guys
are gonna fall in love with this kid man because
he just doesn't quit. He is just uh, he's just
a beast and and he's got that X factor.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
Alex.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
You know, like some players are good, but they don't
have the X factor. Camp scat who has that X factor?
And I know that Kenny Dillingham, you know, he he.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Spent you know, he called the coach.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
You know, he called the coach and the giants up
and he's and he said, uh, he said, you know what,
just let cam scattaboy do what he does because he's
gonna you know, he's going to influence that team. He's
going to fire everybody up. Everyone that's around him just
gets fired up. He just has that effect on the team,
you know. And once he's in there, once he gets
his time in there and he's he's healthy and feeling
(27:12):
good and stuff, you guys are in for a treat,
you know, because this kid, he's not the fastest. I mean,
he's got like a four to six five forty. But
I have never seen a running back, and I've seen
a lot of running backs over the years, and especially
at ASU and stuff, I've never seen a running back
that has the kind of balance that he has that
he can take these hits and just keep pushing forward
(27:33):
and you can't tackle him. He just keeps pushing forward.
He'll find a way. I mean, he's going to be
great for the Giants. The Giants running game is going
to be great, and I really sees good things happening
for New York him.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
The back round is going to be electric. All right.
I got to give a shout out to your head coach,
because many probably know this. He gave a bonus to
everybody on his staff after they advance. How cool is that?
Speaker 3 (27:57):
Kenny Dillingham is the coolest guy out. He's a young coach,
he's in They're probably the one of youngest coaches in
college football right now.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
These kids love.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
Him, you know, at a ISSU and and none of
them wanted to leave, you know, with the with the
nil and the portal and stuff.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
They all wanted to stay.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Even the backup Sims, the quarterbackup quarterback Sims could start
anywhere he wants. He started at Nebraska, you know, he
he wanted to stay and back up Sam Levitt. You know,
Sam Levitt's going to be a high His name is
going to be throw thrown out there for Heisman as well.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
You know, they they're load hues loaded at Town.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
That's one of the things people don't understand is they're like, well, skamp.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Scatta who's gone. Now, No, you guys have no idea.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
This A Issue team is going to be even better
than last year's A Issue team. They are three deep
everywhere they've they're just loaded.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Their defense is going to be one of the best
in the country.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
They've pulled in some wide receivers from you know, from
Alabama and other places that they've upgraded that Sam Levit
is gonna have more targets to throw to other than
Jordan Tyson, who's a first team All American.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
They're gonna make noise, you know. And people are kind
of you know, downplaying.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
And not still sure about but A Issue, But I
promise you A Issue is going to be right there.
And I really expect to see them back in the
Big twelve championship this year. Who they're going to play
hard to say. There's so many good teams in the
Big twelve and it's and it's it's crazy, you know,
there's a lot of there's probably seven, eight nine teams
that could probably get there. But yeah, no, Dillingham has
(29:26):
just done an amazing job, you know, at A Issue
in such a short period of time.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Well, it's all with Kevin Miller and now with all
the sports knowledge, I got to say, you got to
write a sports book. Now, that's got to be in
your repertoire.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
I think, yeah, well, you know what I exactly I'd
love to do that. I absolutely love to do that.
Loved I'd love to write Kenny Dillingham story. You know,
he's a guy that that like me. I mean, it's
like and I used to coach my brothers and I
used to go if we played football, and we coached
Pop Warner football together and won a lot, and we're
all crazed Arizona State Sun Devil fans. And that's who
(30:01):
Kenny Dillingham is. He's an alumni. He grew up, you know,
in the valley, so he's he's he to you know.
Him getting that job is like me getting that job.
That's how passionate he is. And he just turned He's
getting all kinds of offers and he just turns him down.
He's like, this is the job I want. This is
my dream job for real, this is where I want
to be. And he's so passionate about it, and that's
(30:22):
contagious to the players. All the players want to be there.
They love playing for him. These players love each other
and playing for each other. And that's what makes championships.
You know, when a team can play that, you can
have all the All stars and stuff you want him.
You got teams that have all these great players they
pulled in, but can they play together? Are they there
for the money or are they there for the love
(30:42):
of the game and the love of each other?
Speaker 1 (30:44):
And Ahu has that right now.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
They have that chemistry and that's why they're a dangerous team,
you know to play.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
So I'm excited.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
I'm very excited for the season and we'll see where
she goes and what they can accomplish this year.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
But I'm a big fan out of Dillingham.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
All right, Well, do you know we have a Hurley
up here in Yukonnor's one of a few rings already.
Oh yeah, but but the Hurley down in a she
was an equal. I mean, they're brothers. They're equally passionate
about the game, aren't they.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Oh yeah, without a doubt, definitely. Yeah. I mean that
that that.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Attitude just kind of you know, goes through all the
coaches and stuff. I mean, and I'm a I'm a
fan of Hurlees too, you know, and I think a
issue would do well to keep him on, you know,
and and because he's done, he's done some good stuff.
You know, A Issue is not a huge basketball school.
They never were, you know that that school down south
(31:39):
in Tucson that we remains unmentioned that you of a,
they're usually the basketball school.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
But Issues had some great.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Seasons and I think, you know, Hurley needs to stick
around and and they need to pay him and keep
him going because I think he's going to do good
things and you know, he's already doing some some good
work in recruiting.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
I'll never forget when you got beat us to Saint
John and I didn't go to Sain John. I love
Saint John's from them. You guys beat us in the
first four when Mullen was coach, and of course Mullen retired,
you know, left after that. But that was an impressive
showing for as you and I think that was the
real on the Matt moment.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Yeah, yeah, for sure, without a doubt. I mean, he
you know, Hurley's had some good years. You know, he's
had a couple of down years and stuff. But that's
that's that comes with coaching, you know, I mean, that
comes with the you know, you got to reload, and
we all know that everyone's got to reload. But yeah,
they've they've had some good years and they just need
to stick with the guy.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
The guy's a great coach.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
He knows basketball, and he motivates his players, and you
know he's.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
I know that.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
You know he shows up to the football games too,
and Dillingham shows up to the basketball games, and they
they just all support each other so well, so exciting
things happening.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Well on the field, off the field, and in the books.
It sounds like so very exciting stuff. And remind our
listeners one more time where you're going to be doing
the signing.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
Oh yeah, let me let me pull that up real quick.
Speaker 4 (33:07):
It's uh, let mean you just pull this up real quick,
and I'll give the exact address right off my website
and the information is on my website, author Kevinmiller dot com.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
But it's the Desert Foothills Fest book signing. It's Saturday,
October eighteenth, from ten am to three pm. It's at
the Holland Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. So I'll be out
there with all the other authors and there's lots of
books and it's the perfect time of year to get
out there and you know, get some books for the holidays.
(33:43):
You know, they make great gifts.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Yeah, all in Arizona's got to be feel really nice
now that it's hot, right, Oh yeah, no.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
It stays hot.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
It stays hot until about Halloween, you know, and even
growing up here, man, it's warm through even through September
and October. But right on Halloween is when it's kind
of the switch flips and it gets a little cooler,
cooler at night, and then from that point on it's
it's cold. It gets real cold here, but it's a
beautiful time of year.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
While we're on football, is this Kyler's make or break year?
I mean, do you follow Cardinals football as much? Or yeah?
Speaker 1 (34:18):
No, I do. I do, And I don't know.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
You know, it's just you know, there's a young man,
another Heisman winner from Oklahoma, you know that was so
full of promise coming to the Cardinals, and you know
they've had a lot of struggles, you know, and the
and his struggles aren't all his fault, you know, but
it's it's hard to say. I mean, I really am
just kind of confounded on what he's going to do.
(34:40):
You know, we're just kinda kind of got to wait
and see, you know. And and and I'm waiting for
Marvin Harrison to break out.
Speaker 1 (34:47):
You know.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
I mean, the young man is as talented as his
father was, but it's like, okay, man, but what point
or you know?
Speaker 2 (34:54):
Well? And I think this generation of Nil kids is
a little different because now they're expecting the big pay
day and that just means we have more expectations than
the fans for them to perform. I mean, there's another.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Dot right right exactly, So a lot of pressure there.
So I hope.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
So, I mean, I'm I like the Cardinals, you know,
I've liked him since they've been here and stuff, and
I've tried hard to be a fan, you know, and
and I am a fan, but but they've kind of,
you know, they kind of break our hearts sometimes, you know.
But but I'm definitely a Giants fan this year.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
Man.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
You know, I'm watching cam skataboo and we'll see where
that goes and stuff.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
But uh, yeah, I wish the Cardinals, but I hope
they have a good season.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
I hope Kyler can turn it around and and be
the quarterback that he, you know, has the potential to be,
you know, he's he's a talented young man.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
It's like, well, they look strong in preseason, so we'll
have to see both teams did so, yeah, they.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Really do, they really do.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
So I think it's going to be a good year
for football all around. And I am just chomping at
the bed on Saturdays to kick off or you know issues.
First game again the Northern Arizona University, which is not
a bad team. They they're you know, they're D two,
but they're ranked at D two and they won nine
games last year, so it won't be a cake walk,
but a issue should handle them pretty well. And then
(36:13):
they'll be off to Mississippi State, which you know they
should take that game too. But I imagine after this week,
I think Miami's going to lose, and I think ASU
will move up from eleventh and tenth and break the
top ten.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
You know, it's just, you know, they just got to.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Well right, especially because their big year last year, so
it can happen again. Sure, Kevin, I really appreciate this.
And next episode we have you, they will do one
more promo about what's going on in October for people
to freshen their minds about I want to get into
your coaching style and how maybe you brought that coaching
into your writing as well. Is there a correlation?
Speaker 3 (36:50):
Yeah, well, you know, probably so, I mean when I
think about it, because just our mindset, you know, my
brothers and I we kind of That's why I kind
of like Kenny Dillingham, because we kind of had that
same mindset. We we got the kids just so excited
to play that we.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
Would have young young men play.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
Above their talent, you know, just just having fun with them.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
And you know, we would teach them.
Speaker 3 (37:13):
Things sometimes by just like having fumble drills. We'd throw
the ball in the mud and let them them mothers
hated it, but the kids loved it and they're and
we never lost a fumble, and we would on side
kick a lot at that level, and we recover it
quite a bit because they knew how to recover a fumble,
you know, and just and they were having fun so
much fun, they didn't realize they were learning something, you know,
because we had fun just kind of playing through them living.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
My favorite my favorite thing in football is not so
much the mud, but in the snow. That's when I
love to play.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you guys got the snow
back there.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
Yeah, my dad and I used to play in the
courtyard of NYU where I went to pre k although
I was, you know, in my teens, and we'd play
when there was snow and it was one of my
favorite things. So I can't imagine excited the kids get
roll around trying to get that ball. It's it's got
to be fun to watch.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
Oh no, it's so much fun. And what's really rewarding.
I know our years of Pop Warner coach and was
when we have that.
Speaker 3 (38:10):
Kid, you know, that shy kid that kind of you know,
it is kind of a little fraid to contact and stuff.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
And you just work with them and work and you
see him progress.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
And and you know, I had one kid, his name
was Matt Gaalbert Man, and I worked at it because
I played wide receiver in defensive back, so I was
working with him at defensive back. And by the end
of the year he had like six interceptions. And the
kid went on to play high school football, which he probably.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Wouldn't have, you know, And and he was he was good.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
And and and one father came up when with his
little boy, he was struggling in school, and.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
He says he goes.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
You know what, I got to give you guys credit
because his confidence is so high right now that all
he's pulled all his grades up. They were going to
put him in special classes and now he's got good grades,
and that just touches my heart. That's what coaching is
all about, you know, is just seeing young young men
and our young women, you know, just rise above themselves
(39:05):
and be successful and find that confidence in themselves. You know,
That's that's what we try to instill.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
And when you do there in your conference, Oklahoma softball
is really amazing, by the way, and you're you know,
Oklahoma softball is fun to watch, so I'm glad to
get the women too. Hey. Yeah, No, let's have a
bigger conversation on this because we can. I always think
a fall and I always listen to a Bob Wolfe's
son Rick Rick Wolf when you used to do a
(39:33):
show on w f A N about youth sports. And
we don't have that conversation anymore, a because unfortunately Rick
Wolf passed. But b no one wants to talk about
how we can invigorate the youth sports incentives, about how
bad it is, how the coaches are, or how the
umpires and reps don't want to play do it anymore?
We can vitalize it just through these conversations of yes,
(39:54):
sports is healthy for the kid, and they have to
be allowed to play it.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
Yeah, it's it's such a vital it's such a to
me as such a vital uh, you know, the aspect
to to development, you know, to develop in our young
people the sports, you know, sports sports, sports is just
a metaphor for life, you know. And they learned so much,
you know, being part of a team, you know, and
how to how to interact, you know, and have a hed,
(40:18):
have each other's back, you know, how to overcome adversity.
You know, there's every lesson in life can be learned
through sports, you know.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Yeah, so I think it's how much And life is
so much bigger than baseball and jazz chism is one
hundredth career homer. What do you do on the bench?
He hugged all of his very emotional moment, because you're
a guy like many others, whose life is bigger than baseball,
and yet here he is thriving at the game he loves.
It's just it's so cool to see these stories unfolding
(40:48):
right here. In New York and now with Scataboo, we're
going to see how it correlates. And you know, this
NFL is not an easy transition, neither of the NBA. Nope,
I remember tell I'll tell the story till till the
day I can't. Tyler Hansborough stand out UNC ends up
packing groceries. Yeah, ends up packing groceries because he couldn't
(41:12):
make it the NBA. It's just funny how these things
end up.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3 (41:16):
Camp Scattaboo was a zero star recruit out of high school.
Nobody who recruited him. Sacramento State finally gave him an
offer and he played there for a year before he
transferred to ASU, before Kenny Dillingham discovered him and convinced
him to come to ASU.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
He's been disrespected his whole life. That's that's part of
what motivates.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
That young man is he's constantly proving he's That's why
he made the statement before Texas saying I'm the best
running back in the country, and it's like, wow, man,
you're really throwing the galllet down the Texas a defense,
But he went out there and proved it. You know,
he went out there and proved it on the field,
you know. But uh yeah, I mean it's it's and
that there's a guy who you would think wouldn't make it,
(41:54):
but there he is. He's a New York giant, you know,
so works.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
I love the first impression he made that you know,
kind of hype video and whatnot of him coming to
New York. So gotta love his energy already. All right, Kevin,
we're gonna follow you back. You know, We're gonna promote
your Instagram, your x account, your everything, because you deserve
to be shouted out, so we're gonna do that. Also,
thanks for having writers have One Leg Up on life
(42:22):
for sure.
Speaker 3 (42:23):
Absolutely, man, I appreciated, Alex, I really do.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
Man.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
It's good great talking to you again. It's been too long.
We need to do this a little more often.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
Well, now I know that you were a coach, we
got to do some breakdowns and stuff as the weeks
go on. I'd love to do that.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
Absolutely, yep, absolutely, we'd love it.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
That's Keller on One Leg Up Network. I'm Alex Carrett.
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