On this episode, Sam Acho and Clif Marshall are joined by Thaddeus Bullard—best known to fans as WWE’s Titus O’Neil. Thaddeus lays his story bare, tracing his journey from being labeled “a bad kid” and facing impossible odds to finding hope through the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranch, believing mentors, and the relentless love of family. He speaks frankly about surviving childhood pain, his unshakable faith, and how his commitment to lifting up others reshaped not only his path but the lives of those around him. Thaddeus opens up about adopting his daughter Leah, holding to uncompromising family standards, and building a legacy that goes far beyond the ring. He also shares a behind-the-scenes look at “Queen’s Court,” his new reality series premiering July 13 on Bravo and streaming on Peacock, and delivers a timely message on why believing you’re “enough” can change everything.

Key highlights
• Real faith, real talk: Thaddeus challenges the difference between simply believing and actually living by faith—and how faith shapes every move as a father, athlete, and leader.
• Breaking generational curses: Honest accounts of growing up as the son of a 12-year-old mother, surviving abuse, and the word of one mentor that started a brand-new legacy.
• Leah’s story: The pivotal conversation and radical acceptance behind adopting his daughter Leah—and how his only non-negotiable is that his kids become great human beings, first and always.
• Lasting change over “feel-good” acts: Why Thaddeus rejects transactional charity and insists on transformation—from rebuilding schools, to guiding kids from the toughest backgrounds, to helping turn hope into something real and sustainable.
• The journey to WWE and “Queen’s Court”: How a chance encounter and encouragement from Dave Bautista led to wrestling stardom—and how Thaddeus approaches his new chapter on reality TV.
• “You are enough”: Thaddeus delivers a clear message at the heart of the episode, calling out the lies that limit us and describing the battle to safeguard your family’s future and legacy.
• Family standards and wisdom: Thaddeus breaks down the rules guiding his household—loving and respecting everyone, refusing to use the word “can’t,” and giving your best every day.

References
• Queen’s Court featuring Thaddeus Bullard, Tyson Beckford, and Carlos Boozer—hosted by Holly Robinson Peete and Rodney Peete (debuts July 13 on Bravo and streaming on Peacock): https://www.bravotv.com/queens-court
• WWE Hall of Fame – Warrior Award: https://www.wwe.com/shows/wwe-hall-of-fame
• Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches: https://www.youthranches.org/

What does it mean to win—really win—and not lose yourself along the way? In this episode, Clif Marshall and I sit down with Jeff Friday, a man who’s spent more than three decades coaching the best of the best, including 21 seasons in the NFL and a Super Bowl as head strength coach for the Baltimore Ravens. Jeff brings a level of wisdom you can only get by actually being in the room. He takes us inside his book, “Built for Winning,” and breaks down the four blocks that outlast highlights and hardware: physical, mental, social, and spiritual. We go deeper than the weight room—tracing the path from the grind of professional football to a purpose that reaches far beyond stats and rings. Whether you’re chasing a dream in sports, business, or the daily grind, this conversation shows you how to build a foundation that endures.

Key highlights
• Jeff’s journey from NFL head strength coach to leading Athletes in Action, and why ministry reshaped how he measures success.
• The four “blocks” of holistic growth—physical, mental, social, and spiritual—with roots in Luke 2:52 and lived out in the locker room and beyond.
• The power of encouragement: how small, consistent belief from others can bring a message—and a book—to life.
• Stories from the margins: how Vincent Rey, undrafted and overlooked, used these blocks to forge a nine-year NFL career and lead as team captain.
• Simple, actionable ways to get 1% better—especially in your faith—by intentionally setting aside just 14 minutes and 24 seconds each day.
• Tales from the weight room: Ray Lewis’s leadership, routines, and the real habits that separate legends from the rest.
• The truth about fulfillment: why championship rings point to something deeper, the real cost of letting wounds go unaddressed, and why healing and honest relationships matter most.

References
• “Built 4 Winning” by Jeff Friday: https://www.jefffriday.com/my-book
• “Let the World See You: How to Be Real in a World Full of Fakes” by Sam Acho: https://www.samacho.com/resources/let-the-world-see-you
• Athletes in Action: https://athletesinaction.org/

In this episode of The Sam Acho Podcast, Clif Marshall and Sam sit down with Jalen Hood-Schifino—Fino—a pro athlete whose story cuts through the noise. From his roots in a family where both football and basketball were stitched into daily life, to the weight of adversity and the sharp edges of success, Fino opens up about the realities behind the highlight reels. He shares what it means to move cities, face setbacks, choose purpose over attention, and stay anchored in faith and family when the world is quick to judge and slow to understand. You’ll hear the honest emotion behind draft night tears and NBA rookie challenges—and why for Jalen, lasting peace comes through gratitude, consistency, and the courage to be real even when the lights are brightest. This is what it looks like to gain the world and keep your soul.

Key highlights
• Family, sacrifice, and origins: Fino shares how a football and basketball family shaped his earliest dreams—and why his mom and sister remain his foundational support.
• Letting go to go further: The decision in eighth grade to set aside football and lock in on basketball, with his family moving states for new opportunity.
• The cost of growth: The Montverde years—leaving home at sixteen, battling loneliness, embracing development over spotlight, and learning how adversity forges character.
• Indiana and “peace”: An inside look at navigating college pressure, finding his footing, and choosing “peace” as his anchor through highs and lows.
• Draft night—the world’s applause and the soul’s reality: Sam and Fino pull back the curtain on the anxiety, waiting games, and flood of emotion when the phone finally rings.
• The business of the NBA: Jalen reveals the switch from college camaraderie to the high-stakes, transactional world of professional basketball—and how he keeps faith at the center.
• Faith, authenticity, and “failure is no option”: The origin story behind Fino’s brand and the perspective that fuels his commitment to resilient, purpose-driven living, no matter what comes next.

Quotes
• "After my seventh grade year, I kind of told my mom for my eighth grade year, I really want to take this time to just lock in on basketball and get ready for high school. Because I feel like, I told her, I feel like I'm going to end up making it." — Jalen Hood-Schifino
• "If you can have that internal peace and stay even-keeled, you'll be able to maximize and get what you want out of the situation and try to reach towards that positive outcome." — Jalen Hood-Schifino
• "It's not that you're never going to fail. It's like you're just never going to give up." — Jalen Hood-Schifino