Matt Skura | Life in the NFL, Mental Health, and Finding Your Edge Through Technique
Release Date: 04/18/2025
The Real Truth About Club Basketball in 2025: Cost, Competition & Controversy | Youth Sports Breakdown
The Gametime Guru
What’s the current state of club basketball in 2025? In this solo episode of The Gametime Guru, I will dive into the real pros and cons of the modern youth sports scene, particularly club basketball. Key Questions Answered: Is club basketball worth the cost in 2025? How do club teams help (or hurt) college basketball opportunities? Why are parents spending $10,000+ per season? Are youth tournaments becoming a money grab? What role do referees and tournament directors play in the athlete experience? Topics Covered: The evolution of club basketball from 2006 to 2025 The explosion of club...
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Ryan Winterswyk on Earning His Spot, NFL Dreams & Life After Football
The Gametime Guru
Today, I interview Ryan Winterswyk, former walk-on turned star defensive end at Boise State, and former NFL player with the Atlanta Falcons. Ryan talks candidly about: Walking on at Boise State and earning his role Life lessons from Coach Petersen’s program Transitioning to the NFL Becoming a coach and redefining purpose This episode is about more than football—it's about mindset, resilience, and reinvention. Whether you're an athlete or just love a comeback story, this episode will inspire and inform. Subscribe to hear from athletes and coaches across the globe who’ve seen success,...
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What the NFL Taught Carl Pickens About Pressure, Mindset & Accountability
The Gametime Guru
Thinking about playing football at the next level? In this episode of The Gametime Guru Podcast, we dive deep into the real-life journey of Carl Pickens, from high school standout to Freshman All-American at Tennessee, to NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with the Cincinnati Bengals. This conversation is essential listening for: 🚨 Aspiring college and pro athletes 🚨 High school football players looking to understand the process 🚨 Parents and coaches helping athletes navigate transitions 🚨 Fans of 1990s NFL football (Boomer Esiason, Jeff Blake, Deion Sanders, and more!) 🎯 Key...
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How 5'9 Guards can Impact Winning: Lessons from Montigo Alford | The Gametime Guru Podcast
The Gametime Guru
Are you a shorter basketball player trying to stand out? This episode is for you. Former Boise State standout and pro guard Montigo Alford (aka Tigo) shares exactly how shorter guards can dominate, impact winning, and build long-term success—on and off the court. 📌 What You’ll Learn: How to succeed as a 5'9 guard in high school, college, and pro basketball Why being a great teammate matters just as much as stats The importance of film study, consistency, and controlling your controllables What the jump from junior college (CSI) to Division I (Boise State) really looks like Montigo's...
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Behind the Brand: How Nations Best Built a National Powerhouse Platform | Bob Smith Interview
The Gametime Guru
Today, I (Shane Larson) sit down with Bob Smith, founder and CEO of Nation’s Best Football—a platform that's become a cornerstone of athlete branding, NIL education, and nationwide football coverage from youth to pro. With 15+ years of spotlighting athletes and connecting them to life-changing opportunities, Bob shares his journey building the Nation’s Best ecosystem and his vision for the future of NIL, digital sports marketing, and community-driven athlete development. 🏈 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE: How Nation’s Best went from a niche football page to a multi-platform sports...
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Pro Hooper to Elite Trainer: Anthony Tucker's Journey with Hoop Habits
The Gametime Guru
In this episode of The Gametime Guru, I interview Anthony Tucker, the founder of Hoop Habits and former professional basketball player who competed overseas and in the Big Ten. From winning a high school state championship to building a training facility focused on mindset, recovery, and development, Anthony shares powerful insights on how to navigate the transition from athlete to entrepreneur. TOPICS COVERED: The mindset required for professional basketball Overcoming being cut and bouncing back stronger How AAU basketball has changed (and where it’s headed) Building a youth basketball...
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Colby Blaine | College of Idaho Men's Basketball Coach | National Championship and Coach of the Year
The Gametime Guru
The last time I spoke with Colby Blaine, was back in 2020, and we were able to hear about what he was building over at College of Idaho for their men's basketball program. Since that time SO MUCH has happened, which is exactly why I needed to circle back with the man to hear the updates. The Yotes basketball program won the national championship in 2023 and 2025 with some big runs into the Elite 8 and the Fab 4 of the NAIA National Tournament in the past few years. He's also finished with an NABC NAIA Coach of the Year award in 2023 and 2025. According to Wikipedia "The NABC...
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Matt Skura | Life in the NFL, Mental Health, and Finding Your Edge Through Technique
The Gametime Guru
In this powerful and insightful interview on The Gametime Guru Podcast, I’m joined by former NFL offensive lineman Matt Skura, best known for his time with the Baltimore Ravens. We dive deep into Matt's football journey—from his college days at Duke University, to the brutal grind of the NFL trenches, and the personal battles he's faced off the field. Matt shares: What it was like to play college football at Duke and his favorite on-field memories The biggest transitions he faced entering the NFL and the moment he realized he had made it His most physically demanding experiences in...
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Abu Kigab | Discipline and Consistency | Professional Basketball Player
The Gametime Guru
Abu Kigab is a former Boise State and Oregon basketball player. He's now playing professionally overseas and is making an impact with the game of basketball. In this 400th episode of The Gametime Guru, we are diving into what it truly takes to compete at a high level. Abu talks about the importance of taking care of your body. How nutrition and sleep play such an important role in your ability to play at 100% during your career and he speaks on the importance of discipline and consistency when trying to level up your game. It's intriguing to hear from someone who is actively...
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David Hitz | Athlete Narrative | Amazing Tool to Help Athletes In Their Recruiting Journey
The Gametime Guru
Athlete Narrative is an app for athletes to help streamline the recruiting process for them. See, one of the biggest hiccups in the young athlete's journey, is the recruiting process as a whole. What do they need when they reach out to coaches? How many emails do they need to send? What if there was a tool that could help with all of this? The app will help you build your radar page (profile) and then with the AI technology inside of it, will provide you information on schools and their coaching staff's information to contact. It will help you craft emails that are tailored to those...
info_outlineIn this powerful and insightful interview on The Gametime Guru Podcast, I’m joined by former NFL offensive lineman Matt Skura, best known for his time with the Baltimore Ravens. We dive deep into Matt's football journey—from his college days at Duke University, to the brutal grind of the NFL trenches, and the personal battles he's faced off the field.
Matt shares:
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What it was like to play college football at Duke and his favorite on-field memories
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The biggest transitions he faced entering the NFL and the moment he realized he had made it
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His most physically demanding experiences in the league and how he learned to adapt
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How he used technique and football IQ to compete, even when he wasn’t the most athletic guy on the field
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The moment he knew it was time to hang up the cleats and transition into life after football
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A vulnerable and inspiring conversation about mental health, the loss of his father to suicide, and why he now advocates for mental and emotional well-being
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The importance of preparing yourself mentally and physically to succeed on and off the field
Matt’s story is one of grit, intelligence, and purpose—a must-listen for any athlete, coach, or parent who wants to understand the game of football beyond the scoreboard.
This episode is proudly sponsored by Timberline Digital Marketing – the go-to team for all your SEO, content, paid ads, and digital growth strategies. Visit www.timberlinedigitalmarketing.com to level up your online presence.
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