The 5th Quarter Podcast with Sandy Adams

What does it look like to take deep-rooted discipline from your upbringing and turn it into leadership across sports and business? In this episode of The 5th Quarter Podcast, I sit down with James Fisher Jr., General Manager of the Memphis Hound Dogs, to talk about a journey shaped long before titles ever came into play. From growing up in Texas, where grit, discipline, and self-belief are part of the culture, to running track and playing football, to continuing his athletic career at Texas S...

Memphis has chased major league status for decades — from the Memphis Red Sox to the ABA and the World Football League. In the early 1980s, that pursuit led to the Memphis Showboats, one of the most memorable chapters in the city’s sports history. On this episode of The 5th Quarter Podcast with Sandy Adams, historian and author Dr. Keith B. Wood returns to discuss his new book The Memphis Showboats: The USFL Team & the City’s Fight for Major League Status and the leadership, vision, and b...

- In this episode of The 5th Quarter Podcast – On the Sideline, Sandy Adams sits down with Dr. Sally G. Parish, Vice Provost at the University of Memphis and Superintendent of University Schools. Dr. Parish leads a rapidly growing K–12 school district connected to the university, but her passion for developing confident young leaders was shaped much earlier in life. Growing up in Pulaski, Tennessee, a difficult experience with a high school coach led her to walk away from sports entirel...

- Larry O’Bannon Jr. made a conscious decision early in his career to plan for life after basketball—so retirement wouldn’t catch him unprepared. In this episode of The 5th Quarter Podcast, Larry shares how thinking ahead while still playing at the University of Louisville helped him navigate a 15+ year professional career overseas—and transition smoothly into life after the game. Coached by Rick Pitino, Larry learned resilience, mental toughness, and the importance of moving forward qu...

What does it take to move 4,000 miles from home to a new city & school sight unseen and become a national champion? Gabriela Zych has the answer. In this episode, Sandy Adams sits down with Gabriela Zych, University of Memphis rifle standout and the first national champion in Memphis rifle history. Gabriela shares her journey from Anchorage, Alaska to Memphis, how she discovered shooting in high school, and how mindset, consistency, and perseverance helped her build a record-b...