Deland McCullough is a celebrated football figure, known for his achievements as a player and coach. A Miami University (Ohio) alumnus and all-time leading rusher, he earned multiple All-Conference and All-American honors. Professionally, he led the NFL in preseason rushing with the Cincinnati Bengals in 1996 and was a CFL All-Star nominee with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1999. Post-playing, he excelled in education and coaching, guiding numerous running backs to over 1,000 yards, multiple All-Conference and All-American honors, and NFL careers. His coaching accolades include Big Ten RB Coach of the Year and NFL RB Coach of the Year, and he contributed to the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl 54 victory. An Emmy Award winner and author, McCullough resides in South Bend, Indiana.

Sarah Spain is an Emmy and Peabody Award–winning sports journalist, the host of the iHeart daily women’s sports podcast Good Game with Sarah Spain and an ESPNW contributor. She has been a jack of all trades in her fourteen years at ESPN, as a radio and podcast host, television personality, producer, and writer. Spain is a graduate of Cornell University, where she competed as a heptathlete and served as cocaptain of the track and field team. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Brad, and their three rescue dogs.