What happens when the pressure to perform outweighs the game itself?

This week on Call Cut with Angélique, I sit down with Roger H. Wilson, former Division I athlete and veteran ESPN producer, who spent more than three decades behind some of the biggest events in sports. Today, he has turned his attention from the scoreboard to the person behind the athlete.

Through the More Than The Game Foundation, Roger is working to address the growing mental health pressures facing student-athletes, from social media and online criticism to NIL, the transfer portal, parental expectations, gambling, rejection, and the relentless pressure to perform.

We talk about what Roger calls “the other 90%,” the part of an athlete’s life the audience never sees. We also explore resilience, identity, learning to navigate failure, the importance of peer-to-peer support, and why young athletes need to know that their performance does not determine their worth.

Roger also shares how the late Bill Walton helped inspire a dramatic change in his own life, leading him to leave ESPN after 33 years and pursue a mission he believes can save lives.

Because behind every jersey, statistic, highlight reel, and championship is a human being.

And sometimes the most important victory has nothing to do with winning the game.

🎙️ Call Cut with Angélique

New episodes every Friday.

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