Everyone has “that” guy from college. The one who had all the answers. He knew every detail about every sport … and especially college football. And he had that voice. The one you hated, but it kept you coming back for more. Because he was a good dude who DID know a lot of stuff. He was your ADHD buddy at the frat house.
“That guy” is Chris Childers, award-winning radio host of Full Ride on SiriusXM, a daily three-hour rambling of all things college football. Childers (pronounced CHILD-ers … far from the alternate pronunciation of CHILL-ders) is a walking encyclopedia of sports knowledge. His ramblings can go deep and then flip in an instant to another shiny object. And his on-air co-host, Rick Neuheisel, provides a great balance to make for a highly entertaining show.
I recently caught up with Chris and found that the “mind” behind the voice is quite interesting. Chris decided at the youthful age of 11 that he wanted to be a sports broadcaster, and like other highly successful professionals, he pursued his goal with unwavering passion. Growing up in Chicago, he caught the attention of local media when, as a high schooler, he made his way into the Bears locker room after a recent battle at Soldier Field. From there, he attended Middle Tennessee State University, where he was the stadium announcer for many MTSU athletic events. He completed his graduate work at The University of Alabama, where he further honed his skills.
Chris describes his rise to popularity as being some “right time, right place” stuff while not being entirely coincidental either. He had been recognized by industry giant Steve Cohen as having great potential, and then about 10 years ago was actually “chosen” by Rick Neuheisel to co-host Full Ride.
I asked Chris about “interesting” guests on the show. He recounted that “there’s too many to pick just one” but offered these.
- Nick Saban – as great of a human as you’d expect, but there was a “weird aura” while interviewing him on campus
- Garth Brooks – has unwavering passion for Oklahoma State
- Tim McGraw – loves his bayou Bengal “Tigahs”
- Miss America – super intelligent and interesting as she came from a broken home
- A variety of politicians – just because …
I asked Chris to tell me something people might not know about him. Here’s what I learned.
- He is extremely curious into “the meaning of life” … in his own words, “unpacking what things mean”. He likes to contemplate the “why” behind anything.
- He follows politics although he’s not he’s politically inclined, but rather because it provides a great tapestry to observe the strategy, the tactics, and the timing of the “moves” by candidates and elected officials alike.
- He loves to travel
- His #1 passion of all? Broadway.
(Betcha didn’t see that coming … I didn’t either.) - He greatly appreciates diplomacy.
I asked him one more question. “Who would you like to meet? Alive or not?”
- His answer? “That’s easy, but I’d never pursue an introduction because of what it would do to that person.” I thought, “Hmmm … ok … but give it to me.”Chris replied, “I’m a massive Howard Stern fan, but I’d never try to meet him. I know that sounds odd. Howard is larger-than-life, but away from the microphone, he’s a bit introverted and perhaps socially awkward when meeting new people. I’d never knowingly go there knowing that it would make him uncomfortable.” Chris goes on to describe how Howard Stern has huge empathy for people with whom he identifies. Howard’s wife (and by default Howard) has an unwavering passion for helping animals, so much so that their home is largely an animal sanctuary. And Howard has evolved over time which may not have set very well with his legacy fans. But that’s ok to Chris, because he understands that the world does indeed change, and we have to change with it.
So it was indeed a fun conversation with Chris Childers. He still knows a lot about sports and especially college football. And he also knows a lot about other things too … like this thing called life. That guy from the frat house actually grew up and is doing quite well for himself. And we still love him too … even with that hate-it-but-love-it voice.
Find Chris on LinkedIn … click here.
Follow Chris on Instagram … click here.
Catch Full Ride on SiriusXM … click here.
