When I helped create the Extra Points podcast, the goal was pretty simple: create something for the Pop Warner community. Athletes, parents, coaches and volunteers would be the core audience, but we also had an opportunity to reach sports fans beyond Pop Warner.
Then came the opportunity to interview Pro Football Hall of Famers.
That changes the equation.
Having access to people whose careers have shaped the game is a tremendous opportunity. But access alone doesn’t make a good interview. If I wanted Extra Points to be more than another sports podcast, I had to raise my game as a host.
I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted the podcast to become. I wanted to share meaningful stories and give people a different perspective on some of the biggest names in sports. I also wanted the podcast to reflect positively on the Pop Warner brand.
But a vision isn’t just about where you hope something goes. It starts with how you approach the work.
Before launching Extra Points, I settled on five pillars that would guide every interview:
- Knowledge Base
- Question Bank
- Note Worthy
- Active Listening
- Vulnerability
If I could execute on those five things, I believed each episode would have a better chance to succeed. Over time, I hoped the series would become something that mattered to the people listening.
1. Knowledge Base
Do your research.
More importantly, capture it.
I have always been a big believer in taking notes. If I read something interesting in a book, I flag the page. If I watch a video, I keep a notebook nearby. If I come across a useful article, I highlight it.
None of that work matters much if it disappears as soon as you close the book or browser.
The goal is to build a knowledge base you can actually use.
Over time, those notes give you context. They help you make connections. They give you a starting point when you’re preparing for a conversation.
For a podcast host, that preparation can make the difference between asking someone what they did and asking them why they did it.
2. Question Bank
One of the best compliments I’ve received came after an interview with Joe Gibbs earlier in my career.
I walked into that interview with more than 40 questions. We probably used about half of them.
And that’s exactly how it should work.
The questions gave me a roadmap, but the conversation didn’t feel like I was working my way down a checklist. At the end, Gibbs thanked me for being prepared.
That stuck with me.
Since then, that’s been my standard.
As the interviewer, you have a lot of control over how a conversation begins. But once it starts, you have to be willing to follow where the guest takes you.
A strong Question Bank gives you that flexibility. You can move away from the planned questions when something interesting comes up, then return to your notes when you need to.
The better prepared you are, the fewer unknowns you have to deal with.
And ironically, that preparation can make the conversation feel less prepared.
3. Note Worthy
When I moved from print interviews to podcasting, and eventually from phone calls to Zoom, I wanted the interviews to feel like pure conversation.
No notes.
Just eye contact.
That sounded good in theory. It didn’t take long to realize there was a problem.
Notes don’t hurt your credibility. They show that you’ve done the work.
The trick is figuring out how to use them without allowing them to get between you and the person you’re interviewing.
Now I keep my notes beside the camera (each episode is recorded remotely). They’re close enough to reference, but they aren’t sitting in my lap or on a desk where I have to look down.
That small change has made a big difference.
I can stay engaged with the guest while still having the information I need right there.
Preparation should support the conversation, not get in the way of it.
4. Active Listening
This is where some of the best moments happen.
You can prepare 50 questions, but if you’re not listening to the answer, you’re missing the interview.
During an interview with Jim Kelly, he mentioned that his youth football camp had moved to a new location.
I had a question in my bank that gave me an opening. I asked, “So I guess you can’t tell a kid to go grab a leaf anymore?”
It was a small comment, but it led to a much deeper conversation about gratitude.
Was the question prepared?
Yes.
Did the moment feel scripted?
Not at all.
That’s the difference between having a Question Bank and simply reading questions.
The preparation gives you possibilities. Active listening tells you which one to use.
The best follow-up question may not be the next question on your list. It may come directly from something the guest just said.
You have to hear it.
5. Vulnerability
The final pillar may be the hardest one.
Vulnerability matters.
As a host, your job is to bring out the guest’s perspective. Sometimes that means asking a difficult question. Sometimes it means admitting that you don’t know something. And sometimes it means recognizing when your own approach could have been better.
I learned that lesson during the very first episode of Extra Points with Dick Vermeil.
Several times during the interview, Vermeil responded to one of my questions with, “No question…”
He wasn’t wrong.
Looking back, some of my questions were a little too basic.
That episode taught me a lot.
I’ve gotten better since then, partly because I was willing to recognize where I needed to improve.
Another fun lesson in humility: If I ever have another member of the Buffalo Bills on the show, I likely won’t ask about the four straight Super Bowl defeats no matter how I phrase it.
That’s what vulnerability can do. It gives you permission to learn.
You don’t have to get everything right the first time. You just have to be willing to listen, adjust and keep getting better.
The Five Pillars
These five ideas have become the foundation for how I approach Extra Points:
- Knowledge Base. Do the research and keep it organized.
- Question Bank. Prepare enough that you can be flexible.
- Note Worthy. Use your notes without letting them come between you and the guest.
- Active Listening. Pay attention to what is actually being said.
- Vulnerability. Be willing to recognize when you can do better.
I’m excited about where Extra Points can go from here.
Every interview gives me another opportunity to learn. Every guest brings a different story. And every conversation gives me another chance to get better at the craft.
Extra Points, a Pop Warner podcast, is available wherever you get your podcasts.