The Higher Valleys Podcast
Welcome to the Higher Valleys Podcast, where former NFL teammates Spencer Paysinger and Jelani Jenkins trade real conversations about fatherhood, sports, ambition, identity, and life after the game.
Each week, we unpack the tension ambitious fathers face: chasing success, strengthening marriages, and raising emotionally secure kids… without losing ourselves along the way.
The Higher Valleys Podcast
Phased Out
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Episode Summary
Spencer and Jelani ease into Episode 56 with preseason football, back-to-school energy, and the strange realization that they are officially becoming the old heads of their sports era. They talk NFL player benefits, Sunday Ticket discounts, watching preseason from the couch, and the athletes from their generation — Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and more — who are beginning to close out legendary runs.
From there, they tap back into their creative side through X-Men ’97, childhood drawing habits, coloring books, notebooks, and the connection between movement and imagination. They debate X-Men vs. Avengers, talk college football, NIL, the Protect College Sports Act, Oregon’s national-title hopes, and why Jayden Daniels should let LSU’s No. 5 situation go. The episode closes with a reminder to put in creative reps, do something uncomfortable before the year ends, and make room for the simple things that still bring joy — like a thousand-piece puzzle, good music, and a night off the screens.
Topics Covered
- NFL preseason, retirement, and becoming the old heads of a fading sports era.
- Former-player benefits, discounts, and the fine print athletes learn after retirement.
- X-Men ’97, Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z, and getting back into childhood creativity.
- Drawing, coloring, notebooks, and building a stronger “capture reflex” for ideas.
- Why exercise, movement, and creative work belong in the same practice.
- X-Men vs. Avengers, superhero power rankings, and the return of Green Lantern.
- A rare parents’ night out, producer parties, and choosing the couch over late-night shots.
- Oregon football, Florida football, college nostalgia, and finding closure with your school.
- Jayden Daniels, jersey numbers, and why legacy does not always require retirement.
- NIL, the Protect College Sports Act, conference realignment, and college football’s growing divide.
- Russell Westbrook’s retirement, community work, and letting the work speak for itself.
- Doing uncomfortable things, putting in creative reps, and rediscovering puzzles, music, and presence.
Where to Find Us
Instagram: @highervalleyspodcast
TikTok: @highervalleys