Thurl Bailey is joined by Dereck Whittenburg (NC State - Associate AD, CEO of Dereck Whittenburg Productions) to talk about how NC State was always his first choice when contemplating which college he wanted to play for, his introduction to coach Jim Valvano, and why Jimmy V wasn't immediately accepted by his peers because he wasn't a "traditional" coach.

Dereck then talks about his inspiration behind pushing for and eventually executive producing the 30 for 30 doc, "SURVIVE AND ADVANCE" detailing NC State's 1983 title run.

He also explains why he gravitated towards coaching and ultimately decided to commit to being an assistant and head coach throughout the years.

We also dive into the statistics behind DI-DIII athletes that believe that they might go on to play professional sports, why many college athletes need to understand that there are so many successful opportunities outside of professional sports, and why it's important to empower others when they're on their own journey.

Lastly, Dereck talks about his decision to go back to NC State and why he is so passionate about helping others.

You can learn more about Dereck and the work he's doing helping others by visiting his website: https://www.dereckwhittenburg.com/

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