He was an all-state running back in his hometown of Greer, South Carolina. He followed that up with a record-setting career at North Carolina State, where his 3,553 rushing yards is still good for third all-time in Wolfpack history. Surely a long NFL career would follow. But by 27, Tremayne Stephens found himself out of the league after just four seasons. With no plan or prospects for his post-NFL life, a dejected Stephens ventured on a path to realizing even more than he dreamed of. Now an entrepreneur, sought-after public speaker and social influencer, the man with the shortlived NFL career is proud to share his story, which is rooted in overcoming and pivoting.

Charmaine Wilkerson's pie-in-the-sky aspiration for her debut novel -- Black Cake -- was simply to get it published. The former journalist whose award-winning short stories can be found in various UK and US anthologies and magazines may have sold herself short. In the two years since Black Cake was published, Wilkerson's novel would land on President Barack Obama's "Favorite Books of 2022" list and went on to lay the foundation for Hulu’s television adaptation (executive produced by Oprah Winfrey). In an exclusive sit-down with Press Pause, Wilkerson shared her inspirations for her novel, her process for writing and (no spoilers!) whether fans should be optimistic for a season season.

When you stand on a stage — the President of the United States to your right and the Vice President to your left — with the most powerful and influential people in the world mean-muggin' you, it’s understandable that even the most seasoned comedian might get nervous. And, Roy Wood Jr. admits to it. But his mentality, during any performance, remains the same. “This is the job, these are the jokes, no one in this room can end my career,” Wood Jr. told Mark W. Wright on Press Pause. “Not being a good comedian one time is not enough to kill your career — so the more I looked at it like that, the less concerned I had with nerves.” Wood, who last spring headlined the 2023 White House Correspondents' Dinner to its highest ratings since 2017, talked about his career journey after wrapping his seven-city Happy to Be Here Live Tour.  Twenty-six years in the business has the Birmingham, Ala. native grateful to still have the opportunity to do what he loves. "I'm grateful and gracious," he said. "You can't control who your audience is. I just put out what I put out, and [to] the people who want to show up, thank you."

ESPN soccer analyst and standout former soccer pro, Shaka Hislop, joins Press Pause to talk about “Show Racism the Red Card,” the organization he co-founded in 1996 in the UK, and how it’s impacted his life and the lives of millions around the world. The England-born “proud Trinbagonian” made history as the starting goalkeeper on the Trinidad & Tobago national team’s first-ever World Cup match in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and was inducted into his country’s Sporting Hall of Fame. “Show Racism the Red Card,” for 27 years now, continues to use soccer to help tackle racism in sport and society. Hislop reflects on SRTRC’s genesis and its continued impact.

Episode 10 features Jamaican-born filmmaker and actor Kaleb D'Aguilar whose film -- NO ENTRY -- caught Mark W. Wright's eye while the Press Pause host perused a list of free entertainment while on an American Airlines flight. D'Aguilar's film is set against the backdrop of the Windrush scandal, which had become symbolic of the generation of Commonwealth citizens (from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, Grenada and Barbados) who came to live in Britain between 1948 and 1971. Released in 2021, NO ENTRY follows a Jamaican mother (Valerie Powell) who struggles to keep her relationship with her son (Eli) intact while she suffers in silence with the fear of losing him and the country she calls home. Based in London, D'Aguilar shares his own personal story and journey -- growing up in Jamaica and studing filmmaking in London -- as well as future projects in the works.

If you follow author Jeff Pearlman on social media, you know he's not shy. Far from it, in fact. Pearlman is imploring fans to support HBO's "Winnng Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” - because, Pearlman tweeted, "the future of 'Winning Time' hangs in the balance." The series, which is based on Pearlman’s 2014 book, Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s, is in danger of not being renewed for a third season as the Hollywood actors' and writers' strikes loom. Pearlman joined Mark W. Wright on Press Pause.

When Clint Smith was 7 years old, he'd already decided how his life would turn out: He'd be a professional soccer player -- just like his hero Thierry Henry. The world would know his name. But it didn't work out that way. What he ended up achieving didn't even cross his mind. Fast forward three decades and the poet and #1 New York Times bestselling author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America is sharing his story and his inspirations with the world, and in Episode 8 of Press Pause. Clint's journey might even impress his 7-year-old self.

As the pandemic raged across the globe, NYU professor David Hollander had the audacity to think — to believe — that a class he would teach could explore society’s ills through a single sport: Basketball. Hollander named the course “How Basketball Can Save the World,” and posited that the sport, through its easy accessibility and global reach, offered distinct antidotes for modern issues. His class turned into a book — a tribute to the game's inventor James Naismith and his 13 original basketball rules. How Basketball Can Save the World offers and suggests ways the world might apply basketball’s values of cooperation and balance to real-world issues (like the evolving global economy and systemic racism). How Basketball Can Save the World published in February of 2023, and is available where books are sold.

Retired NFL pro turned ESPN football analyst Sam Acho tackles some tough topics -- including injustice, division and suffering -- in his latest book Change Starts With You: Following Your Fire to Heal a Broken World, and joins Wright Creative's Mark W. Wright in a candid discussion about what inspired him. "America is in a crucible right now -- and maybe you are, too," Acho explains. "The pandemic has strained an already struggling economy, longstanding cultural and political divisions have reached a boiling point, and injustices have been brought into the spotlight in ways that we can no longer ignore. But the thing about crucibles is that they bring out both the worst and the best of us."  Change Starts With You published on March 7, 2023. Sam's first book, Let the World See You: How to Be Real in a World Full of Fakes, was released in October 2020.

There is no shortage of good content in October for Breast Cancer Awareness. It can seem a little overwhelming. If you or someone you care about is still putting off a mammogram out of fear or due to a lack of resources, here are the three things Heather—and all survivors—want you to know. Give it a quick listen.

Ten years, cancer-free -- and we outchea! This episode of Press Pause is the first in a series of conversations we're having during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We kick off the series with Heather Keets Wright's own personal story. In successive episodes, Heather will introduce listeners to fellow survivors as well as one of the key medical professionals who was instrumental in her recovery. "I hope my words inform, inspire, educate - and maybe even make you laugh along the way," says Heather, who - in the middle of her own battle - grew strength from her big sister's sage advice: "The minute you're diagnosed, you're a survivor." Amen to that, sis.

It sounds really cool to say you're going start a business with your spouse, partner or friend. It might actually make all the sense in the world. "It's more than a notion," says Heather Keets Wright, who co-founded Wright Creative with her husband Mark, in 2015. But ... it's hard, and it takes dedication and sacrifice. In this episode of Press Pause, the Wrights talk about venturing into business together, and share some of the lessons they've learned, and continue to learn as their business relationship continues to evolve.

Heather Keets Wright’s work life was chugging along just fine — running content agency Wright Creative with her co-founder and partner Mark W. Wright — when she got what can only be described as a one-of-a-kind career opportunity. The longtime journalist and marketer was tapped by Courageous Studios to be a creative consultant on the Milestone Initiative, a partnership with DC, Milestone Media and Ally, and Supervising Producer for a forthcoming HBO Max documentary called “Milestone Generations.” The documentary would be narrated by award-winning actor and musician Method Man — what?! — and would chronicle the relaunch of Milestone Comics and of Milestone Media’s mission to address not only the lack of superheroes of color in comics but the lack of Black and diverse storytellers in the comic book industry. Of course, Keets Wright said yes — but it wasn’t a quick yes. There’s a whole backstory to taking on this assignment, and she relives the experience with her longtime friend and fellow journalist Kelly Smith Killian — who also happens to be Wright Creative’s chief content officer. The two share key “yes” moments from their careers, and the journey that got them both to this point. So say “yes!” to Episode 2 of Press Pause … you won’t be disappointed.

It's been a year since the NCAA’s landmark rule change prohibiting college athletes from receiving benefits from their name, image, and likeness: N-I-L. But how are athletes at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) faring? Is the playing field truly level? Are HBCU athletes getting equal opportunities? Is too early to tell? PRESS PAUSE host Mark W. Wright leads the conversation with his panel, which includes Allen’s University’s AD Jasher Cox; Grambling University’s AD Dr. Trayvean Scott; and ESPN commentator Tiffany Greene.