14 years in any professional sport is an eternity, especially in the very physical National Hockey League. John-Michael Liles grew up in Indiana and by the time he was in high school, it was apparent that hockey was his sport. He played on some elite teams during his teenage years and after high school had a successful college career at Michigan State.  

During his time with the Spartans, he was drafted by the Avalanche and was a Hobey Baker Finalist his senior season. Shortly after his college career wrapped up in 2003, John-Michael was playing with the Avs affiliate, the Hershey Bears. A few months later, he was in an Avs uniform and scored his first NHL goal in October of 2003.  

He'd spend several years playing solid defense for the Avalanche, becoming a fan favorite and racking up points and goals along the way. Good times rarely last in pro sports however and in 2011, John-Michael was traded to Toronto. A few years later, he was traded again, this time to the Hurricanes… just minutes before he was set to play for the Maple Leafs in the Outdoor Winter Classic. He’d be traded one more time (Boston) before retiring in 2017.  

These days, John-Michael is back to being a fan favorite on the Avalanche broadcast team on Altitude Sports. He’s also a husband and girl dad to two daughters.  

Listen to John-Michael’s story and conversation with @susiewargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast. Links to listen on your favorite podcast platforms in the @ctfrpodcast bio!

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

Montee Ball’s story was supposed to be something like this: “Star running back and Heisman Trophy finalist out of Wisconsin goes on to break rushing records in the NFL with his favorite team growing up.” Instead, it was “Star running back and Heisman Trophy finalist out of Wisconsin goes on to be drafted in the 2nd round by his favorite team growing up and fizzles out of the league after two seasons.” While the latter was unfortunately true, that wasn’t the full story. 

Montee’s true story was what was going on behind the scenes, out of camera and microphone shot. Montee was an alcoholic, until February of 2016 when the everything came to a head: a domestic violence arrest, jail and learning he was going to be a dad. Of course, it didn’t help matters that he watched a team he just played for the year before win Super Bowl 50 from his jail cell. Sobriety had to happen and it did. Since his lowest of lows that February, Montee has been building back up, working to be a good dad and helping others avoid the same mistakes he made. His story is about recovery. For anyone who has been affected with addiction, Montee’s story is a must listen.  

Listen to Montee’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

Bobby Pesavento entertained the idea of football once when he was in middle school. When he couldn’t up seed the coach’s quarterback son, he moved on to basketball. Then one day in high school, his football buddies asked him to throw some passes their way when their quarterback didn’t show up for spring practice. A football coach saw his arm talent and recruited him to start playing football.  

It didn’t take long for the kid from Indiana to get noticed by Division 1 schools. He made a few visits, including to Northwestern where Gary Barnett was the head coach. Coach Barnett was honest with him, and told him he wouldn’t play much. So, Bobby opted to attend Miami, Ohio where he played for two seasons.  

After realizing he wasn’t meant to be a Redhawk, Bobby came home and his high school coach encouraged him to go to a junior college. Fort Scott Junior College proved to be a springboard into another round of Division 1 offers including one to the University of Colorado…  to play for Coach Barnett. Bobby’s claim to fame as a Buff included a huge upset against Nebraska in 2001 (the “62-36” game) and unexpectedly beating Texas in the Big 12 Championship game.  

After college, Bobby spent time in the Arena League for a few years, then entered the real work where he’s been an insurance broker for over 20 years. He is also a girl dad and is a sideline reporter for the CU Buffs Radio Network.

Listen to Bobby’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

After batting .557 and setting a school record with 13 home runs his senior year of high school in California, Garrett Atkins was drafted by the New York Mets. He was also courted by several colleges including Oklahoma State, USC, Cal State, Pepperdine and UCLA. Garrett chose to wait for Major League Baseball and head to UCLA. He became the Bruin’s first 3-time All American in baseball and spent time in the Cape Cod Baseball League where he was the MVP in 1999. Now Garrett was ready for a big-league team.  

The Rockies took him in the 5th round of the 2000 draft. He started out in the farm system, and he worked his way up to The Show. His MLB debut came in 2003 and in 2005 he won the starting job at 3rd base after spring training. He’d finish 4th in Rookie of the Year voting that season despite being sidelines for a bit with a hamstring injury.  

Garrett stayed with the Rockies for several more years, including the 2007 World Series. In 2009, he signed a one-year deal with Colorado, and his numbers began to decline. In 2010 he was a free agent and played for a short time with Baltimore and went to the Pirates camp in 2011. Baseball wasn’t the same and he retired.  

These days Garrett enjoys being behind the scenes as a husband, dad, coach and golfer with a 3 handicap. He also did his first podcast in 2025 (this one).  

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

Had he grown up where he was born, chances are Dan Hinote would not have experienced a decade-plus pro hockey career. Afterall, Florida isn’t really a hotbed for hockey players. Case in point: Dan became the first Florida born player to score a goal in an NHL game.  

When Dan was very young, he moved from Florida to Minnesota where ponds are plentiful and eventually everyone laces up some ice skates. He was fast on ice and good at hockey but didn’t have a specialty. So, he became proficient in many aspects of the game and did whatever it took to make a team.  

In 1996, the Avalanche drafted him after being assured he would leave West Point, where he was attending college, playing hockey for fun and aspiring to be an FBI agent. Life went a different direction for sure with several years in the NHL, a Stanley Cup Championship with the Avs, many injuries and a few different teams.  

After he retired, Dan went straight into coaching for a few years, then found himself out of hockey to focus on his family and trying to find work outside of the rink. After some time with AT&T and as a stock broker, Dan got back into coaching, spending time in the NHL and AHL where he loves helping players find their potential.

Listen to Dan’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

Keith Bishop chooses his words wisely: when he speaks, people listen. That came in handy during his decade career with the Broncos as an offensive lineman, especially when the Broncos were on the 2-yard line in Cleveland needing a 98 drive to tie the Browns in the AFC Championship game in 1987. Keith noticed the Browns defense snickering, so he got ticked and told his huddle “We got those mother f-ers right where we want them.” His teammates started laughing, the Browns were confused and Denver got the last laugh in The Drive.  

After his 10-year career in Denver, the 7-time captain got into law enforcement. He became a DEA Special Agent with stops in Dallas, Washington DC, Houston and Afghanistan. He chased, and helped catch the baddest of the bad guys for 20 years.    

He was set to retire from the DEA and settle in Thailand with his wife. But a hernia he developed in Afghanistan brought him back to the states so he could consult with doctors he trusted. He called John Elway, who was the GM at the time, and asked if he could talk to the Broncos doctors. John said sure, but he also wanted to talk to Keith about something. That something was the VP of Security for the Broncos. A job Keith accepted and is still doing in 2025.  

Listen to Keith’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

Had someone told a young Tyrone Braxton that one day he would be a two-time Super Bowl Champion and earn a PhD in his late 50’s, he would never have believed them. Had someone told him he’d get involved in alcohol, drugs, be arrested and almost lose his family… well, he may have believed that because that’s what happened to everyone he grew up with in Madison, Wisconsin. The fact that ALL of that happened to Tyrone and he’s now working to help young people avoid his pitfalls makes for an incredible story.  

When Tyrone graduated from high school, two of his brothers were in jail and he was off to North Dakota State to play football. He helped the Bison win three National Championships during his four years and while he never thought he’d make it to the NFL, the Broncos took him with the 2nd to last pick in the 1987 NFL Draft.  

During his two stints with the Broncos, Tyrone was part of two losing Super Bowls (XXII and XXIV) and two winning Super Bowls (XXXII and XXXIII). Both stints were like different eras between coaches (Dan Reeves vs Mike Shanahan) and position (Cornerback vs Safety).  

When he retired, Tyrone was lost. He went to some bad places and in 2006 after he was arrested, he stood in front of the media and admitted he had a drug problem and needed to straighten up. It was his wake-up call and did he wake up. He finished his degree at North Dakota State, got his master’s in social work at Metro State University and just finished his PhD at CU Denver. Now Dr. Braxton works with kids throughout Denver with everything from addiction, behavior, substance abuse, and every other pitfall today’s youth can find. He’s been there and understands.  

Listen to Tyrone’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast. 

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

He was born and raised in Colorado, yet when Scott Elarton was told he was being traded to the Rockies from the team that drafted him while he was in high school, his first emotion was shock. The pitcher thought he would be an Astro for life. But as Scott would learn over the next almost decade: “for life” is extremely rare in Major League Baseball.  

Growing up in Lamar, Scott excelled in many sports including football, basketball and baseball. He decided to forgo college after the Astros drafted him 25th overall when he was just 18 years old. He worked his way up the ladder and in four years, made his major league debut at the age of 22. That same year, Scott was a starter, reliever and gave up a game winning home run in Game 3 of the NLDS. He also dealt with injuries early and often. In fact, over the next few years, he became familiar with the disabled list and was actually on the DL when he was told he was being traded to the Rockies.  

Coors Field was tough, as it is for most pitchers. He struggled with the thin air and more injuries but was named a starter to open the 2004 season. He was released the next month in May. From there, Scott had stints with multiple teams including Cleveland (twice), Kansas City, the White Sox, Phillies and the Twins along with many affiliates and independent teams.  

Eventually in 2014, Scott retired and made the Denver area a permanent home with his wife and two children. These days Scott travels about every other week working for the Pirates organization, mainly helping young players with their mental game. It’s a job he pretty much created and one that would have been very helpful to him when he was fighting to stay healthy and in the game.

Listen to Scott’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts. 



To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

Enjoy 14 stories from the NFL Draft Days of Von Miller, Louis Wright, Daniel Graham, Champ Bailey, Simon Fletcher, Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis, Rick Upchurch, Howard Griffith, Peyton Manning, Gary Kubiak, Steve Foley, Tyrone Braxon and Bubby Brister. Many of these players also have full episodes on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast (or will someday). If you haven’t listened to them, search them up and check out their conversations! 

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com