Sometimes an athlete has to evolve their game to become a role player. Sometimes a role player evolves into being a star. This week’s Moonlighter went from being a backup on his middle school team to becoming a first-round pick in the NFL draft. Trevor Penning grew up, and we certainly do mean grew, in small town Iowa. He went to a small high school and then an FCS school. But now, at 6’7 and 330 pounds and as a first-round draft pick, everything about him is big time.

This week Moonlight Graham brings you an underdog NFL draft scout of our very own. Nick Clark loves college and NFL football. More than just watching games, he loves breaking down the players and looking at what NFL teams need. What started as a hobby in high school has turned into a full-blown passion project for Nick Clark. NCtheScout joins the pod this week to get us ready for the 2022 NFL Draft.

This week, Moonlight Graham’s favorite NFL quarterback returns to the podcast to share stories about his year as a pro. Reid Sinnett joined us fresh off of his preseason week 3 breakout performance that took the NFL and social media by storm. He brought us up to speed on life as a Miami Dolphin and his foray into the world of movie reviewing.

This episode is fast. Really fast. You might need to play it at .5 speed it’s so fast. I mean when you start talking about NFL caliber speed like this week’s Moonlighter has, it is hard to even compare. Rico Gafford’s wheels took him from a state title in high school to lining up in the same offense as some of the most talented players in the NFL.

For being the home of the Field of Dreams, Iowa has had its fair share of stars shining bright under the Friday night lights. This week, Tim and Tom did their research and prepared an all-time 2-deep lineup of Iowans who played in the NFL. This wasn’t your average fantasy draft! We scoured the internet looking for players who were born, bred, and corn-fed Iowans and then compared position groups looking to make the best lineup possible.

Underdogs come in all shapes and sizes. This week’s underdog started out as a size small but grew into one of the most impactful players in the NFL. Fred Jackson grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area but had to relocate to a slightly smaller metro area to get an opportunity in college football. Jackson’s underdog story is unique because he went from not even playing for his high school team to being one of the most productive players in the NFL.

While Troy Davis is clearly the most notable Cyclone from the mid-1990s, the offensive line clearing the 8 or 9 guys in the box for TD was pretty talented. This week, the Moonlight Graham Show welcomes one of the best Cyclone offensive linemen from that time period, Tim Kohn. While the Cyclones didn’t collect a lot of wins during his time in Ames, Tim Kohn made a name for himself as a talented tackle with a high ceiling.

This week’s Moonlighter is a West Coast product that has taken to the midwest. Alex Redmond grew up in Southern California and attended UCLA. Redmond spent the last 5 seasons in Cincinnati and spent the 2018 season as the starting right guard for the Bengals. His experiences as a wrestler and physical toughness have helped him overcome injuries and keep himself in the game. Between UCLA and Cinncinati, Redmond has had to grind each day to take full advantage of each opportunity he has been given.

Most of our Moonlighters have hung up the cleats and turned out the lights in the locker room for the last time. This week we sit down with a guy who is just coming onto the scene. Reid Sinnett is a local product who is currently getting ready for his first NFL season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sinnett has made his way as a backup who has earned every opportunity since 8th grade and now is sitting behind the greatest QB in history, Tom Brady.