The Limits with Jay Williams The Limits

This season on The Limits, host Jay Williams has spoken to some incredibly successful people. But no matter how famous they've become or how high they've risen on the corporate ladder, they always circle back to the role of race in their lives and their industries. In this final episode of our Remix series, Jay shares two conversations from The Limits Plus about being Black in America that have really stuck with him: with actor Colman Domingo and football coach Brian Flores, who sued the NFL for racial discrimination.

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Today, we're featuring an episode of a new podcast called In the Moment. Each week, an elite athlete talks about career defining moments in their lives and what it took to get there.

During the 2007 NFL Season, Steelers safety Ryan Clark was pulled off a plane after a team loss in Denver Colorado and rushed to the hospital. Clark would later have his gallbladder and part of his spleen removed due to a medical condition caused by the sickle cell trait.

"I laid on the floor," Clark told David Greene, "if I could just numb myself a little bit, the pain will stop."

Just one year later, Ryan Clark and the 2008 Steelers defense were the best in the NFL. "We walked into every stadium saying people are gonna have trouble beating us, because they can't score," Clark said.

Pittsburgh was the favorite going into their Super Bowl 43 matchup against Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals. But the game was anything but easy for that Steelers defense. They let up a late fourth quarter comeback.

"I had tears in my eyes because I was like: 'This is how we'll always be remembered,'" Clark said.

After a miraculous touchdown from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes, the Steelers beat the Cardinals 27-23. For Clark, it was so much more than a win.

"It was the first time I had exhaled or relaxed in over a year," he said.

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This month on The Limits, we're pulling together some of our favorite conversations from The Limits Plus that were only available to subscribers – until now. In this week's Remix episode, host Jay Williams talks about love: not just romantic love or family love, but loving yourself. Jay hears inspiring stories from two guests who learned to accept themselves, and who they love, unapologetically: actress Niecy Nash and NFL player turned reality TV star Colton Underwood.

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For the next few weeks on The Limits, we're pulling together some of our favorite conversations from The Limits Plus that were only available to subscribers – until now.

In this week's Remix episode: Every magic moment on the court or the field actually represents a lot of hard work and discipline. So what makes a player truly great? Host Jay Williams asks his mentor Coach Mike Krzyzewski (better known as Coach K), and legendary athletes Megan Rapinoe and Magic Johnson.

Follow Jay on Instagram and Twitter. Email us at thelimits@npr.org.

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For the next few weeks on The Limits, we're pulling together some of our favorite conversations from The Limits Plus that were only available to subscribers – until now.

In this week's Remix episode, host Jay Williams – a star basketball player turned TV commentator – reflects on the downsides of hyper-visibility with two musical artists who have seen it all: Kelly Rowland, who became famous as a teenager as a member of Destiny's Child; and Denzel Curry, a pioneer of 'SoundCloud rap' and one of the brightest young talents in hip hop.

Follow Jay on Instagram and Twitter. Email us at thelimits@npr.org.

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For the next few weeks on The Limits, we're pulling together some of our favorite conversations from The Limits Plus that were only available to subscribers – until now.

There may be no moment more defining in the last decade of sports than when Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the National Anthem. But Kap isn't the only athlete learning to speak out on important issues. In this week's Remix episode, host Jay Williams discusses the intersection of sports and politics with sports analysts Dave Zirin and Stephen A. Smith, and Michele Roberts, former head of the National Basketball Players Association.

Follow Jay on Instagram and Twitter. Email us at thelimits@npr.org.

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