The Higher Valleys Podcast

Spencer Paysinger & Jelani Jenkins

Welcome to the Higher Valleys Podcast, where former NFL teammates Spencer Paysinger and Jelani Jenkins trade real conversations about fatherhood, sports, ambition, identity, and life after the game. Each week, we unpack the tension ambitious fathers face: chasing success, strengthening marriages, and raising emotionally secure kids… without losing ourselves along the way.

  1. 2D AGO

    Be Present

    Episode Summary EP 34 moves like the timeline itself: love and friction at home, pride and tension in public life, and the nonstop chaos of a world that can flip from comedy to tragedy in one scroll. Spencer and Jelani unpack how weather, race, and place shape perspective, then widen the lens to patriotism, media, and what it means to see culture in real time. From music as mirror (J. Cole, Baby Keem) to AI and creativity in the house, the thread stays the same: what we consume shapes us. The back half turns into a case study on accountability. When institutions fail to protect people from harm, the impact lands somewhere, and it usually lands on Black bodies. The episode closes with what always matters most here: guardrails, community, and checking on the strong ones. Topics Covered Weather, snow days, and how region and race change the experience of “cold”Olympics, national pride, and patriotism as a complicated emotionLive media and representation: Africa, perception shifts, and what unfiltered footage revealsiShowSpeed as a modern cultural force and accidental ambassadorJ. Cole as craftsmanship, reflection, and grown-man rap as therapyBaby Keem’s evolution and the joy of watching an artist level upAI, creativity, and making from the heart (not just for content)Board games as parenting tools: patience, strategy, loss, and communicationSocial media chaos, the BAFTAs moment, and the question of who protects the roomThe Teddy Bridgewater Act and the thin line between care and competitive loopholesMental health, athlete transitions, and why community check-ins are non-negotiableHighlight Quotes “It really feels like that is what the world is these days. Like random cutaways.”“Processes to eliminate the impact were not put in place.”“Check in on the individuals closest to you, especially the ones who seem the strongest.”Where to Find Us Instagram: @highervalleyspodcast TikTok: @highervalleys Send a text

    1h 30m

  2. FEB 17

    Soul Searchers

    Episode Summary Episode 33 starts with a viral laugh—“non‑practicing whites”—and quickly turns into what Higher Valleys does best: use humor as the doorway, then walk straight into the room where the truth lives. Spencer and Jelani talk about identity, accountability, and the difference between personal intention and the systems we’re all standing inside. Then the episode shifts into home life: the hidden labor of being the Tooth Fairy, the parenting moments you can’t believe are real, and how intimacy and play keep a marriage alive. From there, they zoom out to the world—how rules shape behavior (NBA draft incentives, tanking, and why punishing individuals misses the point), and what real leverage looks like when women’s sports are negotiating their future. It’s an episode about the structures we inherit, the ones we laugh through, and the ones we have to redesign—starting in our homes. Topics Covered The “non‑practicing whites” TikTok moment and why the phrase reveals more than it jokesWhiteness as a system that still pays out, even when people claim they’re “not like that”Accountability vs. distance: “that’s not who I am” and the discipline of holding it anywayFamily life realities: nobody tells you how hard it is to be the Tooth FairyParenting language slips: “caught” vs. “taught” and why the difference matters“Teach me how to twerk” and the comedy of learning from the best teacher in the houseThe quiet barometer of a happy home: play, connection, and your partner moving free in their own kitchenNBA draft / tanking conversation: if integrity is the goal, remove the incentive that rewards losing“Zooming out” on systems: why fines and punishment are surface-level fixes to structural designWNBA / Unrivaled moment + current CBA tension: timing, leverage, and what it means to negotiate with momentumHighlight Quotes “You can't say ‘non‑practicing white’ like you can take your skin off and hang it in a closet.”“No one tells you how difficult it is to be the Tooth Fairy.”“If integrity is the goal, remove the mechanism that rewards losing.”Where to Find Us Instagram: @highervalleyspodcast TikTok: @highervalleys Send a text

    1h 39m

  3. FEB 10

    Shut up and Listen

    Spencer and Jelani unpack Super Bowl LX, Bad Bunny's historic halftime show, and the predictable white fragility backlash amid rising nationalism and ICE raids. They celebrate J. Cole's The Fall Off—a project that demands stillness in an anxious world—while grappling with their own drained social batteries: Spencer juggling grad school and Super Bowl hosting, Jelani going weeks without personal time. The conversation moves through parenting moments (teaching kids not to open doors, fielding questions about God and free will), political resistance (ICE pushback in LA, calling out performative allyship), and the intellectual humility required to listen when out of your depth. They close on a through-line: nobody is coming to save us, so we build the foundation ourselves—through pressure, repetition, and free will shaped by love. Topics Covered Super Bowl LX: Seattle's defense, Mike MacDonald (36), Patriots vs. SeahawksBad Bunny halftime show: Album of the Year winner, white fragility backlash, political statement amid ICE raidsJ. Cole's The Fall Off: beat variance critique, lyrical swordsmanship, graceful exit from Drake beefParenting: teaching kids not to open doors, Roblox predators, Cairo's free will question during My Wife and KidsDrained social batteries: Spencer's grad school + Super Bowl hosting, Jelani's 3-4 weeks without personal timePolitics: Andrew Schultz's Trump pivot, ICE resistance in LA, Mexican American resilienceDeante Kyle video debate, Spencer's call with Black intellectual, knowing when to listen"Nobody is coming to save us"—building foundations through pressure, repetition, and free will shaped by loveHighlight Quotes "Bad Bunny had white people in a blender for 12 minutes. They rely on words to tell them when to dance.""Nobody is coming to save us. I'm not talking about money—I'm talking about my happiness, my soul, my legacy.""You need to understand when to shut the f**k up and just listen. I chose to shut up, and I learned something."Where to Find Us Instagram: @highervalleyspodcast TikTok: @highervalleys Send a text

    1h 53m

  4. FEB 5

    Head to the Sky

    Spencer and Jelani kick off with Grammys talk: Olivia Dean's divine feminine energy ("a hug that lasts 2-3 seconds too long"), Bad Bunny winning Album of the Year and headlining the Super Bowl, and Kendrick's performance. They debate the Pro Bowl's flag football format with zero stakes, and Spencer shares his Pro Bowl snub story—losing to Lorenzo Alexander by half a tackle in special teams. They celebrate LaRussell signing to ROC Nation Distribution for the Bay Super Bowl halftime, breaking down the koi fish metaphor: you can only grow as big as your pond, and Russell's moving to the ocean. They push back on Jay-Z slander, urging listeners to do their homework on unvetted files. The tone shifts inward: both admit they've forgotten how to be bored and need stillness. Jelani's kids are back in school (Montessori opened despite frozen sidewalks), and Black History Month prompts a health check-in—both are scheduling physicals. They discuss the 72-75 year life expectancy for Black men and how NFL players lose medical coverage the day they retire. The second half tackles FBA (Foundational Black Americans): descendants of slavery vs. voluntary immigrants, Shaboozey's Grammy comments, withholding votes for reparations, and the risk of division. They reference the Atlanta reparations episode and ask: what does atonement look like beyond a check? Jelani shares his great-grandfather's Smithsonian quote: "Love is progress, hate is expensive." They close on optimism—progress requires showing up—and Spencer urges listeners to find "Optimism" by Souls of Blackness. Topics Covered Grammys: Olivia Dean, Bad Bunny, Kendrick, divine feminine vs. performative masculinity in musicPro Bowl flag football format, Spencer's special teams snub vs. Lorenzo AlexanderCampbell's Chunky Soup sweepstakes: Spencer's 5th grade trip to Hawaii for Pro Bowl '98/'99Russell signing to ROC Nation Distribution for Super Bowl halftimeKoi fish metaphor: outgrowing your pond, Russell moving to the oceanJay-Z pushback: unvetted hotline calls, do your homework before writing people offRelearning how to be bored, finding stillness in packed daysBlack History Month, annual physicals, 72-75 year Black male life expectancyNFL players losing medical coverage post-retirementFBA movement: lineage to American slavery, Shaboozey's "immigrants built this country" commentsWithholding votes for reparations—empowerment or division?Atlanta reparations episode: check vs. systemic changeAtonement vs. transactions, Jelani's great-grandfather with Dr. King"Optimism" by Souls of Blackness: keep your head to the skyHighlight Quotes "Olivia Dean feels like a hug that's maybe 2 or 3 seconds too long. Allows you to drop your shoulders.""I should have been in the Pro Bowl. Lorenzo Alexander got a half tackle more than me. I'll go to my grave saying that.""A koi fish can only grow as big as the pond it's in. Russell's moving to the ocean.""I forgot how to be bored. I forgot how to do nothing.""Black male life expectancy is 72-75 years. We gotta get our physicals.""FBA: someone classified as Black who can trace lineage to American slavery.""My great-grandfather worked with Dr. King. His Smithsonian quote: 'Love is progress, hate is expensive.'""Optimism is a strategy. Progress requires showing up, even when you're tired."Where to Find Us Instagram: @highervalleyspodcast TikTok: @highervalleys Send a text

    1h 15m

  5. JAN 29

    Smell the Flowers, Blow the Candle

    Jelani's breaking ice in his Maryland driveway while Spencer's complaining about 72 degrees in LA—but the real temperature check is on resilience. From teaching Cairo that a waffle to the toe isn't a crisis to Jelani's 93-point Bop It domination over his five-year-old, the guys explore how fathers set the bar for their kids' grit. They dissect private school navigation for Black families in LA, debate whether high school or college matters more for legacy building, and get deep on the Oscar campaign machine—why Sinners' 16 nominations might be performative, why One Battle After Another fetishizes Black women, and why Ruth Carter and Ryan Coogler deserve their flowers. The conversation shifts to LeBron and the Lakers: Jeanie Buss subtweeting gratitude, the player empowerment era's consequences, and whether LeBron's control has become a cautionary tale. They celebrate Jerry West as the eternal logo, unpack Kanye's recent apology for antisemitic rhetoric, and ask the hard question: can we hold space for mental health struggles while demanding accountability? This is an episode about teaching kids to do hard things, protecting Black identity in white spaces, and refusing to let perfectionism block the path to growth.  🔍 Topics Covered  • Snow week in Maryland vs 72-degree "winter" in LA—Jelani breaking ice, Spencer staying cozy  • Teaching resilience: Spencer's waffle-to-the-toe lesson with Cairo about not making a scene • The give-and-take of letting kids win vs making them earn it—building confidence vs entitlement  • Private school navigation for Black families in LA: John Carroll's school, Harvard-Westlake, identity sacrifice  • Spencer's inverted education philosophy: best high school, relaxed on college, nepotism as the endgame • Oscar nominations discourse: Sinners with 16 nods, One Battle After Another, Marty Supreme, Hamlet  • Home Alone rant: the Wet Bandits causing irreparable structural damage, not just robbery  • Lakers and LeBron: Jeanie Buss saying "grateful we got to draft Bronny"—a subtle jab  • Player empowerment era consequences: LeBron's influence on rosters (Westbrook, AD, JJ Redick as coach)  • Kanye West's apology for antisemitic and Nazi rhetoric, acknowledging bipolar disorder  • Debate: can we hold space for mental health while demanding accountability?  • Jay-Z's 4:44, Kendrick's Mr. Morale, Kobe's Mamba Mentality as accountability work  🗣️ Highlight Quotes • "You can do hard things. Tell me you can do hard things. I can do hard things."  • "I took that personal. I dropped that 107 real smooth and clean like that." —Jelani on Bop It  • "If they know they can get one on us in a little game here and there, what does that mean for how they carry themselves out in the world?"  • "The Wet Bandits turned on the water and caused irreparable structural, foundational damage. These guys need to go to jail for a long time."  • "Why do Black women only get nominated for insubordinate roles—playing the whore, the help, the druggie?"  • "Jeanie Buss saying 'we're grateful we got to draft Bronny' is the most passive-aggressive thing I've ever heard."  • "Jerry West is the logo. That man is the consummate professional."  • "Kanye apologized to the Black community specifically. That's the first time he's ever done that."  • "Accountability doesn't require perfection. It requires showing up."   Where to Find Us  Instagram: @highervalleyspodcast  TikTok: @highervalleys Send a text

    1h 32m

  6. JAN 22

    Not Another Cinderella Story

    Spencer returns from Cabo recharged and ready—this is the real start of 2026. He and Jelani unpack Indiana's historic national championship run as proof that the NIL/transfer portal era is leveling college football in ways we've never seen. They debate whether it's a Cinderella story (spoiler: it's not—the talent stacks up), celebrate Mendoza's iconic fourth-down conversion, and wrestle with the cost of athlete empowerment: 14-year-olds now navigating agents, brands, and money without support systems. The NFL coaching carousel gets dissected—why Sean McDermott's firing stings, why Kevin Stefanski to Atlanta makes no sense, and how Patrick Mahomes inadvertently caused it all. Druski's megachurch pastor skit sparks a conversation about performative Black church culture, tithing corruption, and why comedians like Kai Cenat, IShowSpeed, and Dave Chappelle are doing vital cultural work. The episode closes with Spencer's computer dying and Jelani delivering a moving tribute to his father: "Anything you do, make it your ministry." 🔍 Topics Covered Cabo trip for Noelle's 40th birthday: hotel vibes, nightlife fails, and $28 spent at the clubIndiana's national championship win over Miami—top 5 greatest college sports story everMendoza's fourth-down QB draw as a statue-worthy, Heisman momentThe NIL/transfer portal era: why Indiana's success isn't a Cinderella storyCollege football talent distribution: basketball (18 spots) vs football (120+ spots)Mental health concerns for 14-15 year olds now dealing with agents, brands, and moneyNFL coaching carousel: Sean McDermott, Kevin Stefanski, Mike TomlinWhy Patrick Mahomes is indirectly responsible for all the coaching changesDruski's megachurch pastor skit and the Magic Johnson tithing storyBlack church culture critique: performative worship and commercializationBlack content creators doing meaningful work: Kai Cenat, IShowSpeed, Dave ChappelleIShowSpeed's Africa tour as positive global representationMike Tomlin's graceful Steelers exit—only 3 head coaches since 1969Jelani’s legacy letter to his father on January 21st 🗣️ Highlight Quotes "There is not a top 75 program in college football right now that has not had a conversation about how can they be like Indiana.""We do not get a generational story like Indiana if NIL doesn't happen.""Our athletes have been under the thumb of not earning market value for over 100 years.""We're going to see some very sad stories from the first wave of young athletes with NIL money.""I walked into a megachurch with TV screens, commercials, and QR codes for tithes. I left immediately.""Anything you do, make it your ministry." — Jelani’s father Where to Find Us Instagram: @highervalleyspodcast TikTok: @highervalleys Send a text

    1h 39m

  7. JAN 13

    Front Snap Kick

    Spencer and Jelani are back after the holiday break, and they're not buying into the "new year, new you" pressure. This episode digs into stamina over motivation, building systems that prevent creative burnout, and the intentional work of making memories with their kids. From Big Bear ski trips and lost Pokemon cards to teaching children how to solve problems independently, they explore what it means to raise resilient, self-sufficient humans. Plus: Indiana football's magical run to the championship, the genius of Coach Curt Cignetti's "professional college players" strategy, and why we need a 24/7 Michael Irvin reaction cam. If you're trying to build something that lasts beyond January's hype, this one's for you. 🔍 Topics Covered Stamina vs. motivation: sustaining enthusiasm beyond the New Year's sparkSystems and environment design to prevent burnout and stay on trackNostalgia as emotional architecture (Pokemon, Big Bear, Twitter vs. Threads)Teaching kids independence, problem-solving, and how to find things themselvesParenting through altercations: boundaries, consequences, and when to front snap kickIndiana's Cinderella story and Curt Cignetti's transfer portal masteryThe "professional college player" model: recruiting older, experienced athletesFourth-down decision culture in football and the role of data vs. intuitionLegacy letter to Asé on his 5th birthday: stay connected to your God voice🗣️ Highlight Quotes "I don't need new motivation. I need the stamina to sustain the enthusiasm I already have.""We're creating a dependent generation. They need to learn how to figure shit out.""Cignetti didn't recruit five-stars at 17. He recruited three-stars at 23—professional college players.""Asé New Year's resolution? 'To be thankful.' The whole room went 'awwww'.""Michael Irvin needs a live reaction cam. I'd pay $2.99 for that all day."Where to Find Us Instagram: @highervalleyspodcast TikTok: @highervalleys Send a text

    1h 52m

  8. 12/17/2025

    Jingle Jangle

    This episode is about letting go and starting fresh. Spencer reflects on cutting his hair as a ritual of renewal, while Jelani shares the emotions of watching his kids and classmates performing for the holidays. They explore how trust is built through small acts of freedom, why Christmas still matters despite the noise, and what it means to define happiness on your own terms. From Hollywood's billion-dollar power plays to the dying relevance of college bowl games, this conversation is a reminder that the old rules don't have to be your rules. 🔍 Topics Covered Spencer's ceremonial hair transformation after All-American wrapsThe curse word experiment: giving kids safe space to be realChristmas as a reset — not a performanceParenting hurdles and the art of giving kids room to runHollywood consolidation: Netflix, Paramount, and the fight for controlThe death of bowl game relevance in the NIL eraRob Reiner's legacy and an industry in mourningFinding new energy in a world under siege🗣️ Highlight Quotes "If you've grown up with a stubborn parent, by the time you're an adult, you know how to navigate around all the hurdles they put in front of you.""Why not take down some of those self-imposed hurdles and allow them more space to run?""Define what your happiness is. If you want to listen to your kids curse in a car, let your kids curse in the car."Where to Find Us: Instagram: @highervalleyspodcastTikTok: @highervalleysSend a text

    1h 54m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Higher Valleys Podcast, where former NFL teammates Spencer Paysinger and Jelani Jenkins trade real conversations about fatherhood, sports, ambition, identity, and life after the game. Each week, we unpack the tension ambitious fathers face: chasing success, strengthening marriages, and raising emotionally secure kids… without losing ourselves along the way.

Information

  • Creator
    Spencer Paysinger & Jelani Jenkins
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Higher Valleys Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Higher Valleys Podcast