Pablo Torre Finds Out

Episode: One Yard at a Time: A Mystery
Date: May 27, 2025
Host: Pablo Torre | Guest: Sarah Spain
Le Batard & Friends Network

Overview

This award-winning "talkumentary" episode, reported by Pablo Torre with guest Sarah Spain, unpacks an astonishing true story of football coach Dillon McCullough—his rise, family history, and a once-in-a-lifetime twist that ties together identity, resilience, and fate. The episode leverages immersive storytelling to explore the deeply personal mystery behind McCullough’s adoption and the extraordinary revelation of his biological father's identity.

Key Discussion Points & Timeline

1. Introducing the Mystery & Sarah Spain’s Book (00:00–02:17)

• Pablo sets the tone with a promise of a major, unbelievable twist.
• Book Introduction: Sarah Spain’s "Runs in the Family" chronicles this story.
• Memorable Quote:
  • Sarah Spain (01:15): “I'm throwing myself a book baby shower, wherein I buy myself a push present... at the beginning, I was like, holy. Why did I choose to do this?”

2. Who is Dillon McCullough? Early Life and Adoption (02:35–09:18)

• McCullough’s Career: Currently Raiders RB coach, formerly with Notre Dame, the Chiefs, and a Super Bowl winner.
• his Origins: Adopted in 1972, grew up in economically suffering Youngstown, Ohio.
• Family Background: Raised by a loving couple—his adoptive father was a local DJ. Parents’ relationship ends after two years; father leaves.
• Tough Childhood:
  • Endured abandonment, abusive stepfathers, poverty (“big orange extension cord” for stolen power, no hot water until senior year).
  • Learns at age 7, by accident, he is adopted—mom is matter-of-fact and avoids further discussion.
• Memorable Quote:
  • Dillon McCullough (07:46): “Although there were men, there was a couple guys there, they weren't. They didn't fit the bill as a true father figure... I didn't want to do that.”

3. Football: Escape and Opportunity (09:18–14:00)

• Not an Original Football Family: Older adopted brother played; Dillon started shy, found self-worth in football.
• Recruitment: Transforms into standout athlete as a senior; notable recruiters include Bob Stoops, Jim Tressel.
• Memorable Scenes:
  • Recruiting visit by Sherman Smith, Miami of Ohio’s RB coach—shows up in an iconic red-and-gold Mercedes formerly owned by Sir Mix A Lot.
  • Sarah Spain (11:18): “You had never seen something like that before especially.”
  • Dillon McCullough (12:03): “I like big butts and I cannot lie, you other brothers can’t deny.” (lighthearted reference)

4. Mentorship & The Gravitational Pull of “Father Figures” (14:00–16:45)

• Sherman Smith: Becomes McCullough’s coaching mentor—“I’m going to treat you like you’re my sons.”
• Smith leaves for bigger coaching job, echoing pattern of male figures exiting Dillon’s life.

5. From College Star to NFL Setback (16:41–18:48)

• Records & Draft: Dillon breaks Miami’s all-time rushing record, expects to be drafted but goes undrafted; Bengals sign him as a free agent.
• Career Cut Short: Blows out knee at the end of preseason; tries stints in CFL, XFL, but injuries persist.
• Quote:
  • Dillon McCullough (18:28): “I just stopped playing... It was always for me proving people wrong... at that point, I said, it’s time for me to transition.”

6. Returning to Football and the Father-Son Parallel (19:40–23:17)

• Education: Becomes teacher and principal, trying to help kids like himself.
• Coaching Career: Returns to football at Miami of Ohio, then Indiana, then internships—Seattle Seahawks under Sherman Smith.
• Mirrored Paths: Realizes his coaching style echoes Smith’s; even NFL players joke he “walks like him, talks like him.”
• Manifestation: Changes passwords to affirmations like “I will coach in the NFL.”

7. The Unveiling: Searching for His Biological Roots (23:17–30:19)

• The Box of Truth: Adoptive mom reveals existence of a box of legal papers after lawyer’s death.
• Learns original birth name: John Kenneth Briggs; mother’s name: Carol Denise Briggs.
• Ohio vs. Pennsylvania Law: Only able to access records after PA passes new legislation (HB 162); adoptees were previously blocked from birth records.
• Reaching Out: Contacts Carol Briggs; she confirms she’s his biological mother and lived only 10 minutes away in Youngstown.

8. The Twist: Meeting Birth Mother and the Shocking Paternal Revelation (30:19–34:09)

• Mother’s Story: Carol had to give birth in secret as teen; never told the father, Sherman Smith, who was away at college.
• McCullough reaches out to Carol, then asks who his father is.
• The Twist Revealed (30:19):
  • Sarah Spain: “She said, your dad is a man by the name of Sherman Smith.”
  • Dillon McCullough (30:38): “My mind was blown... Oh, I know him. He recruited me. He was my coach, and he’s been my mentor for the last 20-plus years.”

9. Telling Sherman Smith and Emotional Aftermath (31:07–35:15)

• McCullough nervously breaks the news to Smith, who is floored and needs time to process.
• Smith’s initial difficulty: his life philosophy centered on responsibility; now forced to re-evaluate.
• First In-Person Meeting as Father and Son (34:54):
  • Dillon McCullough (34:54): “He opened the door, he just said, my son. And it was like, oh, the tears start rolling again... never been referred to as somebody’s son.”

10. Aftermath, Sibling Twists, and the Complexity of Adoption (35:46–39:37)

• Sarah teases another “brother” twist explored in the book.
• Family Complexity: Both birth and adoptive families have their own expectations and judgments; life doesn’t fit adoption fairy tales.
• Reflects on the uncanny similarities in Sherman and Dillon’s lives—from Youngstown to NFL, injuries, education, coaching careers, even to their children’s paths.

11. Fate, Choice, and Legacy (38:56–41:54)

• Venn Diagram of Destiny: Intersecting lives—Pete Carroll employed both; he even noticed their similarities before DNA confirmation.

• Choice vs. Destiny:

  • Sarah Spain (41:18): “The through line... yes, you are handed certain genes, yes, you are handed family, circumstances. But your choice at every turn impacts whether you make it out, whether you make it good...”
  • Pablo Torre (41:18): “I thought this was a story about a guy sucked into a gravitational field... actually he is the one making these calls himself.”

• Defining Family:

  • Sarah Spain (41:50): “We always say you don't get to choose your family. And he did.”

12. Book, Movie, and Sir Mix A Lot (42:04–45:40)

• Film adaptation being discussed; executive producers: Russell Wilson and Ciara.
• Comic interlude about Sir Mix A Lot’s car’s role in the story (and attempts to reach him for comment).
• Closing Call to Action:
  • Sarah Spain asks listeners to buy and read the book for the full story.
  • Pablo calls on Sir Mix A Lot to call their tip line to comment.

Notable Quotes

• Pablo Torre (41:18):
  “I thought that this was a story about a guy sucked into a gravitational field beyond his control. And then you realize that actually he is the one making these calls himself.”

• Sarah Spain (41:50):
  “We always say you don't get to choose your family. And he did.”

• Dillon McCullough (34:54):
  “He opened the door, he just said, my son. And it was like, oh, the tears start rolling again.”

• Dillon McCullough (30:38):
  “Oh, I know him. He recruited me. He was my coach, and he’s been my mentor for the last 20-plus years.”

Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• (02:35) — Sarah summarizes the initial mystery around McCullough’s life story.
• (11:18–11:45) — The scene where Sherman recruits Dillon in the Sir Mix A Lot car.
• (23:56–24:50) — Discovery of the orphanage and birth name reveal.
• (27:11–28:30) — First Facebook message to his biological mother, and their near-miss in Youngstown for 40 years.
• (29:39–30:19) — Carol reveals Sherman Smith as the birth father.
• (34:54–35:15) — The emotional first embrace between McCullough and Smith as father and son.
• (38:20–38:56) — Outlining of the “identical lives” McCullough and Smith lived independently.
• (42:04–43:46) — Potential movie adaptation; Sir Mix A Lot “cameo.”

Tone and Style

The conversation is candid, warm, laden with both laughter and emotional resonance. Torre and Spain deftly balance investigative curiosity, emotional gravity, and a sense of wonder at the story's serendipity. They move seamlessly between the personal (trauma, identity) and the playful (butts, rap legends’ cars).

Conclusion

This episode ingeniously braids together sports, family, and fate—a quintessential “talkumentary” with jaw-dropping twists, lovingly told. At its heart, it’s a story about agency, identity, and the brave, sometimes painful choices that define who we become. For the full, intricately-reported, multi-generational saga—including further family twists—listeners are directed to Sarah Spain's book, Runs in the Family, and to look out for a future film, possibly with a Sir Mix A Lot cameo.