When the Game Ends, DeMaurice Smith Fights for the Players

What this episode covers

It’s time for the 2026 NFL Draft — when all 32 teams get to pick new talent from the best college football programs across the country. Who will be the players to watch next season, and how will they help shape the future of the game? We’ll talk all of this out with Nick Baumgardner, a senior writer and NFL Draft analyst at The Athletic. Then, we’re going to sit down with DeMaurice Smith. For 14 years, he was the president of the NFL Players Association. That’s the union for professional football players. Basically, he was the guy who had to protect 300-pound dudes who are smashing into each other for a living. In his time with the union, he went head to head with NFL leaders on contentious issues like the 2011 lockout, Colin Kaepernick’s 2016 protests for racial justice, and Damar Hamlin’s near-fatal cardiac arrest on the field during a game. He unpacks these moments and more in his autobiography “Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of America’s Game.” Show Notes Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of America’s Game by DeMaurice Smith Who Won the 2011 NFL Lockout? | Forbes A timeline of the NFL’s response after Damar Hamlin collapsed | CNN Predicting 2026 Draft Picks 1-100, starting with Fernando Mendoza | The Athletic Show Credits Host: David Greene Executive Producers: Joan Isabella, Tom Grahsler Senior Producer: Michael Olcott Producer: Michaela Winberg Associate Producer: Bibiana Correa Talent Booker: Britt Kahn Engineer: Mike Villers Tile Art: Bea Walling Theme Song: Emma Munger Sports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.