In June 1992, Valvano was diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma, a type of glandular cancer that can spread to the bones.

On March 4, 1993, he spoke at the first ESPY Awards at Madison Square Garden, accepting the inaugural Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award.

Valvano's ESPY acceptance speech became legendary and inspirational to countless many people.

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Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith almost died after a particularly rough tackle snapped his leg in 2018 -- yet he was back on the field just two years later. In this inspiring talk, he shares his hard-won insights on overcoming fear, self-doubt and anxiety that could help anyone endure life's challenges. (This talk contains graphic images.)

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Colleges and universities in the US make billions of dollars each year from sports, compromising the health and education of athletes -- who are disproportionately Black -- in the name of money, power and pride. Sports lawyer and former NCAA investigator Tim Nevius exposes how the system exploits young talent and identifies fundamental reforms needed to protect players.

In his talk, Sean discusses four primary ways men have historically been raised in American culture — home, church, military, and sports. Sean’s talk focuses on his claim that sports are becoming the primary way American men learn critical lessons about work, determination, failure, and accountability, leading him to challenge listeners to rethink the true value they assign to sports.

Sean Adams, a former NCAA All-American athlete, turned his love of sports into a life working with others through the medium of sports. Each afternoon he hosts the top-rated show “The Adams Theory” on the Longhorn Flagship Station and ESPN affiliate – AM 1300 The Zone. He is also a television analyst for football and track and field for ESPN and The Longhorn Network.