PRIORITY SPORTS SPEAKERS

New York Times Best-Selling Author
Veteran
Philanthropist

Notes:
Brenda Warner, wife of Kurt Warner and mother of seven children, is a speaker, philanthropist, New York Times best-selling author, registered nurse, and United States Marine.

She, alongside her husband, founded the First Things First Foundation, a non-profit public charity dedicated to impacting lives by promoting Christian values and blessing the lives of those less fortunate. In addition to the First Things First Foundation, they also started Treasure House, a supportive living community for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities inspired by their son Zachary. She serves as the creative catalyst for most of the foundation programs and generates ideas based on her personal life experiences.

The film, American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story, displays the vital role that Brenda has played throughout the life of her husband and all the obstacles he faced in his career.

Books: First Things First, One Call Away

Testimonials: “She did awesome!!! She was so fun, engaging, and inspiring!!! I received so much positive feedback…it was exactly what we were hoping for!! “ – Evolus

Topics: Art, Disabilities, Faith, Family, Military, Motherhood, Nursing, Perseverance, Philanthropy, Writer

Links: Evolus Interview (2022), American Underdog Movie Trailer (2021), Kurt & Brenda People Magazine Feature (2021), Players’ Tribune “Long Live Love with Kurt Warner” (2018), Building Treasure House (2018), Women of Faith (2011)

Detroit Lions Head Coach
Retired NFL Player
College: Texas A&M University

Accolades:
Ed Block Courage Award (2005) | Super Bowl Champion (XLIV) | 2x NFC Champion (2000, 2009)

Notes:
Dan Campbell currently serves as the Head Coach for the Detroit Lions.

His tenacity and grit has been a top story of the league, showcasing how his determination has helped turn the Lions around. He has broken barrier after barrier during his time with the Lions, leading them to their first division title in the 2023 season and securing the team’s first playoff win in 30 years. Building on that success, Dan Campbell guided the Lions to a franchise-record 15-2 regular-season finish in 2024, making them one of only nine teams in NFL history to win 15 or more games in a season. The Lions also claimed their first-ever number-one seed and, for the first time in franchise history, swept the NFC North.

The Detroit Lions were the subject of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” during the 2022 pre-season which showcased Dan’s coaching style and personality on a more intimate level.

Prior to joining the Lions, Dan was a tight end in the NFL, where he played for the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and New Orleans Saints. He appeared in Super Bowl XXXV with the New York Giants in 2000. In 2005, Dan recovered from an appendectomy, returning to the field in just one week. He won the Ed Block Courage Award for players that “exemplify commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage” that season.

Dan is known for his unique toughness-based approach to motivation and coaching, which helped him land his first coaching role mentoring the Miami Dolphins tight ends unit. He became the team’s interim Head Coach in 2015. From there, he went on to join the New Orleans Saints coaching staff as tight ends coach and then Assistant Head Coach, until he was hired in 2021 to be the Head Coach of the Detroit Lions.

A Clifton, Texas native, Dan attended Texas A&M University, where he was a four-year letterman for the Aggies.

Topics: Athletes, Coaching, Grit, Leadership, Mentoring, Military, Motivation, Teamwork

Links: First Playoff Win Post-game Speech (2024), Coach Dan Campbell “GRIT” Speech (2023), “Build Our Legacy Now” Team Speech (2023), “Losing” Speech (2022), Pat McAfee Show (2022)

Washington Commanders Head Coach
College: Salisbury University

Accolades:
Super Bowl champion (XLVIII) | Salute to Service Award (2016) | AP Assistant Coach of the Year (2021)

Notes:
In his first season in 2024, Dan Quinn led the Washington Commanders to their first playoff appearance since 2020, first playoff win since 2005, and first NFC Championship game since 1992.

Prior to the Commanders, Quinn was the Defensive Coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys for three seasons. This followed his tenure as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, where he led the team to an NFC championship in 2016 and a Super Bowl appearance (Super Bowl LI).

Quinn is also a member of the Salisbury University Athletics Hall of Fame where he competed in football and track and field during his college days. Showing his pride and support for his alma mater, he made a $200,000 donation to the Salisbury University athletic department. Dan is also very immersed in giving back to the community, as he and his wife started a charity called ‘Quinn’s Corps’ to support military families. He recently donated $25,000 towards a GoFundMe campaign aimed towards “advancing the lives of the black community.”

Topics: Athletes, Coaching, Leadership, Military, Motivation, Teamwork

Links: Commanders Log – Dan’s First Days as HC (2024), Interview about his life/coaching journey (2024)

Retired NBA Player
U.S. Veteran – Army Ranger
MBA: Harvard University
Undergraduate College: Duke University

Accolades:
NCAA Champion (2015)

Notes:
Marshall Plumlee is a 7-foot-tall former NBA player, U.S. Army Ranger, and currently an investment professional at Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative investment firm with over $1 trillion in assets under management.

He played basketball at Duke University under Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski, serving as team captain and helping lead the Blue Devils to the 2015 National Championship before joining the New York Knicks while concurrently serving in the Army National Guard.

In 2018, Plumlee left the NBA to serve on active duty in Special Operations as a U.S. Army Ranger. He completed two combat deployments to Afghanistan, including during the 2021 evacuation operations in Kabul.

Following his military service, he earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and joined Blackstone in New York City. He often speaks about the common threads between the best teams in sports, the military, and business, focusing on values like trust, discipline, and the relentless pursuit of a shared mission.

Topics: Athletes, Discipline, Leadership, Military, Motivation, Perseverance, Teamwork

Links: Marshall Plumlee Inspires Duke Squad (2021), Coach K on Marshall Plumlee (2020), GQ Article – With the U.S. Army, Marshall Plumlee Took His Game to Another Level