Penn-Trafford, Franklin Regional grads start podcast to help athletes when cheering stops

Keep chasing the life you want to live.

That is one of the core messages Tim Cortazzo and Colin Jonov want to push in a new podcast they created called “Identity Impact.”

The pair of former Division I football players from Westmoreland County high schools want to assist former athletes who wade into “real world” situations, outside of the games they play, and to extend a hand to athletes who come to a fork in the road or fall on hard times mentally.

They want to see athletes continue to be themselves, even after their playing days are over.

“The inspiration and basis of this podcast came from athletes not knowing what to do next in their lives,” Cortazzo said. “We wanted to create something where we can teach and guide athletes to help develop their identity outside of sports.

“One of the hardest things I’ve ever dealt with from a personal standpoint was being involved in athletics for 20-plus years, finishing Division-I football, where you are at the top of the world playing on ESPN, signing autographs, etc. … and then all of a sudden you’re thrown out into the real world and have to adjust to being, what seems like, a normal person.”

Cortazzo, a Penn-Trafford alum who played college football at Toledo as a wide receiver, works with athletes at FSQ Sports Training in Level Green, a business venture he started about seven years ago.

Jonov, a Franklin Regional product who played football at Bucknell and Pitt before a brief training camp stint with the Buffalo Bills — “I was an NFL athlete for 3 days,” his Twitter bio reads — works with Cortazzo at FSQ.

“Ultimately, there’s a number of things I want people to take from the podcast,” said Jonov, who was an assistant coach at Franklin Regional. “I think first and foremost I want athletes of all ages to understand that they aren’t alone in any mental health struggles. It’s always comforting to hear stories of other people who are going through similar issues. Secondly, I think it’s really important for athletes to understand they have an identity outside of sports.

“Giving people the platform to discuss those struggles and how they overcame them I think is very powerful for people to hear.”

Cortazzo and Jonov feel qualified to leave breadcrumbs for aspiring athletes who think they’re destined for the pros. While self-confidence is a core element to any successful player, not underestimating reality is a close second.

“There is a massive void and massive feeling of being lost and not knowing what to do,” Cortazzo said. “Some deal with a lot more extreme depression. All the hours spent practicing, playing games, training … and now you have to fill that time and find the next direction in your life. It has always been my goal to use my experiences to help benefit the younger generation. I’ve been doing this same thing for years at FSQ through my coaching, and now we felt like it was time to make it more public and more tangible to everyone and anyone.”

Jonov admits he struggled mentally when his football playing days ended.

“I only knew myself as an athlete — a football player in particular,” Jonov said. “So when it was over, I really struggled finding a purpose outside of sports. That’s my own personal passion driving this: to be able to share a little bit of my story and how I overcome it day by day.”

Jonov helps train football players for their pro day workouts, specializing in defensive backs and positional drills.

Cortazzo was training Jonov two years ago for the NFL Draft when he first thought of the podcast idea.

Jonov accepted an invitation to go to camp with the Bills but got cut.

“What I saw him experience was very similar to what I went through, so I asked him to be my partner in bringing Identity Impact to life,” Cortazzo said.

The pair met at a local donut shop to map out plans to get their nonprofit business going. The covid pandemic followed and came on like one big delay of game penalty for the venture. But it didn’t stop them from moving forward.

It did change some, though. Instead of meeting with athletes in a face-to-face, psychiatrist and a couch setting, they opted to move to the airwaves.

The pair have done eight interviews with current and former athletes so far, debuting the podcast last Thursday with Joe Brown of Empower Golf Performance in Las Vegas.

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Among the guest list with local ties are former NFL players Dorin Dickerson, Miles Dieffenbach, current agent with Roc Nation Tyler Urban, Pitt football’s Dennis Briggs and Tre Tipton, and Iowa wrestler Michael Kemerer. Cortazzo and Jonov hope the podcast spreads to a national level.

“We have a couple female athletes on the schedule to interview as well, Cortazzo said. “We think that hearing perspectives from everyone of different upbringings, races, genders, etc. … is the most important part of our project.”

The plan is to release one interview per week, along with additional content.

“This project has been very humbling for both of us and has made us realize that every single athlete deals with mental health issues,” Cortazzo said. “If we can help guide just one athlete, then we did our job.”