The Higher Valleys Podcast
Spencer Paysinger & Jelani Jenkins
Publishing Details
Contact & Outreach
About This Podcast
Welcome to the Higher Valleys Podcast, where former NFL teammates Spencer Paysinger and Jelani Jenkins trade real conversations about fatherhood, sports, ambition, identity, and life after the game.
Each week, we unpack the tension ambitious fathers face: chasing success, strengthening marriages, and raising emotionally secure kids… without losing ourselves along the way.
Podcasting 2.0 Features
Explore Statistics
Recent Episodes
S1E35 Reality Check
Episode SummaryIn Episode 35 of Higher Valleys, Jelani and Spencer move through the messy real of life and performance: stress showing up as sickness, weather changes, and the raw vulnerability the…
S1E34 Be Present
Episode SummaryEP 34 moves like the timeline itself: love and friction at home, pride and tension in public life, and the nonstop chaos of a world that can flip from comedy to tragedy in one scroll.…
S1E33 Soul Searchers
Episode SummaryEpisode 33 starts with a viral laugh—“non‑practicing whites”—and quickly turns into what Higher Valleys does best: use humor as the doorway, then walk straight into the room where the…
S1E32 Shut up and Listen
Spencer and Jelani unpack Super Bowl LX, Bad Bunny's historic halftime show, and the predictable white fragility backlash amid rising nationalism and ICE raids. They celebrate J. Cole's The Fall…
S1E31 Head to the Sky
Spencer and Jelani kick off with Grammys talk: Olivia Dean's divine feminine energy ("a hug that lasts 2-3 seconds too long"), Bad Bunny winning Album of the Year and headlining the Super Bowl, and…
S1E30 Smell the Flowers, Blow the Candle
Jelani's breaking ice in his Maryland driveway while Spencer's complaining about 72 degrees in LA—but the real temperature check is on resilience. From teaching Cairo that a waffle to the toe isn't a…
S1E29 Not Another Cinderella Story
Spencer returns from Cabo recharged and ready—this is the real start of 2026. He and Jelani unpack Indiana's historic national championship run as proof that the NIL/transfer portal era is leveling…
S1E28 Front Snap Kick
Spencer and Jelani are back after the holiday break, and they're not buying into the "new year, new you" pressure. This episode digs into stamina over motivation, building systems that prevent…
S1E27 Jingle Jangle
This episode is about letting go and starting fresh. Spencer reflects on cutting his hair as a ritual of renewal, while Jelani shares the emotions of watching his kids and classmates performing for…
S1E26 Plan B
Send a text
S1E25 Losing Recipes
Jelani and Spencer close out Thanksgiving with a sprawling conversation that moves from farting on airplanes to reimagining the holiday feast, from losing family recipes to a five-year-old navigating…
S1E24 Troubleshooting
Jelani and Spencer navigate the delicate balance between coaching and nurturing as fathers—from Spencer stepping into flag football coach mode to Jelani's lesson on troubleshooting with his kids.…
S1E23 Belt to A$$
This episode takes an unexpected turn—what starts as a lighthearted gripe about overly cheerful school drop-off teachers spirals into a raw conversation about discipline, memory, and the invisible…
S1E22 Breathin’ Season
In this episode, Jelani and Spencer move from Mercury retrograde and astrology to aliens and the Atlas Comet, from Lego obsessions to their kids' endless art projects, and from millennial parenting…
S1E21 Los Doyers!!!!
Spencer skips a championship parade to sit in the pocket with Jelani—and what unfolds is a masterclass on legacy, presence, and the long game. Baseball becomes metaphor: the quiet between pitches,…
S1E20 No Limit
In this episode, Jelani and Spencer move from the Cash Money vs No Limit verzuz battle to the future of student athletes in the super school era. What starts as nostalgia for Southern hip-hop becomes…
S1E19 Cruisin’
(Episode Summary)A winding conversation about what we're losing and what we're holding onto. Jelani and Spencer move from Michael Irvin debates to D'Angelo's passing, from birthday party survival…
S1E18 Cyborg Era
Episode SummaryIn this episode, Jelani and Spencer move from pumpkin patches to the ethics of AI, from fatherhood fears to legacy-building anxiety. What starts as Halloween banter about spiders and…
S1E17 Please and Thank You
Spencer and Jelani celebrate reaching episode 17 - officially past the average podcast failure rate - before diving into wide-ranging conversations about AI, athlete accountability, and the…
S1E16 Black Jesus
In this episode of Higher Valleys, Spencer and Jelani span the spectrum—from football field wars to fasting hacks, fatherhood lessons, and navigating today’s cultural divides.They open with Spencer…
Frequently Asked Questions
The Higher Valleys Podcast has published 35 episodes since June 2025, covering topics in Kids & Family, Parenting.
The Higher Valleys Podcast is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 1h 34m.
Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for The Higher Valleys Podcast, including email and social media links.
Similar Podcasts
Focus on the Family with Jim Daly
Focus on the Family
100 episodes
Good Inside with Dr. Becky
Good Inside
101 episodes
3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms
Cloud10
505 episodes
#IMOMSOHARD
Pionaire Podcasting
301 episodes
Good Moms Bad Choices
The Black Effect Podcast Network and iHeartPodcasts
430 episodes
Calm Parenting Podcast
Kirk Martin
607 episodes