Coming up on the debut edition of Sports Spotlight with Steve Nelson.

Pensacola's Adrian Chambers reflects on his incredible journey to become a World Series champion.

Plus, how a Booker T Washington basketball star has grown into one of the nation's top prospects and why?

Going for it in the emerging sport of flag football is paying huge dividends for a pace high standout.

Welcome to the debut edition of Sports Spotlight.

I'm Steve Nelson.

There is a remarkable legacy of sports excellence here on the Gulf Coast.

The number of elite athletes this area produces is just off the charts.

And we're here to share their stories from up and comers to area legends.

We are thrilled to have a World Series champ in studio today.

Adrian Chambers will share his remarkable and unlikely journey.

We also have feature stories on two dynamic high school stars in our Alumni Avenue segment highlights a Pensacola product that is shining in the NFL.

We start with the area's top basketball prospect, Shamaya Francis is a superstar for Booker T Washington and ranked among the nation's best high school players.

Her talent and determination will wow you, but Samir's basketball journey got off to a bit of a humbling start.

Both of her parents played college basketball.

A Shamaya Francis didn't have much interest in the sport as a youngster until some curiosity was piqued when she was 11.

I went to one of my brother's rec ball games at Cobb Center one time.

And then I just didn't know what the calls were that the refs were making for my brother's game, and I wanted to learn how to watch the game, like how to know what to wear when the Reds start calling it.

So I was like, you know, I'm going to try out so I can learn the game.

Her first practice for is and she was like, she didn't know what a layup were.

She didn't know anything.

Everybody was like, wow, she she doesn't know anything.

But I could tell by her work ethic she's going to be something with her.

Size and skills quickly made her a force, and within a few years, she took the high school level by storm at Washington.

The passion and inner drive always remaining a catalyst for her success.

She is a workaholic, not only on the court where in the weight room where she work, just conditioning.

She's being heard.

Her work ethic is unmatched.

After a stellar freshman season averaging double digit points and rebounds, Shamaya tested herself on an elite AEW national circuit.

It was an awakening that there was a lot more work to do.

I already had the skill, but if you can't produce at a high level even when you're tired, then it is.

You're not going to last that next level.

And I realized that my first game into in AEW, when I came back from playing, I really trained doing like conditioning and stuff like that so I can get my mobility better.

She's developed into an elite prospect, ranked top 25 in the nation for the 2026 class.

Six foot three and versatile goes a long way.

Six three can be a guard for women's basketball, or it could be a post player, but she fits into both of those boxes.

She can handle it.

She can shoot it, she can post up.

So at six three, I think she has set the standard for girls basketball right now in an area of what size can do.

With a target on her back?

Getting double teamed and triple teamed has become the norm, and she handles it like a champ.

She's seen every type of defense possible.

And she doesn't allow it.

Frustrated.

She's so unselfish.

She's always looking.

You know how can I be a better teammate?

How can I make others around me better?

I'm so used to having 2 to 3 people, he at a time.

So I'm, like, always looking for somebody else.

That.

So then when I get those moments a one on one, I'm normally rushing or trying to do too much too quick or just not looking for anybody else at all.

So I feel like me just being poise, that's my worry for the year.

Poised because I need to if I'm poised.

I played this.

At last count.

Shamaya had 43 Division one college offers, including most of the nation's top programs.

The recruiting attention can be very intense.

Some points I was trying to be like, a people pleaser.

So calling people every day, calling every school, and I just learn to, you know, slot people in the slots.

But at the same time, I'm grateful because a lot of people wish they could be where I am.

The way that I got over the frustration is just being grateful that I'm in the position, because she's just one of the most genuine young ladies I've ever been around, and she's an amazing person.

Just sweetest can be this tall.

She's just a real super gentle giant, but she's very genuine and I don't think there's anything fake about her.

Very real, down to earth and just she's a joy to be around.

As if her basketball prowess isn't enough.

Shamaya is also a very talented singer.

She's starting to tap into the possibilities.

Yes, we really need you, but I'm still pretty shy.

But I'm just now getting over it because I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to perform in front of people, and I feel the that's a big thing.

People want to see what else you can do other than being on the court.

And I feel like I got a true gift, so I'm used.

She's the total package in so many ways, and no matter what college offer, she ends up taking the potential.

It's clear I.

Think she'll be a pro.

I think she'll continue to grow wherever she's at.

She's going to play.

And I think eventually she she may be our next Pensacola professional women's basketball player.

Another one of the area's top high school athletes is a young lady playing a sport not traditionally available to women.

What started as youthful curiosity has turned into maximizing new possibilities for Pace's Amaya Pablo.

As an eight year old Amaya Pablo watched her younger brother play tackle football and she wanted it.

I love the game.

I would go to every single one of these games.

I would, I would run with them at practice.

I would do everything with them, so that really got me interested.

She asked to play and I told her if she, she has to commit 100% and I would allow her to.

And that's what she did.

She was forever grateful.

At first it was very hard.

My first time I went out there, I was super, super scared.

I was intimidated by all the boys.

When the boys looking at her like, I'm not playing with no girl.

But soon they realized like, hey, she's pretty good.

The first time she ever touched the ball, she scored a touchdown.

So that was pretty amazing.

After playing for a couple of years as the only girl in the league, the boys got a little too big.

So Amaya moved on to other sports, most notably softball.

She never thought she'd play football again until as a middle schooler, the well-respected athlete heard from Chris Reichert, head coach of the new flag football program at Pace High School.

He said, hey, I heard about you.

You should come out to a practice like a summer practice.

And at first I was like, I don't know if I want to go, like, I don't think I should.

And my parents convinced me to.

And after that first practice, I was like, I need a transfer, I'm going to play flag football.

He called me.

He said, hey, I've got a seventh grader coming out and I was like, at first thought.

I was like, okay, cool, I don't expect very much.

And she came out to practice for summer conditioning and she said, hey, throw the ball.

So I threw her the ball next to no.

She threw it back to me and it was just like a guy throwing it.

And I was like, okay, can this girl come to high school already?

Two years later, she officially arrived as a freshman, and when the starting quarterback went down with an injury in the preseason, the Patriots turned to Amaya.

I was like, we're going to throw her under the fire, so to speak, and, get her ready.

And then turns out the first game we played for on beach and she threw six touchdowns.

I was surprised that she was good because like, since we're the same age freshman year, I had no idea, like what I was doing.

So like just seeing her, I was like, wow, she's actually really good.

And that kind of intimidated.

Me a little bit.

She just kept getting better.

With off the charts results in her first three seasons at pace, putting up astounding numbers almost 13,000 passing yards with 169 touchdowns.

I always try and stay humble like I always think I'm of those stats, but like, not at the same time.

Like I. I want to stay humble and just think I can always be better than the year before.

Anytime you ask her to do something, she does it.

She asks how she can work harder as I should do something different.

She always works for the teammates and show her how things can be done if her teammates have some advice to listen to them as well.

She's always been willing to learn.

Ever the all around athlete, she's excelled in other sports at pace softball, track and weightlifting, where she finished second in the state as part of a Patriots state championship team.

But after her junior year, Amaya fully realized her path forward is with flag football.

In December, she was selected to participate in the U.S. Army All American Flag Bowl in Texas, along with many of the nation's top players.

That was probably my favorite flag football moment for me.

I got really super close with, a lot of the people there, and I love the coaches there.

It was a great environment for me, very hyped and exciting.

A constant during the amazing journey in football is a bond with her dad James.

He played football at pace, part of back to back undefeated regular seasons in 1999 and 2000.

He's been my number one guy.

I go to him like after every single game or like even half time I'll be like, hey, what do I need to do?

Like, I need your help because he's just so smart and he's just always been there for me since day one.

He was the one who motivated me to do tackle football.

Like he wasn't scared for me.

He was like, yeah, you should do it.

You should.

If you love it that much, you should do it.

And then ever since he's just been by my side, it's been amazing.

I mean, she's a better athlete than I ever was.

It's pretty cool to see the flag world growing as much of the has.

And then now she's going want to get some of the best in the country.

It's been really cool.

It just keeps getting cooler.

Flag football will be part of the 2028 Summer Olympics, giving Amaya another goal to shoot for, but first, she'll be part of the sport's rise on the college level, signing a scholarship to Lindsey Wilson College, a new Naia program in Kentucky.

It's super, super exciting for me.

I just literally never have thought this would happen in my life.

I'm very grateful for everybody in my life that got me to this point.

Did you ever envision that her college is going to be paid for by flag football?

No, never.

It's always softball in my in my eyes growing up.

I mean, that's what we were going for.

But never flag.

Never.

But God works in mysterious ways and.

Alumni Avenue is where we spotlight a local product, now excelling on the college or pro level.

The Pensacola area's ability to consistently turn out NFL players is stunning.

Last season, a whopping nine athletes from the three county area Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa were on NFL rosters.

Among that group, no.

One is shining brighter now than Devin Weatherspoon ten.

Just two seasons into his NFL career, Devin Weatherspoon has established himself as one of the best defensive backs in the league.

The Pine Forest grad earned a spot on the Pro Bowl in each of his first two years.

The first Seattle Seahawks quarterback ever to achieve that.

A super talented ultra high energy dynamo.

Witherspoon had a whopping 98 tackles last season, also a Seahawks record for a quarter.

He only allowed one touchdown in coverage all year, and although he didn't record any turnovers, his play caused many with some memorable moments of freakishly athletic efforts to force interceptions and then find a way to produce pivotal blocks, paving his teammates way.

Witherspoon, the fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft, has more than backed up that status.

Seahawks head coach Mike McDonald said, quote, we love him and it's because of the energy and the competitiveness.

It's infectious.

How can you not play 1,000% when number 21 is on the field doing the stuff that he does, he plays with his hair on fire.

You talk about shocking effort.

Watch 21 play end quote this from a guy who didn't play football at Pine Forest until his junior year and originally had no Division one college offers.

Devin Weatherspoon, now shining on the highest level and upholding Northwest Florida's amazing NFL legacy and.

Going deep is an in-depth interview with a local sports figure, and we're thrilled to get it started with a World Series champ.

Pensacola native Adrian Chambers followed an unlikely path to reaching Major League Baseball, but ended up spending ten seasons in pro ball, highlighted by a significant role in the Saint Louis Cardinals 2011 championship run.

Adrian is now a baseball instructor, coach, and author.

Adrian, welcome.

Thank you for spending some time with us.

Man, it's good to see you on this side.

Usually I've seen you on the team, man.

So thank you for having me.

Most definitely.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

So you you played baseball growing up, but really you were a football star and Pensacola High.

Great quarterback.

How much did you believe that football was your path going forward?

Appreciate you calling me a star.

No.

But, man, growing up for me wanting ballpark, my uncle was the president.

All of my brothers play, my cousins play like it was something that was felt like it was going to be braided in this already, you know what I mean?

So.

But at the same time, you know, my mother never wanted me to play football.

You know, she was like, I don't want my baby getting his hair.

You know what I'm saying?

Y'all ain't going to hit my baby.

So, it took my brothers and coach Mike Hall, the late coach Mike Hall, to kind of convince her that I.

That I was a football player.

So, after she, he and my brother talked to her, she allow me to play.

And that's when I found that love for football and baseball was one in sports I like to play just because, you know, I could be football with my love.

So.

Right.

So you ended up getting a scholarship offer and signed with Mississippi State to play in the SEC the big time, right.

You know, things didn't go great for you there.

You ended up after a little over a year, you end up coming back home, right?

How devastating.

How tough was that?

I was really devastated, man.

You know, it was hard for me to come outside, you know, I grew up watching Amy Smith, Roy Jones, Derrick Brooks, and the representation that they had for Pensacola was amazing.

You know, Pensacola in the house.

So it always seemed like, you know, wherever they were, they wanted to represent Pensacola well.

And I feel like I let my city down on that.

Obviously I had some great family members to help me.

You know, my mother, my sisters, my brother.

Always encouraging me.

Pensacola state.

You know, I eventually when we got end up going there, but, Yeah, man, it was it was really the support that helped me through.

It was a tough situation.

Most definitely.

But, Yeah, man, if it wasn't for my mother and my brothers, man, it could have been a little bit tough.

I might.

I might not be able to say I'm a World Series champion, you know what I mean?

So.

So you mentioned, Pensacola State, then PJC, Pensacola junior College in time, you ended up going to play baseball.

PJC.

How did that come about?

Well, when I told Micah I didn't get a chance to play my senior year of baseball, so baseball really wasn't even in the thought process with me.

But Bill Hamilton and Doug Martin, who was the pitching coach and a manager over here at Pensacola Junior College at the time, they came over to my house, sat down with me and my mom and asked if they seen what was going on.

They seen the kind of man I was.

Obviously they heard when I was in high school, and they wanted to, if you will, give me a second chance, you know what I'm saying?

They wanted to.

You know, Adrian, we we want to.

We want you to succeed.

We want you to to be a the man that you supposed to be.

So they gave me that chance to come out and do that.

And it was a challenge.

Most definitely.

I come from a football background, tussling with my, my, my football teammates, baseball at the same, you know, being an outfield, ball not coming to you all game long in the last inning, you get a line drive that you got to catch because we might lose.

So it was a different type of mentality, so I had to refocus.

But again, I had great teammates DeMarcus Ingram.

These cats really helped me, develop into a baseball player.

And because of that, you know, I was able to get seen by a few scouts, right?

So, you played a season there.

You did?

Well.

And then there was, you found out about a tryout camp Saint Louis Cardinals tryout camp in Memphis, right?

It was kind of a last second deal, right.

First of all, how did that come about?

Well, I was in the batting cages.

At Pensacola State, doing one of my football slash baseball jobs I like to do.

And, Steve Turco, Steve Turco, who was a scout for the Cardinals, he, he was coming down to check on Ingram.

DeMarcus.

He was he had already signed with the Cardinals when they came to see him.

He came to see him.

He seen me hitting that same day I had a really, really good game.

Two doubles and a home run or something like that.

And man, after the game, he came up to me and said, we got to try out in Memphis and we would love to have you over there.

I was like, sure, you know what I'm saying?

I got I had to figure out how to get there, but that's when the doors really start open.

Or even the thought of me playing professionally, because still, I was in the process of just trying to clear my name from Mississippi State.

You know, I was still trying to, you know, build my family's reputation.

You know what I'm saying from my standpoint.

So your trip to go to Memphis, though, was not ideal, right?

Not at all.

Oh my goodness, man.

I went the the ticket that we got, I went all the way down to Naples, Florida, and almost missing the bus coming all the way back up to go to Memphis.

I mean, it was it was crazy.

And I was late to the child.

They let me, still try out, even though I was late.

I think I had three swings.

I was dab in and out for nobody else with daddy looking at me like, who was this crazy man?

I, I just wanted to be seen.

But, yeah, it was most definitely one of those stories that, I never forget.

Most definitely.

All right, so they saw enough.

And then drafting you in 2007, what were the emotions like, you know, going through what you went through to now be drafted into Major League Baseball?

Well, again, I was I was very green to the game of baseball.

You know, I didn't understand the process, the minor leagues.

I mean, when they signed me, I thought I was going to be playing I fools, you know what I mean?

I thought I was going to be with the big boys.

I didn't really understand what was going on.

But at the same time, the biggest thing for me was being able to see my mother smile.

You know what I mean?

She was worried about me for all of that time.

You know what seen?

My brothers are worried about me all this time trying to figure out how am I going to overcome this tragedy.

But, being able to see her smile really, gave me, everything that I needed, you know what I'm saying?

That's all I really was caring about at that time.

Was my mother and her well-being?

Most definitely.

So you actually made up, what is a relatively quick move up in the minor leagues?

You know, you did well there.

So four years later, you get called up to the major league.

That's right.

With the Saint Louis Cardinals in a pennant chase.

That's right.

They were trying to make the playoffs.

Right?

What was that moment like when you got the call up?

I don't know if it was one of them.

It was one of them that I never forget when I, already he, he came up to me, he said, hey, John, don't forget this moment right here, because you might not ever get this chance again.

Crazy.

You know, we went back in 2013 almost in 1202.

But, that whole process, man, it was it was, it was.

Wow.

You know, because again, I was, I was that player that was always trying to get to the next stage, whatever I had to.

If I was in Triple-A, my mindset was in the major leagues.

If I was in a ball, my mindset was in Double-A.

So I wanted to be a major league, major league.

I work like I was in major league, but at the same time I didn't know what major league looked like.

I remember when they finally told me the last game that I had September call up.

I had a plane ticket for me.

The next day was first class.

I'm like, we've been in charter this whole time.

Wow.

You know what I'm saying?

I didn't understand the whole process, you know, put my my pack in my bags in the minor leagues to to travel to the next city.

We were going to.

I didn't have to do that in the major leagues, you know.

So it was it was just little bitty things like that.

We had a shift that followed us everywhere.

It was like those type of things or what?

What I grasp, you know what I'm saying when it came to the transition.

So originally they were using it more as a pinch runner and defensive replacement.

But then you got some at bats because second at bat, you got your first hit in extra innings in a crucial game.

The brought in the the go ahead run.

After that you had a key three run triple in one of the key games leading up to it.

And then in the playoffs, you know, then you made the playoffs and contributed there as well with with RBIs and scoring runs.

I mean, what was that like going through that journey in?

Oh man.

It was it was wow man.

And everything was happening so fast.

You know, the first hit that triple and we can't leave out the Saint that big, Cardinals Cubs game.

Where we came back, you know, one, 2 to 1.

But it was moments like that that, you know, that's the only thing we were.

I remember David Freeze saying this in an interview during the process.

We weren't thinking about, you know, the big things that were happening.

Only thing we were focusing on was the next at bat, the next pitch, the next destination.

We had to be a happy flight, like we were focused.

So in on the moments that we didn't, I didn't understand what was going on until after the process, you know what I'm saying?

So it was one of them.

It was one of them.

You had to live through it to really understand.

And then, you know, you win the World Series and then you go to the parade in Saint Louis.

I mean, talk about surreal.

What they say with about 2.5 million people over there.

So I never seen you can look down the street in his thousands of people down the road.

I mean, again, this was something that I, I didn't really know what we would get ourselves into, you know what I'm saying?

But once we it was like, once you got it, you appreciate it.

You understood the process and spring training.

You understood all of the hard work after, you know what I'm saying?

Games or the sleep or the discipline.

It's like you start understanding.

After the World Series.

You ended up playing, the next two years.

Parts of the seasons with with the Cardinals, contributed in the playoffs both those years also, you know, not not a full time player.

But how did you feel about the role you were able to kind of develop?

How much part of the team did you feel like?

Well, I had to change my mindset.

I had to really understand my role.

And Tony La Russa actually helped me understand this.

I mean, I think, pinch hitting is probably the hardest thing to do.

You know, they say catching is the hardest position.

Pitching is a tough position.

Shortstop, centerfield.

But I think one of the hardest jobs in baseball is to come off the bench after sitting all day and watching Chapman come in and do a 105, and you know what I mean is, did they expect you to get a hit?

So I had to be able to change my mindset.

And once I did that, once my teammates, trusted me, understanding what I brought to the table, I took it on.

I took that challenge, man.

And actually, yes, it became who I was.

But I felt like just like any other position that had a significance, it had its significance, too.

So coming in on defense in the seventh inning for Lance Berkman, that was important for me.

So I made sure I did everything I had to do for that.

You know, playing ten seasons in pro ball had some stints with the Astros and the Cubs as well.

You still got a reunion with the Cardinals, right?

Yes.

How did those fantasy cards mean?

I remember my first one man and I had my camera with me.

I took more pictures in the cameramen over there, man.

But it was amazing being able to see Ozzie.

And, you know, I'm seeing all of the guys come back, David.

And it was, we had a moment for, 2011 World Series team.

So that's always fun.

You know, I actually wish we could do that every year.

But, you know, it's the other day running into the walls.

But it's nice to see men that really enjoy the game like we do.

All right.

So we have a few minutes left to talk about what you're doing now.

First of all, swing champ.

Yes, you run swing champ.

To to instruct the game to to youth.

What?

What's that all about?

Well, Swing Champ started back in 2013, and it was a program that basically was just trying to do camps for the community.

Well, I turned it into a business because now you can see that the baseball isn't the same as it was when I was growing up.

So I wanted to make sure I did my part and, show some of these athletes some small tips on what they need to do.

Now, you're an assistant coach, full circle at PSC?

Yes.

How surreal does that feel with your baseball journey?

Kind of really took off.

You're back here doing coaching.

I tell everybody it is.

I think I love coaching more than I love playing.

I can't even tell.

And I still like I really enjoy this coaching process, especially when the athletes get started trusting you.

I'm enjoying it.

And you have a book out.

Yes.

From Pensacola to the World Series.

How?

What was the process with.

A about four years, a lot of, going back in the in the memory bank, a lot of time, many hours in a coffee shop and a lot of discipline, you know what I mean?

I really I wrote this myself.

I did have some help, in the editing process, but I really they really try to keep my word.

And so it's fun.

I hope everybody get a chance.

Go out there and get it.

It tells my story from, from the beginning of my life until we won the World Series.

And I think it's one of those stories, just like a Roy Jones or Emmitt Smith or any of these guys that had done great things.

I think, my story belongs right there with them, and it's time for people to kind of hear from my perspective.

Oh, they're doing well.

Thanks so much for your time.

And sharing the.

Story.

Always a pleasure to spend some time with you.

Appreciate you.

Man.

That's a wrap on the debut edition of Sports Spotlight.

But there are so many more stories to tell.

Until next time, thanks for watching.