The 5th Quarter Podcast with Sandy Adams

What does leadership really look like when the stakes are high and the outcome isn’t guaranteed?

In this episode of The 5th Quarter Podcast, Sandy Adams sits down with Steve Ehrhart — former President and General Manager of the 1980s Memphis Showboats and current Executive Director of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl — for a conversation about leadership, decision-making, and one of the most memorable eras in Memphis sports history.

Recruited to Memphis by cotton industry titan Billy Dunavant, Steve helped build the Showboats into a competitive franchise designed to compete at an NFL level. From assembling top-tier talent, including future Hall of Famer Reggie White, to navigating the rise and fall of the USFL, Steve shares behind-the-scenes stories and lessons learned from a lifetime in sports.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Building the Memphis Showboats from the ground up
• What made the team connect so deeply with Memphis
• The leadership behind building a winning franchise
• The rise and collapse of the USFL
• Reggie White’s early impact and greatness
• Why Steve chose to stay and continue investing in Memphis sports

We also discuss author Dr. Keith B. Wood’s latest book, The Memphis Showboats: The USFL Team and the City’s Fight for Major League Status, which explores the history and legacy of the Showboats era.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Audible, or wherever you get your podcasts.

📘 Keith’s book is available on Amazon and keithbwoodauthor.com