Heat Em Up: Ep 1. President Kelly Damphousse

Host BR Freeman kicks off the inaugural episode of "Heat Them Up Cats" with guest University President Kelly Damphousse, who shares insights into his life and career while sampling increasingly spicy wings. Damphousse discusses his social media preferences, his dedication to supporting student athletes, and his family's influence on his educational journey. He recounts advocating for Baker Mayfield's eligibility at Oklahoma and highlights the importance of athletics in enhancing Texas State University's reputation. Despite the fiery challenge, Damphousse remains composed, reflecting on personal anecdotes and his commitment to the university community.

• Kelly Dampas discusses his extensive use of social media, particularly Twitter, highlighting its role in his professional and personal life.
• Twitter is favored for its concise communication, despite the character limit constraints.
• The evolution of photography with the advent of smartphones has changed how people, including Kelly, capture and share moments.

"To me, it's Twitter because what I don't like about Twitter is you only put four pictures out at one time. What I do like about it is the editing of the picture feature."

• Kelly values Twitter for its photo editing capabilities and concise communication, despite limitations on the number of images that can be shared at once.

"I was taking selfies before that because I would go on vacation with our family. I was always a picture taker, and I get home at the end of the week, and there'll be no pictures of me."

• Kelly began taking selfies to ensure he was included in family vacation memories, illustrating the personal evolution of selfie culture.

"I have 137,953, but it isn't a whole lot. It's not that bad, right?"

• Kelly's extensive camera roll underscores his active engagement in capturing moments, indicative of the digital age's impact on photography.

• Kelly shares personal stories, including his early adoption of technology and memorable experiences with famous individuals.
• His early adoption of the iPhone significantly impacted his engagement with students and personal photography habits.
• Notable selfies with figures like Bill Clinton and Baker Mayfield highlight memorable moments in Kelly's career.

"When the iPhone came out, I was an early adopter. I got the very first iPhone, and it didn't have a camera on the front of it then, but when the second one came out, I think it had a camera on the front. That's it, game changer for me."

• The iPhone's front camera was pivotal for Kelly, enhancing his ability to engage with students and capture personal moments.

"Bill Clinton, really. Was this when you were at Arkansas State? Arkansas State."

• Kelly's selfie with Bill Clinton at Arkansas State marks a significant and memorable moment in his life.

• Kelly demonstrates a strong commitment to university events and athletics, often going to great lengths to support teams and students.
• His dedication is illustrated by stories of traveling extensively to attend significant games and events.
• Kelly's presence at university events fosters a sense of community and support among students and athletes.

"You and Beth, your wife, are in Paris. You hop on a flight at 2:30 in the morning, 15 hours to Oklahoma City to watch them play in the World Series."

• Kelly's dedication to supporting university athletics is exemplified by his willingness to travel long distances to attend important games.

"We were living at the time in Headington Hall, which is where the student-athletes all lived. So all the freshman softball players, but also the seniors we'd known them as well because they'd lived there as freshmen."

• Living among student-athletes allowed Kelly to form close connections, underscoring his commitment to the university community.

• Kelly shares personal preferences, such as his choice of ranch over blue cheese, reflecting his lifestyle and tastes.
• His casual and relatable discussion style helps create a connection with the audience.

"Ranch all the way. Blue cheese weirds me out, the idea of cheese that goes bad and you're supposed to eat it."

• Kelly's preference for ranch dressing over blue cheese provides insight into his personal tastes and relatability.

• The speaker attempted to connect with an alumnus at a Dallas rodeo, driven by a strong desire to re-engage with them.
• Despite a long journey from Pensacola to Dallas, the alumnus did not attend the event, highlighting the unpredictability of such efforts.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of attending events to witness potential victories in person, despite the risks of disappointment.

"We found out that one of our alumni who I'm trying to connect with was going to be at the rodeo in Dallas, and this was going to be one chance of a lifetime to meet this person."

• Shows the speaker's dedication to networking and maintaining alumni relationships.

"It was a long trip from Pensacola to Dallas back to Pensacola again, a 13-hour drive both ways, but I didn't want to miss it."

• Emphasizes the speaker's commitment to supporting their team and the lengths they are willing to go to be present.

• The speaker listens to audiobooks during long drives, specifically mentioning the Harry Potter series as a current choice.
• They share preferences for road trip snacks, favoring salty and crunchy options, as well as sweet treats like gummy bears.
• The speaker expresses a dislike for popular gas station chains, preferring quick stops for essentials.

"In that case, I was listening to the Harry Potter series. It's a 35-hour book to listen to, and I got through the whole thing."

• Illustrates how the speaker uses long drives as an opportunity to enjoy extensive audiobooks.

"I love the salty and I love the crunch and the salty... an apple pie kind of thing in a bag, so it's sweet apple pie; it's fruit which is healthy."

• Highlights the speaker's preference for balancing sweet and salty snacks during road trips.

• The speaker discusses their role as a Faculty Athletics Representative in the Big 12, particularly in advocating for athlete rights and navigating NCAA rules.
• They recount Baker Mayfield's journey from Texas Tech to Oklahoma, emphasizing the challenges of transferring within the Big 12.
• The speaker played a significant role in advocating for a rule change to allow unrecruited walk-ons to transfer without losing a year of eligibility.

"I was the Faculty Athletics rep, and in the Big 12, the Faculty reps play a huge role in decision-making."

• Demonstrates the speaker's involvement in athletic administration and their influence on policy decisions.

"Baker went there, walked on... he wins the starting position... and then asked for a scholarship, and they decide not to give him a scholarship."

• Provides context for Baker Mayfield's situation and the challenges he faced as an unrecruited walk-on.

"We went back on behalf of the University, applied for a waiver or a new rule change that would allow an unrecruited walk-on to transfer but not have to lose a year."

• Highlights the speaker's advocacy efforts for student-athlete rights and their push for fair treatment in the NCAA system.

• The speaker recounts a challenging experience advocating for a student athlete's eligibility, highlighting the complexities of administrative decisions and the importance of persistence.
• Building relationships with student athletes is emphasized as a crucial aspect of the speaker's role, despite time constraints and demanding responsibilities.
• The speaker actively engages with student athletes by hosting team dinners and attending games to demonstrate support and care.

"I don't get this working out I'm going to step down as a faal rep I can't do this anymore..."

• The speaker expresses frustration and considers resigning from their representative position due to challenges in advocating for a student athlete.

"...one of the faculty reps got mad threw his books together walked out of the room..."

• The decision-making process involved intense discussions and disagreements, illustrating the high-stakes nature of administrative advocacy.

"...it's harder to create individual relationships with student athletes... there's so much Demand on my time..."

• The speaker acknowledges the difficulty of forming personal connections with each athlete due to time constraints but emphasizes the importance of showing support through presence at events.

• The speaker participates in a spicy food challenge, expressing both excitement and apprehension about the intensity of the experience.
• The conversation shifts to a light-hearted discussion about food preferences and dietary choices, highlighting the personal nature of food experiences.

"I've been told from our producers we are allowed to swear... this one can get pretty intense..."

• The speaker is informed about the challenge's intensity and the allowance for more expressive language, setting the tone for the segment.

"...you went in for a couple of bites there I'm taking the one and I'm calling it again..."

• The speaker's willingness to engage with the challenge is noted, despite the heat and intensity of the food.

• The speaker shares their personal history, including being adopted and their parents' limited formal education, which influenced their educational aspirations.
• The Canadian educational system's structure is discussed, highlighting the decision-making process regarding college preparation.
• The speaker's initial reluctance to attend college shifts after exposure to peers planning for higher education, ultimately leading to enrollment in a community college.

"...you're from north of the border from northern Canada um and you were adopted..."

• The speaker's background includes being adopted and raised in Canada, providing context for their educational journey.

"...my mom made me go in the matriculation route which prepares you to go to college..."

• The speaker's mother's decision to place them in a college-preparatory track was motivated by a desire for better peer influences, rather than an expectation of college attendance.

"...I thought that was something Americans did... it was literally a foreign concept to me about going to college..."

• The speaker's perspective on college as an American concept highlights cultural differences in educational expectations.

• The speaker's career aspirations evolved from professional hockey to law enforcement, influenced by a lack of available policing jobs and a subsequent role as a prison guard.
• A chance encounter with a former instructor led to the opportunity to pursue higher education in Texas, marking a pivotal moment in the speaker's career development.

"...my goal had been after I tried out for my professional hockey triy out and failed at that was to become a police officer..."

• The speaker's initial career goal was to become a professional hockey player, which shifted to law enforcement after an unsuccessful tryout.

"...I ran into almost literally ran into one of my former instructors... there's a school in Texas that has a criminal justice program..."

• A serendipitous meeting with a former instructor opened the door to further education and career advancement in the field of criminal justice.

• The speaker initially aspired to become a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer but changed plans after meeting someone in Texas.
• The speaker's journey involved selling possessions, buying a motorcycle, and moving to Texas.

"So that was my goal, sold everything I had, I bought a motorcycle, drove down to Texas."

• This quote highlights the speaker's commitment to his initial career goal and the significant life changes he made to pursue it.

• The speaker shares a personal story about family traditions and the emotional significance of a father-daughter dance at his daughter's wedding.
• The song "Close Your Eyes" holds sentimental value, being a part of bath time rituals and wedding dances.

"When my girls were little, I was in charge of bath time... I started singing to them 'Close your eyes and I'll kiss you, tomorrow I'll miss you.'"

• This quote illustrates the deep emotional connection and traditions shared within the family, which continue to hold significance at major life events.

• The speaker's wife, Beth, enjoys cooking for smaller gatherings, while larger groups are catered.
• Family gatherings often include hosting sports teams, showcasing a sense of community and hospitality.

"When the group is small, Beth likes to cook herself... most of the time though, the groups are bigger like the football team."

• This quote highlights the dynamic of family roles in hosting and the importance of community involvement in their lives.

• The speaker discusses the goals set by the search committee for a new university president, emphasizing the importance of improving the university's national reputation.
• Athletics, particularly football, play a crucial role in shaping the university's public image and attracting new applicants.

"The first one was changing the national reputation of the University... Athletics is such an important role."

• This quote underscores the strategic importance of athletics in enhancing the university's reputation and its impact on student applications.

• The hiring of a successful football coach led to significant achievements, such as winning against Baylor and qualifying for a bowl game.
• These successes have shifted perceptions of Texas State University and increased student applications.

"We got fortunate to hire a really great football coach... Our out-of-state applications, another 600 people applied that week after that Baylor win."

• This quote demonstrates the direct correlation between athletic success and the increase in university applications, highlighting athletics as a pivotal factor in university branding.

• The speaker reflects on the unexpected journey of participating in the podcast and thanks the crew for their efforts in producing the show.

"I can't imagine when you took the job you'd imagine you would think that two years down the road you'd be having hot wings with me."

• This quote reflects on the unexpected yet rewarding experiences encountered in the speaker's career journey and the appreciation for the team's effort in creating the podcast.