Today you will hear two incredible stories from Sal Capaccio, Class of 1995. The first is his own "origin story." At 37 years old, he quit his job to follow his dream. He and his wife moved back to his hometown of Buffalo for part time work on the sports station there. Through hard work, perserverance, networking, and other lessons he learned at WJPZ, he's now a radio and podcast host, as well as the sideline reporter for the Buffalo Bills radio network.
This role gave him a unique perspective of the most harrowing moment of last year's NFL season. He was on the field when Bills player Damar Hamlin's heart stopped after making a seemingly routine tackle in Cincinnati. (36:33) He spends the final third of today's episode taking us on the field, in the tunnel, and even on the team bus as the events of that evening unfolded. You'll be hanging on his every word.
Sal grew up as die-hard a Bills fan as they come. In fact, he would take a bus home from campus on home game weekends his freshman year so as not to miss the games in person. And it was his love for sports that brought him to Z89. He did do some music and morning shifts, but he always was passionate about covering teams - from SU Football to basketball and theSportsline 89 talk show. We spend some time talking about the relationships he formed with some classmates whose names you'll recognize, and others you may be hearing for the first time.
Following school, Sal had an opportunity to work at a small town Florida radio station, where he did sports (and sales, thanks to what he learned in Syracuse). This led him to get involved with youth sports, and eventually high school athletics. He got into teaching and really found it rewarding to work with kids. As circumstances changed, and his wife was transitioning jobs, he explains the decision to move home and start over, pursuing his dream as he approached 40.
For those of us who always wanted to pursue sports but didn't, we ask Sal to take us through his schedule for a typical Sunday Bills home game. It's a chance for many of us to live vicariously through him. And that of course leads to Damar Hamlin.
Sal was reporting from the sideline when Damar Hamlin's heart stopped on the field in Cincinnati. We revisit that evening, and he shares what he was allowed to see, and what he wasn't. And of course, all the good that came out of the story of that amazing young man.
But we can't end on such a serious note. We wrap up with Sal telling us how he talked his way out of being suspended from WJPZ.
The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.
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