Episode
The D1 Quarterback Who Got 65 Years in Prison: Best-Selling Author Damon West
- Podcast
- The Resilient Show
- Published
- May 4, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 7227
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Summary
Damon West had it all, he was a Division I starting quarterback at North Texas, Wall Street stockbroker at UBS, a Congressional staffer who once worked for a presidential campaign. Then one hit of crystal meth in a UBS parking garage destroyed everything. Eighteen months later he was homeless, leading a burglary crew, dubbed "The Uptown Burglar" by Dallas police. A jury deliberated for 10 minutes before sentencing him to 65 years in a Texas maximum-security prison. This is the story of how he got out and how a Muslim career criminal named Muhammad in a Dallas County jail cell handed him the message that became a Wall Street Journal bestseller: "Be a coffee bean." In this episode, Damon West sits down with Chad Robichaux to walk through the entire journey: the moment meth hooked him on the first hit, the SWAT raid that "rescued" him, the brutal first two months on Building 7 with 432 lifers, the parole interview that turned on a single word, and the email he received from a victim, the fiancée of a Marine killed in Iraq, whose forgiveness set him free. If you've ever wondered whether rock bottom can become a foundation, this one is for you. GET DAMON'S BOOKS: https://damonwest.org/shop/ - The Coffee Bean (with John Gordon) - Wall Street Journal bestseller, translated into 30+ languages: - Six Times in a Nickel - Damon's full memoir + life principles Signed copies available to Patreon members, join now to enter the giveaway: https://patreon.com/TheResilientShow CONNECT WITH DAMON WEST Website: https://damonwest.org GET CHAD'S NEW BOOK Riptide (Silent Horizon Series, Book 2) - pre-order now, releasing May 12: https://www.tyndale.com/p/riptide/9781496488756 —— Stay up-to-date with all things Resilient by subscribing to our Resilient Times News…