Hard work is the key for comedian Brendan Schaub

The title of Brendan Schaub’s 2019 Showtime comedy special “You’d Be Surprised” is apt.

Schaub, 40, who will perform Friday and Saturday at the Spokane Comedy Club, does not fit the comic stereotype.

The father of two young boys is a former professional football player and MMA fighter. After the hulking athlete’s first act ended, Schaub pivoted to entertainment. For the past dozen years Schaub has been a comic and podcast host.

The common denominator for Schaub’s success is hard work. “I wasn’t the most talented guy when it came to football or fighting,” Schaub said. “But I came from the Peter Schaub work ethic.”

That’s a reference to his father. After graduating high school in Colorado there were no athletic scholarships. However, the gritty Schaub tried out for the football and lacrosse teams at Whittier College in 2001 and made both squads. Schaub transferred to the University of Colorado as a junior and played football for the Buffalos

Schaub, who will joke about family life and raising his children when he returns to the Spokane Comedy Club, has put in the time. “That’s what it’s all about,” Schaub said. “I’m not on the level of a comic like Bill Burr but I’m doing the best I can to raise my game. It’s the same for my podcast. I just don’t go on and shoot from the hip. I work hard every week to make it interesting.”

Schaub’s podcast, “The Fighter and the Kid,” which he co-hosts with comic Bryan Callen, has featured such high-profile guests as boxing icon Mike Tyson and podcast king Joe Rogan. “We have so much fun with the podcast,” Schaub said. “It’s a great outlet for me and so is stand-up.”

When Schaub isn’t entertaining he can be found coaching his 7-year old son on the baseball diamond. “I love that my son is just crazy about baseball and that his work ethic is where it should be,” Schaub said. “If you have that passion and willingness to bust your butt, you can accomplish anything.”