Chris Spielman
Former Lions linebacker, three-time All-Pro, and franchise tackle leader; now special assistant to the owner and CEO.
via Wikipedia: Chris Spielman · see source
Charles Christopher Spielman (born October 11, 1965) is an American former professional football player who is a special assistant to the owner and CEO for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played linebacker for the Ohio State Buckeyes, twice earning All-American honors. He played professional football for the Detroit Lions in the NFL, where he was a three-time All-Pro. He also played for the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns, and coached for the Arena Football League (AFL)'s Columbus Destroyers. He was a broadcaster for Fox Sports and ESPN from 1999 to 2020.
Quick Facts
- Current team
- Detroit Lions
- Position
- Special assistant to the owner and CEO
- Career number
- 54
- Born
- 11 October 1965
- Birthplace
- Canton, Ohio, U.S.
- High school
- Massillon Washington (Massillon, Ohio)
- College
- Ohio State (1984–1987)
- Draft year
- 1988
Lore & Background
Spielman graduated from Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio, in 1984, where he was awarded the Dial Award for the national high-school scholar-athlete of the year in 1983. He was the first high school athlete to have his picture on a box of Wheaties. He initially wanted to attend the University of Michigan, but his father, a lifelong Ohio State fan, opposed the idea. Spielman was a three-time All-American at Ohio State, intercepted 11 passes, and won the Lombardi Award as the best college football lineman or linebacker. He was the Ohio State football team MVP his senior year and won the Touchdown Club of Columbus's Chic Harley Award. He graduated from Ohio State with a degree in recreation education. In the 1988 NFL draft, he was drafted in the second round with the 29th overall pick by the Detroit Lions. He played eight seasons with the Lions (1988–95), captained the defense, and is the franchise's all-time leader in career tackles with 1,138. He represented the Lions in four Pro Bowls (1990–92, 1995) and was named the team's defensive MVP in 1993 and 1994. He played for the Buffalo Bills in 1996 and 1997. His 1997 season was limited because of a neck injury that required spinal surgery. He chose to miss the 1998 season to assist his wife battling cancer. He returned to the NFL in the 1999 season with the Cleveland Browns, but retired before the regular season began after suffering another neck injury. In April 2009, he was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame, with induction in July 2010. On October 21, 2021, the Detroit Lions inducted him into their 'Pride of the Lions' club.
Reader's Guide
Spielman's broadcasting career started in 1999 as an NFL studio-show analyst for Fox Sports Net. After two years, he joined ESPN in 2001, serving primarily as a color analyst for college football broadcasts and as a studio analyst. He contributed to Columbus-based FM radio station 97.1 The Fan and previously hosted 'Spielman on Sports.' He appeared every Tuesday afternoon on AM 1270 WXYT in Detroit. He served as a color analyst for the Detroit Lions during the NFL preseason. In 2006, he hosted a reality series on ESPNU called 'Summer House.' In 2016, Fox Sports announced he joined Fox NFL coverage as a game analyst alongside Dick Stockton and Kristina Pink, and on select weeks with Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis. After the 2000 season, he interviewed for the vacant Ohio State head coaching position, but the job went to Jim Tressel. In 2005, he coached the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League to a 2–14 record. He was hired by the Detroit Lions as special assistant to chairman and president & CEO on December 15, 2020.
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