Tony Mandarich

Ante Josip "Tony" Mandarich (born September 23, 1966 in Oakville, Ontario) is a former football offensive lineman of the NFL. He was the first round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers in 1989, second overall behind Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, and ahead of the third selection, Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders, the fourth selection, Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Thomas, and the fifth selection, perennial All-Pro cornerback Deion Sanders. He is tied with Charles Rogers as the second highest drafted Michigan State player ever (behind Bubba Smith). He is also the highest-drafted Canadian-born player in NFL history. In 1989, Sports Illustrated called him "The Best Offensive line prospect ever"^[1]

Football career

Playing at Michigan State University, Mandarich played in the 1988 Rose Bowl, was named as a first-team All-American, an Outland Award finalist and a two-time Big Ten Lineman of the Year. Upon his entry into the 1989 NFL Draft, both scouts and media (most notably Sports Illustrated, which did a cover story on him, famously naming him "The Incredible Bulk") began trumpeting Mandarich as the best offensive line prospect ever. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice. Mandarich was also a colorful character, illustrated by such instances as challenging then-Heavyweight Boxing Champion Mike Tyson to a fight, missing scheduled public appearances due to being drunk or hungover, his well-documented love of the band Guns N' Roses (he had a dog named Axl and also a tattoo of the cross-design from the cover of Appetite for Destruction on his arm), and referring to Green Bay as "a village".

Drafted as an offensive lineman, Mandarich never lived up to the very high expectations set for him, and spent most of his first year on the Packers on special teams after a lengthy holdout that only got settled the last week before the regular season. He was also known for having attitude issues, and after three seasons of lackluster performance on a four-year contract, Mandarich was cut by the Packers. Mandarich is often referred to as one of the top 5 bust NFL draft picks of all time, having been drafted second overall and ahead of such to-be NFL stars as Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, Deion Sanders, and Andre Rison.

The question of steroid use has been discussed as a possible factor in Mandarich's spectacular failure. This accusation is one that Mandarich only admitted in 2008. Until then, he publicly blamed his work ethic—in a 2003 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article: "I wanted to create as much hype as I could for many different reasons—exposure, negotiation leverage, you name it. And it all worked, except the performance wasn't there when it was time to play football."

Mandarich returned to football for three years between 1996 and 1998 with the Indianapolis Colts. He had a more successful, if not particularly noteworthy, career with the Colts before retiring from football in 1998. He claims that his time during the Colts he was "clean", stating he did not take steroids during this time.

Post-Football career

From September 2004 until September 2005, Mandarich served as an NFL analyst for The Score TV sports network in Canada. He quit in October 2005 and currently resides both in Arizona and in Ontario.

He now runs a photography studio.^[2] Mandarich has expanded his business to Mandarich Media Group which now includes photography, video production, web design, search engine optimization, and Internet marketing.

In September 2008, Mandarich admitted to using steroids at Michigan State and faking a drug test before the 1988 Rose Bowl. Mandarich denied using steroids in the NFL but was addicted to alcohol and painkillers.^[3]

Tony had an older brother, John, who was instrumental in his development as an athlete, including sponsoring his younger brother's transfer to a stateside high school before Tony's senior year. John made his own reputation in professional football in the Canadian Football League. John Mandarich's early death from skin cancer is documented in Tony's memoir.

In the March 2009 issue of Sports Illustrated he tells about his use and addiction and about his new book called My Dirty Little Secrets—Steroids, Alcohol & God.

Sources

• Mandarich, Tony; Sharon Shaw Elrod (March 2009). My Dirty Little Secrets - Steroids, Alcohol & God: The Tony Mandarich Story. Modern History Press. ISBN 9781932690781.  Tony Mandarich was a top five NFL draft pick bust.

External links

• Arizona SEO & Web Promotions
• All About Tony Website
• Mandarich Photography Site
• Glamour & Boudoir Photography
• Mandarich Studio Buzz
• Mandarich Media Group LLC
• 1989 SI Article
• 20 Years Later: Tony Mandarich Is Very, Very Sorry (SI Updates its 1989 Article)
• Interview with Dan Patrick: Tony Mandarich explains why he stopped taking steroids in NFL
• Steroids fueled spectacular rise and fall (Mandarich interviewed by Kory Kozak, published April 17, 2009)