Mike Golic

Golic prepares to throw a pass while aboard the USS Russell (DDG 59).
No. 90
Defensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1962-12-12) December 12, 1962 (age 49)
Place of birth: Willowick, Ohio
Career information
College: Notre Dame
NFL Draft: 1985 / Round: 10 / Pick: 255
Debuted in 1986
Last played in 1993
Career history
Houston Oilers (1986–1987) Philadelphia Eagles (1987–1992) Miami Dolphins (1993)
Career NFL statistics
Games played 115 Sacks 11.5 Interceptions 3 Stats at NFL.com

Michael Louis "Mike" Golic (pronounced /ˈɡoʊlɨk/; born December 12, 1962) is a co-host of ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike in the Morning and a former professional defensive lineman in the NFL. The NFL website lists him as 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) and 265 pounds (120 kg).^[1]

He is also an analyst for ESPN and ESPN2's NFL studio programming, as well as for the networks' college football coverage. Golic joined ESPN in 1995 as a reporter/analyst for Sunday NFL Countdown. Since then he has worked as the color commentator for the Arena Football League (1996–98, 2007–present) and the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars pre-season games (1995–98). In 1998, Golic began serving as college football analyst for ESPN and ABC, and was an original analyst for NFL 2Night (now known as NFL Live), the five-night-per-week news and information program on ESPN2.

Golic is also the host of the long running syndicated sports highlights, bloopers and gag fest called The Lighter Side of Sports.^[2]

Early life and playing career[link]

Golic was born in Willowick, Ohio and attended St. Joseph High School in Cleveland, Ohio. Golic is a 1985 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, majoring in finance and management. He served as captain of the football team during his senior season and also wrestled for the Irish.

Before working for ESPN Golic was a nine-year NFL veteran, playing defensive tackle for the Houston Oilers, Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins.^[3] He recorded 11.5 sacks and three interceptions in his career. Golic admitted to taking corticosteroids (not anabolic steroids) briefly while recovering from an injury. Golic was selected in the tenth round in the 1985 draft, taken 255th overall by the Houston Oilers.^[4][5]

Life after retirement[link]

Broadcasting career[link]

During his five years in Philadelphia, he began his television career with a weekly segment on the Randall Cunningham Show. He received a Mid-Atlantic Region Emmy Award for his feature Golic's Got It. Prior to joining ESPN, Golic was a commentator for the now-defunct women's professional wrestling organization Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.

Golic currently co-hosts Mike and Mike in the Morning with Mike Greenberg on ESPN Radio and ESPN2.^[6]

Other appearances[link]

On April 27, 2008, it was announced Golic would appear alongside football's greatest players in the PS3 and Xbox 360 game, All-Pro Football 2K8.^[7]

Golic made an appearance on ESPN's mini-series Tilt. He can be seen during the final episode eating a donut at the buffet table. Mike also appeared with Mike Greenberg on the TV series Guiding Light in 2008.^[8]

Personal life[link]

Golic's older brother Bob Golic also played at Notre Dame. He was a multi-time NFL All-Pro nose tackle and is currently a talk radio host Monday through Saturday on WNIR-FM in Akron, Ohio and co-hosts the Cleveland Browns television pre-game and post-game shows on Sundays on CBS affiliate WOIO-TV. Mike and Bob appeared with brother Greg on the May 28, 2009 of Mike and Mike in the Morning broadcast from Progressive Field in Cleveland. Their father Lou Golic also made a brief appearance. The three Golic brothers again appeared together on Mike and Mike on May 7, 2010 and May 9, 2012, when the show broadcast from Progressive Field. Golic has stated numerous times on Mike and Mike he is an Cleveland Indians fan.

Golic currently endorses ESPN College Pick'Em for Dr Pepper and the Nutrisystem program, with which he has lost more than 50 pounds.^[9] He also endorses Tabasco hot sauce.

Mike resides in Avon, CT, approximately 12 miles from ESPN headquarters. During the February 20, 2007 broadcast of Mike and Mike in the Morning, Golic's 17-year-old son Mike called from Italy to reveal that he had verbally committed to play football at his father's alma mater, Notre Dame. The next season his other son, Jake, also committed to the Irish.^[10] Mike and wife Christine also have a daughter, Sydney, who is a swimmer.^[11]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Mike Golic ESPN Bio
• Mike and Mike in the Morning
• Career statistics and player information from NFL.com • Pro-Football-Reference

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2008)

Richard "Rick" Paul Reilly (born February 3, 1958 in Boulder, Colorado) is an American sportswriter. Long known for being the "back page" columnist for Sports Illustrated, Reilly moved to ESPN on June 1, 2008 where he is a featured columnist for ESPN.com and wrote the back page column for ESPN the Magazine.^[1] Reilly hosts ESPN’s Homecoming with Rick Reilly, an interview show, and he is a contributing essayist for ESPN SportsCenter and ABC Sports.

Career[link]

Reilly began his career in 1979 as an undergraduate assistant with the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colorado.^[2] He left the Camera in 1981 to be a football writer on the sports staff of the Denver Post, then on to the Los Angeles Times in 1983 before joining Sports Illustrated in 1985.^[2] Reilly has become a recognized name in the sportswriting industry because of his human interest pieces; his column, “Life of Reilly” was featured on the back page of SI from 1997 until 2007^[2] when he announced that he would leaving Sports Illustrated to join ESPN. The "Life of Reilly" was the first signed opinion piece in SI's history.^[3] Reilly officially left SI during the week of November 29, 2007, after 23 years with the magazine.

“Life of Reilly” now appeared in ESPN The Magazine (also the last page) and on ESPN.com. On March 10, Reilly announced that he would no longer be writing his opinion column for the magazine, but was going to a regular essay on SportsCenter.^[1] Reilly delivers essays from live sporting events for SportsCenter and other ESPN telecasts, such as the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and the British Open. He is host of “Homecoming”, an interview program, also on ESPN, taped in the hometowns of featured guests. The series launched in April 2009.^[4]

Awards[link]

Reilly has been voted NSSA National Sportswriter of the Year eleven times.^[2][5] He is second only to the late Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times (14) in number of times winning that award.^[5] In 2009, he joined a roster of journalism notables as winner of the Damon Runyon Award for Outstanding Contributions to Journalism.^[6] His work has also been recognized by the prestigious New York Newspaper Guild's Page One Award for Best Magazine Story.

Film[link]

Reilly co-wrote the screenplay for Leatherheads, a film directed by George Clooney, starring Clooney, Renee Zellweger and John Krasinski and released in April 2008.

Reilly’s first novel, Missing Links, has been optioned for development as a feature film.

Style[link]

The New York Daily News called Reilly "one of the funniest humans on the planet."^{[citation needed]}

Reilly does have a serious side and has written on a broad range subjects. His writing often focuses on themes of family, heroism, and human spirit. He has said in his columns that he doesn't write about sports, but writes "about people IN sports".^{[citation needed]}

Slate's Josh Levin noted that Reilly had an affinity for discussing pro athletes and their accomplishments via tooth jokes. He is especially harsh on dental flossing. He described Tiger Woods's 2002 victory at Augusta as suspenseful as flossing, riding Lance Armstrong's team car about as boring as flossing sharks, would rather floss crocodiles than go skydiving, and stated John Elway's perfect endorsement product would be Johnson & Johnson dental floss.^[7]

Controversies[link]

In 2002, Reilly responded to Sammy Sosa's assertion that he would "take a drug test if someone offered it to him" by spontaneously offering him a chance to drive to a local lab and take a drug test after a game; Sosa reacted by yelling and threatening him. Reilly responded in his column the next week.^[8]

Reilly has also been a frequent critic of former San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds for his treatment of his teammates, his off-field behavior and his alleged steroid use.

Nothing But Nets[link]

In 2006, Reilly wrote a column in Sports Illustrated about program dedicated to providing anti-malaria nets to African children at a cost of $10 per net. His request for contributions elicited a response from thousands and led to the creation the Nothing But Nets foundation in partnership with the United Nations Foundation. By mid-2009, the initiative has collected over $24 million dollars.^{[citation needed]}

Bibliography[link]

Reilly’s books include:

• Slo Mo! – (Doubleday) – A fictional diary of a naive 7'8" kid taken from high school to the NBA.
• Missing Links – (Doubleday) – A novel about an eccentric group of golfers who are regulars at the worst public golf course in America.
• Shanks for Nothing – (Doubleday) – This sequel to Missing Links cracked the New York Times bestseller list. Like Missing Links, it revolves around the antics and camaraderie of the regulars of the Ponkaquogue Municipal Golf Links and Deli.
• The Life of Reilly – An anthology of Reilly's best early works from Sports Illustrated. A New York Times bestseller.
• Hate Mail from Cheerleaders and Other Adventures from the Life of Reilly – An anthology consisting of one-hundred Reilly's best weekly articles from 2000-2006. An instant success, it hit the New York Times bestseller list in its first week.^{[citation needed]}
• Who's Your Caddy – (Doubleday) – A collection of stories about Reilly caddying for several remarkable people ranging from Donald Trump to the blind golfing world champion. A New York Times bestseller.
• The Boz – Co-author of the best-selling autobiography of Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth.
• I'd Love to but I Have a Game – co-author with announcer Marv Albert.
• The Wit and Wisdom of Charles Barkley – co-author with Charles Barkley.
• Gretzky – The autobiography of hockey superstar, Wayne Gretzky. Reilly was the co-author with Gretzky.

Personal[link]

Reilly married the former Cynthia Puchniarz, four years younger, in October 2008. From 1983 until 2003, he was married to the former Linda Campbell of Boulder, Colorado. Together they had three children whom Reilly writes about often.

Reilly appeared in a Miller Lite commercial with Rebecca Romijn.^[9]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Rick Reilly's official website
• Nothing But Nets Campaign website

Matt Light

Matt Light during the 2009 NFL season.
No. 72
Offensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1978-06-23) June 23, 1978 (age 34)
Place of birth: Greenville, Ohio
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Weight: 305 lb (138 kg)
Career information
College: Purdue
NFL Draft: 2001 / Round: 2 / Pick: 48
Debuted in 2001 for the New England Patriots
Last played in 2011 for the New England Patriots
Career history
New England Patriots (2001–2011)
Roster status: Retired
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-Big Ten (1999) First-team All-Big Ten (2000) 4× Pro Bowl (2006, 2007, 2010) All-Pro (2007) Pro Bowl Alternate (2011) 3× Super Bowl champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) 5× AFC champion (2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011) 2007 Tuesday Morning Quarterback Non-QB Non-RB NFL MVP Award Winner Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award (2011) New England Patriots All-2000s Team New England Patriots 50th Anniversary Team
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2011
Games played 155 Games started 153 Fumbles recovered 2 Stats at NFL.com

Matthew Charles Light (born June 23, 1978) is a former American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.

Early years[link]

Light was born in Greenville, Ohio. He attended Greenville High School, where he played football as a three-year two-way starter. On defense, he played linebacker and was a second-team Division II all-state selection at the position, and as a senior earned all-county, all-conference, and all-district honors after making 69 tackles and forcing two fumbles. On offense, he played guard as a sophomore, tackle as a junior, and tight end as a senior, when he caught four passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. He also competed in the shot put in track and field, and was a district champion as well as an all-county and all-conference selection.

College career[link]

Following high school, Light attended Purdue University, beginning his career as a true freshman tight end in 1996, appearing in seven games as a reserve and making one reception for 16 yards. He redshirted the 1997 season after undergoing left shoulder surgery in the spring. In 1998, he moved to left tackle, starting 13 games and earning an honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference selection as part of an offensive line that only allowed 16 sacks of future Super Bowl MVP quarterback Drew Brees. In 1999, Light started 12 games for an offensive line that allowed just 15 sacks, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors. In his senior season, 2000, Light earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition after starting 12 games at left tackle, helping an offensive line that gave up only seven sacks en route to a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl Game appearance.

Professional career[link]

New England Patriots[link]

Light was drafted in the second round (48th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He started 12 of 14 games played during his rookie season in 2001, helping a Patriots running game which averaged 112.2 yards per game. He was the starting left tackle for an offensive line that led the way for 133 yards on 25 carries (5.3 yard average) in the Patriots 20–17 victory in Super Bowl XXXVI over the St. Louis Rams. He was named to the Football News 2001 NFL All-Rookie Team following the season. Light returned in 2002 to start all 16 games at left tackle for the Patriots, who missed the playoffs.

In 2003, Light again started 16 games, and earned his second Super Bowl ring after helping to not allow a sack against a Carolina Panthers defensive line in Super Bowl XXXVIII that featured Kris Jenkins, Mike Rucker, Brentson Buckner and Julius Peppers. Light was a part of an offensive line that enjoyed one of the most successful seasons in club history in 2004, starting 16 games at left tackle and helping the team to average more than four yards per carry for the first time in 19 seasons and helping Corey Dillon set a single season franchise record with 1,635 rushing yards. In October 2004, he signed a six-year contract extension with the team worth $27 million.^[1] He earned his third Super Bowl ring in a win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Light began the 2005 season just as he did the previous three, starting at left tackle before a broken leg suffered against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 kept him inactive for the next 11 games and eventually led to his placement on injured reserve on December 22. He returned in 2006 to start 16 games. He was elected to the 2007 Pro Bowl, replacing the injured Jonathan Ogden, which was Light's first career Pro Bowl appearance.

In 2007, Light started all 16 games and all three playoff games for the Patriots, including their loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, when the Patriots offensive line allowed five sacks of quarterback Tom Brady. He was one of eight Patriots players, and one of three Patriots offensive linemen (joining Dan Koppen and Logan Mankins) elected in December 2007 to the 2008 Pro Bowl.

In the 2008 season, started 16 games for the sixth time in his career. He was ejected from a November 23 game against the Miami Dolphins for fighting with Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder, who was also ejected. After being named to the Patriots 50th anniversary team in August 2009, Light started the first five games of 2009 before missing five games due to an injury. He returned in Week 12 and started the remainder of the season at left tackle. In 2010, Light started all 16 games at left tackle and was named as an injury replacement to the 2011 Pro Bowl.

On July 31, 2011, Matt Light signed a two year contract with the New England Patriots.^[2]

Retirement[link]

On May 7, 2012, Light officially announced his retirement in a press conference at Gillette Stadium.^[3] However, Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker hinted on his facebook that Light's retirement may have been a prank.

References[link]