Chris Spielman

High school

Washington High School

College

Ohio State University

Pro team(s)

Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles

Chris Spielman grew up in Massillon, Ohio — the most famous football town in America, home of the legendary Tigers program — and attended Washington High School, where he was named the top high school player in the country twice. At Ohio State he won the Lombardi Award as the nation's best lineman or linebacker. A 4× Pro Bowl linebacker for the Detroit Lions, Spielman combined relentless preparation with ferocious physicality to become the spiritual leader of Detroit's defense in the early 1990s. After his playing career he became an equally respected figure off the field, particularly for his advocacy work in cancer research following his wife Stefanie's battle with breast cancer.