Three-time Super Bowl Champion and FOX NFL analyst Mark Schlereth was selected in the 10th round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins and played guard for 12 seasons, during which he was a two-time Pro Bowl selection. He won one Super Bowl with the Redskins (now Commanders) and two more with Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway and the Denver Broncos.
After a long run as an NFL analyst with ESPN, Mark Schlereth is currently with FOX Sports. He's a busy man as a FOX NFL analyst, FS1 Studio analyst, and host of his own sports show in Denver.
Schlereth joined SportsJam with Doug Doyle to talk about his take on Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks as well as his amazing football and broadcasting career.
Schlereth also lets it rip in his popular Stinkin' Truth Podcast.
"I've earned the right. You know I not only played at a high level for a long time, but I've put in the work. As soon as the AFC and NFC Championship games were over, I went through the coaches tape for both every offensive and defensive play, analyzing what formations they are in and all the different things they're doing. It's one of the things I put a lot of work into so I always feel that I've earned the right to talk about it and to give it to you straight. It's one of the things I've really worked on this last year is my Stinkin' Truth Podcast. It's an NFL podcast that really dedicated to nothing but the NFL and breaking down the game and have a lot of fun doing it."
On January 25, 1998, Schlereth celebrated his 32nd birthday on the same day he helped the Broncos win Super Bowl XXXII, a 31–24 upset victory over the Green Bay Packers.
That game against the Green Bay Packers where you kick off the game and your an 11-and-a-half-point underdogs, and you come out with a victory in that game. It's one of the reasons I love the NFL because it's not the best of seven, it's one game and anybody can win it. It's the team that comes most prepared and team that relaxes and just plays a game like it was any other game which is easy to say and hard to do."
That victory was extra special and fun for Schlereth.
"I'm only player in the history to win the Super Bowl on his birthday where his age (32) corresponded with the Super Bowl number. So it was Super Bowl 32 on my 32nd birthday."
Schlereth is also very proud of the Broncos game plan for Super Bowl XXXII.
"It was Terrell Davis who won the MVP. We really ran the ball well. We were told before the game from Mike Shanahan who actually when to John (Elway) and said listen for us to win this game you're probably not going to win the MVP, it's gotta to be the run game that get us there. It just point to the unselfishness of John Elway and our football team and what do we have to do to win a championship."
Schlereth thinks the Seattle Seahawks are playing better football going into Super Bowl LX on Sunday, February 8. In his opinion, what will it take for Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and the Patriots to win it all.
"For the Patriots it's really about running the football and taking on the pressure of that Seahawks defensive front off their quarterback Drake Maye. Maye has done an unbelievable job of converting some third downs with his feet. That's going to be a big thing for New England if they are going to win this thing."
Mark Schlereth, who grew up in Alaska as a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, is a charter member of the University of Idaho Athletics Hall of Fame, inducted in 2008. That's an honor he cherishes.
On of Mark's three children, Daniel, is a former MLB pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers.
You can SEE the entire SportsJam with Doug Doyle interview with Mark Schlereth below:
