Born October 11, 1965 in Canton, Ohio, Chris Spielman gained a lot of attention as an All-American at Washington High School (note the Wheaties box below).

Heavily recruited by major colleges, he came to play for coach Earle Bruce at Ohio State in 1984. He went on to become a two-time All-American with the Buckeyes and a three-time All-Big Ten selection. One of the most intense and motivated players in Scarlet and Gray history, Chris is OSU's all-time leader in solo tackles and is among the the school's all-time leading tacklers overall with 546.

The Detroit Lions selected Chris with the 29th pick in the 1988 NFL draft. During the following eight seasons, he earned Pro Bowl honors four times. He also was the first player to lead the Lions in tackles seven straight seasons. Chris played two years with the Buffalo Bills before joining the Cleveland Browns after the 1998 season.

When his wife, Stefanie, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999, Chris took a year off to be at home with her and the kids. Many people were struck by his dedication. He even shaved his head (to match his wife's hair loss during chemo) to help his kids understand. He returned to football the following year, only to suffer a career-ending neck injury.

Chris was also interviewed for the Ohio State head football coach's job in 2001 after John Cooper was let go.

In addition to hosting a local radio show 5 days a week, Chris also covers college football for ESPN Television. He and his wife are involved in fundraising through the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research.