Mark Schlereth
A three-time Super Bowl champion who transformed from a mauling NFL guard into a sharp, opinionated voice across sports media.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American football player and sportscaster·Birthday: January 25·Generation X
Biography
Mark Schlereth’s story is one of brutal physicality and unexpected reinvention. Drafted in the tenth round out of Idaho, he spent twelve punishing seasons in the NFL trenches for Washington and Denver, earning the nickname 'Stink' and three Super Bowl rings despite undergoing 29 knee surgeries. His playing career was defined by a blue-collar ferocity that made him a fan favorite. After hanging up his cleats, Schlereth channeled that same direct, no-nonsense energy into broadcasting. He became a fixture on Fox Sports and ESPN Radio, where his analysis is prized for its technical depth and unfiltered honesty, delivered with the authority of someone who lived the grind. His surprising forays into acting, including a role on 'Guiding Light,' hint at a personality far more layered than the typical jock-turned-analyst.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Mark was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mark Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Mark's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won three Super Bowl championships (two with Denver Broncos, one with Washington Redskins) over a 12-year NFL career.
- Earned two Pro Bowl selections (1991, 1998) for his play as an offensive guard.
- Became a prominent football analyst for Fox Sports, providing commentary for national broadcasts.
- Co-hosted a nationally syndicated ESPN Radio show, 'Sedano & Stink,' for several years.
Did You Know?
Underwent 29 knee surgeries during and after his football career.
Appeared as an actor on the long-running CBS soap opera 'Guiding Light'.
His father was a champion dog musher in Alaska.
Played in 156 NFL regular season games despite his numerous injuries.
“I played guard; my job was to create a hole where there wasn't one.”
