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LB Chris Spielman (2x All-American, 4x Pro Bowl, 3x All-Pro, CFB HOF)

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OhioStateAlumni

SPIELMAN TURNS HIS INTENSITY TOWARD AN IMPORTANT CAUSE

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Legendary Buckeye linebacker Chris Spielman received 1,240 votes from Association members in the All-Alumni balloting, more than any other player. Spielman currently hosts "The Big Show" on 97.1 FM in Columbus from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, and does football television analysis for ESPN. Spielman is also an advocate for breast cancer research through the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research.
By SCOTT PRIESTLE
Photo by RICK HARRISON

During his career at Ohio State and in the NFL, Chris Spielman was obsessed with football. He was the type of guy who enjoyed every early-morning workout and late-night film session, and who particularly relished the adrenaline of game day. The type who would be lost without the sport.

But now he has something more important: his wife, Stefanie Spielman, who has fought a public battle against breast cancer since 1998, and their four children.

"I always envisioned that when I was done playing, I'd go into coaching. But life circumstances change," Spielman said. "With Stefanie's illness, battling that for the past years, football certainly was not an ideal way for me to live up to my obligations as a husband and a father."

Spielman sat out the 1998 season to be with his family, and when injury forced him to retire the following year, he began a new career in broadcasting. The two-time All-American and four-time Pro Bowl linebacker co-hosts a radio show in Columbus and is a college football analyst for ESPN.

"I can control my schedule somewhat. This way, I'm able to live up to the standards I had to be around my family," Spielman said.

The new career also feeds his love for sports, his desire to be part of a team,
and his competitive nature. Although at first he had doubts about being on the radio, Spielman has become one of the veterans at The Fan, the all-sports station that he joined in 2001. He co-hosts the afternoon drive-time show with Bruce Hooley, with occasional appearances by another former Ohio State player, Kirk Herbstreit.

"We have something good going. We can be a staple of Columbus sports for a long time," Spielman said. "I take a lot of pride in that."
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25 Years Ago: Chris Spielman
[Print]By Joe - August 7th, 2009

There are some players who improve a team just by being out on the field. Chris Spielman was one of those players. His energy, his enthusiasm, his hustle, and his aggressiveness were contagious and helped inspire his teammates to do more than they thought they could. Not only that, but he was a pretty decent ball player as well, good enough to make the cover of a Wheaties box when he was in high school, to start for 3 seasons in college and make All-American status the last two, and to play 11 years in the NFL, making 4 Pro Bowls in the process.

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Don?t give me Gatorade, just give me someone to hit!

Chris Spielman played high school ball at legendary Massillon Washington, where Paul Brown once prowled the sidelines. His performance as a senior brought him many awards and many offers from colleges around the country. At one point, he was actually considering that School Up North, but his father reportedly told him to choose Ohio State ?or don?t come home?. He made the right choice. I remember at his press conference, Spielman said that Ohio State would ?definitely win a national championship? while he was there. It was a bold statement, and sadly not fulfilled, but he had the attitude of a winner.
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25 Years Ago: Chris Spielman | Eleven Warriors
 
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HONORING SPIELMAN: Two-time All-American LB Chris Spielman will be the 28th Buckeye inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame next year and he will be recognized at halftime of the Navy game. He will be announced with wife Stefanie, who is in the midst of a lengthy battle with breast cancer. Spielman is also working the game as an ESPN analyst.

"I'm sure it'll be an emotional time for Chris," Tressel said. "It'll be special."

Austin Spitler, who will start at LB for Ohio State, said Spielman was one of the best ever at the position.

"If you know anything about the linebacker tradition at Ohio State, Spielman is one of the first guys who comes to mind," he said. "You hear a lot about him. He really set this program apart as a linebacker. He helped start the tradition here."
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Construction to cause delays getting to the game
 
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Game-day butterflies
The citizens of Buckeye Nation anxiously await the start of another OSU season sure to contain happiness, relief and anger
Saturday, September 5, 2009
By Rob Oller
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Chris Spielman has his notecards ready.

"The ones reminding me to be balanced and don't say 'we,' " said the former Ohio State linebacker and current ESPN announcer, who will be in the broadcast booth today for the Buckeyes' season-opener against Navy at noon in Ohio Stadium.

Off the air, Spielman is no different than the million other fans who consider themselves proprietors of OSU football. The ones who say "our" program. Who believe Ohio State belongs to "us," and who call Jim Tressel "my" coach.

That sense of ownership will be strong among the 105,000 in the Horseshoe, and many more watching at home, as "their" Buckeyes burst from the tunnel to signal the start of another Ohio State season that is sure to contain happiness, relief and anger.

The scarlet-and-gray-clad masses, already dissecting the play of quarterback Terrelle Pryor and pondering bowl game possibilities, wouldn't want it any other way.

Nothing bleeds summer into fall better than OSU football and the energized atmosphere surrounding it.

"For me, I get excited about the whole game-day experience," said Spielman, who will be honored at halftime for his recent induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. "It's about the band, the dotting of the 'i' by John Glenn. Experiencing all of that is something I embrace now."
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BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Game-day butterflies
 
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Chris with family being honored at halftime...

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Chris Spielman and Stefanie Spielman are a couple truly in love

Sept 5, 2009: Chris Spielman and Stefanie Spielman are a couple truly in love with each other and with the world. The only difference between this beautiful couple and other couples is that Stefanie is afflicted with breast cancer.

The two have committed their lives to finding a cure for this horrible disease and also to the staff and coaches of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes who are working with our youth on the front line in our schools.

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

Spielman's broadcasting career started in 1999, as an NFL studio-show analyst for Fox Sports Net. After two years with FSN, Spielman joined ESPN in 2001. He serves as a color analyst for college football broadcasts, as well as studio analysts for college football. Spielman has won praise from some broadcasting peers, including Sports Illustrated's Dr. Z, who wrote that "...Chris Spielman will come up with some startlingly accurate observations too."
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Khabrein.info
 
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Chris Spielman's dedication to his wife is an example for everyone. Stefanie Spielman's sharing of her illness has raised awareness and no doubt encouraged many women to participate in breast cancer screening and perhaps saved lives.

They are two great Buckeyes.

Chris, Stefanie: Thank you for your service and the example you make for us all.
 
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Steve19;1531812; said:
Chris Spielman's dedication to his wife is an example for everyone. Stefanie Spielman's sharing of her illness has raised awareness and no doubt encouraged many women to participate in breast cancer screening and perhaps saved lives.

They are two great Buckeyes.

Chris, Stefanie: Thank you for your service and the example you make for us all.
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Great post!
 
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Did he really have 29 tackles in a game vs SCUM? That is one hell of an impressive achievement.

Congrats to Chris and his family on the induction the CFB Hall of Fame! I enjoy listening to the games when he is a sideline reporter. He gives a great perspective of what's going on in the game.
 
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Chris Spielman was what I knew about Ohio State football when I was growing up.

No other fancy quotes, just that he is what I look back on when I think of my younger days and OSU football.... it was ALWAYS Chris F. Spielman. Love that guy!!
 
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spielman

I was at ohio state when chris was there and he was the epitome of what a football player should be. His autographed jersey hangs proudly in our buckeye room and he is revered by us buckeye fanactics. God bless you Chris and Stephanie as your war wages on.
 
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