Chris Spielman
College Football Analyst
ESPN

Chris Spielman of ESPN will serve as the emcee of the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, June 21.

An 11-year NFL veteran, Spielman serves as an analyst for ESPN and ESPN2 college football game telecasts and studio shows. He joined the network in 2001.

He had previously worked as an NFL studio analyst for Fox Sports Net since 1999. He also has a weekly radio show in Phoenix and Columbus. Spielman was a second-round selection, the 28th pick, of the Detroit Lions in the 1988 NFL draft. He played eight seasons with the Lions, where he led the team in tackles each year, averaging 142 tackles a season. He became the first Lion to surpass the 1,000-tackle mark. During his tenure with the Lions, Spielman made four trips to the Pro Bowl.

He signed with the Buffalo Bills in 1996 where he established a new Bills' and personal record with 206 tackles, leading his team in tackles for the ninth consecutive season. Spielman's 1997 season was cut short due to a neck injury that required spinal surgery. He sat out the 1998 season to spend more time with his wife who had been diagnosed with breast cancer earlier that year. He signed with the Cleveland Browns in 1999, but retired during that campaign after another neck injury.

A 1998 graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in recreation education, Spielman won the Lombardi Trophy as the best defensive lineman, was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Big Ten selection. While at OSU, the Buckeyes won two Big Ten titles and played in the Rose and Cotton bowls. Spielman was the MVP of the Cotton Bowl. He completed his college career as the university's third all-time leading tackler with 546, including a university record 283 solo stops.