Shining a spotlight on celebrities and athletes who love to travel. Created and developed by Stacy Steponate Greenberg.
In professional sports, so much of it is about the numbers. Well, try these on for size. Twelve years in the NFL. Two teams, three Super Bowl rings. Twenty-nine surgeries, twenty on his knees alone. There is more to a man than the numbers, of course, but with Mark Schlereth, they are surely the beginning of the story. Since his days with the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos, Mark’s varied talents have led him to huge success as an analyst at ESPN, honing a persona that landed him on soap operas, movies, and most recently a new podcast and series of YouTube videos sharing tips that range from gardening to golf. The Overhead Compartment spent a little time running behind Mark’s blocking to learn about his playing days, his latest ventures, and the real reason everyone calls him Stink.
The Overhead Compartment with Mark Schlereth begins now….
OC: You played for 12 years in the NFL as an offensive lineman and won three Super Bowls. Does any one of the three stand out most for you?
MS: Obviously, all of them are incredibly special but the one that stands out is Super Bowl 32 the Denver Broncos versus the Green Bay Packers. The Packers were the defending champs and they had beaten us badly the year before in a game in Green Bay in December. The feeling in Denver was one of Oh no here we go again, another potential Super Bowl beat down. We were well aware of Elway’s history in the big game so to see him get that monkey off his back was incredibly special for all of us within the organization.
OC: Which city was the best Super Bowl host?
MS: San Diego because well, it was San Diego. We stayed in La Jolla and it was absolutely wonderful and the weather was perfect, we practiced at the Chargers new facility and it couldn’t have been any better.
OC: If the Super Bowl could only be played in one place, where would you put it and why?
MS: Southern California, preferably San Diego. It’s perfect weather, low humidity, low chance of rain, it’s the perfect place to play a game. New Orleans would be the other place that I would like, the city is electric and the food is phenomenal. But let’s face it, as a player you’re not there to enjoy the city you’re there to win a football game.
OC: What’s the first thing people say to you now when they recognize you?
MS: Stink!
OC: What’s your favorite PG (ok, make it PG-13) memory of traveling with a bunch of football players?
MS: Let’s face it, we are all a bunch of overgrown children, it’s always fun to be around each other. There’s an old saying the difference between men and women is men are always busting each others chops and don’t really mean it, where women are always complementing one another and don’t really mean it. Guys in the locker room are brutal to one another but there’s a togetherness and love that runs deep.
OC: You’re from Alaska. What are three must-do things there?
MS: In the winter watch the aurora borealis light of the northern sky. In the summer you must king salmon fish, and stay up late and enjoy the land of the midnight sun where you can hike or play hoops with your buddies till one in the morning without any artificial light.
OC: We’ve all heard various stories, what’s the real story as to why you’re known as Stink?
MS: It actually refers to stink heads which are the rotten heads of salmon that are eaten by some of the native villagers. Apparently it’s a delicacy that would probably kill you or I if we tried to eat it. Some of the veteran players heard of stink heads when I was a rookie in Washington and from that point forward I have been Stink.
OC: Does your wife Lisa call you Stink?
MS: No she’s the only person I know that doesn’t call me stink just her and my kids.
OC: You played for six years as a Bronco and call Denver home. Top three favorite restaurants?
MS: My kitchen, my kitchen, and my kitchen. I’ve traveled so much for the last 15 years, now when I’m home I don’t like to leave the house. My wife is a gourmet cook and loves to prepare meals so I’m extremely spoiled!
OC: You have recently started a new podcast called The Stinkin’ Truth with Mark Schlereth. How does this compare to radio, which you did for so long?
MS: It’s wonderful, it’s an opportunity for me to just tell stories and focus on the one thing that I’m truly passionate about when it comes to sports, the NFL. I’d say I’m about 80% football and 20% goofing around with some landscaping tips in there because that’s one of my other passions.
Subscribe to the iTunes Podcast The Stinkin’ Truth with Mark Schlereth
OC: You also have a series of Youtube videos that give tips and pointers about gardening, golf, exercise. To date, which is your favorite video?
MS: My man 101 series… They’re a lot of fun for me because they are educational but they do it in a self deprecating fashion. I love my green lifesaver golf tip because I don’t take golf too seriously so I will circumvent the rules.
OC: What is one thing every man should absolutely be able to do?
MS: House maintenance…Change the filters, fix the toilet, mow your own yard, dammit you’re a man start acting like one.
OC: You have two daughters, one son and now a granddaughter, what is your favorite place for a family vacation?
MS: We love to go to Disney World especially now with our granddaughter to watch her have breakfast with Dr. McStuffins will make your heart sing!
OC: What is the first thing you do when arriving in a hotel room?
MS: I unpack and set my toiletries up in the bathroom on a large hand towel. Then I lay down and check out the comfort level of the bed and test out the remote control!
OC: Complete the following sentence: I never leave home without:
MS: Without saying goodbye, life is short and you never know what’s going to happen and you’re certainly not promised tomorrow.
OC: One thing nobody in the world knew about me until right now is:
MS: When I’m at home I only like to watch movies I’ve watched multiple times before….That way when I fall asleep in the middle of it, which I will do, I can always wake up and regardless of where it is, I think to myself “I love this part” and not feel like I missed a darn thing.
Mark Schlereth, please use care upon departure as items may have shifted in The Overhead Compartment during our journey. Thanks for choosing us for your travel tips! Have a wonderful day!
