Tony Mandarich was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1989 as “The Incredible Bulk, the best offensive line NFL draft Prospect ever”. Four years later in 1992, he was again featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated as “The NFL’s Incredible Bust.”
Released by the Green Bay Packers that year, he immersed himself in a world of painkillers and alcohol. On March 23rd, 1995 he entered rehab and turned his life around. He returned to the NFL 11 months later and played 3 years for the Indianapolis Colts before retiring due to a shoulder injury.
Tony’s passion is to carry the message of recovery, as an Advocate for Sobriety and Mental Illness. He expresses much of his life through his professional photography.
In 2009, Tony released his book, My Dirty Little Secrets – Steroids, Alcohol & God: The Tony Mandarich Story. The book will be re-released in 2020 in an audio format with the addition of an update of the last 10 years.
On the eve of 2019 NFL Draft, ESPN aired a 44-minute E60 documentary about the life of Tony Mandarich and what the real story was.
You will hear the raw real-life experience of the 1989 2nd overall draft pick, a message carried from a man who knows football, alcoholism, drug addiction, and how to take the adversities of life and turn them into virtues.
Sponsored by Music Millennium, Rhythm Traders and Five Star Guitars