The search term “Mark Schlereth shirtless” gets 70 searches a month on the internet.
That is a stone cold fact.
Mark “Stink” Schlereth is one of the NFL’s best personalities. He took the time to talk with us about all things Stink and we asked him if he knew so many people wanted to see a pic of him shirtless.
The 12-year NFL veteran is one of our favorite personalities here at I-80. We talked to him a few months ago about his game day experience, and he’s back again to give us some more Stinkage.
From his late night experience on the Conan O’Brien Show, to some Stink fun facts, we get to know the man behind the legend.
Question: I recently found out that you were on the Conan O’Brien show in the 90s. Is that true?
Mark Schlereth: It is true, and I was 298 pounds of lard. I was on a strict diet of cheese whiz and taco meat at the time. I look like I was about to pop. I had a suit on… it was a blue suit. I looked like an Oompa Loompa from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Q: Speaking of lard Mark, what should be people sucking down on game day?
MS: I’m on the road all the time, so when I’m at home I want to do it right. I want to be on the comfort of my own couch, that food right in my own kitchen. Gardien is a plant based alternative to meat and I’m telling you what, its unbelievable game day [food] whether it’s chicken, beef or pork… even fish. It’s all delicious… Hidden Valley Ranch is the number one ranch mix used in restaurants across America… Hidden Valley Ranch signature recipe is delicious whether your dipping pizza, wings or veggies. No party is complete without the chili and that comes down to the beans. Bush’s has been around for over 100 years, and they’re perfect for spicing up your party. Lastly, you gotta have your TV, and that’s the LG OLED… you don’t have to take your eyes off the action with the 55, 65 or 77-inch televisions. That’s what makes my party.
Q: You won Super Bowls with those ‘Skins and Broncos teams. You were a straight mauler back then. How does the offensive line play of today equate to that mauler mentality?
MS: You know it’s really interesting. We make so much out of the quarterback position and it’s become so much about fantasy football and all that stuff. It’s the things you can’t measure. Coming off the ball and hitting guys in the mouth. That’s what the Raiders did to Chicago… It’s the first time I’ve seen them get trucked in a game…You look at the games this weekend, and you control the line of scrimmage you won this week.
Q: Are we seeing a return to the NFL of the grind it out power days because every defense is geared towards pass defense primarily?
MS: You’re 100 percent right. Everything has been built backwards. Starting with the 2013 Seattle Seahawks that focused on their secondary and built their team forward. A lot of teams kind of copied that model, and now what you see is teams getting in small personnel. You got safeties that play linebacker on a full-time basis… The league is cyclical that way. It goes from we are going to throw it every down to we are going to control the line of scrimmage, so it’s always these cycles that you go through… If you can find a quarterback that can manage games, he doesn’t have to be super special to win in this league.
Q: Jimmy G(esus), Jacoby Brissett and Tom Brady were all developed through the draft by the Pats. Do you remember a time where there was that much quarterback talent on one roster?
MS: Right? Isn’t it amazing? No. I give the Patriots kudos for being the smartest and most well-coached team in football. They teach football in its totality. Their players are better versed in their whole game… I just think they’re better at giving you a global perspective of football in general, and that’s why guys like Jimmy Garappolo and Jacoby Brissett can go elsewhere and have success. When I was a little league coach, my job was to take green apples and make them into red delicious, and that’s what they do. They make guys into red delicious apples that were considered green apples anywhere else.
Q: What’s harder to memorize: a script of an episode of Ballers or one of Joe Gibbs‘ playbooks in the 80s?
MS: A script. That’s not my thing. I just talk. One thing about Ballers that’s really good is they say, “This is the theme, so add your own terms and do your own thing.”
Q: Did you know that the term, “Mark Schlereth shirtless” gets 70 searches a month on Google?
MS: Really? I’m going to have to put some shirtless pictures up there then.
Three-time Super Bowl champion and NFL broadcasting veteran Mark Schlereth joined FOX Sports in July 2017 as a FOX NFL game analyst and an FS1 studio analyst covering the NFL. Prior to joining FOX, Schlereth, a former NFL Pro Bowler, served as an ESPN studio analyst for 16 years, in addition to various radio hosting duties.
