Marcellus Wiley

Compton, Calif., native Marcellus Vernon Wiley Sr. was a two-sport athlete at Santa Monica (Calif.) Catholic High School, starring in both football and track and field. He also excelled in the classroom, being named the valedictorian of his graduating class and becoming a member of the National Honor Society. It was football in which he would go on to shine while attending Columbia University from 1992-97, which included taking a year off from school between his junior and senior years. While at Columbia, he played on both sides of the ball - running back for his first two seasons and defensive end for his last two - while also serving as a kick returner on special teams. During his collegiate career, Wiley was named a first team All-American and was an All-Ivy League selection. After graduating with a sociology degree, the Buffalo Bills picked Wiley in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft (No. 52 overall). He played defensive end for the Bills until 2000. Wiley returned to his home state in 2001 to play the first of three seasons with the San Diego Chargers. That year, he led the team with a career-high 13 sacks and five forced fumbles, which earned him the only Pro Bowl selection of his career. He joined the Dallas Cowboys in 2004 and ended his playing career with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2005-06. He joined ESPN the following year, serving as an NFL analyst for a number of the network's shows, including the flagship "SportsCenter" franchise. Wiley also served as a game analyst for Arena Football League telecasts in 2008. He joined "SportsNation" as a co-host in 2013, shortly after the daily afternoon program moved its production from ESPN's Bristol, Conn., headquarters to Los Angeles. Other highlights of Wiley's post-NFL career included co-founding a website that allows professional athletes to connect with other athletes and fans and co-hosting a show on ESPN Radio's Los Angeles affiliate.