Dan Sileo
Daniel William Sileo (born January 3, 1964) is an American former football player and current sports radio host. He played college football at Maryland before transferring to Miami (FL). He was drafted in the third round of the 1987 NFL supplemental draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was the host of The Dan Sileo Show in San Diego on KWFN 97.3 FM "The Fan" until April 2019. He had been hired in August 2019 by IHeartMedia to host afternoons on Fox Sports 910 KGME in Phoenix, Arizona, but the program was discontinued the following week due to pressure from the Arizona Coyotes hockey team. KGME has a broadcast agreement with the Coyotes and team management felt Sileo's past controversial remarks on sexuality and race were not a good fit with the team's flagship radio station.[1]
No. 93, 71
January 3, 1964
Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
282 lb (128 kg)
1987 / Round: 3
12
12
1
During his career, Sileo also spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), as well as the Orlando Thunder of the World League of American Football (WLAF), the Las Vegas Sting of the Arena Football League (AFL), and the Las Vegas Posse of the Canadian Football League (CFL). In 1993 Sileo held the CWA (Catch Wrestling Association) Jr. Heavyweight European Championship. Sileo is of Italian-American descent.
Early years[edit]
Sileo attended Stamford Catholic High School in Stamford, Connecticut. He received All-American honors as a senior by Adidas.
College career[edit]
Maryland[edit]
Sileo originally enrolled at the University of Maryland, where as a freshman, in 1983,[2] he played in 10 games and broke Hall of Famer (and former Terp) Randy White's freshman bench press record with a 405-pound bench press. Sileo was a backup on the University of Maryland's 1983 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship team.
Miami (FL)[edit]
In 1984, Sileo transferred to the University of Cincinnati,[3][4] however, before playing for the Bearcats, he transferred again, this time to the University of Miami.[5]
As a sophomore in 1985, Sileo recorded the nation's best bench press at 535 pounds.[6]
As a junior in 1986, he helped form a stout defensive line that also included Jerome Brown, Danny Stubbs, and Bill Hawkins, which was voted by SB Nation as the greatest defensive line in program history also known as the famed "86 GANG". He led the Hurricanes' defensive line in solo tackles with 50 and 97 total and tackles-for-loss with 13 and third in sacks with six and first in fumbles with eight. He received All-South, second-team All-America by Sport magazine, second-team All-American by the Associated Press (AP). He was also named to the Scripps Howard All-American team. In 1986, he was named to the National Strength Coaches Association All-American Strength Team, and was the strongest college football player in America. Sileo is considered the strongest player in program history with a 535-pound bench press and a 650-pound squat for an 1185-pound total.
As a senior in 1987, he was named to the Sporting News preseason All-American team, the Sporting News preseason Outland Trophy, and the Lombardi Trophy watch lists. He set the record for Miami Hurricane Football players with a 535-pound bench press and 700-pound squat.
In 2010, Sports Illustrated voted Sileo's 1986 Miami Hurricane Football team the most hated team in American sports history.[7] In 2019: SB Nation named Sileo the greatest Miami Hurricane football player in program history from New England. In 2020: SB Nation named Sileo the 2nd Best Miami Hurricane transfer player in program history.
Draft troubles[edit]
Sileo ran out of his five-year eligibility for NCAA play after the 1986 season. In September 1987, the NCAA ruled that he was ineligible to return and play for the Hurricanes.[8] On September 6, 1987, two days after the NCAA deemed him ineligible, Sileo claimed that because he had not entered the 1986 NFL Draft, he was a free agent; he proceeded to sign with the Buccaneers.
The NFL declared the contract invalid and put him in the 1987 NFL supplemental draft.[9] Although Sileo initially sued the NFL and the Buccaneers to honor his original contract,[10] he eventually submitted to the supplemental draft, where the Buccaneers selected him in the third round (56th overall).[11][12] Sileo is the second-highest drafted defensive lineman in NFL supplemental draft history and the ninth-highest drafted Miami Hurricane defensive tackle since 1980.
Professional career[edit]
In 1987, he played in 10 games as backup nose tackle and special teams player. On August 27, 1988, he was released, even though his selection cost the Buccaneers a 1988 third-round pick. In February 1989, he signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys, reuniting him with Jimmy Johnson who was his head coach with the Hurricanes. He was released on August 28. Shortly after he was released, he fainted in his Dallas home and was rushed to the emergency room with a temperature of 106 degrees and an enlarged heart, where he was diagnosed meningococcal meningitis, which almost led to his death and would keep to him out of football for three years.[13]
In 1992, he tried a comeback after being out of football for three years, signing with the Orlando Thunder of the World League of American Football. He received second-team All-League honors, while helping the team reach the World Bowl in Montreal, Quebec, where they lost to the Sacramento Surge 21-17.
On June 22, 1992, he was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Lions.[14] He was released before the start of the season on August 24.[15]
On May 2, 1994, he signed with the Las Vegas Posse of the Canadian Football League.[16] He played in four regular season games, before being waived on May 29.[17]
In 1994, he signed with the Las Vegas Sting of the Arena Football League. He received honorable-mention All-League honors, while contributing to the team reaching the playoffs, where they lost to the Arizona Rattlers 51-46, to wrap up his professional football career. In 1999 Sileo was an extra in the Oliver Stone movie "Any Given Sunday".
Wrestling career[edit]
Sileo had a brief career in professional wrestling. He was known as Bonecrusher Sileo, first hired by "Cowboy" Bob Orton in 1993 and was trained in Atlanta. He later went to the Catch Wrestling Association (CWA) in Vienna, Austria, where he wrestled for the Jr. Heavyweight Championship of Europe and held the title for 12 days before losing it to Rambo. Sileo was later hired by New Japan Pro-Wrestling in Tokyo and wrestled at the Tokyo Dome.[18]
Personal life[edit]
Sileo is a relative of former New York Mets Manager Bobby Valentine and New York Giants defensive end Andy Robustelli.[6]