Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Mandarich tackles life after NFL


By ROB LONGLEY -- Toronto Sun


FLAMBOROUGH --  By comparison, the second major reclamation project of Tony Mandarich's adult life was easy.

There were tractors and bulldozers to take the tired, quirky Century Pines Golf Club and transform it into a contemporary layout worthy of the greens fees.

Rebuilding a reputation that in pro football was as ugly as the spring mud that has been slow to leave the fairways of his new home, well, that was another story.

Life is good -- almost calm -- for Mandarich now. He is the general manager of the new-look Century Pines, a venture he co-owns with his uncle, Dinko, and developer Iggy Kaneff.

At 36 he has moved to the next phase of his life, bitten hard by golf fever and at ease with a football past that was stained at first but one which ended in personal redemption.

And the grounded Mandarich of today couldn't be in sharper contrast to the brash brute who, 14 years ago, was supposed to take the NFL by storm.

Mere steps inside the main entrance of the clubhouse, his past reaches out to greet you.

On the wall there is a framed No. 79 Michigan State Spartans jersey from the 1988 Rose Bowl, a framed Indianapolis Colts jersey he wore from 1996-98 and a blowup photo of the 1989 Sports Illustrated cover that hailed him as "The Incredible Bulk."

Noteworthy by their absence, however, is the Green Bay Packers uniform he wore mostly in shame for parts of three seasons and the other SI cover, the one that in 1992 derided him as "The Incredible Bust."

One month from now, a new crop of college players will be drafted by NFL teams, many with huge expectations.

While Mandarich will be juggling tee times, organizing tournaments and helping groom his golf course, his name undoubtedly will be mentioned again by pundits as one of the greatest flops in NFL draft history.

When the Oakville native left school, expectations matched his mammoth 6-foot-6, 315-pound frame. The SI cover billed him as "the best offensive line prospect ever."

The hype wasn't enough to woo the Dallas Cowboys, who went with quarterback Troy Aikman first overall. But the Packers bit, taking Mandarich second while stars such as Barry Sanders, Derrick Brooks and Deion Sanders were available.

Suddenly Mandarich bore the weight of being selected highest of any offensive lineman or Canadian in the history of the NFL draft.

Under such pressure, perhaps Mandarich had no chance.

But he sure didn't help himself, either.

There was the training camp holdout and silly talk of a big-money fight with Mike Tyson.

There was the rock star life -- he was so devoted to heavy metal icons Guns N' Roses that he named his dog after lead singer Axl Rose. He lived in Los Angeles, pumped iron on Venice Beach. When he referred to Green Bay as a "village" he was dubbed "the village idiot."

It went downhill from there.


http://www.canoe.ca/Slam030328/col_longley-sun.html

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