This is an I-Heart podcast.

This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories.

And we tell stories about everything here on this show,

from the arts to sports and from business to history and everything in between, including your story. Send them to our

American Stories.com. They're some of our favorites. Tony Mandrich was considered the best

offensive line prospect ever during his collegiate career at Michigan State.

Legendary college coach Nick Sabin, who was an assistant at the time at Michigan State

and who discovered Mandurich, said that he was, quote,

probably the most dominant offensive lineman that I have ever been around, end quote.

Mandurich entered the NFL as the highest paid offensive lineman in league history.

Then, Mandurich's story was immortalized by two sports illustrated covers, one hailing him as

the incredible bulk heading into the 1989 draft, and then one in 1992, calling him the NFL's incredible bust, as his

four-year career in Green Bay came to a halting end.

Here's Mandrich to share his story.

Growing up was actually fantastic for me.

I had a great childhood, great parents, great siblings. And ironically, although we're talking about our American stories, I am Canadian.

But I've spent most of my years, now 53 years old, most of my life has been spent stayside.

And so growing up in Canada, to say that you played street hockey or, you know, on the road, you know, in your neighborhood was a common thing.

And, you know, watching a lot of hockey and things like that.

A lot of the stereotypes that Americans have, and I think just people have of Canada, are true.

Very liberal country, tons of first-generation immigrants, which my parents were.

My parents came over in 1955 to escape communism from former Yugoslavia

...