Mark May

Mark Eric May (born November 2, 1959) is a former American college and professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. May played college football for the University of Pittsburgh and earned All-American honors. He was selected in the first round of the 1981 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers, and Arizona Cardinals.

May became involved in broadcasting following his retirement from the NFL in 1993. Most notably, he was employed by ESPN between 2001 and 2017.

High school and college careers

At Oneonta High School in Oneonta, New York, May earned eight varsity letters in football, basketball, and track. He was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2007.

May attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he played for the Pittsburgh Panthers football team from 1977 to 1980. As a senior in 1980, he was a unanimous first-team All-American and received the Outland Trophy as the nation's top collegiate interior lineman. As a part of the 1980 Pittsburgh Panthers football team, he played with future NFL players Dan Marino, Dwight Collins, Rickey Jackson, Russ Grimm, Jimbo Covert, Bill Maas, Hugh Green, and Tim Lewis. As a junior and a senior, May did not allow even one quarterback sack. He earned the nickname "May Day" for "wreaking havoc on the opposing defensive ends." After his senior season, May played in the Hula Bowl and Japan Bowl all-star games.

Under the tutelage of head coach Jackie Sherrill, May and his teammates led Pitt to a 39–8–1 four-year record, which included three top-10 finishes and four bowl games. The university retired May's jersey number (73) in 2001, and May became the eighth Pitt player to be so honored. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005, becoming the 23rd Pitt player or coach to earn the honor.

In 1981, May donated $10,000 to Pitt's alumni sports fund to give back to the university.

Professional career

The Washington Redskins drafted May with the 20th pick of the first round of the 1981 NFL Draft, and he played guard for the Redskins from 1981 to 1990. He was a member of the famed "Hogs" offensive line, which was instrumental in the Redskins' victories in Super Bowl XVII and XXII (though May was injured for Super Bowl XVII). He was named one of the 70 greatest Redskins of all time. May started 115 games for the Redskins. He missed the 1990 season due to a knee injury.

Following his tenure with the Redskins, May became a Plan B free agent. He signed with the San Diego Chargers, playing as Dave Richards' backup during the 1991 season. He later played for the Phoenix Cardinals (1992–93) before his retirement in 1993.

For three years during the offseason, May took classes and sold cars at a Ford dealership.

In 1983, he co-wrote "Mark May's Hog Cookbook" which features recipes like "Hog Balls" (a mixture of pork sausage and cheddar cheese) and "Aunt Jeannette's Sweet Potato Pie." The last entry is for "Hog Quiche" (which reads, simply, "Hogs don't eat quiche").

In 2005, he co-wrote with author and close friend Dan O'Brien Mark May's Tales from the Washington Redskins, a book detailing his experiences with the Washington Redskins.