Keynote Speaker & Author

Tony Mandarich

He was the #2 NFL Draft pick. Then the biggest bust in NFL history. Then 31 years sober and counting. What Tony does in a room, no motivational speaker can replicate — because he actually lived it.

#2 NFL Draft · 1989 SI Cover — Twice 31 Years Sober ESPN E60 Faith in Jesus Christ
Book Tony Watch His Story
Tony Mandarich speaking
Keynote Speaker
Arizona & Nationwide
#2
NFL Draft Pick
1989
31
Years Sober
Mar 23, 1995
2×
Sports Illustrated
Cover
10K
Largest Audience
Addressed
As Seen On Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated April 1989 — The Incredible Bulk
April 1989 "The Incredible Bulk"
Sports Illustrated September 1992 — The Incredible Bust
September 1992 "The Incredible Bust"
→
March 23, 1995
He walked into treatment.
He never looked back.
ESPN E60
Feature Documentary — 2019
The full story. Unfiltered. Watch before you book.
Watch Documentary
The Story

The Rise.
The Fall.
The Comeback.

Tony Mandarich's parents escaped Communist Yugoslavia at midnight — barefoot through the woods, fording a river into Austria with nothing. That stubbornness ran in his blood. It took him to the #2 spot in the 1989 NFL Draft, to the cover of Sports Illustrated, to the biggest contract an offensive lineman had ever signed.

Behind the hype was an addiction he couldn't outrun — steroids, alcohol, prescription painkillers. By 1992, the Packers cut him. He was back on the cover of Sports Illustrated, this time as "The Incredible Bust." He was 25 years old and had nothing.

On March 23, 1995, he walked into treatment. Not because someone made him — because he was done. He has not had a drink or drug since. Driven by his faith in Jesus Christ, he made a sober comeback with the Indianapolis Colts, wrote the book on his addiction, and has spent 31 years speaking to audiences of 5 to 10,000 — honestly, without a script, about what rock bottom actually looks like and what it takes to climb out.

"

I walked into treatment on March 23, 1995. I didn't know what I was walking into — I just knew I couldn't keep going the way I was going. That was the first honest thing I'd done in years.

ESPN E60 Documentary
#2 Overall Pick — 1989 NFL Draft, Green Bay Packers
Sports Illustrated Cover — twice: The Incredible Bulk (1989)
Sober Comeback — Indianapolis Colts (1996)
Author — My Dirty Little Secrets: Steroids, Alcohol & God
ESPN E60 Documentary — 2019
31 years speaking — audiences of 5 to 10,000
"There was not a better man or woman for kicking this off. Your humility and approachability were the top characteristics people raved about."
Patrick Drury Executive Director, Nova Recovery  ·  Oshkosh, WI

"Most people in that room have never heard someone get truly honest about where they've been. Tony changes that in the first five minutes."

About Tony's Speaking Style
Speaking Topics

What Tony
Speaks About

01
Sobriety & Recovery

The raw, unglamorous truth about getting clean — what it costs, what it takes, and why it's worth every second of it.

02
Overcoming Adversity

How failure becomes foundation. Tony went from the biggest bust in NFL history to a man of purpose — and walks audiences through how that actually happens.

03
Faith & Redemption

Finding God in the wreckage. Tony speaks openly about how his faith in Jesus Christ saved his life and rebuilt his identity from zero.

04
Identity Beyond Achievement

You are not what you do. For athletes and students especially — a message about worth that doesn't collapse when performance does.

05
Second Chances

For yourself and the people around you. The mechanics of forgiveness — why it matters more than people expect, and how to actually extend it.

06
Resilience & Grit

Built from the immigrant work ethic Tony grew up watching — the mindset that moves you forward when every circumstance says stop.

Format & Fit

What to Expect

Format

45-minute keynote + Q&A. Custom length available — from 20-minute assemblies to half-day programs.

Audiences

High schools. Colleges. Treatment centers. Corporate teams. Faith communities. 5 to 10,000 people.

Style

No slides. No script. Tony speaks from lived experience. Every room leaves quieter and more honest than when he started.

Add-Ons

Book signings at every engagement. Bulk book orders for schools and nonprofits. Media interviews on request.

Investment

Speaking Fees

High Schools
$500–
$3,000
Per engagement

Assemblies, athlete programs, anti-drug campaigns, galas, award ceremonies, and formal events.

Colleges & Nonprofits
$1,500–
$5,000
Per engagement

Campus events, awareness campaigns, community organizations, galas, award ceremonies, and formal events.

Treatment Centers
$3,000–
$7,500
Per engagement

Residential programs, alumni events, fundraising keynotes.

Corporate Keynote
$5,000–
$15,000
Per engagement

Sales conferences, leadership summits, wellness events.

Fees vary based on audience size, travel, and event type · Contact for a custom quote

My Dirty Little Secrets — Tony Mandarich
The Book
Steroids, Alcohol & God

My Dirty
Little Secrets

Tony's unfiltered autobiography — the rise, the addiction, and the long road back. Just the truth about what happened and what it cost.

Available at every engagement. Bulk orders welcome for schools, treatment centers, and nonprofit programs. Ask about bundle pricing.

Buy on Amazon Book Tony
Ready to Book?

Bring Tony to
Your Audience

Your audience doesn't need another motivational speech. They need someone who's been in the wreckage and walked out the other side. Tony responds to every inquiry personally — usually within 24 hours.

tonymandarich@gmail.com
Send Booking Inquiry Watch ESPN Documentary

Arizona-based  ·  Available Nationwide  ·  All Audience Sizes

@tonymandarich @tonymandarich /mandarich