Eastlake resident and Philadelphia native Burt Grossman was a first round pick, selected by the San Diego Chargers with the eighth overall selection in the 1989 NFL draft. As a former professional football player he did his fair share of media interviews.
The six-year NFL veteran even appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1990 under the title “Big Mouth” which featured his outspoken nature.
Now retired from football Grossman, 48, finds himself on the other side of the microphone.
The former Chargers defensive lineman has signed on to host a Chargers post game radio show with co-host Dan Sileo on San Diego’s sports talk station the Mighty 1090 AM. The postgame show will air Oct. 11 and will recap and analyze Chargers games until the end of the season.
There will also be a portion for fans to call into the show to express their reactions and thoughts.
While Chargers fans will have to wait to hear the two hosts talk about the team’s failures and successes, fans can get a sneak peak every Monday at 8:30 a.m. as Grossman appears on Sileo’s morning show for about 15 minutes for a lead-in discussing the Chargers.
The outspoken Grossman said that the postgame show would have a different flavor than most Chargers radio shows, and admits that the show may not be suited for every fan.
“It’s a different perspective from the everyday sound bites you hear from every single person,” Grossman said. “I’d say we’re more authentic, maybe.”
But the postgame show almost never happened because Grossman initially turned down the radio station’s offer.
Being the president of the Youth Football League while maintaining a full-time job at the alternative school YouthBuild keeps him busy. Not to mention when he gets home he has two boys and a wife he needs to take care of.
After consulting with family and friends he called the radio station weeks later to let them know he was on board.
Grossman and Sileo, both from the East Coast, are known for their strong personalities and for being brutally honest, which Grossman said can easily turn off listeners.
“I’m biased just like everybody else because I like the Chargers, but I will still be honest about them,” he said.
Grossman said just because he is a former professional football player does not mean he can provide extra knowledge and insight of the game.
“The game has changed so much since I’ve played,” he said. “If you watch the old games now it was just so much more brutal back then. There were just no rules. Players would bounty against other players. It was like the Wild West.”
“You say as a former player you might have some better input, but realistically you really don’t.”
Since retiring from the NFL Grossman has demonstrated political ambitions in the South Bay.
Recently he ran for the Sweetwater Union High School District twice and lost.
Despite his political foray Grossman said he has no desire to host a political talk show.
