When you evoke the name “Alaska,” visions of harsh, rugged, untamed wilderness immediately spring to mind. It is as far north as you can go in the United States. Its nearly omnipresent freezing temperatures and scant daylight hours typically do not promote the creation of great athletes. In fact, it is the only state in the union that does not boast any collegiate football teams.

Despite this, or perhaps, because of this, Mark Schlereth thrived on the football fields of Anchorage. He braved repeated injuries to forge a highly successful career in the NFL and is now one of the go-to analysts for ESPN. He blazed a path from “The Last Frontier” to football stardom.

That journey began simply as a fan.

“Growing up in Alaska, I was a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan,” Schlereth told USA Football. “I started watching football around 8 or 9 years old and started playing it when I was 12. Even way back then, I dreamed of playing in the NFL. It was always in the back of my mind growing up that that was going to be my goal. No matter what, I never gave up on it.”

Though he never set out to become an offensive lineman, that is where his coaches eventually found his skills were suited best for the team. Being the fastest and most athletic kid on the team, Schlereth was first installed as the team's quarterback. Then his coaches saw where he was truly meant to be—moving him to the offensive line.

Schlereth excelled in high school, playing for Robert Service High School in Anchorage. Though playing against admittedly limited competition, Schlereth nevertheless attracted the attention of several schools, including what would become his alma mater, the University of Idaho. He was a key part of the offensive line for the Vandals, blocking for future NFL signal callers Scott Linehan and John Friesz.

Despite the success he enjoyed on the field, it was the camaraderie he forged with his teammates that he remembers most.

“We had great teams while I was there. The biggest thing though is that the guys that I played there with are still my best friends in the world,” he said.  “We get together and have a Vandal reunion every single summer. We were never the best teams, but we had a bunch of tough sons of guns and we were all committed to one another.”

If anyone has followed Schlereth's career at all, one of the things he is known for best – besides the nickname of “Stink” – is his toughness in the face of injuries that he dealt with throughout his career. Despite numerous physical challenges, Schlereth never gave in.

His resilience carried him to the NFL, where he would go on to win three Super Bowl titles – one with the Washington Redskins and two with the Denver Broncos where he closed out his career.

Never one to let the proverbial grass grow beneath him, Schlereth immediately moved into the next phase of his career.

He reached out to ESPN, became an in-studio analyst before working his way into being a radio host. He now has a national radio show and a local show in Denver where he resides. He has also dabbled in acting, appearing on the soap opera “The Guiding Light” and the film “Red Dawn”. Never one to be satisfied, he also started a company that sells a signature brand of green chile sauce nationwide.

“My original plan was to take a few years off after I was done playing, but I'm just not wired that way,”   Schlereth said. “Within two weeks, my wife told me I needed to find something to do or we're getting divorced! I retired in April of 2001 and the day I retired, I gave a speech. The next day I was at ESPN and have been working for them for 16 years.”

After all this time, Schlereth still wants to be the man that outworks everyone. He pours himself into his film study for ESPN and in his outside businesses and radio shows. It is a lesson he learned a long time ago and one he ultimately looks back and attributes to football – hard work pays off.

“There's a saying I love and I use it a lot and it goes that 97 percent of the people who quit too early are employed by the 3 percent who never gave up,” he said. “That is one thing that football has taught me about life in general. Perseverance. There are no failures if you're willing to learn from it and keep fighting. I learned that right off the bat playing football.”