Craig Wolfley

Orchard Park, Syracuse and NFL Lineman

Craig Wolfley was an outstanding athlete at Orchard Park HS (1972-75) where he won numerous honors in football and was highly recruited to Syracuse University where he played as an offensive lineman from 1976-79.  He had an outstanding collegiate career for the Orange and was named to several All-East and All-America teams. He was named a member of Syracuse’s All-Century Team in 2000 along with such stars as Jim Brown, Larry Csonka, Daryl Johnston, Art Monk and Donovan McNabb.

Wolfley was a fifth-round NFL draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1980. He played left guard (and sometimes offensive tackle) for the Steelers from 1980-89, starting 102 of 129 regular season games. He ended his 12-year NFL career after playing two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (1990-91).

Craig has remained active in pro football by serving as the sideline reporter for many years on the Steelers’ flagship radio station. He also co-hosts a daily radio talk show with former Steeler Tunch Ilkin on ESPN Radio 970 in Pittsburgh.

In addition to football, Wolfley competed in professional weightlifting, boxing, sumo wrestling and martial arts. In 1981 he placed fifth in the World’s Strongest Man competition and in 1985 he placed second in the first professional sumo wrestling tournament ever held in North America.

Ten years after retiring from the NFL, Craig became a professional boxer and lost a four round bout to Eric “Butterbean” Esch.  A life-long proponent of physical fitness, he also holds a black belt in Jujitsu.

Wolfley and his wife Faith are owners of the Wolfpack Boxing Club in Bridgeville, PA where they teach boxing, martial arts and other athletics.