Willie Colon (born April 9, 1983) is a former American
football player
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
. He was drafted by the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
in the fourth round of the
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
. He was part of the Steelers'
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champions Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...
victory over the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private university in Hempstead, New York. It is Long Island's largest private university. Hofstra originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University (NYU) under the name Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial of Ne ...
. He currently co-hosts Morning Men with Evan Cohen and Mike Babchik on Mad Dog Sports Radio.
High school/college career
Colon attended
Cardinal Hayes High School
Cardinal Hayes High School is an American Catholic high school for boys in the Concourse Village neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City, New York. The school serves the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. It is a member of the Catholic H ...
in
The Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
. As a senior, he received the Cardinal Hayes Outstanding Defensive Player Award as the defensive MVP. He chose to attend
Hofstra
Hofstra University is a private university in Hempstead, New York. It is Long Island's largest private university. Hofstra originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University (NYU) under the name Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial of New ...
, majoring in interdisciplinary studies. Colon is of Puerto Rican descent.
Professional career
Pittsburgh Steelers
Colon was selected by the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
in the fourth round (131st overall) of the
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
. He started the first two games of his career in Weeks 16 and 17 of the
2006 season, replacing an injured
Max Starks
Max or MAX may refer to:
Animals
* Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog
* Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE)
* Max (gorilla) ...
. This sparked a position battle with Starks for starting right tackle, which continued through an unspectacular 2007 season. Colon was a member of the Steelers'
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champions Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...
championship team. He re-signed with the Steelers after the 2008 season for a one-year deal worth $2.2 million.
While working out during the offseason in June 2010, Colon tore his Achilles tendon, forcing him to miss the entire
2010 NFL season
The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League and the 45th of the Super Bowl era.
The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orle ...
.
On July 29, 2011, Colon signed a five-year deal worth $29 million with the Steelers. In week 1 against the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
, Colon tore his triceps and missed the rest of the season.
Colon was released from the Steelers on March 13, 2013.
New York Jets
The
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
signed Colon to a one–year contract on March 15, 2013.
The
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
re-signed Colon to a one-year contract worth $2 million on March 19, 2014.
Barstool Sports
After his playing career, Colon joined Barstool Sports as a radio host for the Barstool Breakfast show on SiriusXM Barstool Radio on channel 85.
Morning Men
Colon joined the Morning Men Radio Show on SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio on channel 82, becoming the 3rd host alongside Evan Cohen and Mike Babchik.
References
External links
Hofstra bioNew York Jets bioPittsburgh Steelers Bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colon, Willie
1983 births
Living people
American football offensive guards
American football offensive tackles
American sportspeople of Puerto Rican descent
Hofstra Pride football players
New York Jets players
Pittsburgh Steelers players
Players of American football from New York (state)
Sportspeople from the Bronx
Cardinal Hayes High School alumni
American sports radio personalities
Ed Block Courage Award recipients