Rick Spielman is currently the Vice President of Player Personnel of the NFL

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

's Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

. He formerly worked for ESPN

ESPN

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

 on NFL Live

NFL Live

NFL Live is a National Football League studio show, currently airing Monday through Friday at 4:00 p.m and 12:30 a.m ET on the ESPN cable network. Formerly known as NFL 2Night, the program is the only NFL-related studio program to air during the week...

.

Spielman is the older brother of Chris Spielman

Chris Spielman

Charles Christopher "Chris" Spielman is a former American football player and is currently an analyst for ESPN's coverage of college football games.-Football career:...

, the former Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...

 linebacker.

Playing career

Spielman played linebacker at Southern Illinois (1983–86), earning 1st-Team All-Gateway Conference honoree as a junior. He was also part of the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA national championship team as a redshirt freshman. Upon entering the NFL, as an undrafted free agent, he was invited to training camp with the San Diego Chargers (1987) and Detroit Lions (1988), but did not make it as a professional football player.

Career in scouting

Spielman began his NFL career as a scout with Detroit in 1990 and worked with the club in college scouting for 5 seasons before adding pro scouting duties in 1995 and ’96. He moved to Director of Pro Personnel for the Bears from 1997-99 before joining the Dolphins in 2000 as Vice President of Player Personnel. He was promoted in 2002 to Senior Vice President-Football Operations/Player Personnel and eventually General Manager in 2004. Spielman left the Dolphins during the 2005 off-season.

Spielman worked with ESPN as an NFL analyst in 2005, before joining the Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota Vikings

Spielman assumed the Vikings’ Vice President of Player Personnel role on May 30, 2006, replacing Fran Foley. He is also responsible for overseeing the Vikings’ pro and college scouting departments.

To date, Spielman has overseen four drafts in Minnesota. His most notable draftees include Adrian Peterson and Sidney Rice in 2007, Tyrell Johnson

Tyrell Johnson (American football)

Marcellous "Tyrell" Johnson is an American football safety for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Vikings in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...

 and John Sullivan

John Sullivan (American football)

John Sullivan is an American football center for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League...

 in 2008, Percy Harvin

Percy Harvin

William Percival "Percy" Harvin, III is an American football wide receiver, return specialist, and running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League...

 and Phil Loadholt

Phil Loadholt

Philip Loadholt, Jr. is an offensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings. He played his college football at the University of Oklahoma.-High school career:...

 in 2009, and Chris Cook

Chris Cook (American football)

Christopher O'Shea Cook is an American football cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted in the second round, 34th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia....

 and Toby Gerhart

Toby Gerhart

Toby Gerhart is a professional football player, a running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was a consensus All-American running back at Stanford and was selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, the 51st overall pick. In 2009 Gerhart won the Doak Walker...

 in 2010. The draft aside, Spielman is best known for the offseason splash the Vikings made in 2008, when they signed Bernard Berrian

Bernard Berrian

Bernard Berrian is a free agent American football wide receiver who last played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft...

 and Madieu Williams

Madieu Williams

Madieu Mohammed Williams is an American football safety for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...

 to contracts and traded a first round and two third round picks to the Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...

 for pro-bowl defensive end, Jared Allen

Jared Allen

-Kansas City Chiefs:Allen was drafted by the Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft, and signed for a one-year, $100,000 contract. On May 21, 2007, Allen, as a restricted free agent, signed the Chiefs' one-year tender offer of $2.35 million for the 2007 season. Allen credited his early...

, and finally in 2009 when the Vikings came to terms with long time Green Bay Packer Brett Favre

Brett Favre

Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...

.

Personal life

Spielman is married and has six adopted children. His wife's name is Michele, and his children are Juan, Luis, Ronnie, J.D., Omie and Whitney.

Spielman has a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois and a master’s from Ohio State. He and his wife have been active with children’s charities.