Solomon Wilcots features in episode 15 of Sky Sports' My Icon series
Friday 13 October 2017 11:12, UK
American football has always proved to be a level playing field for player-turned-pundit Solomon Wilcots.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Wilcots was a standout defensive player at the University of Colorado where he made 100 tackles in two seasons before getting drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals.
He played for the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII, and represented the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers, before the start of a glittering broadcasting career in which he has already won a prized Emmy Award.
"Football, how I have always viewed it, is the great meritocracy," Wilcots says in the latest episode of Sky Sports' My Icon series.
"It's not about who your father is or who your best friends are. There is no nepotism or cronyism - none of those isms.
"When you step across the line you get to prove to yourself and to others 'this is who I am, this is the kind of player I am'.
"I always wanted to earn the right to be there and I felt my performances would speak to that and I think they always have."
Wilcots talks about his journey in the latest instalment of My Icon, which premieres on Saturday at 12.30pm on Sky Sports Mix and is available On Demand. The episode is repeated on Saturday at 3pm, 4.15pm and 9.45pm.
Coinciding with Black History Month, Sky Sports' #MyIcon campaign brings you 31 exclusive interviews with top BAME sports personalities across the month of October. For more information click here.
