Laith Wallschleger

Last updated
Laith Wallschleger
Laith Wallschleger1.jpg
Wallschleger in 2022
Born (1992-03-15) March 15, 1992 (age 32)
Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
Education
Occupations
  • Actor
  • voice actor
  • stuntman
  • former college and professional athlete
Years active2010–present

Laith Andrew Wallschleger (born March 15, 1992) is an American actor, voice actor, stuntman and former college and professional football player. He played for the University of Delaware, setting school records. Then he attended trials and completed pre-season with the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League as an undrafted defensive end. Following that, he played a season with the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League, before transitioning from athletics to the entertainment industry.

Contents

He has made guest starring appearances on ABC's The Rookie; MacGruber on Peacock; NCIS on CBS; All American on The CW; The Me and You Show on Snapchat; stunts on the film Paterno for HBO; and the 17th season of Worst Cooks in America on the Food Network, among many others.

Early life and education

Laith Wallschleger was born on March 15, 1992, in Alexandria, Virginia [1] to Kurt and Mayla Wallschleger. He graduated from St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School, a private, coed, independent Episcopal college prep school in Alexandria, in 2010. [2] [3]

Wallschleger was a first team All-State selection at both defensive end and tight end on the school's team. He was also first team all-conference as a defensive end and was named his team’s Most Valuable Player. As a senior, he had 21 sacks, to break the school's single-season record. He also had 112 tackles, with 46 for a loss; four forced fumbles and five recoveries in nine games as a defensive end. On offense as a tight end, he caught 15 passes for 423 yards. And on special teams, he blocked a punt, a field goal and was special teams leader in tackles. The team advanced to the state playoffs in 2007. Wallschleger was also a member of the school's basketball, baseball and track teams. [4]

College football career

He played football for the University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens beginning with the 2010 season, when he established himself as one of the best scout players on the team that advanced to the FCS national championship title game. Among his honors, he was named the Blue Hen Touchdown Club Defensive Player of the Week against Towson and the Blue Hen Touchdown Club Most Improved Defensive Player for spring drills. During his sophomore season, he blocked three kicks, one shy of the team's single season record. His junior year, he blocked six field goal attempts, setting a team career record. He was also named to the Delaware All-State College Football Team. [5] But he suffered a season-ending injury, when he tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee during a September 28, 2013, win over James Madison. [6] Despite the injury and the year away from the football field spent in recovery and rehab, he was named to the Colonial Athletic Association Academic Honor Roll four consecutive years. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in finance and a minor in theatre, in May 2014. [7] While completing his college football career, he also obtained an MBA degree at Delaware. [8]

Professional football career

Wallschleger flanked by 4-time NFL Super Bowl champions, Rob Gronkowski and Adam Vinatieri Rob Gronkowski, Laith Wallschleger & Adam Vinatieri2.jpg
Wallschleger flanked by 4-time NFL Super Bowl champions, Rob Gronkowski and Adam Vinatieri

2015 season

After graduation, Wallschleger was signed to attend rookie mini-camp as an undrafted defensive end, and completed the pre-season with the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. [9]

2016 season

During the 2016 season, Wallschleger played for the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League. During that season, he recorded seven tackles, four solo tackles, five assists and broke up one pass. [10]

Acting, voice acting and stunt career

Following his transition from athletics to acting, Wallschleger expanded on his theater minor at the University of Delaware, by studying and graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. [11] [12]

His major credits include guest starring roles on ABC's The Rookie ; [13] MacGruber on Peacock; NCIS on CBS; All American on The CW; The Me and You Show on Snapchat; stunts on the film Paterno on HBO; the 17th season of Worst Cooks in America on the Food Network; [14] and dozens more.

In 2024, Wallschleger portrayed New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski in the FX series American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez . A longtime friend of Gronkowski, he has been Gronkowski's body double in commercials. [15] He was one of the leads in the Lifetime holiday film Christmas in the Spotlight, based on Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce, which premiered on November 23, 2024. [16]

Wallschleger also has a significant body of work as a voiceover artist, capable of performing "over 100 accents, characters, and celebrity impressions." [17] [18] Among his other voicework, he also narrated the audio book Summary: How to Be a Capitalist Without Any Capital. [19]

Wallschleger was also the recipient of the Gold Award, Best Actor Runner Up at the 2019 Southeast Regional Film Festival. [20]

Personal life

Wallschleger's first name "Laith" means lion in Arabic. However, he was also given "Andrew" as a middle name, in case he disliked Laith. But in an interview, he said, "I like my name. It’s different. I’ve never met another Laith." [21] [22]

On May 22, 2022, he announced, via Instagram, his engagement to Danielle Iodice. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy White (American football)</span> American football player (born 1953)

Randall Lee White, nicknamed "the Manster", is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL) from 1975 to 1988. He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins from 1972 to 1974. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame (1994), the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1994) and the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame (1994).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwame Harris</span> Jamaican player of American football (born 1982)

Kwame Harris is a Jamaican professional player of American football who was an offensive tackle for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, when he won the Morris Trophy as the top offensive lineman in the Pac-10 Conference in 2002. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Hennings</span> American football player (born 1965)

Chad William Hennings is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Air Force Falcons, earning unanimous All-American honors and winning the Outland Trophy in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football</span> Football team in Delaware

The Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team represents the University of Delaware (UD) in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) college football as a member of CAA Football, the technically separate football arm of UD's full-time home of the Coastal Athletic Association. The team is currently led by head coach Ryan Carty and plays on Tubby Raymond Field at 18,500-seat Delaware Stadium located in Newark, Delaware. The Fightin' Blue Hens have won six national titles in their 117-year history – 1946, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1979, and 2003. They returned to the FCS National Championship game in 2007 and 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Pollard</span> American football player (born 1984)

Bernard Karmell Pollard is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers, and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft. He has also played for the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. Pollard was dubbed "the Bonecrusher" while at Purdue for his hard hits and tackles, and acquired the nickname "Patriot-Killer" as a professional, after inflicting injuries which would ultimately alter four New England Patriots seasons, including ending Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's 2008 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Devlin (American football)</span> American football player (born 1988)

Patrick Ryan Devlin is an American former professional football quarterback. Following a stint with Penn State, he played college football at Delaware, and was signed by the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Gronkowski</span> American football player (born 1989)

Robert James Gronkowski is an American former professional football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the New England Patriots, then played his final two seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he is a four-time Super Bowl champion, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, a four-time first-team All-Pro selection, and was selected to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

The 2009 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team represented the University of Delaware as a member of the South Division of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) during the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by eighth-year head coach K. C. Keeler, the Fightin' Blue Hens compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the CAA's South Division. The team played home games at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Delaware.

The 2007 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team represented the University of Delaware as a member of the South Division of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) during the 2007 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by sixth-year head coach K. C. Keeler, the Fightin' Blue Hens compiled an overall record of 11–4 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, tying for third place in the CAA's South Division. Delaware advanced to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Fightin' Blue Hens beat Delaware State in the first round, Northern Iowa in the quarterfinals, and Southern Illinois in the semifinals before losing to Appalachian State in the NCAA Division I Championship Game. The team played home games at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Delaware.

The 2012 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team represented the University of Delaware as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) during the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by K. C. Keeler in his 11th and final season as head coach, the Fightin' Blue Hens compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 2–6 in conference play, placing eighth in the CAA. The team played home games at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Delaware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lane Johnson</span> American football player (born 1990)

David Lane Johnson is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Eagles fourth overall in the 2013 NFL draft. He played college football at Kilgore College before transferring to Oklahoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Worrilow</span> American football player (born 1990)

Paul Eric Worrilow is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for the University of Delaware where he was recognized as an All-American, and became one of the program's most decorated athletes. The Atlanta Falcons signed him as an undrafted free agent following the 2013 NFL draft.

The 2014 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team represented the University of Delaware as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) during the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Dave Brock, the Fightin' Blue Hens compiled an overall record of 6–6 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, placing in a four-way tie for fifth in the CAA. The team played home games at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Delaware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Kerr</span> American football player (born 1990)

Zachariah Winston Kerr is a former American football defensive end. He played college football at Delaware, and signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He also played for the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tre'Davious White</span> American football player (born 1995)

Tre'Davious White Sr. is an American professional football cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers, earning consensus All-American as a senior in 2016. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. Since earning a starting position as a rookie, White became one of the league's top cornerbacks as part of a resurgent Bills defense, having garnered two Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro honors. Following three injury-riddled seasons and his subsequent release, White signed with the Rams and got traded to the Ravens at the trade deadline during the 2024 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troy Reeder</span> American football player (born 1994)

Troy Daniel Reeder is an American professional football linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State and Delaware.

Wesley Ed Hills is an American professional football running back for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for Delaware and Slippery Rock. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League (USFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sauce Gardner</span> American football player (born 2000)

Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner is an American professional football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats and was selected fourth overall by the Jets in the 2022 NFL draft. Gardner was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and was the first rookie cornerback since Ronnie Lott in 1981 to be named first-team All-Pro.

Nolan Michael Henderson is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens.

Johnny Christian Buchanan is an American football linebacker for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Delaware.

References

  1. ↑ LAITH WALLSCHLEGER ESPN. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  2. ↑ Laith Wallschleger. 2014 football roster. Football. University of Delaware. 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  3. ↑ Laith Wallschleger's Football Stats CBS Interactive. 2005-2023. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  4. ↑ Laith Wallschleger. 2014 football roster. Football. University of Delaware. 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  5. ↑ College Football's Definitive All-State Teams David Luther. Bleacher Report, Inc. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. March 28, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  6. ↑ Setbacks only strengthen Wallschleger's desire to play Kevin Tresolini. The News Journal. Delaware online. October 20, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  7. ↑ Who is Laith Wallschleger? What team did Laith Wallschleger play for? Walter Sharp. Sportskeeda. July 7, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  8. ↑ Laith Wallschleger. 2014 football roster. Football. University of Delaware. 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  9. ↑ NFL rookie mini-camp: Arizona Cardinals try out 20 players Jess Root. May 8, 2015. SB Nation. Vox Media, LLC. 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  10. ↑ Laith Wallschleger Stats Crew. 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  11. ↑ Who is Laith Wallschleger? What team did Laith Wallschleger play for? Walter Sharp. Sportskeeda. July 7, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  12. ↑ Cast. LAITH WALLSCHLEGER Playing with Spiders. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  13. ↑ Episode 502. The Rookie. Disney General Entertainment Content. 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  14. ↑ Worst Cooks in America, Season 17: Meet the Recruits Food Network. Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023
  15. ↑ Blauvelt, Christian (2024-10-12). "Rob Gronkowski Reacts to Unhinged Viral Clip of 'American Sports Story' Actor Who Plays Him". IndieWire . Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  16. ↑ Perez, Lexy (October 15, 2024). "Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce-Inspired Lifetime Holiday Movie Gets a First Look". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  17. ↑ Who is Laith Wallschleger? What team did Laith Wallschleger play for? Walter Sharp. Sportskeeda. July 7, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  18. ↑ Cast. LAITH WALLSCHLEGER Playing with Spiders. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  19. ↑ Summary: How to Be a Capitalist Without Any Capital Audible, Inc. 1997 - 2023.Retrieved January 2, 2023
  20. ↑ Winners 2019 2019 - AWARDS. Southeast Regional Film Festival. Retrieved January 2, 2023
  21. ↑ Kevin Tresolini. The News Journal Delaware online. October 20, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2023
  22. ↑ Delaware's Wallschleger returns to action after year away Sean Grogan. Special to the Post. Newark Post. October 24, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2023
  23. ↑ laithchaz. Instagram. May 22, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.