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Mark McMillian shows off cooking chops on ‘Next Level Chef’
After an eight-year NFL career, Mark McMillian is showing fans he knows how to cook too as a participant in the cooking competition “Next Level Chef.” (Credit: @MarkMcMillian29/Twitter)

Mark McMillian shows off cooking chops on ‘Next Level Chef’

PHILADELPHIA (BVM) – Regardless of who won on Super Bowl Sunday, Mark McMillian was going to come out a winner. Not only would one of the former NFL defensive back’s previous teams win the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, but he was also going to take the national stage himself.

McMillian surprised football fans when he showed up on Fox’s “Next Level Chef” cooking competition show immediately after the Super Bowl. “Mighty Mouse” was a member of host Chef Gordon Ramsay’s team during the competition.

During his time in the NFL, McMillian was seen as an underdog. The 5-foot-7, 154-pound defensive back, who actually claimed to weigh just 147 pounds during his playing days, was drafted in the 10th round, No. 272 overall in the 1992 NFL Draft out of the University of Alabama by the Eagles.

Despite his diminutive stature, McMillian made an immediate impact for Philadelphia, making the roster. By the time his four seasons with the Eagles were over, McMillian recorded 182 tackles, eight interceptions and four fumble recoveries in 64 games with 47 starts.

After his time in Philly, McMillian spent one year in New Orleans before heading to Kansas City for two seasons. McMillian had his best season as a pro in a Chiefs uniform in 1997 where he recorded 43 tackles, grabbed eight interceptions and returned three of them for touchdowns. He ended his career after eight seasons where he recorded 409 total tackles, 23 interceptions, six fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and three interceptions returned for touchdowns in 127 games with 81 starts.

Though only 5-foot-7 and 147 pounds, McMillian made a name for himself in the NFL as a defensive back for eight seasons. (Credit: RVR Photos/USA TODAY Sports)

So how did a former defensive back become a chef? Well, it all started with the grill.

“I just love to grill,” McMillian said in an interview with the Eagles’ official website. “I love to bring people together through food. … Food is a great conversation piece.”

The former defensive back launched his grilling business, Grill’n McMillan, back in 2016 and hasn’t slowed down since. 

“I’ve been barbecuing for a while,” McMillian told the Philadelphia Eagles website. “Grill’n McMillian just really took off. I’ve got some amazing partners.”

To date, McMillian has grown his brand, located in his hometown of Las Vegas, with a number of partnerships including with the NFL Alumni Association, Grilla Grills and Bear Mountain BBQ.

This expertise helped McMillian gain the attention of the Next Level Chef producers and now he’s competing alongside and against some of the country’s best chefs. During the debut episode, McMillian certainly left his mark, but not in the most positive way. Not only did the former defensive back start a large fire at one point, but as he was rushing to get his plate on the final presentation table, he dropped it causing quite a stir.

Fortunately for McMillian, these mistakes didn’t cost him a spot on the next episode as he survived the final cut thanks to his team’s performance. Now, fans will see how the rest of McMillian’s tenure on Next Level Chef plays out this season. 

For McMillian, regardless of how much further he goes, just to be able to put his name and business out there and show his cooking off to the world is a win in itself.