Love attended Marian Catholic High School in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, where he played as a both an offensive and defensive tackle, contributing to a three-year mark of 32–4.
He was named the defensive most valuable player in the Big 33 Football Classic between the all-stars from the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Love accepted a football scholarship from Penn State University and was redshirted as a freshman.
As a sophomore, he was named a starter at guard, but suffered a leg injury in the season opener against the University of Virginia, that forced him to miss 3 of the next 8 games.
[8] On September 6, 1995, Love signed with the expansion Carolina Panthers for their inaugural season.
[13] Love was claimed off waivers by the New York Jets, before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles a few days later in exchange for past considerations.
[14] Although he was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles prior to the start of the 1997 season, he was later brought back in November and was activated in two out of the final six games.