Michael Nicholas "Iron Mike" Mikulak (December 2, 1912 – June 4, 1999) was an American football fullback who played three seasons in the National Football League.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | December 2, 1912 Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States |
| Died: | June 4, 1999 (aged 86) Woodland, California |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | Oregon |
| Position: | Fullback |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Player stats at PFR | |
High school and college career edit
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mikulak graduated from Edison High School in 1930. He attended the University of Oregon. Though originally a defensive player, Mikulak became Oregon's starting fullback and helped lead the Ducks to a 4–1 Pacific Coast Conference record in 1933, tying them with Stanford for the conference championship.[1] (Stanford, however, received the bid to the 1934 Rose Bowl due to its victory over USC, the only team to beat the Ducks that year.)[2] Mikulak was a two-time all-Pacific Coast Conference selection, and was a consensus All-American in 1933.[1]
Mikulak earned the nickname "Iron Mike" because he wore an aluminum chest protector to protect a protruding sternum.[3]
NFL career edit
Mikulak signed with the Chicago Cardinals in 1934. He played three seasons in the NFL, quickly earning a reputation as a bruising fullback,[4] and was named to the All-Pro team in his second season.[5] Following the 1936 season, Mikulak retired from professional football and returned to the University of Oregon to become the backfield coach on his old team, and to complete his degree.[6]
After football edit
He remained with Oregon until 1941, when he was called to active duty by the United States Army.[7] Mikulak served in the Army for 27 years, including working as the chief of military police in Naples, Italy during World War II.[8] Following his Army career, Mikulak received a masters in educational administration and was director of the University of Iowa's off-campus graduate education department until his retirement in 1978.[3]
Personal and legacy edit
Mikulak was married with two children.[9] He is a member of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame[10] and the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame.[1] He died in Woodland, California in 1999.[11]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Mike Mikulak". GoDucks.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-24. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
- ^ "Stanford to Represent West in Rose Bowl Grid Contest". Herald-Journal. November 26, 1933. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
- ^ a b Clark, Bob (September 26, 1995). ""Iron Mike" was Ducks' first enforcer". The Register-Guard. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
- ^ "Iron Mike Mikulak a Naughs as He Smacks Down Big Boys". Chicago Tribune. July 31, 1934.
- ^ "1935 NFL All-Pros". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
- ^ "Mike Mikulak Appointed Backfield Coach of University of Oregon Team". The Register-Guard. January 12, 1937.
- ^ "Mike Mikulak goes to army". The Register-Guard. March 15, 1941. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
- ^ Feder, Sid (May 3, 1944). "Mikulak, once football star, heads Army police in Naples". Retrieved December 28, 2009.
- ^ "Mike Mikulak gets Air Corps sheepskin". The Register-Guard. June 22, 1949. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
- ^ "Oregon Sports Hall of Fame". Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
- ^ "Social Security Death Index". Social Security Death Index.