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QB Mike Tomczak (B1G Champ, Super Bowl Champ, Asst. Coach Youngstown St.)

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It's been 26 years since OSU QB's broken leg
By The Associated Press
Sunday, April 25, 2010

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? Every year at this time, former Steelers quarterback Mike Tomczak's name pops up at Ohio State.

It's not mentioned because of his heroics on the field, but as a cautionary tale to coaches and players everywhere.

In the 1984 spring game, Tomczak was the starting quarterback for the talented Buckeyes, expected to be among the top teams in the nation. But early in the third quarter of the intrasquad scrimmage at Ohio Stadium, he carried on an option play ? and didn't get up.

He had broken his leg, putting quarterbacks in preseason workouts off limits from contact ever since.

"My name's the most popular name around here during a spring game," Tomczak said Saturday before this year's spring game. "But I think coaches have gotten a lot smarter in 25 years and put a jersey on the quarterback to protect him ? the biggest asset they have on the team. So they've learned their lesson. Unfortunately, it took my leg being broken."

Defenders were not allowed to tackle current Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor during this year's spring game. Head coach Jim Tressel was Tomczak's position coach back in 1983.

"Thank goodness I didn't call the play because I might have had a short career here if I'd called that," Tressel said.

It was coach Earle Bruce who made the call. But why did he have his quarterback exposed to contact?

"Coach said he wanted to run the option. So in practice we worked on the option two or three or four times," said then-Ohio State left guard Jim Lachey.
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It's been 26 years since OSU QB's broken leg - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
 
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y0yoyoin;1696445; said:
his wife must have been making fun of how bad he was as a announcer for the spring game
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BigJim;1696514; said:
Hmm.. 2010 - 1984 = 26

I did use a spreadsheet though.
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I was going by the article on the previous page that said the '08 game was the 25th anniversary of the incident, so I thought it occurred in the '83 game. That was wrong, though, since it did occur in the '84 Spring game.

So I should have been poking fun at the math 2 years ago that had 2008 - 1984 = 25.
 
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T.F. North's Greatest Athlete: Mike Tomczak
Career was Bearable - and then some
May 10, 2010
BY CHRIS KUCHTA, Correspondent

At one point or another, many a kid growing up in the Chicago area dreamed of playing quarterback for the beloved Bears. For Mike Tomczak, the dream became a reality.

Tomczak, who spent six of his 15 seasons as an NFL quarterback in a Bears uniform, is a 1981 graduate of T.F. North High School.

For his accomplishments as a prep, collegiate and professional athlete, Tomczak has earned the title of T.F. North's Greatest Athlete, as selected by the SouthtownStar.

Tomczak, who also played basketball at the Calumet City school, is remembered fondly around his old stomping grounds, especially after he helped lead one of the Meteors' all-time great gridiron squads his senior season of 1980.

That year, the Meteors made it all the way to a Class 4A semifinal match-up against mighty Mount Carmel, eventually falling to the Caravan 22-13 in front of a packed house at Gately Stadium.

Tomczak suffered an injury late in that contest but stayed in the game in an effort to help rally his troops.

Jerry Munda, a T.F. North assistant coach at the time (who eventually would serve as the Meteors head coach), remembers Tomczak as a fine overall athlete and a strong competitor.

"Mike was a very focused, dedicated kid who was a great leader," Munda said. "He was tough, too; he played both quarterback and defensive back for us at that time. We had a lot of great ballplayers on that (1980) team. You obviously have to in order to go as far as we did that year, but Mike was a big part of that team. He just had remarkable talent."
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T.F. North's Greatest Athlete: Mike Tomczak :: The SouthtownStar :: Sports
 
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NAME RECOGNITION. The final section in a Skull Session gone long is about a Youngstown State wide receiver named Max Tomczak. You probably recognize the last name; Max is the nephew of Mike Tomczak, who played quarterback for Ohio State and was a member of the 1985 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears.

Max Tomczak’s name appeared in a recent article from ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller and Jordan Reid, in which Kiper named him as one of the “risers to watch” in the 2026 NFL draft.

Tomczak is a nuanced route runner, and he recognizes different coverages well. He adjusts on the ball in the air and then has the hands to secure it. And I see the versatility to play outside or inside -- and return punts. I'm hoping to see him at an all-star event against better competition after the season, but he's the type of player who will fight his way onto an NFL roster.
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Through four games, Tomczak has 21 catches for 306 yards and one touchdown. The 6-foot, 195-pounder from Frankfort, Illinois, posted seven catches for 116 yards against Towson last weekend.

I wish him the best of luck the rest of this season on what should be a competitive Youngstown State team. The Penguins are 3-1 with wins over Mercyhurst, Robert Morris and Towson and a 41-24 loss to Michigan State. Following a bye week, they face South Dakota State at home on Oct. 4.

www.elevenwarriors.com

Skull Session: Jedd Fisch Calls Ohio State “A Fantastic Football Team,” Former Washington Coach Rick Neuheisel Picks the Huskies to Upset the Buckeyes in Seattle

Jedd Fisch calls Ohio State “a fantastic football team,” and former Washington coach Rick Neuheisel picks the Huskies to upset the Buckeyes in Seattle.
www.elevenwarriors.com www.elevenwarriors.com
 
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