QB Mike Tomczak (Official Thread)

[osugrad21]

Mike lost his father his weekend...

Link

Tomczak helped get youths on college teams
Bears QB's dad was noted high school coach

February 26, 2007
BY CHRIS FUSCO Staff Reporter
Ronald J. Tomczak is best known for coaching one of his sons, former Bears quarterback and 16-year NFL veteran Mike Tomczak, when Mike started his football career at Thornton Fractional North High School. Lesser known is the degree to which Mr. Tomczak helped other high schoolers -- even those he didn't coach -- land spots on college football teams.
"Coming from a middle-class area in Calumet City, he knew what a college education could mean," said Mr. Tomczak's oldest child, Ronald W. Tomczak, who also was coached by his father and played college football. "Kids from other schools in the area went to my dad. He had a great network of coaches and never turned down a request for help."
Mr. Tomczak, 69, died Saturday morning after suffering a heart attack on Friday at Lincoln-Way East High School, where he was a part-time driver's education instructor and football coach.

Cont'd...

 

[Buckskin86]

Fathers as coaches a rewarding experience
By John Grupp
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, June 17, 2007

The soulful emotions and memories will tug at Mike Tomczak today.
"I will feel emptiness," he said, "and I will feel a sense of pride."

This is the first Father's Day without the passionate, hard-working man whom Tomczak called coach and dad. Ron Tomczak, a longtime high school football coach in suburban Chicago, died of a heart attack Feb. 24.

Tomczak, who played seven seasons with the Steelers as part of his 16-year NFL career, is among those athletes with a father who roamed the sidelines, and a coach who sat across the dinner table.

Tomczak was the Illinois Player of the Year at TF North High School for his father, before leaving for Ohio State and the NFL. The elder Tomczak suffered the fatal heart attack four months ago on a cold Saturday morning at Lincoln Way East High School, where he was working as a driver's instructor. He was 69.

"I appreciate the time he was around," Tomczak said. "He had a tremendous impact."

Fathers as coaches a rewarding experience - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

 

[Buckskin86]

Named announcer for the B10 network

Big Ten Network adds 9 announcers | IndyStar.com

 

[Buckskin86]

NOTE -- Former Steelers quarterback Mike Tomczak will be an honorary captain tomorrow for Ohio State. Tomczak, who was the quarterback for the Buckeyes from 1982-84, played for the Steelers from 1993-99 and spent 16 seasons in the NFL.

Ohio State matchup showcases top LBs

 

[daveeb]

I liked Mike Tomczak as a Steeler especially. Anytime he would come in instead of Kordell, a peace of happiness filled my soul, especially since he was a Buckeye.

 

[sandgk]

Tomczak could tell them a tale or two about handling hostile territory - successfully.

 

[Buckskin86]

Ex-Buckeye tandem to face off Apr 16 2008

Ohio State's spring game Saturday will have a nostalgic feel to it.

Former Buckeye stars Mike Tomczak, now a Big Ten Network announcer, and Chris Carter will serve as honorary head coaches for the Scarlet and Gray teams, respectively.

You can bet Tomczak won't get to close to Buckeye quarterback Todd Boeckman during the scrimmage. After all, this is the 25th anniversary of Tomczak breaking his leg during OSU's spring game.

Brent's Big Blog's Blog - Big Ten Names - Ex-Buckeye tandem to face off - Big Ten Network

 

[Buckskin86]

Ex-Steelers QB Mike Tomczak still identifies with former team
StoryDiscussionFont Size: Default font size Larger font size BY AL HAMNIK
[email protected]
219.933.4154 | Sunday, February 01, 2009

When you think about it, Calumet City-bred Mike Tomczak was very fortunate growing up.

He played quarterback at T.F. North, where the coaches and student body were as blue collar as the midnight shift at Inland Steel.

He starred collegiately at Ohio State for Earle Bruce, another dirt-under-the-nails coach.

He was as an NFL rookie for the Super Bowl XX champion Bears and "Iron" Mike Ditka.

And finally, he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and jut-jawed Bill Cowher, as basic as a flannel shirt.

A true "Region" guy in every sense, Tomczak started 72-of-185 games during his 15-year NFL career and was on two Super Bowl teams -- playing the fourth quarter of the Bears' 46-10 rout of New England and as a sideline observer for the Steelers' 27-17 loss to Dallas at Super Bowl XXX.

Today, while sharing family time with his wife and four children -- ages 11, 9, 9 and 7 -- in their Pittsburgh home, "T-zak" will watch the Steelers and Arizona Cardinals duke it out in Super Bowl XLIII.

"There's a lot of expectations here in Pittsburgh when it comes to football. They have a great history that's part of the culture," Tomczak said of its five Lombardi Trophies. "Yeah, I'm pleasantly surprised and happy at the way the team really came together the last month of the season.

"My kids are active Steelers fans. They have Black and Gold Day at school. It's a feeding frenzy here."

This is Arizona's first trip to the Super Bowl while Pittsburgh has 27 players on the roster who were with the team for Super Bowl XL. But as Tomczak watches TV from his recliner, there'll be no wearing eye black or shaking pom-poms.

"It comes up in conversation where people say: 'Yeah, we could still use you in Chicago' ... 'We could still use you in Pittsburgh.' I tell 'em they've got one heckuva quarterback here in (Ben) Roethlisberger," he said.

Tomczak took a year off from working on the Big Ten Football Network and is quick to say he isn't living vicariously through the Steelers as some might think.

"They've got a great chemistry. They're a tight-knit group," he said. "I run into a couple of guys occasionally, play golf with 'em and the coaching staff, which is pretty solid. I'm real impressed by what Mike Tomlin's been able to do at a young age.

"He makes guys accountable, like Bill Cowher did. It's a different voice, a different face, but it's good for guys that are long in the tooth in their careers in Pittsburgh."

Tomczak started 31 games in six seasons with the Bears, then played briefly for Green Bay (1991) and Cleveland (1992) before signing with Pittsburgh (1993) as a backup to the revolving door of Neil O'Donnell, Jim Miller and Kordell Stewart.

Ex-Steelers QB Mike Tomczak still identifies with former team / nwi.com

 

[Buckskin86]

Whatever Happened To ... Mike Tomczak?
Former T.F. North star working with Pittsburgh-area kids
May 27, 2009
By Jim Katula Correspondent

Twenty years ago, an appearance by Mike Tomczak with his Bears teammate Tom Thayer might have sent lines around the building - and the building might have been one of their restaurants or dance clubs.

Early this month, though, the venue was Body Tech Total Fitness, a Mokena health club owned by Tomczak's brother, Steve, and the occasion an open house. An uninformed patron might have glanced at the bespectacled 40-somethings and wondered why a polite throng had gathered around a high school principal and a jazz trumpeter.

OK, maybe that's a stretch. Even behind the starter horn rims, and with gray long having encroached northward from his temples, Tomczak still has the easy grace of a professional athlete. And Thayer, despite the hep-cat porkpie shielding his mostly hairless dome and a body trimmed of 40-plus pounds of playing weight, is still an intimidating presence at 6-foot-4, 240.

Thayer, of course, is familiar enough to Chicagoans - if mostly in voice. He'll enter his 12th year in the Bears radio booth this season.

Tomczak, the kid from T.F. North who went on to quarterback the Bears, hasn't been part of the local scene for years - so much so, he was even hesitant to comment on the new guy in his old job.

"Not one player makes the team better," Tomczak said in the face of overwhelming fan sentiment to the contrary. "Everyone's excited about the prospects of having Jay Cutler here. He certainly enhances their (the Bears) chances.

"He's only as good as the guys around him. People a lot smarter than me, the management, think they made a blockbuster trade and they want to see results."

Tomczak knows a fair bit about expectations. Though he landed in Chicago as an unheralded free agent out of Ohio State - just in time to spend the Super Bowl season as the third-string quarterback and score a memorable gig as a guitar-playing extra in the "Super Bowl Shuffle" video - he eventually got a turn to start, and disappoint, under center.

At first, things went well. Tomczak was 7-0 as a starter in relief of the oft-injured Jim McMahon in 1986, the season after the Super Bowl. Tomczak went 8-3 over the next two seasons as a substitute starter.

In 1989, when he got the bulk of the Bears' starts, Tomczak stumbled, going 5-6 in 11 games. The next year was his last in Chicago.

If it was occasionally unpleasant, it was hardly unexpected.

"This game is about what have you done for me lately," Tomczak said. "I live in Pittsburgh, the City of Champions, and they expect perfection all the time."

After stops in Green Bay and Cleveland, Tomczak spent the final seven years of his 15-year career with the Steelers. He ended up going 42-31 as a starter, throwing 88 touchdowns and 106 interceptions in 185 games.

He still lives in Pittsburgh, a self-proclaimed "soccer dad" to his four children - the youngest is 7, the oldest 11 - who hardly restrict their athletic activities to the pitch.

"We're into flag football, hockey, gymnastics, and we are into a bunch of extracurricular activities at school, keeping us very busy," he said. "And I'm fortunate to be able to be around them, spending this time with them."

Whatever Happened To ... Mike Tomczak? :: The SouthtownStar :: Sports

 

[Buckskin86]

Youre Stepping into Manhood Right Now
25 Years Ago: Mike Tomczak
By Joe - July 10th, 2009

Succeeding a legend is always difficult; expectations run high and any flaw is magnified by unfair comparisons. Ohio State is not really known as a quarterback factory, and as a result the few truly great ones that come through are hailed as conquering heroes by Buckeye fans.

But the flip side is that whoever succeeds a great one will probably get less adoration than he deserves. Who can forget the Columbus Dispatch headline that ran during Steve Bellisari?s first season as QB for Ohio State: ?He?s No Joe? (referring to his predecessor, Joe Germaine)? Ok, maybe that?s not such a great example. But more recently, there is a sense that Todd Boeckman never got a fair shake from the fans for the good work he did, because he did not compare favorably with Troy Smith.

If you can feel Todd?s pain, then you know what it must have been like for Mike Tomczak to succeed 4-year starter and all-time OSU passing leader Art Schlichter.

Is it a run right, a run left, or a run up the middle?

Tomczak hailed from Calumet City, IL, where as a senior at the oddly-named Thornton Fractional North High School he was named Illinois High School Player of the Year. During his 4 seasons at Ohio State, Tomczak completed 376 of 675 passes for 5569 yards and 32 touchdowns, finishing his career 2nd only to Schlichter in school history in all of those categories.

Tomczak was not drafted out of college, but he signed with Chicago as a free agent and proceeded to play 15 years in the NFL with 4 different teams (he signed with Detroit to play a 16th season in 2000, but a pre-season injury convinced him to retire). Tomczak earned a Super Bowl ring as a back-up for the Bears in 1985, and was even seen playing a little guitar with his teammates. In total, he started 73 games out of 185 played, completing 53% of his passes for 16,079 yards with 88 TD?s against 106 INT?s.

25 Years Ago: Mike Tomczak | Eleven Warriors

 

[Buckskin86]

Tomczak pointed out that having all the talent in the world isn't going to guarantee a scholarship. It's the athlete's character which may make the difference.

"As a recruiter, they're thinking of reasons not to give you a scholarship," Tomczak told the crowd. "Why? Because you have to be accountable. They don't want to bring a bad apple into my program.

"For you captains, character is a tremendous quality. You can work on that every day. Don't let that be the reason you don't get a scholarship. It doesn't take a lot of talent not to have character."

Tomczak, who played 16 years in the NFL between Chicago, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Detroit and the Browns, was among many guests who spoke extremely highly of coaches who greatly influenced them.

Tomczak was very appreciative of his time with the Buckeyes. Those short four years, he said, were among the most valuable experiences in life.

The school gave him a gift of a scholarship when he came to campus. After graduation, he gave it back.

"The four years I played, getting to know my students, the athletes I played with, the coaches and the relationships -- I was so indebted to Ohio State that I paid my scholarship back after I was done.

"I so greatly appreciated the opportunity to play at Ohio State and got a great education."

Leadership seminar gives guidance to captains - Brunswick Sun - Cleveland.com

 

[BB73]

This is worth highlighting.

The school gave him a gift of a scholarship when he came to campus. After graduation, he gave it back.

"The four years I played, getting to know my students, the athletes I played with, the coaches and the relationships -- I was so indebted to Ohio State that I paid my scholarship back after I was done.

But is that 'Paying it backward'?

 

[Taosman]

Wonder if he would be a viable replacement(for head coach) when Tressel retires? I think he has a lot to offer.
Wasn't Tress on staff when Mike played?

 

[Buckskin86]

OSU ON SUNDAY
TODAY: QUARTERBACKS
Saturday, October 10, 2009
By BY RAY STEIN

Mike Tomczak

Each week, Gameday+ examines Ohio State's impact on professional football with a position-by-position analysis of the Buckeyes who have made a mark in the NFL:

It's just as well that these judgments of former Buckeyes based on their NFL contributions are a mythical enterprise. In actual competition, OSU might find itself in trouble against Alabama and Washington and most schools in between because of a lack of pro production at the most important position on the field. College to pro ball -- it's a big step.
The best
Mike Tomczak

College life

The former Illinois high-school player of the year, from Calumet City, became a three-year starter at Ohio State (1982-84) and quarterbacked the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl after the 1984 season. His total of 5,569 career passing yards ranks seventh in school history.

Path to the pros

Undrafted out of OSU, Tomczak enjoyed one of the most serendipitous free-agent deals in NFL history when he signed with his hometown Chicago Bears, which in 1985 was the baddest team in the league.

NFL career

Not at all bad for a player who wasn't among the 336 selected in the 1985 draft, in which 11 QBs were taken, including Steve Calabria and Buddy Funck. In 15 seasons with the Bears and Steelers, mostly, as well as brief stops with the Packers and Browns, Tomczak passed for 16,079 yards, 88 touchdowns and 106 interceptions. Tomczak made 72 career regular-season starts, going 42-31, and was 3-2 in five playoff starts.

Little-known facts

Tomczak played in six games as a rookie with the '85 Bears, completing 2 of 6 passes. He also got into the Super Bowl late in the game and received a ring. More prominently, he earned a spot in the famous Super Bowl Shuffle video: that's baby-faced Mikey strumming a guitar, sort of, in the band behind the shuffling crew. Tomczak later was part of a Steelers team that lost to Dallas in Super Bowl XXX.

OSU ON SUNDAY | The Columbus Dispatch

 

[Buckskin86]

Tomczak passes wisdom to student-athletes
February 4, 2010
By KEN RYAN [email protected]

Former NFL quarterback Mike Tomczak talks about college recruiting during his presentation at Hinsdale Central Monday.
(Steve Johnston/Staff Photographer)

FOOTBALL -- When former National Football League quarterback Mike Tomczak was a rookie with the Chicago Bears in 1985, he had to learn two plays.

"Handoff to Walter Payton right and handoff to Walter Payton left," Tomczak said regarding one of the NFL's all-time great running backs. "Pretty simple."

These days, Tomczak is an educational speaker with the National Collegiate Scouting Association, which -- with the assistance of an experienced scouting team -- helps student-athletes gain acceptance to the collegiate program that best fits their needs

Tomczak spoke to a gathering of mostly Hinsdale Central student-athletes and some of their parents -- in the school's auditorium on Monday -- about the college recruitment process through the NCSA seminar, "College Recruiting Simplified."

Tomczak passes wisdom to student-athletes :: High Schools :: YourSeason