Mike Tomczak
Encyclopedia
Michael John "Mike" Tomczak (born October 23, 1962 in Calumet City, Illinois
) is a former American football
player. Tomczak played quarterback
for several NFL teams including the Chicago Bears
, Green Bay Packers
, Cleveland Browns
, and Pittsburgh Steelers
.
Tomczak played football at Thornton Fractional North High School
in Calumet City where he was coached by his father Ron Tomczak. After earning Illinois High School Player of the Year honors, he won an athletic scholarship to Ohio State. While at OSU, he helped lead the Buckeyes to two Big Ten
championship seasons. He graduated from OSU with a major in Communication.
Tomczak went undrafted out of college and signed as an original free agent with the Chicago Bears. He started no games his first year but did earn a Super Bowl
ring, and saw playing time in Super Bowl XX
on January 26, 1986, during the fourth quarter of the Bears' 46-10 win over the New England Patriots
. He was a member of the "Shuffling Crew" in the Bears' video for The Super Bowl Shuffle
, mimicking playing guitar.
He played for the Bears until 1990 starting 31 games and throwing for 31 touchdown
s and 47 interceptions. After spending a year at Green Bay and another at Cleveland, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers
and spent seven seasons with the team, starting for much of the 1996 season and helping to guide the team into the playoffs. He started occasionally throughout his last three seasons with the Steelers, spelling Kordell Stewart
for long stretches of the year in 1999.
After his contract with Pittsburgh was not renewed, he signed with the Detroit Lions in 2000 but suffered a broken right tibia
in an exhibition game against the Oakland Raiders. After being forced to sit out the entire season, he retired from football, the last remaining active player from the '85 Bears team. When asked about this, he replied, "Well, I had my run and I think it's time for new rookies to take my place in this team."
For his career, Tomczak has 73 starts, completed 55.3% of his passes for 88 touchdowns and 106 interceptions.
Tomczak worked as a sports announcer in Pittsburgh, as well as a color announcer for ESPN college football games, before becoming a sports management agent. He is a director at SMG Sports Management and has continued to work as a sports commentator.
Among Tomczak's NFL career highlights, he won his first 10 starts at quarterback, all with Chicago, which set an NFL Record (breaking the mark set by former Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Kruczek). The mark was eventually topped by current Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger. In 1988, Tomczak was the starting QB for Chicago in the famous "Fog Bowl" playoff game vs Philadelphia, guiding the Bears to a victory that put them in the NFC Title Game. Tomczak started the last 15 games of the regular season, plus two playoff games, for Pittsburgh in 1996. The Steelers won 11 of those games, losing in the playoffs to eventual AFC Champion New England. In his final regular season game, Pittsburgh lost a shoot-out against Tennessee 47-36, the highest scoring game in the history of Three Rivers Stadium. Tomczak passed for 309 yards and 2 touchdowns in his final game.
Calumet City, Illinois
Calumet City is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 39,072 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 60409.Calumet City was founded in 1892 when the villages of Schrumville and Sobieski Park merged under the name of West Hammond, since it lies on the west side of the...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. Tomczak played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for several NFL teams including the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.
Tomczak played football at Thornton Fractional North High School
Thornton Fractional North High School
Thornton Fractional North High School in Calumet City, Illinois first opened its doors in March 1926 as Thornton Fractional Township High School....
in Calumet City where he was coached by his father Ron Tomczak. After earning Illinois High School Player of the Year honors, he won an athletic scholarship to Ohio State. While at OSU, he helped lead the Buckeyes to two Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
championship seasons. He graduated from OSU with a major in Communication.
Tomczak went undrafted out of college and signed as an original free agent with the Chicago Bears. He started no games his first year but did earn a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
ring, and saw playing time in Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
on January 26, 1986, during the fourth quarter of the Bears' 46-10 win over the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. He was a member of the "Shuffling Crew" in the Bears' video for The Super Bowl Shuffle
Super Bowl Shuffle
"The Super Bowl Shuffle" is a rap song performed by players of the Chicago Bears football team during 1985, slightly prior to their win in Super Bowl XX.-Song and video:...
, mimicking playing guitar.
He played for the Bears until 1990 starting 31 games and throwing for 31 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s and 47 interceptions. After spending a year at Green Bay and another at Cleveland, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and spent seven seasons with the team, starting for much of the 1996 season and helping to guide the team into the playoffs. He started occasionally throughout his last three seasons with the Steelers, spelling Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart, nicknamed "Slash" , is a former American NFL quarterback. Stewart attended the University of Colorado and was drafted 60th in the 1995 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...
for long stretches of the year in 1999.
After his contract with Pittsburgh was not renewed, he signed with the Detroit Lions in 2000 but suffered a broken right tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
in an exhibition game against the Oakland Raiders. After being forced to sit out the entire season, he retired from football, the last remaining active player from the '85 Bears team. When asked about this, he replied, "Well, I had my run and I think it's time for new rookies to take my place in this team."
For his career, Tomczak has 73 starts, completed 55.3% of his passes for 88 touchdowns and 106 interceptions.
Tomczak worked as a sports announcer in Pittsburgh, as well as a color announcer for ESPN college football games, before becoming a sports management agent. He is a director at SMG Sports Management and has continued to work as a sports commentator.
Among Tomczak's NFL career highlights, he won his first 10 starts at quarterback, all with Chicago, which set an NFL Record (breaking the mark set by former Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Kruczek). The mark was eventually topped by current Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger. In 1988, Tomczak was the starting QB for Chicago in the famous "Fog Bowl" playoff game vs Philadelphia, guiding the Bears to a victory that put them in the NFC Title Game. Tomczak started the last 15 games of the regular season, plus two playoff games, for Pittsburgh in 1996. The Steelers won 11 of those games, losing in the playoffs to eventual AFC Champion New England. In his final regular season game, Pittsburgh lost a shoot-out against Tennessee 47-36, the highest scoring game in the history of Three Rivers Stadium. Tomczak passed for 309 yards and 2 touchdowns in his final game.