About Mike Tomczak

Mike Tomczak is recognized for his legendary performance on the football field for The Ohio State University, Super Bowl XX Champion Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. Upon retirement, Mike worked as a sports broadcaster with ESPN, Fox Sports Net, and the Big Ten Network. In the footsteps of his father, Ron Tomczak a high school football coach and educator, Mike transitioned to coaching volunteering his time as a high school coach and mentor.

 

Mike served as the assistant quarterback coach for the Old Dominican Panthers, the offensive coordinator for AFL’s Pittsburgh Power, and is currently a volunteer assistant coach at Youngstown State University. He has worked in many NFL mini-camps and training camps since retiring.

 

Just as football has always been a part of Mike’s life, so have education and children.

 

Mike turned down coaching opportunities upon retirement to be able to spend more time with his young children Bryn and Beau as their father, coach, teacher, and advocate. He served as the Honorary Chair for the Boys & Girls Club’s Annual Golf Tournament of Western Pennsylvania for 18 years, during which time he participated in numerous activities with area children in need of support and mentorship.

 

Mike’s family played an invaluable role in his success on the field, and they also forged another important pathway that he would realize years later when he stepped off the football field: “For over 35 years my dad was a high school teacher and coach. Dad always made a point to include an individual with a disability who was involved with the team. I can still remember every one of these unique individuals by name 40 years later. They were a part of our family and inspired us to play better and be better.”

 

In 1988, Mike joined the Chicago Bears and as part of his community outreach responsibilities was introduced to a workspace where adults with disabilities performed labor intensified work in a warehouse setting. Mike visited the site weekly and recollects that at some point shortly after the first visit, he became the beneficiary of his volunteer time. He was inspired by young adults with disabilities who demonstrated an incredible work ethic with unwavering kindness and understanding: “I realized they are not the ones ‘disabled,’ their hearts are focused only on what really matters in life. I was enlightened by their smiles and work ethic and it made a lasting impression on me in years to come.”

 

Most poignantly Mike finds parallels between the powerful spirit of individuals with disabilities and the two mothers he has in his life. Barbara Tomczak, his mother died when Mike was only 3 years old: “Mom passed away when I was a toddler so I never knew her in the conventional way, but her loving spirit has always been a real part of me, propelling me through life. My stepmother JoAnn’s incredible sense of selflessness and love embodies the person that I want to be as a father and as a human being.” Presently Mike wants to dedicate his time honoring that same powerful spirit found in young adults with disabilities, “I’ve learned from my experiences growing up that the body and mind do not have to be strong or perfect. Having a loving and giving heart is the real mark of a champion.”