John Kowalik

Who was John Kowalik?

John F. Kowalik, Sr. was an American football player. He played college football for the University of Michigan from 1931 to 1933. During Kowalik's three seasons as a starter, the Michigan football team compiled a record of 23–1–2, including consecutive national championships for the 1932 and 1933 teams. He was a teammate of future President of the United States Gerald Ford on the 1932 and 1933 Michigan teams. While at Michigan, Kowalik was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and the Druids. He graduated from Michigan in 1934 with a bachelor of science degree in education. He played professional football for the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1934. His son, John F. Kowalik, Jr., played college football as a halfback for the University of Michigan from 1960 to 1962. He lived in Franklin, Michigan in his later years and died in January 1978 in Detroit, Michigan.