Mike Michalske

Who was Mike Michalske?

August Mike Michalske was an American football player and coach. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1964.

Originally a member of the short-lived New York Yankees National Football League team from 1927 to 1928, Michalske arrived in Green Bay in 1929 for the first of what would be nine seasons with the team. An All-America fullback during his Penn State career, the 6-foot, 210 pound Michalske convinced Packers coach Curly Lambeau to try him on the offensive line, where he became the first great guard in pro football, known for his combination of speed, agility and power.

The first guard inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Michalske was a key blocker in the Packers' championship seasons in 1929, 1930, and 1931, opening holes for the likes of Johnny "Blood" McNally and Bob Monnett. Michalske also played on the defensive line and was dubbed "Iron Mike" because despite playing 60 minutes a game, he missed only 9 of 104 games during his Packers tenure, 5 of them in his final season. Moreover, throughout his football career he played with an unrepaired congenital abdominal hernia.

Michalske was a six time consensus first team All-Pro in 1927-1931 and 1935. He wore nine uniform numbers over his Packers career, the most by any one player in team history: 19, 24, 28, 30, 31, 33, 36, 40 and 63. Following his Packers career, Michalske became a coach, including a head coaching stint at Iowa State from 1942 to 1946.