John Kowalik
| No. 45 | |
 | |
| Date of birth | May 10, 1910 |
|---|---|
| Date of death | January 7, 1978 (aged 67) |
| Place of death | Detroit, Michigan |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Guard |
| Height | 5 ft 10.5 in (179 cm) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| College | Michigan |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1934 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
John F. Kowalik, Sr. (May 10, 1910 – January 7, 1978) 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.[1][2][3][4] 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.[5] He played professional football for the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1934.[6][7] His son, John F. Kowalik, Jr., played college football as a halfback for the University of Michigan from 1960 to 1962.[8] He lived in Franklin, Michigan in his later years and died in January 1978 in Detroit, Michigan.
References
- ↑ "1931 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library.
- ↑ "1932 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library.
- ↑ "1933 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library.
- ↑ "Kowalik May Be Out With Injury". The Toledo News-Bee. November 9, 1933.
- ↑ 1934 Michiganensian, p. 212.
- ↑ "Five Gridiron Aces Join Ottawa Ruggers".
- ↑ "Rough Riders' First Squad Loses, 18-6, in Practice". The Montreal Gazette. September 27, 1934.
- ↑ "1962 Michigan Football Roster". Rochester Evening Journal. University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. August 23, 1934.