Mark Garalczyk was recruited by Western Michigan University from Fraser High School and went on to earn All-MAC twice, served as captain of the 1986 team and was eventually named to the All-Century Team. Mark still ranks fourth in career tackles for loss (45.0) and has third most TFLs in a game (6.0) in program history.  After his senior season, Garalczyk was named the team's Most Outstanding Player, participated in the Senior Bowl and was selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.   

We recently had a chance to sit down with Mark and ask him a few questions about his career at Western Michigan.

Q: Who inspired you to play football?

A: I always enjoyed sports and one of them was football.  When I was a kid and I watched football, I always looked up to Mean Joe Green.  It was a sibling thing.  It was always a sport I enjoyed playing.

Q: What was your most memorable game?

A: The Michigan State game.  It was one of the first times Western played a big ten team. I remembered the Spartans driving down the field and it was fourth and goal and Lorenzo White fell short and the referees called it a touchdown.  I told Lorenzo after the game that he was short and he said "Yea, well it is home court advantage."

Q: What was your favorite sports memory at Western?

A: Western had a good hockey team in the '80s. I enjoyed sports and I liked watching everyone play their sport.  I was at a Central game, my last game as a senior, and one of the parents from Central came down and said to me that it was always a joy for him to watch Western's defense.

Q: What was it like playing sports at Western?

A: Playing sports was educating. From high school to college you have all the good athletes together.  You meet a lot of guys on the team that you invest a lot of time with on the field and friendships.  I could call like 10 guys and start up conversations with them today.

Q: What have you been doing since you have left Western and how long have you been doing it?

A: This is my second year as a high school football coach at Estraala in West Phoenix and the last four years I have been selling insurance.  I am recently divorced and I have three daughters: Sydney-11, Hailey-8, and Alyssa-6.  They are the water girls for the football team so they get to know all about football.  They ask me a lot of questions about who is going to play and is so and so better than so and so. I enjoy working with the kids and I do sports camps.  I get a kick out of that.  The group I am working with now is in West Phoenix and they are a three strike process, so this is their last chance to get their head on straight.  Growing up on the East side of Detroit, I kind of know from where they are coming.    

Q: What was your initial reaction when you found out that you were being inducted into the WMU Athletic Hall of Fame?

A: That's a funny thing.  I'm honored and humbled to be recognized by the athletic department at Western.   I gave everything I had out on the field.  Two guys I called up thought that I was already inducted in the Hall of Fame.  It's quite an honor to be in there with the other inductees.  Football is not an individual sport.  I give all the credit to my teammates on the field.  They made me a better player and I represent them. 

Q: What does it mean to you for being inducted into the Hall of Fame?

A: For my girls, so that one day when we pass through Kalamazoo they can look at that and pass it on down the road.  I was a former captain so I represent my former Broncos and they got me where I am at.  It is not an individual sport. I was at the right place at the right time and I had a talent to share.  

Q: What do you miss most about Western?

A: It is a beautiful setting, beautiful campus.  Being a student athlete at the time, it was the friendships, the game time preparation, walking over to the stadium, meeting up with friends and family after the game. The student body was there at times and they are in the stands when you win.

Q: What kind of advice would you give to student-athletes to succeed in school and do well?

A: It's all about education. I would emphasize on the schooling part and let everything else fall into place. 

            Mark would like to thank Western Michigan University and the athletic department for giving him the opportunity to play a sport that he enjoyed.