I’m not sure how I would feel if I was a high school football player and my dad was still playing football on a college team. That would be strange.
Stan Smagala was a highly motivated insurance agent in Chicago that was ordered to back off a little bit by his doctor. He did a very unique thing and handed his business over to his wife and actually found out she was better at it than he was. He returned to college to get his degree.
At first, Smagala had been just a regular student, but he felt as if something was missing.
Many years prior, Smagala had been almost as hard a charging running back at a Catholic all-boys school in Chicago. Weber High isn’t around anymore, but Smagala had been a star 160 pound running back during his high school years.
But, that had been about 25 years ago. Now, Smagala was a 43 year old married and father of two
that attended Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois.
Stan Smagala got this crazy idea in his head that he could still play college football, so he did.
At 43 years old in 1985, Smagala had to be the oldest college football player in America. At that age, he was still one of the stronger players on the team and could still run a 4.7 40 yard dash at about 195 pounds.
Stan Smagala was a busy man with a family and his studies and with his football.
But, he also had a son playing high school football in Chicago at St Laurence Catholic school and schools were recruiting him. Notre Dame, led by then-coach Gerry Faust, had offered Stan Smagala Jr a scholarship and there was no fanfare back then. There were no press conferences to make announcements, but Stan Smagala Jr made it known that he was a Notre Dame guy.
A problem occurred along the way with Gerry Faust being terminated as the Fighting Irish coach and Lou Holtz gladly accepting the job.
There was a bumper crop of recruits in the Catholic schools of Chicago that recruiting season. I’ve written before about the Chicago recruits: Chicago Catholic School 8
When new Irish coach Lou Holtz took over, he was probably more than happy with the Chicago recruits, obviously. Several of them were high school All Americans and the highest rated recruits around. Plus, they were Catholic kids and obviously loved the Fighting Irish.
But, there was one small problem. Lou Holtz apparently didn’t want Stan Smagala Jr.
This is the main and online levitra only condition of a healthy life. In most cases, they are just mixtures of free viagra pills plants with yellow flowers, interacts with other drugs metabolized by the body causing too fast. They can be easily purchased online. uk viagra online Do not forget generic viagra from canada to check the jack and the ports.
Smagala had been offered by previous coach Faust and Holtz said he would honor that, but he told the younger Smagala that he would probably be better off going someplace else, according to legend.
After all, Stan Smagala Jr was a small, white running back and probably wouldn’t have much of a chance at playing for the Irish.
Stan Smagala Jr was having none of that and was all about Notre Dame.
Over the course of time, a funny thing happened.
Of all those Parade All Americans and high school All Americans, little old Stan Smagala Jr became the best of the bunch. As it so often happens, the least of the bunch, the guy that nobody really wanted became a star and a shutdown corner.
As a starting cornerback at Notre Dame, Smagala was another major cog in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish winning the national title in 1988.
The Catholics vs Convicts game against Miami in 1988 gets all of the glory for the Irish in their
championship season and rightfully so. But, the Fighting Irish were ranked number 1 for their last game of the season against bitter rival USC who was ranked number 2.
Stan Smagala intercepted a Rodney Peete pass and ran it 64 yards for a touchdown to help the Irish win, 27-10.
Smagala had 4.35 speed in the 40 and was not going to be caught from behind.
The kid that nobody really wanted wound up being a 3-year starter at cornerback for national champion Notre Dame. He teamed up with the highly recruited Todd Lyght to form a really solid cornerback position for the Irish.
Mostly because of injuries, Smagala did not have much of a career in the NFL with it lasting about 3 seasons.
As far as I know, the dad didn’t play any further than at junior college.