Mike became interested in sports at an early age and was among the last group of fourth graders permitted to play grade school sports in Medford. He was always a three and four sport athlete in school.

As an eighth grader at McLoughlin, he was on the football, basketball, wrestling, track, tennis, and Medford swim team. He was the starting fullback his junior and senior years at Medford High School, his junior year playing against Corvallis in the AAA Championship Game. At the end of his high school career, he was named to the All-Conference first team and received All State honors. He also received the Scouting Systems of America High School All America Award in recognition of his outstanding contri­bution to High School Football for the 1971 sea­ son. During the State Shrine All Star Game in Portland he was the leading ground gainer in his team’s victory over the north team.

Attending Oregon State University in 1972 on a four-year scholarship, he became Oregon State’s first freshman in varsity football since 1951 when freshmen were last eligible. His first game, against Washington State, he gained 81 yards. He finished his college career as a starting fullback at Linfield College.

After earning his teaching certificate, he be­gan teaching and coaching at Griffin Creek Grade School. Mike moved up to coach the freshmen at Mid High who were always at the top of the standings. In 1984 he then began coaching at the high school. Mike was the backfield coach and signal caller during Medford’s championship title game in 1985, which was the last time Medford was one high school. He continued to coach at North until 1988 and is now an assistant track coach at South Medford.

A closing statement from Medford’s Jimmy Carney: “Mr. Jesse Owens was my friend. Something that made Jesse and some of the others great was their sincerity and dedication to all sports. At the same time, they never forgot their roots or their hometown. I have followed Mike’s career, both in sports and community service, and he has all the attributes that make him stand out as an All American.”  Mike’s son, Bryn, would follow Mike into the Medford’s Sports Hall of Fame in the 2017 induction class for Soccer.