Mark Wayne Smolinski was a professional American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 player for the NFL's Baltimore Colts

History of the Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....

 and the AFL

American Football League

The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...

's World Champion New York Jets

New York Jets

The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

.

Personal Life

Smolinski went to school in Rogers City, MI where he now summers on Grand Lake in Presque Isle, MI.
He married his wife Janice (Wetsch) Smolinski on June 1, 1968 and has three children: Shawn, Erica and Shadd. He currently has four grandchildren.

Coaching Career

Upon retiring from professional football, Smolinski returned to Northern Michigan and took a coaching job at Petoskey High School

Petoskey High School

Petoskey High School is a high school located in Petoskey, Michigan. The school has 1,077 students. The alternative public high school in Petoskey is Concord Academy, a K-12 public charter School of Excellence focused on integration between the arts and academics.-Student Information:Student...

 in Petoskey, MI where he currently resides.

Historical Museum

In 2009, Smolinski was honored by the Presque Isle Historical Museum as "a hometown hero to several generations." The exhibit featured photos and memorabilia from both his high school days and his professional career.