Mike Pagel
Encyclopedia
Mike John Pagel was a former professional American football
player who was selected by the Baltimore Colts
in the 4th round of the 1982 NFL Draft
. A 6'2", 206 lb (93.4 kg). quarterback
from Arizona State, Pagel played in 12 NFL seasons from 1982-1993. While with the Colts, Pagel wore number 18, which is currently worn by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning
.
Drafted the same year as highly touted Art Schlichter
, Pagel was drafted to be groomed as a backup. Generally he out-played Schlichter. Pagel bounced in and out of the starting
QB job for the Colts in his four seasons with the Colts, alternating with Art Schlichter, Matt Kofler, and Mark Herrmann
. He was traded to Cleveland for the 1986 season and served for the next five years there strictly as a backup. In 1988 he took over for an injured Bernie Kosar
and Don Strock
and played well in a playoff loss to the Houston Oilers.
Pagel finished up the last three years with the Los Angeles Rams, never garnering more than mop-up duties.
Pagel now resides in suburban Cleveland, Ohio
, and is a project manager for AT&T
. He also serves as analyst for the pregame, halftime and postgame shows on WTAM
and WMMS
during Browns games and offers television color commentary on college games on Fox Sports Network. In addition, he presently is the quarterback coach at Normandy High school in Parma, Ohio. Sports is part of the family bloodline, Mike's brother Karl Pagel
played baseball for the Chicago Cubs
and Cleveland Indians
. His brother Rick was a starting defensive lineman for the United States Naval Academy and served over 20 years as a pilot in the Marine Corps. His other brother Bruce is now a professor of political science at Santa Fe College
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 who was selected by the 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....
in the 4th round of the 1982 NFL Draft
1982 NFL Draft
The 1982 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 27–28, 1982...
. A 6'2", 206 lb (93.4 kg). quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
from Arizona State, Pagel played in 12 NFL seasons from 1982-1993. While with the Colts, Pagel wore number 18, which is currently worn by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
.
Drafted the same year as highly touted Art Schlichter
Art Schlichter
Arthur Ernest Schlichter is a retired college and professional American football quarterback, sometimes known for his compulsive gambling and the legal problems especially gambling that arose from it...
, Pagel was drafted to be groomed as a backup. Generally he out-played Schlichter. Pagel bounced in and out of the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
QB job for the Colts in his four seasons with the Colts, alternating with Art Schlichter, Matt Kofler, and Mark Herrmann
Mark Herrmann
Mark James Herrmann is a former professional football player, a quarterback in the NFL. He was Associate Director of Educational Programs for the NCAA, before budget cutbacks. However, he is best known for his college career with the Purdue Boilermakers...
. He was traded to Cleveland for the 1986 season and served for the next five years there strictly as a backup. In 1988 he took over for an injured Bernie Kosar
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
and Don Strock
Don Strock
Don Strock is a former professional football player who was the head coach of the Florida International University football team from 2002–2006.-College:Strock played college football at Virginia Tech, and graduated in 1973...
and played well in a playoff loss to the Houston Oilers.
Pagel finished up the last three years with the Los Angeles Rams, never garnering more than mop-up duties.
Pagel now resides in suburban Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, and is a project manager for AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
. He also serves as analyst for the pregame, halftime and postgame shows on WTAM
WTAM
WTAM — branded Newsradio WTAM 1100 — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station broadcasts primarily a news/talk format...
and WMMS
WMMS
WMMS — branded 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, widely recognized as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout much of the history of FM broadcasting...
during Browns games and offers television color commentary on college games on Fox Sports Network. In addition, he presently is the quarterback coach at Normandy High school in Parma, Ohio. Sports is part of the family bloodline, Mike's brother Karl Pagel
Karl Pagel
Karl Douglas Pagel is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for five seasons. He played for the Chicago Cubs from 1978 to 1979 and the Cleveland Indians from 1981 to 1983....
played baseball for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
and Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
. His brother Rick was a starting defensive lineman for the United States Naval Academy and served over 20 years as a pilot in the Marine Corps. His other brother Bruce is now a professor of political science at Santa Fe College