The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Athletics Hall of Fame Committee reached back into the football record book for one member of the Class of 2017.  John Tyszkiewicz was a two-time All-American for the Mocs from 1965-68. 

An All-State defensive tackle from Sayreville High School in Sayreville, N.J., Tyszkiewicz played on some outstanding teams for both Scrappy Moore and Harold Wilkes during his Chattanooga career.
 
"I was an all-state defensive tackle at Sayreville High School in New Jersey," recalled Tyszkiewicz in a recent interview with GoMocs.com.  "Coach Harold Wilkes and Coach Joe Geri came to my high school and recruited me. 

"The connection was Lou Bartha, who was the athletic director at Woodbridge.  He was a former Chattanooga athlete (1940-41) and he is the one who made the connection between Chattanooga and myself.  I guess he would have to get the credit for getting the wheels in motion."

 

Tyszkiewicz came in as a true freshman in 1964 and redshirted that season.  Despite not playing, he climbed the depth chart enough to make the travel squad and joined the team for the season opener at Tennessee. 

"I was third string offensive tackle and I got to travel with the team, stay in the hotels and watch the game from the sideline," said Tyszkiewicz.  I always had the best seat in the house.

"I remember going into Neyland Stadium and I said 'Holy Moly – this place is huge.  I played in a high school stadium with bleachers that were 10-15 rows high.  I felt like people do when they go to New York City for the first time.  I will never forget how big the stadium was and how impressive it was.  I realized I was in the big leagues when I saw that stadium." 

This was nearing the end of Coach Moore's legendary career and Tyszkiewicz was never sure if he was in the good graces of the head coach.  That was until another game at Tennessee at the end of the 1966 season.   

"We were ahead at halftime 10-7 and I played both ways," said Tyszkiewicz.  "We lost 28-10 and at the end of the game, I was exhausted.  We were all in the locker room sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall and Coach Moore came over to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"He started telling the team what a good job we did and at that particular point in time, that was the highest compliment he could have given to me and I knew that he liked me.  The whole team was there, and it was a team effort.  We played our hearts out and came up a little bit short."

It was Tyszkiewicz's ability to play on both sides of the ball that made him so valuable.  He credits long-time assistant coach Andy Nardo with helping him make the move to offense.    

"Andrew Nardo was my offensive line coach and he taught me how to block," added Tyszkiewicz.  "I came in as a defensive tackle, but they needed someone on offense, so I switched over and he taught me how to block.  He was an excellent coach.  He was from Ohio, and maybe the fact that we were both from the North was why we hit it off."

Nardo's last season on the sideline was 1965, but Tyszkiewicz kept getting better.  His breakout year came in 1967, Coach Moore's final year.  He was named co-captain of the team and went on earn Little All-American honors.

UC/UTC never competed in Division II football, and prior to 1977 schools in Division I were classified as Major and College Divisions.  The Little All-American team was selected by the Associated Press and was the highest honor a UC/UTC athlete could achieve. 
 

There were other Mocs who hailed from the Garden State during the same time as Tyszkiewicz, including Roger Catarino from South Plainfield and Angelo (Nubby) Napolitano from Neptune.  All three were Little All-American candidates heading into the 1968 season. 

Coach Wilkes took over for Tyszkiewicz's senior year and he was now the team captain and one of the top linemen in the country.  The Mocs went on to a remarkable 9-1 campaign, but Tyszkiewicz's final year was hampered by injuries.

He hurt his back just before the opener and had to wear a brace for the first three games.  Just as he was getting better, he suffered a knee injury in practice that knocked him out until the final game. 

"I came back in time to play the last game," he recalled.  "Coach Wilkes put me in there and had me play offense and defense.  He figured, it was my last game, so let me play as much as I can.  The problem was I was out of shape.  I had been sitting the bench for five weeks. 

"Coach Wilkes did the right thing, god bless him, but I was sucking wind.  I was tired and didn't' realize I got so out of shape so fast."

Despite the injuries and limited playing time, he still earned an honorable mention spot on the Kodak All-American team picked by the coaches around the country.  After the season, the NFL's Houston Oilers drafted him in the 15^th round, but those same injuries kept him out of professional football. 

Despite the tough ending, Tyszkiewicz's career still holds up among the best in UTC history.  The two-way star is one of five going into the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame at the end of the month. 

The ceremony is Friday, Feb. 24, at the Chattanooga Country Club.  The banquet is open to the public, but seating is limited and reservations are required. The cost is $40.00 per person and includes dinner. Submit payments and RSVP's to the UTC Office of Alumni Affairs at (423) 425-4785.  For more information, email Jayne-Holder@utc.edu.