Mark Smolinski exhibit planned at museum

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

The Presque Isle County Historical Museum will be honoring one of Rogers City?s famous sports heroes during the 2009 Nautical Festival. Museum curator Mark Thompson announced this week an exhibit celebrating the football career of Mark Smolinski, a phenomenal athlete at Rogers City High School, who went on to play college football at the University of Wyoming and professionally with the Baltimore Colts and New York Jets. He was on the Joe Namath led Jets? team which won Super Bowl III.

?I was looking for something that would be a strong drawing card for the Nautical Festival,? said Thompson. Last year, the museum featured Ferris Parsons? photographs and before that the popular Calcite Collection. ?IN THINKING about other people from Rogers, who might be a strong drawing card, Mark Smolinski came to mind,? said Thompson. ?He is a hometown hero to several generations of us.?

The retired Petoskey public school teacher graciously accepted the museum?s invitation. ?It is quite an honor,? said Smolinski Monday afternoon from his home in Petoskey. The exhibit will be open from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, August 8, on the day of the big rendezvous event and powwow. The display is expected to feature photographs, jerseys, autographed footballs and possibly a playbook from the Super Bowl. ?I haven?t dug through all my stuff,? said Smolinski. THE EXHIBIT coincides with the museum?s focus on the Baby Boomer generation and the second book that is being published.

?Mark?s picture is in there a couple of times,? said Thompson. ?Once from his high school playing days and once from his professional

playing days.? Last October, Smolinski and the rest of the 1969 Jets? winning team were honored on the field during a scheduled game against Kansas City. He said he would bring the jersey from that ceremony with him to Rogers City.

Without a lot of fanfare, Smolinski celebrated his 70th birthday May 9. ?I guess, birthdays are just numbers now,? he said. ?It?s all how you feel. I certainly don?t feel 70.? Smolinski and his wife Janice celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary, June 1. He has been trying to spend as much time in the couple?s summer home on Grand Lake, but the weather hasn?t cooperated.

?I spend the summers there as much as possible, but with the weather being so bad, I came back over here for a couple of days,? said Smolinski. Thompson added, ?If we could just get the entire Smolinski family here, we?ll probably set an attendance record for that day.?

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