Mike Kiselak

Early years

Kiselak attended Pine Bush High School where he played as an offensive tackle. He accepted a scholarship from the University of Maryland, where he began his career playing on defense as a nose guard. As a sophomore, he registered 16 tackles and one quarterback sack.

The next year, he was converted to an offensive guard and started the last seven games. He was a regular starter as a senior and after his game against Wake Forest University, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week.

Professional career

Kiselak was signed as an undrafted free agent in 1990 by the Kansas City Chiefs and was waived on August 28.

In 1991, he played in the inaugural season of World League of American Football, where he started as an offensive tackle protecting the future Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. After being waived by the New York Giants in training camp, he would re-sign with the Riders for the 1992 WLAF season.

On April 7, 1993, he signed with the Sacramento Gold Miners of the CFL, where he was converted to center. After two years he signed as a free agent with the San Antonio Texans and played with them until the team folded. He was selected by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 1996 CFL Dispersal Draft and was traded before the season started to the Toronto Argonauts in exchange for offensive lineman John Terry.

Kiselak played center for the Argonauts, where he protected Doug Flutie and helped the team win two Grey Cups. He was an All-Star and received the CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award in consecutive years.

In 1998, after years of training camps with the Chiefs (1990), the Houston Oilers (1991) and the Giants (1992), he seized the opportunity and moved to the NFL to play for the Dallas Cowboys. He made the team after showing he could play three different positions and eventually passed Clay Shiver on the depth chart, starting 7 games at center as a 31-year-old rookie. The next year, he was placed on the injured reserve list in training camp, after suffering a career threatening left knee injury (tore his lateral meniscus, anterior cruciate, medial cruciate and posterior cruciate ligaments).

In 2001, he came back from his knee injury and was selected in the 14th round of the XFL supplemental draft by the San Francisco Demons. He was a starter at center until the league folded.

Personal life

Since 2007, Kiselak has been one of the board of directors for Kids Matters International, a children's charity organization. Where he has helped clothe thousands of children in need through the organizations local outreach called "Around the Block". Michael and his wife since 1992, Kim, have been involved in clothing kids since his playing days in Dallas in 1998. He is also a church minister under Church on the Rock- International and a motivational speaker.