Donald Matthew Macek (born July 21, 1954) is an American former

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player who was a

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) for the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

for fourteen seasons. Macek played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

for the

Boston College Eagles The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams that represent Boston College, located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivisio ...

. He was drafted by the Chargers in the second round of the

1976 NFL Draft The 1976 National Football League draft was an annual player selection meeting held April 8–9, 1976, at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, New York. The draft lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks m ...

. Despite being underrated throughout his career, some have considered him among the top performing NFL centers during the 1980s and the best Charger at that position up to that point in time. In 1991, he was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame and to the Chargers Hall of Fame in 2004.

Professional career

Macek was drafted by the Chargers in the second of the

1976 NFL draft The 1976 National Football League draft was an annual player selection meeting held April 8–9, 1976, at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, New York. The draft lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks m ...

as a

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

and later re-positioned as a center in 1979. He went on to play 14 seasons for San Diego where he missed only 8 starts in 163 career games. Macek was known for his durability and the integral role he played on the team's offensive line, which provided cover for

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...

quarterback

Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts (born June 10, 1951) is an American former football quarterback who played for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) throughout his 15-season career (1973-87). After a relatively undistinguished firs ...

through most of the 1980s. That Chargers' offensive line allowed the fewest sacks per pass attempt in the NFL from 1981-1983. Upon his retirement in 1990, Macek ranked fifth on the team in games played and tied for third in seasons played. In 2004, Macek and his teammate Ed White were inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame. The two played together for the Chargers from 1978 to 1985. Macek was an alternate for several

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

s during his career.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macek, Don 1954 births Living people American football offensive linemen Boston College Eagles football players San Diego Chargers players Ed Block Courage Award recipients Manchester Central High School alumni