Mike Marshall (ca. 1947 – 1975) was an American inventor best known for his co-invention, with John Stalberger, of the sport

footbag A footbag is a small, round bag usually filled with plastic pellets or sand, which is kicked into the air as part of a competitive game or as a display of dexterity. "Hacky Sack" is the name of a brand of footbag popular in the 1970s (currently o ...

and the

Hacky Sack A footbag is a small, round bag usually filled with plastic pellets or sand, which is kicked into the air as part of a competitive game or as a display of dexterity. "Hacky Sack" is the name of a brand of footbag popular in the 1970s (currently o ...

in 1972. Marshall was living in

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

when he met Stalberger. Stalberger was undergoing rehabilitation for his

knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...

and so he began to exercise with Marshall, who was kicking around a homemade

beanbag A bean bag (also beanbag) is a sealed bag containing dried beans, PVC pellets, expanded polystyrene, or expanded polypropylene. The bags are commonly used for throwing games, but they have various other applications. Furniture Designed by ...

. Marshall died in 1975 at the age of 28 from a fatal

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

. He was inducted into the Footbag Hall of Fame in 1999. The Footbagger of the Year award changed its name in 1990 to the Mike Marshall Award in his memory.

References

The Secret History of Balls: The Stories Behind the Things We Love to CatchOregon City News Online - Hack(y) JobOregon City News Online - She came crashing through the ceilingFootbag History
Footbag Sportspeople from Oregon 1975 deaths Footbag players Year of birth uncertain {{US-sport-bio-stub