Neal T. Olkewicz (born January 30, 1957) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 11-year career as a

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

for the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

of 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) from 1979 to 1989. He played college football for the

Maryland Terrapins The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divis ...

Early life

Olkewicz was born in

Phoenixville, Pennsylvania Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northwest of Philadelphia at the junction of French Creek and the Schuylkill River. It is in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The population is 18,616 ...

and attended

Phoenixville High School The Phoenixville Area School District (PASD) is a public school district headquartered in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. The current superintendent (2016) is Dr. Alan D. Fegley. The current assistant superintendent (2017) is Dr. Le Roy WhiteHead ...

, where he played football and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

College career

Olkewicz played college football at the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

from 1975 to 1978. While at Maryland, Olkewicz played in four bowl games - the Gator Bowl, Cotton Bowl, the Hall of Fame Classic, and the Sun Bowl. In 1978, he led the Terrapins' defense by making 188 tackles, a school record that still remains intact.

Professional career

Olkewicz signed with the

as a free agent in 1979. He won two Super Bowl Championships with victories over the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

(1982) and the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

(1987). He was named the Redskins’ Defensive MVP in 1988. Olkewicz is one of only five players in NFL history to play in a Super Bowl on his birthday ( Super Bowl XVII). He retired in 1989 following the Redskins victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the season finale. He played 150 games in his career and finished with six interceptions for 76 yards, one touchdown and 12 sacks.

After football

Since retirement, Olkewicz has owned a vending business in Rockville, Maryland called Olkewicz Vending serving the Washington metropolitan area. He was inducted into the Chester County Sports Hall of Fame in 2012 and the

Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame The Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (PSHF) is a nonprofit organization established in 1962.Home page
Pennsylvania Sports Hall o ...

in 2015. He is currently working as an aide at Pottsgrove High School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

References

External links

*
Chester County Sports Hall of Fame profile
1957 births Living people Washington Redskins players Maryland Terrapins football players People from Phoenixville, Pennsylvania Players of American football from Chester County, Pennsylvania {{linebacker-1950s-stub