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Mike Czerwien was a
first-team All-American in 2007.
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Waynesburg assistant coach and 2007 D3football.com first team
All-American defensive end Mike Czerwien died July 6 after having a
medical issue on site at his part-time construction job.
Czerweni's family told WTAE television that he may have suffered
heat stroke and gone into cardiac arrest. An autopsy will be
performed.
Czerwien graduated from Waynesburg in 2008 with a degree in
business management and was pursuing an MBA while coaching
defensive ends. He was a four-time, first-team all-Presidents'
Athletic Conference pick and was the NCAA (all divisions) leader in
career sacks with 53.5.
"Mike was one of those individuals who only comes around about
every 10 years in a coach's life," said Waynesburg athletic
director and football coach Richard Shepas. "He was very loyal to
his family, and he loved and appreciated them very much. Mike
always showed appreciation for any opportunity he was given, and
that showed through his amazing work ethic and attitude. He was a
great worker and leader. What I really loved about Mike was how
grateful he was and how he brought that into his work ethic. I am
grateful to have coached him for three years and honored to have
had him coaching alongside me."
"They loved coach Czerwien -- his enthusiasm, and his energy, and
the drills and working out with them," Waynesburg sports
information director Bobby Fox told WTAE television. "You know, he
didn't expect them to do anything that he wouldn't do. That's
running, that's lifting weights, that's working play after play
after play until it was right."