He is John Jurkovic -- arguably the most successful football player Eastern Illinois University has ever had.

Jurkovic, a business education major, was a tough customer. While playing football at Eastern, he was twice named Gateway Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a Division I-AA All-American.

He was just as tough off the field, too. In the late 1980s, alum Stephen Haberkorn lived in Douglas Hall with Jurko and sometimes watched ballgames with him. Haberkorn said that during an dorm basketball game Jurko picked up the referee, who Jurko was friends with, by the neck to protest a call. Wow!

After dominating opposing players and fellow students alike, Jurko was signed in 1990 as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers in 1991, was cut and later placed on the practice squad. He was activated to play later that year and got one solo tackle in five games.

In 1992, Jurkovic started at nose tackle for the Packers and was usually tops on the defensive line in tackles. During the 1995 playoffs, punk Cowboy cornerback Eric Williams took the cheap shot of all cheap shots when he undercut Jurko, taking John out of the game. Jurko's injury because of that Pearl Harbor job was so bad the Packers released him after the season. He went to the Cardinals but was quickly sent to the Jaguars.

The 1995-96 season with the Jaguars was his best. He recorded 72 tackles, had a sack and recovered two fumbles and and in was named to the UPI All-AFC second team. He started at nose tackle the next season but was placed on the injured reserve list after breaking his leg during a game Sept. 22, 1996 -- the first regular season game he missed since 1991.

Pretty beat up after the break, Jurko went to the Ravens and spent his final year -- 1999 -- with the Cleveland Browns, where he performed heroically despite his paper mashie knees. The Curator of the EIU Hall of Fame could have sworn he spotted Jurko in Continental Airlines' ticket counter at Cleveland’s Hopkins Airport.

Jurk proves that their is life after football. In 2001 he was named to the 3 to 6 p.m. slot at ESPN's radio station in Chicago, WLUP AM 1000. He also does commentary for Arena football games.

Jurko is supposed to be witty as hell and in Green Bay hosted a weekly radio show called "Yakkin' with Jurko. In 19998, Sport Magazine said he was the funniest player in the NFL.

In the Jurkovic personal file, he's was born in Friedrischafen, West Germany, but grew up in Illinois and, at last check, still has a home in Calumet City. He has a wife and two children.

John's real first name is Ivan. His brother Mirko, who went to some small Catholic school in Indiana called Notre Dame, was drafted by the Bears in 1992.

Jurko's been a no-show at most Eastern events and attempts at interviews have also been pretty unsuccessful. However, Jurkovic was rather accessible and personable when contacted in the late '80s, according to '91 alum and former Daily Eastern News Editor in Chief David Lindquist, now rock critic at The Indianapolis Star.

Sources for information and some photos: The Sporting News, NFL, The Times of Northwest Indiana and Florida Times-Union Jacksonville Jaguars Page. Special thanks and credit to '86 alum Greg Baggerly and Stephen Haberkorn.