NFF National Scholar-Athletes
DL – Saint John's University (MN)
3.86 GPA – Accounting
Head Coach: Gary Fasching | Athletics Director: Bob Alpers
Faculty Athletics Representative: Ben Trnka
Maintaining an exceptional 3.86 GPA while leading the conference and team in sacks for the second consecutive season, Michael Wozniak has deservedly earned All-America status both for his work on the field and in the classroom. The New Hope, Minnesota, native is the fourth NFF National Scholar-Athlete in Saint John's history.
A First Team Academic All-American and First Team Academic All-District selection in 2021, Wozniak is on pace to graduate with a degree in accounting in May 2023, and he plans to pursue an MBA. The two-time Academic All-MIAC honoree received an SJU Honors Scholarship and is a five-time Dean's List honoree.
This season, Wozniak leads the MIAC with seven sacks and ranks second in the conference with 10 tackles for loss while racking up 28 total tackles and two forced fumbles. The team captain has led the No. 7 Johnnies to a 6-1 record (4-1 in MIAC).
A D3Football.com First Team All-American and First Team All-Region selection in 2021, Wozniak led the MIAC with 10.5 sacks and finished second in the conference with 15.5 tackles for loss. He led an SJU squad that finished the 2021 regular season ranked third nationally in red-zone defense (.435) and 13th nationally in scoring defense (11 points per game). The 2021 First Team All-MIAC performer achieved all of this after missing the majority of 2019 with an injury and all of 2020 due to the season being canceled because of the pandemic. Wozniak has helped the Johnnies to MIAC championships in 2019 and 2021 and three trips to the Division III Playoffs (2018, 2019, 2021). In his SJU career, he currently boasts 66 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks.
A 2022 AFCA Good Works Team member, Wozniak is a five-year volunteer for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, helping the team raise nearly $42,000 for the hospital in 2021. The two-time member of SJU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has volunteered with the Special Olympics and helped organize fundraising efforts for Kids Fighting Hunger, the university's annual meal-packing event during Lent. Wozniak has also coached youth football in his hometown, and he participates in SJU Football's annual Tackle Cancer initiative, which raised more than $23,000 in 2021.
