Hall of Fame
Position: Defensive Tackle
Years: 1985-1988
Place of Birth: Riverview, MI
Date of Birth: Dec. 29, 1965
Jersey Number: 60
Height: 6-3
Weight: 255
High School: Detroit Catholic Central HS (Novi, MI)
One of the greatest defensive players in Michigan history, Mark Messner terrorized offenses while becoming the Wolverines' all-time leader in sacks and tackles for loss. The Hartland, Michigan, native becomes the 33rd player in school history to be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
A unanimous First Team All-American in 1988, Messner started every game of his career (49) at Michigan. The 1988 Rotary Lombardi Award finalist remains the Wolverines' all-time career leader with 70 tackles for loss, 376 tackles for loss yardage, 36 sacks and 273 sack yardage. Named the 1988 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, Messner led Michigan to conference titles in 1986 and 1988. He was the first player in Big Ten history to be a first team all-conference selection in four consecutive years, and his career tackles for loss and sacks are both tied for third in the Big Ten record books.
The 1988 team captain led the Wolverines to three bowl victories, including the 1986 Fiesta Bowl where he earned Defensive MVP honors, as well as the 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl and the 1989 Rose Bowl. Messner guided the Wolverines to a 38-9-2 record and four final national rankings, including two top five finishes in 1985 (No. 2) and 1988 (No. 4). Michigan's sack leader all four seasons, his five sacks against Northwestern in 1987 remain a school single-game record. The Wolverines' 1987 team MVP and 1986 Defensive MVP led the team to a 3-1 record against archrival Ohio State. Messner was coached by College Football Hall of Famer Bo Schembechler and played alongside Hall of Famer John Elliott during his time in Ann Arbor. He capped his collegiate career in the Hula Bowl all-star game.
A sixth-round pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, Messner played one season for the Los Angeles Rams before a career-ending injury.
After retiring from football, Messner worked for Eastman Kodak, and he currently serves as a market vice president at Konica Minolta. He is also a board member of Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee in Florida.
