31 Facts About Mark Messner

Mark W Messner was born on December 29,1965 and is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League during the 1989 season.

Mark Messner started every game, 49 in all, at defensive tackle for Michigan from 1985 to 1988.

Mark Messner was the first position player ever to be selected as a first-team All-Big Ten Conference player all four years.

Mark Messner set still holds Michigan records for quarterback sacks in a game, career tackles for loss, and career sacks.

Mark Messner was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 2014.

Mark Messner was born in Riverview, Michigan, a southern suburb of Detroit, in 1965.

Mark Messner's biological father, Max Messner, was a linebacker for the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers from 1960 to 1965.

Mark Messner's parents divorced when he was young, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather, Del Pretty, who ran a piano store in Livonia, Michigan.

Pretty was diagnosed with lymph node cancer in 1980 and eventually died from the disease in December 1989 when Mark Messner was a rookie with the Los Angeles Rams.

Mark Messner was a hyperactive child for whom football was an outlet to unleash his energy.

Mark Messner grew up in Hartland, Michigan, and attended Hartland High School from 1980 to 1981 before transferring to Detroit Catholic Central High School, which was then located in Redford, Michigan.

Mark Messner played at the tight end and nose guard positions for Catholic Central in 1982 and 1983 and earned all-state and high school All-American honors as a senior, and graduated in 1984.

Mark Messner was later inducted into both the Catholic Central and Catholic League Halls of Fame.

Mark Messner enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1984 and played college football as a defensive tackle for head coach Bo Schembechler's Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1985 to 1988.

At six feet, three inches, Mark Messner was small for his position.

Mark Messner adjusted for his size by playing with speed and intelligence.

Mark Messner was a redshirt who did not play during the 1984 season.

Mark Messner was named the Defensive Player of the Game in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl after he registered nine tackles, forced a fumble, and recovered another.

Mark Messner was selected as a first-team defensive lineman on the 1985 All-Big Ten team.

Mark Messner was voted by his teammates as Michigan's defensive player of the year.

Mark Messner had eight sacks and set a Michigan record in 1988 with 26 tackles for loss.

Mark Messner was selected to play in the Hula Bowl and the Japan Bowl post-season all-star games.

Mark Messner was the first position player in the Big Ten Conference to be selected as a first-team all-conference player in four consecutive years.

In four years at Michigan, Mark Messner totaled 248 tackles and five fumble recoveries.

Mark Messner remains Michigan's all-time career leader in tackles for loss, tackles for sack yardage, sacks, and sack yardage.

Mark Messner was Michigan's sack leader each year from 1985 to 1987.

In 2014, Mark Messner was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor.

Mark Messner has been included on the ballot for possible induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in both 2013 and 2014.

Mark Messner was selected in the sixth round of the 1989 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams.

Mark Messner appeared in only four regular season games, none as a starter, for the Rams during their 1989 season.

Mark Messner has four children, Mitchell Messner, Justin Messner, Bailey Reiter and Mckenna Reiter.