There is much to be said for versatility. And, Michael Shebek,
you are among the most versatile athletes ever inducted into the
WPI Athletic Hall of Fame. As was often the case for outstanding
athletes when you were a student, you played more than one sport.
But even then, winning letters four years running in three
different sports was a tremendous accomplishment.
Your 12 varsity letters were earned in the classic trio of
football, basketball and baseball, as you played the classic trio
of positions: a back in football, a guard in basketball and a
shortstop in baseball. You also captained the football and baseball
teams your senior years.
It was in football that your name was immortalized. Your coach,
Bob Pritchard, recognized talent when he saw it. He designed a play
in which you received a lateral from the quarterback and had the
option to run, pass or punt. The play became known as the "Shebek
Series." Coach Pritchard still used the play long after you
graduated.
You played 60 minutes in every football game during your
four-year career, with the exception of one game during your senior
year when you were sidelined by an injury. Your best talent on the
gridiron may have been your punting. Averaging more than 40 yards a
kick, you were considered the best punter in New England and one of
the best in the East.
From Alumni Field, you moved on each winter to Alumni Gym, where
you were a starting guard in basketball. But your best sport was
baseball. You played staring shortstop all four years, committing
few errors, hitting over .300, and playing in every inning of every
game during your four WPI years. Your feats on the field won you
pro offers from the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Giants.
"He was our best player," said the late Charlie McNulty, who
coached you in basketball and baseball.
Off the field and the court, you belonged to the Theta Kappa Phi
fraternity and were a member of the Tech Council, Skull and Who's
Who. You were president of the Varsity Club. Today, you are owner
of Automatic Pool Covers Inc, in Indianapolis, Ind.
Michael Shebek, for your remarkable achievements in three sports
and your contributions to WPI sports lore, it is a privilege to
induct you into the WPI Athletic Hall of Fame.
