Pocatello, Idaho- When San Diego native Mike Machurek was searching for a Division I program to call home out of junior college, he got a taste of what winter meant in the Big Sky Conference when his flight to Salt Lake City had to make an unexpected stop in Pocatello. Fortunately for Idaho State Football and the community, this change of course in December 1979 created the perfect storm for the Bengals.
"The plane diverted to the Pocatello airport on my way to Weber," the former San Diego City College quarterback said. "I visited with assistant coach Mike Sheppard for a few minutes and then came back to ISU a week later and fell in love with the place."
Like many recruits, and especially those from Southern California, Machurek could not believe what the then-coined Minidome offered given the region's unpredictable weather.
After touring Holt Arena and spending more time with the coaching staff on his official visit, he was sold. "Coach Sheppard and Coach Kragthorpe were all just great people so it was an easy choice. Once I got back to my house I talked to my dad and said, I am going to ISU."
Most Bengal football fans are well-versed with what happened from there. After the 1979 team finished 0-11, Dave Kragthorpe brought his air attack along with Machurek to Pocatello and quickly started steering the ship in the right direction.
"They already had a pretty good defense," Machurek said about the returners. "There were some great players on the '78 and '79 teams that we were lucky enough to add to the group that Kragthorpe brought in. Being able to mesh all those players together, what Kragthorpe and all his coaches did was awesome."
The former sixth-round NFL draft pick has countless memories about his time as a Bengal, but what stands out the most when talking to him is the emphasis he puts on practice. Rather than dwelling on games or individual performances, Machurek stressed the team's preparation and how it was key to their success.
"We had wars every day against each other," he said. "We would go to practice as if our defense was the opposition and we hated them, and I'm sure they hated us too. As soon as we got off the field the comradery was there. But you go to work every day and you play on Saturday."
Much to the delight of the Bengal faithful who had not enjoyed a winning season since 1975, the team did just that. "The fans were hungry for wins," Machurek recalled. "We had fun that first year in 1980 and they started showing up towards the end of the year in the stands. Getting eight to ten thousand people in the dome was wonderful. Pocatello was just awesome to us."
After four years in the NFL with the Detroit Lions, Mike and his wife Leslie returned to Pocatello in the mid to late '80s and noticed how hard the local community would work to raise money for Idaho State Athletics, and they wanted to get involved.
"I had a wonderful time at Idaho State University as a player, as a student, and I met my wife there. We sent our oldest daughter off to ISU and she had a wonderful time. Now she is helping out here in Boise with the ISU Alumni Association."
Leslie, who was working at ICCU in Pocatello when the two met, has been the driver when it comes to philanthropy even though she did not attend college. "I got to ISU on a scholarship, so she has always pushed every single year for us to give back what we can," Machurek said.
His desire to support ISU can also be attributed to Kragthorpe for consistently challenging the team to step up. "Throughout the year's Coach always said past athletes are usually the worst at giving back to programs. So that's always stuck with me and motivated us to give back."
"We also have a very special person in our life, Duane Stueckle, one of the owners of our company. He is a booster at Boise State University and loves to give back even though he never played sports at Boise State. He has always shown us the passion for giving back to the university of your choice."
In addition to these influences, Machurek is quick to recognize Jim and Su Fox, lifelong friends that he got to know as a student-athlete at ISU. "We stayed around in the summers and I later became sales manager at Jim's radio station. Jim and Su were a huge influence on me and I am thankful every day for their participation in Bengal Athletics."
It only takes one conversation with Machurek to realize he is an "all-in" kind of guy. From confidently deciding to choose Idaho State over WSU, to generously paying it forward like he and Leslie have been doing over the years, the Machureks continue to make a lasting impact on Idaho State University.
To take it a step further, the couple established
The Michael and Leslie Machurek Football Scholarship Endowment Fund in September 2021 which will benefit Bengal quarterbacks for generations to come.
"We are beyond thankful for Mike and Leslie's longtime contributions to Idaho State University,"
Pauline Thiros said, director of athletics. "Their endowment will have a lasting impact on Bengal Football and our student-athletes who are striving for greatness on and off the field."
"You've made your decision, so just go for it, and have a great time and enjoy what you're doing," Machurek said when asked about his advice to ISU student-athletes. "There's a lot of things in life ahead of you that you have no control over. Take advantage of what you've got right now."
Any Bengal football fan could argue that the Idaho State Athletics Hall of Famer did just that.
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Idaho State Athletics appreciates every donor committed to making a positive impact on the lives of 300-plus Bengal student-athletes. To inquire about establishing a new scholarship, please contact Associate Athletic Director Joel Moersch at (208) 282-4503 or joelmoersch@isu.edu.
