{{Short description|American football player (born 1946)}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox gridiron football biography | name = Mike Schnitker | number = 64 | position = Offensive lineman | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|12|30}} | birth_place = Atchison County, Missouri, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 3 | weight_lb = 245 | high_school = Lakewood {{nowrap|(Lakewood, Colorado)}} | college = Colorado | draftyear = 1969 | draftround = 4 | draftpick = 84 | pastteams = * Denver Broncos (1969–{{NFL Year|1975}}) | highlights = * First-team All-Big Eight (1967) * Second-team All-Big Eight (1968) * Bluebonnet Bowl (1967) |statleague = NFL/AFL | statlabel1 = Games played | statvalue1 = 74 | statlabel2 = Games started | statvalue2 = 26 | statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries | statvalue3 = 1 | pfr = SchnMi21 }}

'''James Michael Schnitker''' is an American former professional football player who was an offensive lineman for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes.<ref>[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SchnMi21.htm Mike Schnitker NFL & AFL Football Statistics - Pro-Football-Reference.com]</ref>

==Early career== Schnitker played football for Lakewood High School and was also active as a wrestler.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 21, 1965 |title=Impalas' Lopez Takes Second in State Meet |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-collins-coloradoan-impalas-lopez-t/142573402/ |work=Fort Collins Coloradoan |pages=13}}</ref> He won in 1964 a Class AAA championship.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=April 4, 1965 |title=Eight High School Gridders choose CU |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-collins-coloradoan-eight-high-schoo/142573477/ |work=Fort Collins Coloradoan |pages=27}}</ref> He signed a letter of intent in April 1965 for the University of Colorado Boulder.<ref name=":0" /> He played as a defensive end for Colorado. In 1967 his team won the 1967 Bluebonnet Bowl, but Schnitker didn't play because of a knee-injury and went into surgery.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 26, 1967 |title=Sports of the world |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/tulsa-world-sports-of-the-world/142573765/ |work=Tulsa World}}</ref> He was selected ''UPI All-Big Eight Second Team Defense'' and a ''AP All-Big Eight First Team Defensive''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 29, 1967 |title=UPI All-Big Eight Team |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald-upi-all-big-eight-tea/142573730/ |work=Omaha World-Herald}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=November 30, 1967 |title=Four Huskers Selected to All-Big Eight Team |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fremont-tribune-four-huskers-selected-to/142573815/ |work=Fremont Tribune}}</ref> He also got an honorable mention for the All-America Teams.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 8, 1967 |title=Meylin, Liggins on All-America Teams |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/garden-city-telegram-meylin-liggins-on/142573877/ |work=Garden City Telegram}}</ref>

He started the 1968 season playing with an "Iron Boot" after his injury the prior season and switched to linebacker.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 4, 1968 |title="Iron Boot" Keeps Buffs' Mike Schnitker in Drills |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salina-journal-iron-boot-keeps-buf/142573954/ |work=The Salina Journal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 4, 1968 |title=CU's Buffs Rated as Solid First Division Contender |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lincoln-journal-star-cus-buffs-rated-as/142573979/ |work=Lincoln Journal Star}}</ref> He was selected as ''Big Eight Lineman of the week'' in October 1968 after a game against Iowa State,<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 8, 1968 |title=Honor to Buff Defender |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-times-honor-to-buff-defe/142574145/ |work=The Kansas City Times}}</ref> and after the season as ''AP All-Big Eight Second Team Defensive''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 21, 1968 |title=Five Jayhawks are All-Big 8 Choices |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-parsons-sun-five-jayhawks-are-all-bi/142574254/ |work=The Parsons Sun}}</ref> In December 1968 he was selected for the California all-opponents team, together with teammate Mike Montler, to play in the Hula Bowl as part of the South team.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 18, 1968 |title=Cal Picks Nine From USC For Opponents' Team |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-cal-picks-nine-from-u/142572626/ |work=The Sacramento Bee |pages=101}}</ref> He also played for the West team in the All-America football game together with Mike Montler.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 15, 1969 |title=Pepper Arrives, Adds 3 players |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal-pepper-arrives-adds/142574465/ |work=The Atlanta Journal}}</ref>

==Professional career== In the 1969 NFL/AFL draft he was chosen as 84th in the fourth round by the Denver Broncos where he played as a guard. In November 1969 he was injured with a hamstring-injury.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 12, 1969 |title=You need the killer instinct |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/corpus-christi-caller-times-you-need-the/142574541/ |work=Corpus Christi Caller-Times}}</ref> In April 1970 he re-signed with the Broncos together with John Johnson, Al Giffin, Alan Pastrana and Wandy Williams.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 2, 1970 |title=Broncos sign free agent, 4 veterans |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/greeley-daily-tribune-broncos-sign-free/142574575/ |work=Greeley Daily Tribune}}</ref> He again suffered a knee-injury in October 1970. Also in November 1971 was he carried of the field with a knee-injury. In July 1972 he re-signed with the Denver Broncos together with Mike Current.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 27, 1972 |title=Denver Signings |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-worth-star-telegram-denver-signings/142572524/ |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |pages=34}}</ref> In the summer of 1975 he underwent surgery for his knee but didn't return to pro football afterwards.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 18, 1975 |title=Pete Duranko inks contract |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-idaho-press-pete-duranko-inks-cont/142574764/ |work=South Idaho Press}}</ref> He played 74 games, of which he started 26 for the Denver Broncos.

==References== {{reflist}}

{{Broncos1969DraftPicks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schnitker, Mike}} Category:1946 births Category:American football offensive guards Category:Denver Broncos (AFL) players Category:Denver Broncos players Category:Colorado Buffaloes football players Category:Living people Category:People from Atchison County, Missouri Category:Players of American football from Missouri Category:20th-century American sportsmen

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