Maciejewski is primed and ready

Megan Rossman

SUNY Brockport football player Mike Maciejewski runs a drill while trying out for the Buffalo Bills.

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Mike Maciejewski is from Cheektowaga, NY, a suburb of Buffalo. And this is where he hopes to keep his football career alive. He tried out for the Buffalo Bills on Valentine’s Day earlier this month.

Maciejewski played for the Brockport Golden Eagles varsity football team for four years, starting at receiver for two of them. This past year was one of his finest when he led the team with 41 catches for 671 yards and seven touchdowns. Maciejwski’s numbers were so good that he made second team all-conference.

One of the reasons Maciejewski has attained goals like this is because of his coaches.

“The best coach I ever had was Demeris Johnson,” Maciejewski said. “He played several years with the Dolphins and the Bills.”

Thanks to coaches like Johnson, Maciejewski feels he has a real shot at the big time, so the 22-year old physical education major has since taken a leave of absence from Brockport to go home and train.

“To be honest, I will not let football not work out,” Maciejewski stated. “I feel like that’s what I’m supposed to do.”

If it is what Maciejewski ends up doing you know for sure that he’ll enjoy it. His time in college may have just been that deciding factor.

College is where Maciejewski met his best friend, and now former senior co-wide-receiver, Mike Smith. Smith, a graduate of Webster Schroeder High School, is also part of the reason Maciejewski loves the game as much as he does.

“My best experience on the field would have to be my last game at Brockport with my best friend Mike Smith,” Maciejewski said. “I scored twice and his last catch of his career was a touchdown.”

It’s moments like these and those 14-hour bus trips to play games in Virginia that keep Maciejewski coming back for more. Hopefully this veteran will get to be a rookie one more time — this time in the big show.