Hall of Fame
Skowneski, a native of Warren and graduate of Warren Cousino HS, lettered four seasons in football at Wayne State in 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975. During his career with the Tartars, all at quarterback, Skowneski set or tied 26 Single Game, Single Season, Career, and Wayne State Stadium records. He was named WSU's Offensive MVP his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.
He still holds career records for Net Rushing Yards (2,459), Touchdowns Scored (37), Total Offensve Plays (1,036), Total Offense Yards (4,790). and Total Points Scored (222).
In a game against Illinois-Chicago in 1973 at Wayne State Stadium, Skowneski broke his own record of Yards Rushing with 182 and ran in for touchdowns of 15-, 39-, and 43 yards, as WSU defeated UIC 46-14. It was in the season-opener that year that Skowneski had established the new record of 172 yards in WSU's 19-17 win over Valparaiso. He would again set the Stadium Single Game Yards Rushing record against Valparaiso, when in 1975 Skowneski gained 203 yards in a 35-14 win over the Crusaders.
While Skowneski scored three touchdowns against Illinois-Chicago that afternoon, a teammate had a record-setting day, scoring four touchdowns himself, two on the ground and two on punt returns. Tailback and return specialist Richard Reese Byas, Jr., set that record, and joins Skowneski as a 1987 Inductee in the Wayne State Athletic Hall of Fame.
Other career records Skowneski established were number of 100-Yard Rushing Games (12), Touchdowns Responsible For (48), Season Leading Team in Rushing (3) and Passing (3), and Rushing Attempts (649). He held other career records for Passes Attempted (387), Passes Completed (162) and Passing Yardage (2,331). He set the single game record of 33 Rushing Attempts against Eastern Illinois in 1973, and rushing for 854 net yards that year, a single season record.
He was named to the 1975 All-GLIAC First Offense Team, and awarded WSU's Most Outstanding Offensive Back, Number 35 Award, the March of Dimes Male Amateur Athlete of the Year, Sports Illustrated Award of Merit, National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete, and a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
His degrees from Wayne State are a Bachelor's in Education in 1976 and Master's in Education in 1980. Interestingly, between degrees Skowneski continued to play collegiate football, quarterbacking the University of Windsor for one year. Until recently any athlete in the Canadian University system was eligible to play any sport for his entire academic career, regardless how long one was in school or whether his eligibility had expired in the United States. With the Lancers, he was named MVP of the Ontario-Quebec Conference, and an All-Canadian First Team quarterback. After his year with Windsor, Skowneski had a tryout with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and then returned to Wayne State to complete his master's.
