Joseph M. Vijuk, '70  1945-2014

Joe Vijuk was a two-time All-American defensive tackle for some powerful Hillsdale College football teams in the late 1960s. He helped lead the 1969 team to the NAIA national semifinals, and was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Lineman on that team. As a senior in 1969, he recorded 71 unassisted tackles, then a school record for a player at his position, and was named NAIA All-State and to the Little All-American Team. Vijuk was a three-year starter at offensive line and defensive tackle at Hillsdale. He later played pro football for the Ottawa Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. He also competed for the Hillsdale College track team as a discus thrower. The football locker room and the team’s most outstanding defensive lineman award are currently both named in his honor.