Indiana University of Pennsylvania Athletics

For 19 years, until this past May, the contributions of Tom Modrak to the National Football League Pittsburgh Steelers became more and more visible.
So visible that he was tabbed by the cross-state rival Philadelphia Eagles to become their director of football operations, where indications already are that his leadership will put his new team on the winning track.
Modrak, who carved a reputation before graduating from IUP in 1965 as an offensive lineman who shifted to fullback on a moment's notice and performed just as well, had joined the Steelers' fulltime staff in 1979.
Ten years later, and for the past nine, he served the Black and Gold as college scouting coordinator, the man who headed the researching and evaluating of each year's potential talent pool as well as supervising all Steeler scouts. In other words, Modrak was charged as much as anyone with ensuring Steeler success from year to year.
His original professional background to succeed in this included assistant coaching posts at the U. S. Military Academy (West Point), the University of Utah and Harvard. He also completed a master's degree in physical education at West Virginia University.
For the first eight years after joining the Steelers, Modrak had been a pro scout, then director of pro scouting for two years, responsible for getting the line on upcoming opponents as the seasons went on.
Modrak's football roots, though, developed in Pittsburgh, where he was named the City League Most Valuable Lineman as a senior at Carrick High, and IUP, where he transferred in '62 after a year at Arizona State to major in geography.
His first campaign with the Indians was also coach Chuck Mills' first, and the two, Modrak playing offensive tackle and linebacker, had a lot to do with IUP improving from the season before's 2-7 record to 5-2- 1, including wins in five of that fall's last six games.
In '63, with Modrak at fullback, IUP posted a 7-1-1 record, the team's best since 1940, with the only loss a 10-7 decision. In '64 Modrak moved back to the front line, at guard, and meant a great deal to first-year coach Chuck Klausing as the Indians advanced to IUP's first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship game ever before finishing 8-2.
He and the former Sandy Bezila have two daughters, Stephanie and Erin. Stephanie, a 1992 IUP grad now in the Washington, DC, area, is married to David Dougherty, son of the late Owen, longtime baseball and football coach inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996. Erin graduated from Penn State and this summer completed an MBA degree at Pitt.