Fruitport’s Mike Teeter surprised scouts at his National Football League tryouts with his strength and ability to bench press 600 pounds. But his abilities were of little surprise to those in the West Michigan area, as Teeter was renowned for a relentless work ethic and team-first attitude.

A sprinter at Fruitport High School, Teeter could cover the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds. A dominating force on the football field at Fruitport in the early 1980s, Teeter playing seemingly every position.

Proving that he was more than just a tough guy in a small town, Teeter became a four-year standout at the University of Michigan during one of the greatest periods in the Wolverines’ storied history.  Under the direction of legendary coach Bo Schembechler, Teeter helped lead the Wolverines to Big Ten championships in 1986, 1988 and 1989 and two Rose Bowl berths. Perhaps the highest tribute for the 6-3, 260-pounder came after his senior year when Schembechler called Teeter “our most valuable defensive lineman by far.”
Second team all-Big Ten in his senior year, he started his pro career with Frankfort of the World League (now known as NFL Europe), where he was named All-World. He went on to play six years in the NFL for Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Houston, Carolina and Arizona before retiring in 1996. Teeter returned to the college game as the defensive line coach at Indiana for two years under head coach Cam Cameron. In 1998, he resigned his position to return home.