Hall of Fame

Induction Year: 2017

Mike Navarro shone brightly as a multi-faceted student athlete during his years at Carl Sandburg. As an Eagle, he participated in varsity track for three years and varsity football and wrestling for all four years. Navarro currently holds the single season touchdown record with twenty-two touchdowns in a season. He is second all-time in rushing yardage and was named All-State and Worth-Palos Reporter Player of the Year his senior year. Mike also took second place in the wrestling state tournament his senior year earning All-State honors.

After he graduated from Sandburg, Mike went on to excel in football as a fullback at University of Illinois. While there, he received the Bruce Chappel Award for outstanding courage and perseverance and was 10th on the all-time rushing record board. Currently, Mike is ranked 32nd all-time in career yardage (1083) at U of I.

Upon graduating from college, Mike pursued a career in education and joined the PE department at Carl Sandburg in 1976. He served as an assistant football coach from 1976 - 1992 and was named the Head Coach in 1993. He served in that capacity until 2002. He amassed 73 wins during his career and has a .723 career winning percentage. Mike was named Coach of the Year in 2007, inducted into the Illinois High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 2007 and became a member of the District 230 Legacy Hall in 2016. Mike’s legacy continues to live on at Sandburg, as his jersey number (#43) is retired and our football team now plays in the Mike Navarro Stadium.