Biography

In 1962 the pioneers of Bishop Feehan football embarked on their journey in a dry and dusty farmland of waist high straw grass on what is now the McGrath Football Stadium and Beach Baseball field. They were a motley crew from approximately ten surrounding cities and towns. They had  nicknames like Jiggsy, Frosty, Pet, Cap, Rat, and Donuts, however, one of the most important members of that first team did not even wear a uniform and went by the monicker of “Mousey.” Standing barely five feet tall and with a disarming smile that would light up a room, Mike Molitor of Norton along with his sidekick Jack Byrnes of North Attleboro started a tradition of service and dedication unparalleled over four decades of Feehan football as the first managers in the history of Feehan athletics.

Probably more than any sport, the logistics of fielding a football team is overwhelming. Extra knee pads, thigh pads, blocking dummies, sled pads, field jackets, and first aid kits were just a few of the items that Mike insured were on the field in working order for every practice and every game, and, God help him if something was not immediately available. “M-O-L-I-T-O-R” Coach Chet Hanewich would scream for Mike to help one player, administer to another, or retrieve something for a coach. In those early years there were many obstacles on and off the field in trying to establish a football program, but Mike was there EVERY DAY from the sweltering heat of August to the mini hurricane in Provincetown to the bone chilling cold of November .

Mike seemed to be everyone’s little brother who was constantly teased, but he could give as much as he took. He had a remarkable sense of humor and loved to tell funny stories (often in practice), helping to keep the players loose in a very intense sport. He was a great listener and dispenser of wisdom and advice long before the phrase, “sports psychologist” came in to being.  He loved the late Gary Flynn and the late Jim Ferrara, and they loved him just as much.  While he literally looked up to everyone, no one ever looked down at Mike Molitor, because he was the most beloved, most valuable player on the team.