William Harvey "Mike" Haggard Jr.

William Harvey "Mike" Haggard, Jr.

June 1, 1945 - Aug. 1, 2023

SEATTLE, WA - William Harvey "Mike" Haggard Jr., a teammate on arguably Oregon State's greatest football team, the Giant Killers of 1967, passed away August 1, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.

Mike was born June 1, 1945, in Vancouver, Washington to William Sr. and Claudia. Growing up in the Parkrose neighborhood of Northeast Portland, Mike was a multi-sport athlete. Playing catcher, Mike won a little league state baseball championship, and he was a three-sport athlete at Parkrose High School. After graduation, Mike enrolled at Oregon State University and joined the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.

In response to an open call for tryouts, Mike made the 1965 football team as a walk-on place kicker - despite having only played the position for two games in high school. Against cross-state rival Oregon Ducks, Mike played in the last Civil War football rivalry game played at the old Hayward Field in Eugene and the first played at the new Autzen Stadium on the same field that would later be named after his position coach, Rich Brooks.

In 1967, Mike played in a number of big games, kicking three field goals in the Beaver's 22-14 road victory over second-ranked Purdue. Several weeks later, against the top-ranked University of Southern California Trojans, whose players included the future Heisman winner OJ Simpson, Mike scored the only points of the game, kicking a field goal for the Beavers' 3-0 win. By the time he graduated with a bachelor's degree from Engineering School, Mike held the Oregon State football career record for field goals made and points after touchdown made.

In 1970, Mike obtained a second degree in Business Administration and went on to have a long, successful career working for heavy equipment companies Hyster and Robbins, and later at Boeing in Seattle.

Mike lived in a close-knit West Seattle neighborhood for nearly 50 years where he was known for keeping the road median lawn mowed and the bowl on his front steps full of water for any passing neighborhood dogs.

Mike is survived by his sister Patricia Gallagher of Corvallis, his nephew Douglas Gallagher of Eugene, and several life-long friends, neighbors, and relatives.

A private ceremony and a celebration of life will be held at a future date. Please send any remembrances to the "Mike Haggard Walk-On Endowed Scholarship" c/o the OSU Foundation, Attn: Gift Processing, 4238 SW Research Way, Corvallis, OR 97333.