William and Mary Alumni Magazine | Winter 2007/2008, Vol. 73, No. 2
As he puts it, Tom Mikula '47 (pictured) "drifted" onto campus in 1943 and was admitted to William and Mary in a unique era. Mikula emerged from the College in 1947 with the prestigious Carr Cup and a job in pro football. On the football field, Mikula earned enough money to pay for a master's degree on his way to a successful career in education.
"None of that was possible without William and Mary and without football," says Mikula. When he returned to Williamsburg after retirement, he wanted to give back to the school and the sport that had given him everything -- and wanted to inspire his former teammates to do so as well.
Mikula established the Hundred Each Year For A Rising Letterman endowment -- or HEYFARL -- in 1993 in order to provide opportunities for talented walk-on athletes. Whether by a yearly donation of $100 or a single donation of $2,500, HEYFARL is designed to allow donors to help support and enrich William and Mary football, no matter what their income.
Ultimately, though, the HEYFARL story is about remembering teammates and coaches and keeping the Tribe football tradition alive. The names on the HEYFARL list reflect wives remembering husbands, younger players remembering coaches, and older players remembering teammates who once played beside them. One player donated in the name of his heart surgeon, an ex-Tribe quarterback he credited with saving his life. In one way or another, HEYFARL donors pay tribute to the ways that Tribe football changes lives for the better.
