No. 88 Retired Jersey Mike Savoy
Philip ‘Mike Savoy’ was an exceptional football and basketball player at Black Hills State. The Washington, DC native was an All-Conference football player in 1968, ’69 and ’70. He also received an All-Conference award for basketball. In 1970 Savoy was named to the NAIA First Team as an All-American wide receiver. That same year he was chosen as South Dakota College Athlete of the Year. Savoy and quarterback Mike Murphy teamed up to set 16 NAIA District 12 records.
To this date, Savoy still holds records for Black Hills State football. He is tied with the most game touchdown receptions with 4 in his 1970 season against Dakota State. Savoy holds single season records for receiving yards (1,197), touchdown receptions (7), and points (108) also all in his 1970 season. He remains at the top with the most career touchdown receptions (37). Mike holds records for the second most touchdowns (37) and points scored (222) in his career at BHS. He went on to play in the 1970 North-South Shrine game in Miami, Florida, for the north team.
After college, Savoy entered the 1971 NFL draft along with Archie Manning and Jim Plunkett, and was drafted in the ninth round by the St. Louis Cardinals with NFL Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf.
Savoy was with the Cardinals for a short time then chose to return home in Washington, DC, and look at other career opportunities. From 1978-’81 he taught PE and was the PE department chairman at Mackin Catholic High School in DC. He created and was the head of his own construction company, called Savoy Inc., for six years. In 1987 we began to work with D.C. Lottery Board as a field investigator until his untimely death in 1992. Savoy died on Oct. 15 of a heart attack at the age of 44 in Washington, DC.
Mike Savoy was a very active member in his community volunteering in organizations like coaching with D.C. Police Boys and Girls club, being a chairman to the Southeast Neighborhood House in Washington, a president of the Brothers Athletic Club, and many more. He even started his own organizations before he passed.
He left behind his wife Barbara, their two children Veronica and Phillip, and also his three grandchildren. Savoy was inducted into the Black Hills State Hall of Fame in 1986.
