Mike Oriard (born May 26, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After his football career, he became a college administrator and professor.
Oriard was born in Spokane, Washington. He was a standout athlete at Gonzaga Preparatory School in Spokane.
A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he was a walk-on player in its football team.
Oriard played offensive lineman for four seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs.
After retiring from football, he earned his PhD at Stanford and became a professor of English and later Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Oregon State University. His academic work has centered on American sports nonfiction in multiple media.