He was selected as a first-team All-American and won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy in 1948 as the most valuable player in the Big Ten Conference.
He played professional football for the Detroit Lions in 1951 and served as an Indiana state legislator and civil servant from 1954 to 1985.
He attended East Chicago's Washington High School where he won four varsity letters in football and was selected as an Indiana all-state fullback.
[1] Murakowski played on a Washington High School team that also featured future Northwestern teammates Alex Sarkisian and Ed Nemeth.
He played football for Tony Hinkle on the Great Lakes Naval Training Station team in 1944 before being assigned to sea duty.
He served for 18 months as a fireman first class on a destroyer mine layer that participated in the Battle of Okinawa in the spring of 1945.
Off Okinawa, a Japanese kamikaze plane crashed into the ship's superstructure, killing 19 crew members.
He had game-saving tackles against Ohio State and Wisconsin that helped the Wildcats win a berth in the 1949 Rose Bowl.
"[1] Northwestern coach Voigts in late 1948 praised Murakowski for adapting to the defensive assignment He has terrific speed.
[5] In selecting him as an All-American, the Associated Press wrote: "Art Murakowski, Northwestern's 195-pound fullback, played a prominent part in the success of the Wildcats.
"[2] Murakowski also won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy in 1948 as the most valuable player in the Big Ten Conference.
[8] Photographs published the next day by the Los Angeles Times showed the ball having left Murakowski's arms while his feet were still short of the goal line.
and noted, "Photographs show clearly that Murakowski fumbled about a yard out when he scored the Wildcat's second touchdown in Saturday's Rose Bowl game.
At the 30 Wisconsin tacklers appeared to have him pinned against the sideline, but he slipped through and after another 10 yards was out in front with only Christensen having a chance to pursue him.
[18] In March 1952, the Lions traded Murakowski and Bob Momsen to the Chicago Cardinals for veteran quarterback Jim Hardy.