Born in Los Angeles, Pawlawski attended the University of California, Berkeley, and led the Golden Bears to a 10–2 record and a No.
He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the eighth round of the 1992 NFL draft,[2][3] playing one season for the team while mostly on injured reserve.
[4] After spending 1993 and 1994 out of football, Pawlawski signed with the Arena Football League, playing his inaugural season with the Miami Hooters, then the next five with the Albany Firebirds where he established several league records and won Arena Bowl XIII.
[5] Pawlawski finished his career with the San Francisco Demons of the XFL, where he led his team to an appearance in the league championship.
He was one of only three quarterbacks (Tommy Maddox and Jim Druckenmiller being the other two) to last the whole XFL season without being injured or losing their job.