He graduated from Fenger High School, where he earned eleven varsity letters in football, basketball, baseball, and swimming.

He played college football for the Marquette Golden Avalanche where he was elected team captain as a sophomore.

[4] He missed the 1943 and 1944 seasons due to World War II and service in the United States Marine Corps.

Although by this time the NFL had liberalized its substitution rules, making way for the two-platoon system, Apolskis continued to play both as a center on offensive and a middle guard on defense.

[6] This surgery proved to be only a temporary setback, however, and in September Apolskis signed a contract with the Cardinals for what would be an eighth season in the NFL.