He is a former Canadian football wide receiver and former offensive coordinator for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, and UBC Thunderbirds.
Ptaszek was also named to the Golden Hawks Team of the Century and holds the school's records for most receiving yards in a career.
As a professional player, he played for four seasons for the BC Lions, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.
Ptaszek became McMaster's head coach in 2006 and won the school's first Vanier Cup championship in 2011.
On May 5, 2016, Ptaszek was named the offensive coordinator and receivers coach for the Canadian Football League's Hamilton Tiger-Cats.