A native of Fond du Lac, Wis., Witkowski came to UND in the fall of 1987. Witkowski was a standout football player and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the ninth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He is one of just eight UND players to get drafted by an NFL team.

Witkowski is the all-time leading UND tackler. In his senior season (1990), he was a UND captain and was named a first team All-North Central Conference and first team All-American linebacker. The 6-2, 230-pounder holds the school record for most total tackles in a single season (185 in 1990) and most career total tackles (548). He holds three of the top six individual tackling season in Sioux history.