Chris Zorich: Difference between revisions

Tackles:	211
Sacks:	16.5

Chris Zorich
	Zorich in 2006
No. 97, 78
Position:	Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born:	March 13, 1969 (age 55); Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	282 lb (128 kg)
Career information
High school:	Chicago Vocational
College:	Notre Dame
NFL draft:	1991 / Round: 2 / Pick: 49
Career history
As a player:
	Chicago Bears (1991–1997); Washington Redskins (1997);
As an administrator:
	Prairie State (2015–2018) ; (Athletic director); Chicago State (2018–2019) ; (Athletic director);
Career highlights and awards
	UPI Lineman of the Year (1989); Lombardi Award (1990); Unanimous All-American (1990); Consensus All-American (1989); Orange Bowl Defensive MVP (1991); Pro Bowl alternate (1993);
Career NFL statistics
Tackles:
Tackles:	211
Sacks:	16.5
	Player stats at PFR
	College Football Hall of Fame

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit Next edit →

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Revision as of 10:18, 21 April 2024

Christopher Robert Zorich (born March 16, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Zorich was the athletic director at Chicago State University from May 2018 to July 2019.

Early life

An only child of African American and Croatian descent, Zorich was raised by his mother, Zora (1931 - 1991), on the South Side of Chicago, where he attended Chicago Vocational High School.^[1] Chris is nephew to character actor Louis Zorich and his wife Olympia Dukakis.^[2]

College career

Zorich received a scholarship to play college football at the University of Notre Dame in 1987 and began as a linebacker but was moved to nose tackle early in the season and did not play.^[3] However, Zorich then earned All-American honors the following season. In his first game, he had one and a half sacks and ten tackles against the University of Michigan and finished the year third on the team in tackles as Notre Dame went undefeated and won the national championship.^[3]

During his junior year, he followed his initial season with a consensus All-America year in 1989 and was also one of four finalists for the Lombardi Award. Also in 1989 he was voted the UPI Lineman of the Year award as the top lineman in college football. As a senior, Zorich won the Lombardi Award and was recognized as a unanimous All-America.

In the final game of his college career he was the Defensive Most Valuable player of the 1991 Orange Bowl.^[3]

While at Notre Dame, Zorich attended a class taught by onetime Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren. Zorich eventually signed with Warren's new law firm as Warren's first client.^[4]

NFL career

Zorich was selected in the second round of the 1991 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears.^[5] He played for the Bears from 1991 until 1997, and he was named an alternate for the 1993 Pro Bowl. On December 27, 1992, he returned a fumble for a touchdown during a 27-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.^[6] He also played one season, in 1997, for the Washington Redskins. Over the course of his NFL career, Zorich tallied 16.5 career quarterback sacks and scored total one touchdown.

After football

Zorich earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at Notre Dame^[3] and established the Christopher Zorich Foundation in 1993 to assist disadvantaged families. He is a past recipient of USA WEEKEND's Most Caring Athlete Award and the Jesse Owens Foundation Humanitarian Award. Zorich has also worked as a motivational speaker.

On May 9, 2007, Zorich was announced as one of the specially selected inductees of the 2007 class at the College Football Hall of Fame. Not only was he one of the youngest players to ever be inducted, he is only the third defensive lineman from tradition-rich Notre Dame to call the College Football Hall of Fame home.

On December 8, 2009, Zorich was also inducted into the FedEx Orange Bowl Hall of Fame for his outstanding performances in back-to-back Orange Bowl appearances in 1990 and 1991.^[7]

Zorich lives in Chicago and continues to be an active in athletics administration. From 2015 to 2018, he served as the athletic director at Prairie State College, a community college in Chicago Heights, Ill. From May 2018 to July 2019, he served as athletic director at Chicago State University.^[8]

References

^ "The Chris Zorich Foundation – Biography". Chris Zorich Foundation. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008. Retrieved July 31, 2008.
^ Zorich mother's day
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Chris Zorich's College Football HOF profile". College Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 30, 2008.
^ "Sweat Suits :: Minnesota Law & Politics". August 4, 2016. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
^ "1991 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
^ Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys - December 27th, 1992
^ "Chris Zorich Selected to Orange Bowl Hall of Fame". December 8, 2009. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
^ "Chicago State parts ways with former Bears, Notre Dame DT Chris Zorich". Chicago Sun-Times. July 30, 2019.

External links

Chris Zorich at the College Football Hall of Fame
Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference

[foundation-1] "The Chris Zorich Foundation – Biography". Chris Zorich Foundation. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008. Retrieved July 31, 2008.

[2] Zorich mother's day

[collegefootballhof-3] "Chris Zorich's College Football HOF profile". College Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 30, 2008.

[4] "Sweat Suits :: Minnesota Law & Politics". August 4, 2016. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2017.

[5] "1991 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.

[6] Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys - December 27th, 1992

[7] "Chris Zorich Selected to Orange Bowl Hall of Fame". December 8, 2009. Retrieved July 8, 2014.

[8] "Chicago State parts ways with former Bears, Notre Dame DT Chris Zorich". Chicago Sun-Times. July 30, 2019.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|American football player and administrator (born 1969)}}
-{{NFLretired
+{{distinguish|Chris Zoricich}}
-|image=
+{{Use American English|date=April 2024}}
+{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
+{{Infobox NFL biography
+|name=Chris Zorich
+|image=Chris Zorich.jpg
+|alt=
+|caption=Zorich in 2006
 |position=[[Defensive tackle]]
-|number=50, 97
+|number=97, 78
-|birthdate={{Birth date and age|1969|3|13|mf=y}}<br>[[Chicago, Illinois]]
+|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1969|3|13|mf=y}}
+|birth_place=[[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]], U.S.
-|deathdate=
+|death_date=
-|debutyear=1991
+|death_place=
-|finalyear=1997
+|height_ft = 6
+|height_in = 1
+|weight_lbs = 282
+|high_school = [[Chicago Vocational High School|Chicago Vocational]]
+|college=[[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]]
 |draftyear=1991
 |draftround=2
 |draftpick=49
+|pastteams=
-|college=[[University of Notre Dame|Notre Dame]]
+* [[Chicago Bears]] ({{NFL Year|1991|1997}})
-|teams=<nowiki></nowiki>
+* [[Washington Redskins]] ({{NFL Year|1997}})
-* [[Chicago Bears]] ([[1991 NFL season|1991]]-[[1996 NFL season|1996]])
+| pastadmin =
-* [[Washington Redskins]] ([[1997 NFL season|1997]])
+* [[Prairie State College|Prairie State]] (2015–2018) <br> (Athletic director)
-|stat1label=Tackles
+* [[Chicago State Cougars|Chicago State]] (2018–2019) <br> (Athletic director)
-|stat1value=284
+|highlights=
-|stat2label=[[Quarterback sack|Sacks]]
+* [[UPI Lineman of the Year (College)|UPI Lineman of the Year]] (1989)
-|stat2value=16.5
+* [[Lombardi Award]] (1990)
-|stat3label=[[Touchdown]]s
+* [[Unanimous All-American]] ([[1990 College Football All-America Team|1990]])
-|stat3value=1
+* [[College Football All-America Team|Consensus All-American]] ([[1989 College Football All-America Team|1989]])
-|nfl=ZOR404040
+* [[Orange Bowl]] Defensive MVP ([[1991 Orange Bowl|1991]])
-|highlights=<nowiki></nowiki>
-* [[Pro Bowl]] selection ([[1994 Pro Bowl|1993]])
+* [[Pro Bowl]] alternate ([[1994 Pro Bowl|1993]])
+|statseason=
-|CollegeHOF=90130
+|statlabel1=Tackles
+|statvalue1=211
+|statlabel2=[[Quarterback sack|Sacks]]
+|statvalue2=16.5
+|nfl=Chris-Zorich
+|pfr=ZoriCh20
+|CollegeHOF=2196
 }}
-'''Christopher Robert Zorich''' (born [[March 13]], [[1969]] in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]) is a former [[American football]] [[defensive tackle]] in the [[National Football League]] for the [[Chicago Bears]] and [[Washington Redskins]].
+'''Christopher Robert Zorich''' (born March 16, 1969) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[defensive tackle]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for the [[Chicago Bears]] and [[Washington Redskins]]. He played [[college football]] for the [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame Fighting Irish]]. Zorich was the athletic director at [[Chicago State University]] from May 2018 to July 2019.
 ==Early life==
-An only child of [[African American]] and [[Croatian people|Croatian]] descent, Zorich was raised by his mother on the South Side of Chicago, where he attended [[Chicago Vocational High School]].<ref name=foundation>{{cite web | work=Chris Zorich Foundation | url=http://www.chriszorich.org/biography/ | title=The Chris Zorich Foundation - Biography | accessdate=2008-07-31}}</ref>
+An only child of [[African American]] and Croatian descent, Zorich was raised by his mother, Zora (1931 - 1991), on the [[South Side, Chicago|South Side]] of [[Chicago]], where he attended [[Chicago Vocational High School]].<ref name=foundation>{{cite web | work=Chris Zorich Foundation | url=http://www.chriszorich.org/biography/ | title=The Chris Zorich Foundation – Biography | access-date=July 31, 2008 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926070125/http://www.chriszorich.org/biography/ | archive-date=September 26, 2008 }}</ref> Chris is nephew to character actor [[Louis Zorich]] and his wife [[Olympia Dukakis]].<ref>[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-05-13/sports/0705130131_1_zora-zorich-day-cards-mother-s-day Zorich mother's day]</ref>
 ==College career==
-Zorich received a scholarship to play [[college football]] at the [[University of Notre Dame]] in 1987 and began as a [[linebacker]] but was moved to nose tackle early in the season and did not play.<ref name=collegefootballhof>{{cite web | work=College Football Hall of Fame | url=http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=90130 | title=Chris Zorich's College Football HOF profile | accessdate=2008-07-30}}</ref>  However, Zorich then earned [[All-America]]n honors the following season.  In his first game, he had one and a half sacks and ten tackles against the [[University of Michigan]] and finished the year third on the team in tackles as Notre Dame went undefeated and won the national championship.<ref name=collegefootballhof />  During his junior year, he followed his initial season with a consensus All-America year in [[1989]] and was also one of four finalists for the [[Lombardi Award]].  As a senior, Zorich won the Lombardi Award and was recognized as a unanimous All-America.  In the final game of his college career he was the Defensive Most Valuable player of the 1991 [[Orange Bowl (game)|Orange Bowl]].<ref name=collegefootballhof />
+Zorich received a scholarship to play [[college football]] at the [[University of Notre Dame]] in 1987 and began as a [[linebacker]] but was moved to nose tackle early in the season and did not play.<ref name=collegefootballhof>{{cite web | work=College Football Hall of Fame | url={{College Football HoF/url|id=2196}} | title=Chris Zorich's College Football HOF profile | access-date=July 30, 2008}}</ref>  However, Zorich then earned [[1988 College Football All-America Team|All-American]] honors the following season. In his first game, he had one and a half sacks and ten tackles against the [[University of Michigan]] and finished the year third on the team in tackles as Notre Dame went undefeated and won the national championship.<ref name=collegefootballhof />
+During his junior year, he followed his initial season with a consensus [[1989 College Football All-America Team|All-America]] year in 1989 and was also one of four finalists for the [[Lombardi Award]]. Also in 1989 he was voted the [[UPI Lineman of the Year (College)|UPI Lineman of the Year]] award as the top lineman in college football. As a senior, Zorich won the [[Lombardi Award]] and was recognized as a unanimous [[1990 College Football All-America Team|All-America]].
+In the final game of his college career he was the Defensive Most Valuable player of the 1991 [[Orange Bowl (game)|Orange Bowl]].<ref name="collegefootballhof" />
+While at Notre Dame, Zorich attended a class taught by onetime [[Big Ten]] Commissioner [[Kevin Warren]]. Zorich eventually signed with Warren's new law firm as Warren's first client.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lawandpolitics.com/minnesota/Sweat-Suits/167ab6dd-04c8-4272-9742-3e1a3a7ea866.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804111615/http://www.lawandpolitics.com/minnesota/Sweat-Suits/167ab6dd-04c8-4272-9742-3e1a3a7ea866.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 4, 2016|title=Sweat Suits :: Minnesota Law & Politics|date=August 4, 2016|access-date=February 22, 2017}}</ref>
 ==NFL career==
-Zorich was [[NFL draft|drafted]] in the second round of the [[1991 NFL Draft]] by the [[Chicago Bears]].  He played for the Bears from 1991 until 1996, and he was named an alternate for the [[1993 Pro Bowl]].  He also played one season (1997) for the [[Washington Redskins]].  In his NFL career, Zorich tallied 16.5 career [[quarterback sack]]s and scored one [[touchdown]] off a [[fumble]].
+Zorich was selected in the second round of the [[1991 NFL draft]] by the [[Chicago Bears]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1991 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1991/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He played for the Bears from 1991 until 1997, and he was named an alternate for the [[1993 Pro Bowl]]. On December 27, 1992, he returned a fumble for a touchdown during a 27-14 loss to the [[Dallas Cowboys]].<ref>[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199212270dal.htm Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys - December 27th, 1992]</ref> He also played one season, in  1997, for the [[Washington Redskins]]. Over the course of his NFL career, Zorich tallied 16.5 career [[quarterback sack]]s and scored total one [[touchdown]].
 ==After football==
-Zorich earned a [[law degree]] at Notre Dame<ref name=collegefootballhof /> and has become a well-known [[philanthropist]] in the Chicago area, having established the Christopher Zorich Foundation in 1993 to assist disadvantaged families.  He is a past recipient of ''[[USA WEEKEND]]'''s Most Caring Athlete Award and the [[Jesse Owens]] Foundation Humanitarian Award.  Zorich has also worked as a [[motivational speaker]].
+Zorich earned a [[Juris Doctor]] ([[Juris Doctor|J.D.]]) degree at Notre Dame<ref name=collegefootballhof /> and established the Christopher Zorich Foundation in 1993 to assist disadvantaged families. He is a past recipient of ''[[USA WEEKEND]]'''s Most Caring Athlete Award and the [[Jesse Owens]] Foundation Humanitarian Award. Zorich has also worked as a [[motivational speaker]].
-On [[May 9]], [[2007]] Zorich was announced as one of the specially selected inductees of the 2007 class at the [[College Football Hall of Fame]].
+On May 9, 2007, Zorich was announced as one of the specially selected inductees of the 2007 class at the [[College Football Hall of Fame]].  Not only was he one of the youngest players to ever be inducted, he is only the third defensive lineman from tradition-rich Notre Dame to call the College Football Hall of Fame home.
+On December 8, 2009, Zorich was also inducted into the FedEx Orange Bowl Hall of Fame for his outstanding performances in back-to-back Orange Bowl appearances in 1990 and 1991.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120809aaa.html|title = Chris Zorich Selected to Orange Bowl Hall of Fame|date = December 8, 2009|access-date = July 8, 2014}}</ref>
-He is mentioned in the [[autobiography]] of former NFL player [[Esera Tuaolo]].
+Zorich lives in Chicago and continues to be an active in athletics administration. From 2015 to 2018, he served as the athletic director at [[Prairie State College]], a [[community college]] in Chicago Heights, Ill. From May 2018 to July 2019, he served as athletic director at [[Chicago State University]].<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.chicago.suntimes.com/2019/7/30/20747679/chicago-state-and-former-bears-notre-dame-dt-chris-zorich-part-ways.html|title = Chicago State parts ways with former Bears, Notre Dame DT Chris Zorich|date = July 30, 2019|website = Chicago Sun-Times}}</ref>
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}
+{{Reflist}}
 ==External links==
+* {{College Football HoF|2196}}
-* {{cfbhof|id=90130}}
+* {{Footballstats |nfl=Chris-Zorich|cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=Z/ZoriCh20|rotoworld= }}
-* {{pro-football-reference|id=ZoriCh20|name=Chris Zorich}}
-*[http://www.chriszorich.org/ Christopher Zorich Foundation website]
+{{1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football navbox}}
 {{Lombardi Award}}
+{{UPI Lineman of the Year}}
+{{1989 NCAA Division I-A College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
+{{1990 NCAA Division I-A College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
 {{Bears1991DraftPicks}}
+{{"Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year}}
+{{Authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Zorich, Chris}}
 [[Category:1969 births]]
+[[Category:Living people]]
+[[Category:All-American college football players]]
 [[Category:American football defensive tackles]]
 [[Category:American motivational speakers]]
-[[Category:American philanthropists]]
+[[Category:American people of Croatian descent]]
+[[Category:Philanthropists from Illinois]]
 [[Category:Chicago Bears players]]
+[[Category:Chicago State Cougars athletic directors]]
+[[Category:Chicago Vocational High School alumni]]
 [[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
-[[Category:Croatian-Americans]]
-[[Category:Living people]]
 [[Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players]]
-[[Category:People from Chicago, Illinois]]
+[[Category:Notre Dame Law School alumni]]
+[[Category:Players of American football from Chicago]]
 [[Category:Washington Redskins players]]
+[[Category:21st-century African-American people]]
+[[Category:20th-century African-American sportspeople]]
+[[Category:Brian Piccolo Award winners]]

v t e 1989 College Football All-America Team consensus selections
Offense	QB Andre Ware RB Anthony Thompson RB Emmitt Smith WR Clarkston Hines WR Terance Mathis TE Mike Busch OL Jim Mabry OL Bob Kula OL Mohammed Elewonibi OL Joe Garten OL Eric Still C Jake Young
Defense	DL Chris Zorich DL Greg Mark DL Tim Ryan DL Moe Gardner LB Percy Snow LB Keith McCants LB Alfred Williams DB Todd Lyght DB Mark Carrier DB Tripp Welborne DB LeRoy Butler
Special teams	PK Jason Hanson P Tom Rouen

v t e 1990 College Football All-America Team consensus selections
Offense	QB Ty Detmer RB Eric Bieniemy RB Darren Lewis WR Raghib Ismail WR Herman Moore TE Chris Smith OT Antone Davis OT Stacy Long OG Joe Garten OG Ed King C John Flannery
Defense	DL Moe Gardner DL Chris Zorich DL Russell Maryland DL David Rocker LB Mike Stonebreaker LB Alfred Williams LB Maurice Crum DB Ken Swilling DB Tripp Welborne DB Darryll Lewis DB Todd Lyght
Special teams	P Brian Greenfield PK Philip Doyle

Authority control databases
International	FAST ISNI VIAF WorldCat
National	United States