Chris Zorich

Christopher Robert Zorich (born March 13, 1969 in Chicago) is a retired American football defensive tackle.

An only child of African American and Croatian descent, Zorich was raised by his mother on the South Side of Chicago, where he attended Chicago Vocational High School. He received a scholarship to play football for the University of Notre Dame in 1987, and he would win multiple accolades during his tenure with the Fighting Irish, including two All-American titles (1990 and 1991) and the Lombardi Award (1990). He was also named Most Valuable Player of the 1991 Orange Bowl along with being a co-captain in his later years as a lineman.

Upon graduating from Notre Dame, Zorich was drafted by the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. 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 before retiring to pursue a law degree at Notre Dame. In his NFL career, Zorich tallied 16.5 career quarterback sacks and scored one touchdown off a fumble. Zorich was well known for his toughness and his trademark "belly shirt" he wore under his uniform in college.

Zorich 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.

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.

He is mentioned in the autobiography of former NFL player Esera Tuaolo.

External links

• Christopher Zorich Foundation website
• NFL career statistics