Chris Zorich
Encyclopedia
Christopher Robert Zorich (born March 13, 1969) is a former American football
defensive tackle in the National Football League
for the Chicago Bears
and Washington Redskins
.
and Croatian descent, Zorich was raised by his mother on the South Side of Chicago
, where he attended Chicago Vocational High School
.
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. 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. 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.
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
.
at Notre Dame 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 July 8, 2010, the Chicago Tribune
reported that the Chris Zorich Foundation was in contravention of state and federal laws, having not filed tax returns and various forms for many years. The paper also reported that the charity was defunct, with $864,000 in funds unaccounted for. Zorich replied that he was in the process of locating bank statements and acquiring an accounting firm to audit the foundation's books.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive tackle in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
Early life
An only child of African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and Croatian descent, Zorich was raised by his mother on the South Side of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where he attended Chicago Vocational High School
Chicago Vocational High School
Chicago Vocational High School is a public 4-year vocational high school serving students in the south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It opened in 1940.The school was barely opened when the outbreak of World War II caused a change in plan...
.
College career
Zorich received a scholarship to play college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in 1987 and began as a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
but was moved to nose tackle early in the season and did not play. However, Zorich then earned All-American
1988 College Football All-America Team
The 1988 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
honors the following season. In his first game, he had one and a half sacks and ten tackles against the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and finished the year third on the team in tackles as Notre Dame went undefeated and won the national championship. During his junior year, he followed his initial season with a consensus All-America
1989 College Football All-America Team
The 1989 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
year in 1989 and was also one of four finalists for the Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
. Also in 1989 he was voted the UPI Lineman of the Year
UPI Lineman of the Year (College)
The United Press International college football lineman of the year award was among the first and most recognized college football awards. With the demise of UPI in 1997 the award was discontinued. Offensive and defensive linemen were eligible, including offensive ends, with one, Howard Twilley,...
award as the top lineman in college football. As a senior, Zorich won the Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
and was recognized as a unanimous All-America
1990 College Football All-America Team
The 1990 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, Scripps-Howard, The...
. In the final game of his college career he was the Defensive Most Valuable player of the 1991 Orange Bowl.
NFL career
Zorich was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft
1991 NFL Draft
The 1991 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York...
by the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He played for the Bears from 1991 until 1996, and he was named an alternate for the 1993 Pro Bowl
1993 Pro Bowl
The 1993 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 7, 1993 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. The final score was AFC — 23, NFC — 20. Steve Tasker of the Buffalo Bills was the game's MVP. This was the first Pro Bowl to go into overtime...
. He also played one season (1997) for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. In his NFL career, Zorich tallied 16.5 career quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s and scored one touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
off a fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
.
After football
Zorich earned a law degreeLaw degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
at Notre Dame and established the Christopher Zorich Foundation in 1993 to assist disadvantaged families. He is a past recipient of USA WEEKEND
USA Weekend
USA Weekend is a national publication distributed through more than 800+ newspapers in the United States. It reaches 47 million readers in 22.6 million households every weekend. Awarded for its journalism and design, USA WEEKEND focuses on social issues, entertainment, health, food and travel....
s Most Caring Athlete Award and the Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprints and the long jump. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the...
Foundation Humanitarian Award. Zorich has also worked as a motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
.
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
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
On July 8, 2010, the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
reported that the Chris Zorich Foundation was in contravention of state and federal laws, having not filed tax returns and various forms for many years. The paper also reported that the charity was defunct, with $864,000 in funds unaccounted for. Zorich replied that he was in the process of locating bank statements and acquiring an accounting firm to audit the foundation's books.