Jim Dombrowski
Encyclopedia
James Matthew Dombrowski (born October 19, 1963 in Williamsville, New York
) was an American football
guard
and tackle in the National Football League
for the New Orleans Saints
. Dombrowski attended Williamsville South High School
and the University of Virginia
where his Jersey number 73 was retired. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
in 2008.
A consummate leader on and off the football field, Jim Dombrowski won numerous accolades as one of the finest student-athletes in the history of the University of Virginia.
The recipient of the NCAA Today’s Top Six Award for his combined athletic ability, academic achievement, leadership characteristics and campus involvement, Dombrowski was a unanimous First Team All-America pick in 1984 and was a two-time First Team All-ACC selection. He also received the Jacobs Blocking Trophy
in back-to-back years (1984–85) as the ACC’s best offensive lineman. Equally impressive in the classroom, he earned First Team Academic All-Conference honors in 1985.
The New Orleans Saints chose Dombrowski sixth overall in the 1986 NFL Draft
. He spent 11 seasons with the Saints and was named to the franchise’s 30th and 35th Anniversary Teams. He also received his Master’s of Education in 1991.
A former Toyota Leadership Award winner for his contributions to the Virginia football program, Dombroski’s jersey has been retired by the university. He resides in Mandeville, Louisiana
and works as a certified financial planner.
He was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame in 2008.
He was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
Williamsville, New York
Williamsville is a village in Erie County, New York in the United States. The population was 5,573 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Jonas Williams, an early settler...
) was an American football
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...
guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
and 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 New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. Dombrowski attended Williamsville South High School
Williamsville South High School
Williamsville South High School is a high school located in Williamsville, New York, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. South is one of three high schools in the Williamsville Central School District, along with Williamsville North High School and Williamsville East High School.-Origins, 1853-1892:In...
and the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
where his Jersey number 73 was retired. He was elected to 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...
in 2008.
A consummate leader on and off the football field, Jim Dombrowski won numerous accolades as one of the finest student-athletes in the history of the University of Virginia.
The recipient of the NCAA Today’s Top Six Award for his combined athletic ability, academic achievement, leadership characteristics and campus involvement, Dombrowski was a unanimous First Team All-America pick in 1984 and was a two-time First Team All-ACC selection. He also received the Jacobs Blocking Trophy
Jacobs Blocking Trophy
The Jacobs Blocking Trophy is the name of several similar annual college football awards bestowed by a conference upon their best blocker. The awards are named in honor of , the founder and president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945. The trophies are awarded by his sons, Hugh and William...
in back-to-back years (1984–85) as the ACC’s best offensive lineman. Equally impressive in the classroom, he earned First Team Academic All-Conference honors in 1985.
The New Orleans Saints chose Dombrowski sixth overall in the 1986 NFL Draft
1986 NFL Draft
The 1986 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 29–30, 1986...
. He spent 11 seasons with the Saints and was named to the franchise’s 30th and 35th Anniversary Teams. He also received his Master’s of Education in 1991.
A former Toyota Leadership Award winner for his contributions to the Virginia football program, Dombroski’s jersey has been retired by the university. He resides in Mandeville, Louisiana
Mandeville, Louisiana
Mandeville is a city in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 12,421 in 2008. Mandeville is located on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, south of Interstate 12. It is across the lake from the city of New Orleans and its southshore suburbs...
and works as a certified financial planner.
He was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame in 2008.
He was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.