National Football Foundation

Position: Defensive Tackle
Years: 1987-1990
Place of Birth: Chicago, IL
Date of Birth: Mar 13, 1969
Jersey Number: 50
Height: 6-1
Weight: 268
High School: Chicago, IL (Vocational HS)

With the strength to bench press 455 pounds and the speed to run the 40 in 4.68 seconds, Chris Zorich had all the physical attributes to be a great defensive lineman. His dominance made him the regular subject of double-team blocks. "Zorro" came to Notre Dame from the same high school that produced Dick Butkus. And like Butkus, played linebacker. In his freshman year Zorich began at linebacker but was moved to nose tackle early in the season. Learning a new position, he sat on the bench the entire season never seeing a minute of playing time. Despite his total lack of experience Zorich became a first-team All-America as a sophomore. In his first game he had one and a half sacks and ten tackles against Michigan. He finished the year third on the team in tackles as Notre Dame went undefeated and won the national championship. Chris followed his initial season with a consensus All-America year in 1989 as he had three double-digit tackle games. Zorich 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 collegiate career he was the Defensive Most Valuable player of the Orange Bowl. Drafted by his hometown team, he spent seven seasons in the NFL with the Bears and later the Washington Redskins. He then returned to school to pursue a law degree and went on to establish a foundation that provides assistance and opportunities to disadvantaged Chicagoans.