Tom Zbikowski
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[edit] Biography
Tom Zbikowski is a fifth-year safety at the University of Notre Dame. Zbikowski is known for his hard-hitting, relentless play, nose for the football and punt return skills. He has seven career touchdowns -- three interception returns, two punt returns, and two fumble returns. He also had a successful amateur boxing career.
[edit] High School
In football, Zbikowski was a three-year starter at quarterback and safety while also returning punts and kickoffs at Buffalo Grove High School in Buffalo Grove, Il. He set Buffalo Grove career records in points scored (274), TDs (45), rushing attempts (406), rushing yards (2,013) and passing attempts (484). In his senior year, he received multiple honors and accolades. He was named a First Team Prep All American by USAToday, the Chicago area's player of the year by the Chicago Sun Times, Illinois's Gatorade player of the year, was on the all-state teams of numerous Chicago newspapers, and played at defensive back in the US Army All American Bowl. He was #29 on ESPN's top 100 players list.
Zbikowski was a nationally ranked amateur boxer, and has competed in the Golden Gloves program since the age of nine. As an amateur, he compiled a 60-13 record. He was a Silver Gloves national finalist in 1998, 1999 and 2000. He also excelled in track and field. In 2002, he finished 6th in the state in the 100 meters, and holds eleven school records.
[edit] College
Zbikowski did not see any playing time in his freshman year as a reserve safety. But in his sophomore season in 2004, he started all 12 games at strong safety for the Fighting Irish. He was fourth on the team with 70 tackles. His best game came against Michigan State, when he had 9 tackles, forced a fumble and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown, and picked off a pass to set up another Irish touchdown. Zbikowski established himself as a great playmaker on the defensive side of the ball.
But it wasn't until 2005, his junior season, when the rest of the country took notice, as he was selected as a Third Team All American by the AP. Under first year head coach Charlie Weis, he was once again fourth on the team in tackles. But it was his four touchdowns--two interception returns and two punt returns--that made him one of the nation's most exciting players. He led the team with 5 interceptions, and also broke up four passes and forced a fumble. One of the best games of his career came against Tennessee, when he returned both an interception and a punt for a touchdown, had nine tackles and a sack. After 24 consecutive starts, he was named a captain for his senior season alongside Brady Quinn and Travis Thomas.
In his senior season of 2006, Zbikowski was honored as an All American by the AP (Third Team) for the second straight year and the Walter Camp Foundation (Second Team), and was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award (nation's best defensive back). In addition to being a captain, he was on the team's leadership committee. In starting 12 of 13 games, he finished third on the team with 79 tackles and scored two touchdowns. He registered a career-high 14 tackles against Navy. The Irish went to their second consecutive BCS bowl, and Zbikowski would return for a fifth year of eligibility.
Zbikowski returned for another season in 2007 after receiving approval from Notre Dame's Faculty Board on Athletics. Though the Irish suffered one of the worst seasons in school history, Zbikowski still led the team in punt returns, was second on the team in interceptions (2), recovered two fumbles and finished 5th on the team with 80 tackles. He did not score any touchdowns, but did get in some time at quarterback at the end of games, the position he played in high school.
Zbikowski is expected to be a second or third round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.
[edit] Statistics
Zbikowski's Defensive Stats
| Year | GP-GS | Solo Tkls. | Ast. | Total | TFL | Sacks | FF | FR | Int. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 12-12 | 37 | 33 | 70 | 2.5-5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2005 | 12-12 | 42 | 29 | 71 | 1-10 | 1-10 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 2006 | 12-12 | 44 | 35 | 79 | 1-1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2007 | 12-12 | 42 | 38 | 80 | 1.5-9 | 1-8 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 48-48 | 166 | 145 | 311 | 6-25 | 2.0-18 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
Zbikowski's Punt Return Stats
| Year | Returns | Yds. | Avg. | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 27 | 379 | 14.0 | 2 |
| 2006 | 16 | 144 | 9.0 | 1 |
| 2007 | 23 | 234 | 10.2 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 66 | 757 | 11.5 | 3 |
[edit] Scouting Report
Zbikowski's biggest asset is his mentality and physical toughness. His second career as a boxer speaks volumes about his attitude and personality. He is a great leader and hits extremely hard. He blitzes hard and gets to the quarterback. He takes great angles in pursuit of offensive players. And, of course, his playmaking ability as a punt returner with good speed will earn him brownie points with a lot of teams.
Zbikowski is weak in his versatility on defense. He is a pure strong safety; he is not great in pass coverage, so he will have to make most of his plays in the box. He looks and plays like a linebacker, and won't be able to play man-to-man coverage.
[edit] Transactions
[edit] Trivia
- Zbikowski's porfessional boxing debut came on June 10, 2006 at Madison Square Garden. He knocked out his opponent, Robert Bell, in 49 seconds.
- He was roommates with former Irish receiver and current Chicago Cub Jeff Samardzija.
- His sister Kristen played softball at Ohio University.
- He graduated from Notre Dame in May 2007 with degrees in sociology and computer applications from the College of Arts and Letters; he enrolled in graduate studies to be eligible for the 2007 season.
[edit] Video Gallery
[edit] Picture Gallery
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