Mike Zordich

Last updated

Mike Zordich
Central Michigan Chippewas
Position:Defensive backs coach
Personal information
Born: (1963-10-12) October 12, 1963 (age 60)
Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school: Youngstown (OH) Chaney
College: Penn State
NFL draft: 1986  / Round: 9 / Pick: 235
Career history
As a player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:588
Interceptions:20
Sacks:6
FF / FR:6 / 11
Touchdowns:4
Player stats at PFR

Michael Edward Zordich (born October 12, 1963) is a former American football defensive back and is a defensive backs coach for the Central Michigan. He played college football at Penn State. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the ninth round (235th overall) of the 1986 NFL draft.

Contents

He played 12 seasons as a cornerback and safety in the National Football League (NFL) and has since become a coach, has also coached for Cardinal Mooney High School, the Philadelphia Eagles, Youngstown State, and Michigan.

College career

Zordich attended Chaney High School prior to enrolling at Penn State University. At Penn State, he was a four-year letterman and a starter at "hero". [1] [2] As a senior, in 1985, he was selected as an All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. [3] He was also a team co-captain. [4] He finished his career with 201 tackles and earned a B. S. in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management. [5]

Professional career

Zordich was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the ninth round (235 overall) of the 1986 NFL draft. [6] [7] He was released by the Chargers at the end of 1986 pre-season. [8] [9] In April 1987, he was signed by the New York Jets. [10] [11] During final cuts, he was waived by the Jets. [12] [13] He was re-signed on September 15. [14] In 1987, he appeared in 10 games, primarily on special teams. He recorded eight tackles, and one sack. [15] In 1988, he appeared in 16 games. He recorded 10 tackles and one interception. [15]

In February 1989, Zordich was declared an unconditional free agent by the Jets. [16] [17] In March, he was signed by the Phoenix Cardinals in 1989. [18] [19] In 1989, he appeared in 16 games (seven starts). He recorded 60 tackles, one sack, and one interceptions. [15] In 1990, he appeared in 16 games. He recorded 27 tackles, one fumble recovery, and one interceptions. [15] In 1991, he started all 16 games. He recorded, a career-high, 87 tackles, as well as three fumble recoveries, and one interception. [15] In 1992, he started all 16 games. He recorded 61 tackles, and three interceptions. [15] In 1993, his final season in Phoenix, he appeared in 16 games (nine starts). He recorded 54 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one interception. [15]

In June 1994, Zordich signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, [20] signing a two-year $800,000 contract, [21] where he replaced Andre Waters who left Philadelphia to sign with the, then newly re-named, Arizona Cardinals. In 1994, Zordich started all 16 games. He recorded 51 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and a career-high four interceptions. [15] In 1995, he started 15 games, missing one. He recorded 60 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles as well as two fumble recoveries, and one interception. [15] In 1996, he started all 16 games. He recorded 64 tackles, and four interceptions. [15] In 1997, he started all 16 games. He recorded 51 tackles, a career-high two sacks, one fumble recovery, and one interceptions. [15] In his final season, 1998, he started all 16 games. He recorded 55 tackles, one fumble recovery, and two interceptions. [15] After the season, his contract expired and he wasn't re-signed. [22] In 1999, he was replaced by Tim Hauck. [23]

After appearing in his first career game in 1987 with the Jets, Zordich missed just one game in his career. [7]

Career statistics

SeasonTacklesPass defense
YearTeamGPGSSolo.Asst.TotalSacksFFFRTDInt.Yds.TD
1987 NYJ 100----81000000
1988 NYJ 160----1000001351
1989 PHX 167----6010001161
1990 PHX 160----2700101250
1991 PHX 1616----8700301270
1992 PHX 1616----6100003370
1993 PHX 169----540200100
1994 PHI 161624275112304391
1995 PHI 151546146012211100
1996 PHI 161632326400004540
1997 PHI 161622295120101210
1998 PHI 161627285500102180
Career 185127----58866111202823

Coaching career

In 2003, Zordich became a defensive assistant at Cardinal Mooney High School, he coached there for six seasons. [24] In 2009, he joined the Philadelphia Eagles as the team's defensive quality control coach, for two seasons. [25] In 2011, he was named the Eagles' safeties coach. [26] [27] [28] In 2014, he was named Youngstown State's safeties coach. [24] After the season, in January 2015, he was hired by the University of Michigan. Zordich was fired from Michigan on January 13, 2021 after six seasons as the defensive backs coach. [29]

Personal life

Zordich lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his wife Cynthia, [5] a photographer. [30] His son Michael Jr. played running back for the Nittany Lions [31] and later the Carolina Panthers, and another son, Alex, played quarterback for the University at Buffalo, he also has a daughter, Aiden. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julius Peppers</span> American football player (born 1980)

Julius Frazier Peppers is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was selected by the Carolina Panthers second overall in the 2002 NFL draft, and also played for the Chicago Bears from 2010 through 2013 and the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2016. After rejoining the Panthers for the 2017 season, he retired after the 2018 NFL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Dawkins</span> American football player (born 1973)

Brian Patrick Dawkins Sr., nicknamed "Weapon X", is an American former football safety who played for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was selected by the Eagles in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft. In his last three seasons, he played for the Denver Broncos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Zgonina</span> American football player and coach (born 1970)

Jeffrey Marc Zgonina is an American football coach and former player who currently serves as the defensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys. He played as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the 1993 NFL draft.

Michael Antonio Patterson is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft. He played college football for the USC Trojans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oshiomogho Atogwe</span> Canadian football player (born 1981)

Oshiomogho Isaac "O.J." Atogwe is a Canadian former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He most recently served as the secondary coach for the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). He was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal. Atogwe was also a member of the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles.

Byron Keith Traylor is a former American football nose tackle who played 17 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Central Oklahoma. Traylor has won a total of three Super Bowl rings; he won two with the Denver Broncos and one with the New England Patriots.

Apisaloma Donald "Pisa" Tinoisamoa is a former American football linebacker. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii.

Kevin Bryant Mathis is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at Texas A&M University–Commerce.

Garry Wilbert Cobb is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at the University of Southern California. He is currently a Philadelphia Eagles analyst for Fox affiliate WTXF-TV and 94.1 WIP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shawn Barber (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1975)

Shawn William Barber is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Richmond. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darrin Smith</span> American football player (born 1970)

Darrin Andrew Smith is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes.

Quentin Ivory Lowry is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Youngstown State University. He played high school football at Shaker Heights High School

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malcolm Jenkins</span> American football player (born 1987)

Malcolm Jenkins is an American former professional football player who was a safety for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, earning consensus All-American honors, and winning the Jim Thorpe Award as a senior. He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft and played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2014 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lance Frazier</span> American gridiron football player (born 1981)

Elance Antonio Frazier is an American former professional football cornerback in the National Football League for the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League and the Cologne Centurions in NFL Europe. He played college football at the West Virginia University.

Frederick R. Smalls is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), Arena Football League (AFL), and German Football League (GFL).

Mark Steven Murphy is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). After graduating from GlenOak High School near his hometown of Canton, Ohio, Murphy attended West Liberty State College. At West Liberty, he played college football for all four years, with the last three as a starter for the Hilltoppers. In his senior year, he was named All-WVIAC and won the WVIAC championship. He went undrafted in the 1980 NFL draft, but was subsequently signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent. He played for the Packers for 12 years before retiring in 1991. After his playing career, Murphy coached high school and college football in Ohio. He was elected to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1998 in recognition of his contributions to the team.

Keshon Lorenzo Johnson is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona. He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 1993 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Byron Maxwell</span> American football player (born 1988)

Byron S. Maxwell is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL draft, where he was a member of the Seahawks' defensive group known as the Legion of Boom. Maxwell also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Heath (American football)</span> American football player (born 1991)

Jeff Heath is a former American football safety. He played college football at Saginaw Valley State University. Heath signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He also played for the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarell Basham</span> American football player (born 1994)

Tarell Basham is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football at Ohio, and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

References

  1. ↑ Cialini, Joe (August 22, 1986). "Possible Complacency, Lions Loaded with Talent". Tyrone Daily Herald. Tyrone, Pennsylvania: UPI. p. 5. Retrieved February 24, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  2. ↑ "Penn State-Miami "Shootout In The Desert": 1986 College Football 'Super Bowl' Preview". Tyrone Daily Herald. Tyrone, Pennsylvania. December 31, 1986. p. 7. Retrieved February 24, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  3. ↑ "Two repeat as writers' selections", Spokesman-Review , Spokane, Wash, p. C2, November 27, 1985, retrieved June 25, 2013
  4. ↑ "Bruised No. 3 Lions Feel They Lost to the Best". The Evening Times . Sayre, Pennsylvania: AP. January 3, 1986. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  5. 1 2 3 "Michael Zordich Bio". MGoBlue.com. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  6. ↑ "1986 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Palmer, Pete; Pullis, Ken; Lahman, Sean; Silverman, Matthew; Gillette, Gary (2006), The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia: First Edition , ESPN Books, pp.  755, 1428, ISBN   978-1-4027-4216-3
  8. ↑ "Morris says Giants threaten him with season-ending move". The San Bernardino County Sun . Sun News Services. August 23, 1986. p. 44. Retrieved February 24, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  9. ↑ "Transactions". The Gettysburg Times . Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. August 23, 1986. p. 11. Retrieved February 24, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  10. ↑ "In the district", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , p. 18, April 10, 1987, retrieved June 25, 2013
  11. ↑ "Transactions". The Salina Journal . Salina, Kansas. April 10, 1987. p. 12. Retrieved February 24, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  12. ↑ "Times Scoreboard". The Kerrville Times. Kerrville, Texas. September 8, 1987. p. 14. Retrieved February 24, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  13. ↑ "Transactions". Santa Cruz Sentinel . Santa Cruz, California. September 7, 1987. p. 16. Retrieved February 24, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  14. ↑ "Transactions". The San Bernardino County Sun . San Bernardino, California. September 15, 1987. p. 26. Retrieved February 4, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Mike Zordich Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  16. ↑ "1989 NFL Unprotected List". The San Bernardino County Sun . San Bernardino, California. February 3, 1989. p. 38. Retrieved February 24, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  17. ↑ "NFL Free Agents". Standard-Speaker . Hazleton, Pennsylvania. February 3, 1989. p. 26. Retrieved February 24, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  18. ↑ "Cardinals woo free agents", Daily Courier , Prescott, Arizona, p. 11A, March 8, 1989, retrieved June 25, 2013
  19. ↑ "Transactions". The San Bernardino County Sun . San Bernardino, California. March 3, 1989. p. 39. Retrieved February 24, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  20. ↑ "Zordich signs with Eagles", Daily Courier , Prescott, Arizona, p. 9A, June 30, 1994, retrieved June 25, 2013
  21. ↑ "Eagles counting on Zordich and Jackson". Standard-Speaker . Hazleton, Pennsylvania: AP. July 25, 1994. p. 21. Retrieved February 24, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  22. ↑ "NFL Free Agents". The Salina Journal . Salina, Kansas. February 13, 1999. p. 12. Retrieved February 25, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  23. ↑ Patton, Steve (September 10, 1999), "Johnson brings in 'loaded' scheme", Reading Eagle , p. D15, retrieved June 25, 2013
  24. 1 2 Scalzo, Joe (February 23, 2014). "YSU set to add Zordich, Carter to coaching staff". Vindy.com. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  25. ↑ Spadaro, Dave (October 25, 2009). "Where Are They Now: DB Michael Zordich". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  26. ↑ "Transactions". The Index-Journal. Greenwood, South Carolina. February 8, 2011. p. 12. Retrieved February 25, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  27. ↑ Adkins, Justin (February 7, 2011), "Eagles promote Zordich to safeties coach, Caldwell to linebackers coach", Philly Sports Central, retrieved June 25, 2013
  28. ↑ Scalzo, Joe (April 26, 2013), "Zordich follows in father's path", The Vindicator , Youngstown, Ohio, retrieved June 25, 2013
  29. ↑ "Reports: Mike Zordich not expected to return to U-M staff, former player being courted for role". January 13, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Eagles Media Guide". Archived from the original on March 27, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  31. ↑ Bodani, Frank (June 2, 2007), "Zordich Jr. follows father to Penn State", Evening Sun, archived from the original on February 5, 2012, retrieved June 25, 2013
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.