Tom Zbikowski facts for kids
Zbikowski with the Baltimore Ravens in 2009
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| Brown Bears | |||||||||
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| Position: | Safeties coach | ||||||||
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| Born: | May 22, 1985 Park Ridge, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Buffalo Grove (IL) | ||||||||
| College: | Notre Dame | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 3 / Pick: 86 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Thomas Michael Zbikowski (born May 22, 1985) is an American college football coach and former safety. He is the safeties coach for Brown University, a job he has had since 2023. Tom Zbikowski played in the National Football League (NFL). He was also a professional boxer and a firefighter. The Baltimore Ravens picked him in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft. He was named an All-American while playing college football for the University of Notre Dame from 2003 to 2007. Zbikowski also played for the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears.
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Early Life and High School Football
Thomas Michael Zbikowski was born on May 22, 1985. He grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois. He was the youngest of four children. His family has Polish and German roots.
Tom went to Greenbrier Elementary School and Thomas Middle School. He then attended Buffalo Grove High School in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. He finished high school in 2003.
During his younger years, he played youth football for the Buffalo Grove Bills and the Bensenville Bandits. In high school, he played as a quarterback. He set school records for scoring 202 points and rushing for 2,357 yards. Later, he also played as a defensive back.
College Football Career at Notre Dame
Zbikowski played college football at Notre Dame. He started playing in 2004, during his second year. He played in all 12 games that season. He made 70 tackles, which was the fourth-best on his team. He also forced two fumbles.
In one game against Michigan State, he had nine tackles and forced a fumble. He returned that fumble 75 yards for a touchdown! He also got his first interception in that game.
Becoming an All-American Player
During his third year, Tom became a top player. He was great as a safety and also returned kicks. He scored four touchdowns in 12 games. Two were from returning interceptions, and two were from returning punts. He made 71 tackles and led his team with five interceptions. His play helped the Irish team reach the Fiesta Bowl. After this season, he was named a Third-Team Associated Press All-American.
In 2006, he was a team captain. He was chosen for the second-team All-American squad by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. This helped the Irish get to the Sugar Bowl. The Associated Press also named him a third-team All-American. He made 79 tackles that year. He scored a touchdown by recovering a fumble against Penn State. He also returned a punt 52 yards for a touchdown against North Carolina.
Tom stayed at Notre Dame for a fifth year in 2007. He had his best year with 80 tackles. He also had two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. He was still great at returning punts, gaining 234 yards. He earned degrees in sociology and computer applications in May.
Professional Football Career
Baltimore Ravens (2008–2011)
The Baltimore Ravens picked Tom Zbikowski in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played four seasons for the Ravens. He was a defensive back and a kick returner. He played in 56 games for the Ravens and started 14 games as a safety.
He played his first professional game on September 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He made his first tackle on special teams in that game. In 2009, he had two interceptions and helped as a returner. After the 2011 season, he became a free agent.
Indianapolis Colts (2012)
Tom Zbikowski joined the Indianapolis Colts on March 16, 2012. He was the main starting strong safety for the Colts. He got injured in the 12th game and missed the rest of the regular season. He did return for a playoff game. The Colts lost that game to his old team, the Baltimore Ravens. The Colts released him on March 15, 2013.
Chicago Bears (2013)
On March 23, 2013, Zbikowski signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears. However, the Bears released him on August 25 during training camp.
Retirement from Football
On September 10, 2013, Tom Zbikowski was suspended by the NFL for four games. This was because of a banned substance. He later said it was a diuretic he took to lose weight. He explained that he did not take protein shakes, only coffee, green tea, and food.
The suspension did not matter much because Zbikowski decided to retire from the NFL. He said that football "got old" to him. He enjoyed his first two years because it was a challenge. But after a while, he felt he didn't care as much about winning or losing. He said he enjoyed high school and college football much more.
In 2015, Zbikowski finished training to become a firefighter. He joined the Chicago Fire Department. He was no longer a firefighter as of 2019.
Coaching Career
In 2022, Tom Zbikowski became a defensive quality control coach for Western Michigan. This job helps with the defense.
On August 3, 2023, Zbikowski was announced as the safeties coach at Brown University.
Zbikowski will become the Head Coach for the Saint Patrick High School football team starting February 1, 2025.
Boxing Career
Tom Zbikowski has also been a professional boxer since 2006. He mostly fights in the cruiserweight division. He has won all 8 of his official fights. He won 5 of them by knockout. All his opponents were not very well known.
Early Fights
On June 10, 2006, while still in college, Zbikowski had his first professional boxing match. It was at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He won by TKO in just 49 seconds of the first round. This fight followed the rules for college athletes. His opponent wore an Ohio State football jersey into the ring.
On March 2, 2007, Zbikowski had a three-round exhibition fight. After the 2008 NFL season, he stopped boxing for a while to focus on football.
Return to the Ring
On March 12, 2011, Zbikowski returned to boxing. He fought Richard Bryant in Las Vegas. Zbikowski won by TKO in the first round.
After that, he trained with Emanuel Steward, a famous boxing trainer. He won another fight by a unanimous decision on March 26, 2011. This extended his winning streak to three wins in a row.
He won his fourth fight by knockout in the first round on April 23, 2011.
Zbikowski fought again in 2016 and won all three of his fights that year. His last fight was on October 17, 2017. He defeated a boxer named Martez Williamson.
Professional Boxing Record
| 8 Wins (5 knockouts), 0 Losses 0 Draws 0 No Contest[1] | |||||||
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Type | Rd., Time | Date | Location | Notes |
| Win | 8–0 |  Martez Williamson |
TKO | 2 (4) | 2017-10-07 | Camp Jordan Arena, Chattanooga, Tennessee |
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| Win | 7–0 | Raymond Gray |
DQ | 2 (4) | 2016-06-17 | The Belvedere, Elk Grove, Illinois |
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| Win | 6–0 | Albert Harkins |
KO | 1 (4), 0:35 | 2016-05-14 | Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, Indiana |
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| Win | 5–0 | Keith Jackson |
UD | 4 (4) | 2016-04-22 | The Belvedere, Elk Grove Village, Illinois |
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| Win | 4–0 | Blake Warner |
KO | 1 (4), 2:20 | 2011-04-23 | WinStar Casino, Thackerville, Oklahoma |
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| Win | 3–0 | Caleb Grummet |
UD | 4 (4) | 2011-03-26 | Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey |
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| Win | 2–0 | Richard Bryant |
TKO | 1 (4), 1:45 | 2011-03-12 | MGM Grand, Paradise, Nevada |
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| Win | 1–0 | Robert Bell |
TKO | 1 (4), 0:49 | 2006-06-10 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York |
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See also
In Spanish: Tom Zbikowski para niños
