Gary Zimmerman

Last updated

Gary Zimmerman
No. 65
Position: Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1961-12-13) December 13, 1961 (age 62)
Fullerton, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:294 lb (133 kg)
Career information
High school: Walnut
(Walnut, California)
College: Oregon (1980–1983)
Supplemental draft: 1984  / Round: 1 / Pick: 3
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:184
Games started:184
Fumble recoveries:4
Player stats at PFR

Gary Wayne Zimmerman (born December 13, 1961) is an American former professional football player who was a Hall of Fame offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) and United States Football League (USFL). He earned a Super Bowl ring with the Denver Broncos (Super Bowl XXXII).

Contents

Zimmerman was born in Fullerton, California and played scholastically at Walnut High School in the San Gabriel Valley of California. [1] He played collegiately at Oregon, and was a first-team All-American as a senior. [2] [3] He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. [4]

Zimmerman played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1986 to 1992 and for the Denver Broncos from 1993 to 1997. [5] He won Super Bowl XXXII with the Broncos against the Green Bay Packers. He was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times and was an All-Pro selection eight times. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

Professional career

Los Angeles Express

In 1984, Zimmerman was drafted in the second round (36th overall) by the Los Angeles Express in the 1984 USFL Draft. [6] He subsequently signed with the Express on February 13, 1984 and went on to play in 17 games that season, starting all 17 at left tackle. His Express teammate was future Pro Football Hall of Famer, QB Steve Young. The Express lost in the USFL Semi-Finals to the Arizona Wranglers to end a 10-8 regular season. In 1985, Zimmerman suited up again with the Express, playing in 18 games (starting 17) with a 3-15 club that ended up out of the USFL playoff picture. [7]

Minnesota Vikings

After the USFL folded in August 1986, Zimmerman joined the Minnesota Vikings after they obtained his rights from the New York Giants who drafted him in the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players. [8] [9]

During his time in the NFL, Zimmerman was famous for his refusal to interact with the media. This disdain for the sports press came about due to an early incident in his NFL career, after comments made by Zimmerman condemning the Vikings offensive players for a loss were made public by the media. Zimmerman claimed that his teammates ostracized him for speaking ill of his teammates' performance; this led Zimmerman to decide to boycott the sports media as a result, refusing to do interviews or engage in any sort of interaction with them for the rest of his career. [10]

Denver Broncos

Zimmerman ultimately left the Vikings for the Broncos in 1993, and stayed with the team from 1993 to 1997. [1] He would be part of the team's first Super Bowl-winning squad, winning the game in 1997 and was "in spirit" for the 1998 season. Arriving as the veteran player in 1993 to an offense that was made up of mostly rookies,[ citation needed ] Zimmerman became the de facto leader of the Broncos offensive line on and off the field. Zimmerman started the Denver offensive line tradition of not speaking to the media. It became a long running tradition that would continue on a full decade after his retirement in 1997. In 2007 the NFL created “The Broncos O-line rule" in response, requiring all players to talk to the media. [11]

He played in 184 NFL games, starting 169 of them. [5]

On February 2, 2008, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [12]

Zimmerman joins Reggie White, Sam Mills, Steve Young, Jim Kelly, Marv Levy, George Allen, Bill Polian, and Sid Gillman as former USFL/AFL league members who are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXII</span> 1988 Edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XXII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins and American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1987 season. The Redskins defeated the Broncos by the score of 42–10, winning their second Super Bowl. The game was played on January 31, 1988, at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California, which was the first time that the Super Bowl was played there. It was the second consecutive Super Bowl loss for the Broncos, who had lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl the year before.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXXII</span> 1998 Edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game played between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion and defending Super Bowl XXXI champion Green Bay Packers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1997 season. The Broncos defeated the Packers by the score of 31–24. The game was played on January 25, 1998, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, the second time that the Super Bowl was held in that city. Super Bowl XXXII also made Qualcomm Stadium the only stadium in history to host both the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Kelly</span> American football player (born 1960)

James Edward Kelly is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He also spent two seasons with the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League (USFL). Kelly played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning offensive MVP honors in the 1981 Peach Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Elway</span> American football player and executive (born 1960)

John Albert Elway Jr. is an American former professional football quarterback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, he then spent 11 years with the Broncos in various front office positions, eventually being promoted to general manager. Elway, along with former backup quarterback and head coach Gary Kubiak, are the only individuals to be associated with all three of the Broncos' Super Bowl wins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrell Davis</span> American football player (born 1972)

Terrell Lamar Davis is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2001. He is the Broncos all-time leading rusher and still holds the record for most postseason single-season touchdowns (eight), which he achieved in 1997. He is also credited with starting the "Mile High Salute", a celebratory tradition among Denver Broncos players after scoring a touchdown. Davis was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. Despite his short seven year tenure, Davis is often regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Renfro</span> American football player (born 1941)

Melvin Lacy Renfro is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 14-year career as a cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Stephen Dennis Atwater is an American former football safety who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl champion. Atwater was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 1, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed McCaffrey</span> American football player and coach (born 1968)

Ed McCaffrey is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Denver Broncos. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, earning first-team All-America honors in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seth Joyner</span> American football player (born 1964)

Seth Joyner, is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos. Joyner graduated from Spring Valley High School and played college football for the UTEP Miners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 NFL season</span> 1984 National Football League season

The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland, to Indianapolis, Indiana, before the season.

The 1983 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 26–27, 1983, at the New York Sheraton Hotel in New York City, New York. No teams elected to claim any players in the supplemental draft that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Kubiak</span> American football player and coach (born 1961)

Gary Wayne Kubiak is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a quarterback for the Denver Broncos before coaching, serving as head coach for the Houston Texans from 2006 to 2013 and the Broncos from 2015 to 2016 before stepping down from the position on January 1, 2017, citing health reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Clark (American football)</span> American football player (born 1962)

Gary C. Clark is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins (1985–92), Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (1993–94), and Miami Dolphins (1995).

Robert Chadwick Berry Jr. was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He was selected to one Pro Bowl in 1969 as a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Berry was a member of three Super Bowl teams with the Minnesota Vikings in the mid-1970s.

Byron Daniel Chamberlain is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wayne State Wildcats. He was selected in the seventh round of the 1995 NFL draft and played professionally for the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and the Washington Redskins. Chamberlain won back-to-back Super Bowl championships as a member of the Broncos. He was voted to the 2002 Pro Bowl while with the Vikings.

Brian Habib is a former professional American football player who played offensive lineman for 11 seasons for the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, and Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Vikings in the tenth round of the 1988 NFL Draft. With the Broncos, he won Super Bowl XXXII, beating the Green Bay Packers.

Michael Allen Ruether was a professional and college offensive lineman and tight end. In college he was an All-Southwest Conference and first-team All-American selection as a lineman. During his 10-year professional football career he played most of his career was with the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL and went to Super Bowl XXIV with the Denver Broncos. He also played for the Los Angeles Express and the St. Louis Cardinals and spent a year with the Minnesota Vikings.

The 1984 NFL supplemental draft of USFL and CFL players was a one-time draft of United States Football League and Canadian Football League players, held in the spring of 1984.

<i>Elway to Marino</i> 2013 American TV series or program

Elway to Marino is a 2013 ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about the first round of the 1983 NFL draft. The film was released on April 23, 2013, directed by Ken Rodgers, and produced by NFL Films.

References

  1. 1 2 "Gary Zimmerman Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  2. ↑ "Gary Zimmerman Stats". NFL.com. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  3. ↑ "The 1983 NEA All-America team". The Republic (Columbus, Ind.). November 30, 1983. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. ↑ "Oregon Sports Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Gary Zimmerman Stats, News and Video - T". NFL.com .
  6. ↑ "USFL.info". Archived from the original on June 18, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  7. ↑ "USFL.info - Los Angeles Express". Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  8. ↑ "1984 Supplemental Draft | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".
  9. ↑ "1984 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  10. ↑ http://www.profootballhof.com/assets/media/Zimmerman_Gary.pdf%5B%5D
  11. ↑ "Denver post". July 28, 2007.
  12. ↑ "Gary Zimmerman | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".
  13. ↑ "Pro Football Hall of Fame | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".
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.