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92 Jeff Zgonina - Biography
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 290
COLLEGE: Purdue
NFL EXP: 16th season
| Career Statistics | ||||||||||||
| Year | Team | G | GS | tckls | solo | ast | sacks | int | yds | avg | lg | td |
| 1993 | PIT | 5 | 0 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | PIT | 16 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | CAR | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | ATL | 8 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | STL | 15 | 0 | 21 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | IND | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | STL | 16 | 0 | 31 | 26 | 5 | 4.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | STL | 16 | 10 | 37 | 30 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | STL | 13 | 13 | 38 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | STL | 16 | 16 | 38 | 29 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | MIA | 16 | 3 | 39 | 22 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | MIA | 16 | 14 | 63 | 32 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | MIA | 16 | 3 | 43 | 23 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | MIA | 14 | 2 | 33 | 18 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | HOU | 16 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | HOU | 16 | 2 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | HOU | 16 | 0 | 26 | 22 | 4 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 219 | 64 | 446 | 302 | 144 | 26.0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | |
Sports Illustrated article on Zgonina
PRO (through 2007 season): Strong veteran defensive tackle with a wealth of experience…has played in 187 games with 63 starts…career totals include 557 tackles, 303 solos, 23.5 sacks for 121.5 yards lost, one interception, three forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries…has also played in nine career playoff games, including Super Bowls XXXIV and XXXVI, with three starts…won a world championship with the St. Louis Rams in 1999.
2008 (Houston 16/2): Played at defensive tackle at Pittsburgh (9/7)...recorded two solo tackles...started at defensive tackle at Tennessee (9/21) in place of injured Travis Johnson...posted one tackle...started at defensive tackle at Jacksonville (9/28)...registered two solo tackles...played at defensive tackle and totaled one solo tackls vs. Indianapolis (10/5)...recorded two tackles vs. Miami (10/12)...posted one assist vs. Detroit (10/19)...registered three total tackles vs. Cincinnati (10/26)...played at defensive tackle at Minnesota (11/2)...played at defensive tackle vs. Baltimore (11/9) and recorded one assist...registered two solo tackles at Indianapolis (11/16)...posted one assist at Cleveland (11/23)...made one solo tackle vs. Jacksonville (12/1)...also recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter...it was his first fumble recovery of the season and 10th of his career...played at defensive tackle at Green Bay (12/7)...played at defensive tackle vs. Tennessee (12/14)...played at defensive tackle at Oakland (12/21)...posted one solo tackle...played at defensive tackle vs. Chicago (12/28) and posted one tackle.
2007: Saw action in all 16 regular season games…did not make a tackle in the season opener vs. Kansas City (9/9)…recorded an assisted tackle at Carolina (9/16)…did not register a stop vs. Indianapolis (9/23)…recorded a solo stop at Atlanta (9/30) and vs. Miami (10/7)…did not make a tackle at Jacksonville (10/14)…recorded an assisted tackle vs. Tennessee (10/21)…did not make a stop at San Diego (10/28)…registered two tackles, one solo, at Oakland (11/4) and vs. New Orleans (11/18)…recorded a solo stop at Cleveland (11/25)…finished with two total tackles at Tennessee (12/2)…did not make a stop vs. Tampa Bay (12/9)…recorded a season-high three tackles vs. Denver (12/13) and at Indianapolis (12/23)...did not make a tackle in the season finale vs. Jacksonville (12/30).
2006: Saw action in 14 games and started twice…Had 33 tackles for the season…inactive for season opener at Pittsburgh (9/7), ending his streak of playing in 74 consecutive games dating back to (10/21/01) at New York Jets when he played for St. Louis.
2005: Appeared in all 16 games, including three starts…marked the fourth straight year in which he played in all 16 games…registered 45 tackles, a pair of sacks, two passes defensed and a fumble recovery…recovered a Kelly Holcomb fumble at Buffalo (10/9) when he also posted five tackles…played in the 150th regular season game of his career vs. New England (11/13).
2004: Started 14 of the 16 games in which he played…finished fourth on the team and first among linemen with a career-high 101 tackles, surpassing his previous best of 81, which he achieved in 2002 as a member of the St. Louis Rams…also recorded five sacks and four passes defensed…sack total was third on the team and marked a new single-season high…tallied at least four tackles in all 16 games, including a season-high 10 stops in finale at Baltimore (1/2/05).
2003: Played in all 16 games, including three starts…recorded 62 total tackles (30 solo), three sacks for 16 yards in losses, an interception and 15 quarterback hurries, which ranked fourth on the team…posted seven tackles in Dolphins debut vs. Houston (9/7)…started at Jacksonville (10/5) and had five tackles, as well as an interception of a QB Byron Leftwich pass, the first interception of his NFL career…established a career high with two sacks vs. San Diego (10/27)…amassed a season-high eight tackles at New England (12/7).
2002:: Started all 16 games at right defensive tackle for the Rams…recorded a then-career-high 81 tackles…added four sacks for 29 yards in losses, 15 quarterback pressures, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and four passes defensed…sack total tied for third on the team and marked the second-highest total of his career…of his four sacks, forced the ball loose on three of them…had five other stops for loss, the third-highest figure on the club.
2001: Started 13 games…started all three playoff contests…notched 66 tackles, four fumble recoveries and two passes defensed…came up with 14 tackles in the postseason…collected six tackles and made a fumble recovery on the first play of season in opener at Philadelphia (9/9)…had five tackles vs. Miami (9/30) before sustaining an injured thumb…was inactive for each of the next three contests…returned to set a season high with nine tackles vs. New Orleans (10/28).
2000: Saw action in 16 games with 11 starts…produced 42 tackles, two sacks, 25 quarterback pressures and one fumble recovery…made first NFL start and led the defensive line with six tackles at Seattle (9/10)…tallied four tackles and his first sack of the season, at Atlanta (9/24).
1999: Signed with the Rams as an unrestricted free agent from Indianapolis (3/26)…played in all 16 games in a reserve role with St. Louis…posted 41 tackles, 4.5 sacks for 20.5 yards in losses and a pass defensed…recorded a season-high six total tackles at Cincinnati (10/3).
1998: Was released by the Rams (8/30)…signed by Oakland (10/13) and released by the Raiders (10/18)…did not spend any games on the Raiders' 53-man roster…was signed by Indianapolis (11/25)…played in two games with the Colts in a reserve role…was inactive for three contests…did not post any stats.
1997: Played in 15 games with the Rams, all in a reserve role…registered 22 tackles, two sacks and two passes defensed…added four special teams tackles…earned the Rams' 12th Man Award and special teams Ram Hits award by the coaching staff…both sacks came at Washington (11/30)…was placed on injured reserve (12/15) with an injury to his index finger and missed the season finale.
1996: Was released by Carolina (8/19)…signed by Atlanta (10/8)…went on to play in eight games with the Falcons…was inactive for three contests…tallied 19 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery…first NFL sack came when he tackled 49ers QB Steve Young vs. San Francisco (12/2)…recovered a fumble vs. St. Louis (12/15).
1995: Was waived by Pittsburgh (8/27) and claimed by Carolina a day later…appeared in two games with the Panthers in a reserve role…was inactive for 13 matchups, dressed but did not play in another…registered a pair of tackles.
1994: Played in 16 games, all in a reserve role, with the Steelers…recorded ten tackles on defense and three on special teams.
1993: Played in five games, all in a reserve role, in his rookie season with the Steelers…was inactive for eight contests, dressed but did not play in another… came up with 16 tackles and a fumble recovery…saw action in five of the final seven games.
Was a four-year starter at Purdue (1989-92)…set school record for tackles for loss in career with 75…was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 1992 when he recorded 101 tackles, including 28 for loss, five forced fumbles and a conference-leading 13 sacks…also served as team captain and was a finalist for the Lombardi Award…graduated with a degree in community health promotion.
Drafted by Pittsburgh Steelers in seventh round (185th overall) of 1993 NFL draft…waived by Steelers on August 27, 1995…claimed by Carolina Panthers on August 28, 1995…released by Panthers on August 19, 1996…signed by Atlanta Falcons on October 8, 1996…signed by St. Louis Rams on March 17, 1997…released by Rams on August 30, 1998…signed by Oakland Raiders on October 13, 1998…released by Raiders on October 18, 1998…signed by Indianapolis Colts on November 25, 1998… signed by St. Louis Rams on March 26, 1999…signed by Miami Dolphins on March 31, 2003…signed by Houston Texans on March 15, 2007...re-signed by Texans on Aug. 1, 2009.
Married to Cammie with a daughter and a son…attended Carmel High School in Mundelein, Ill….earned All-Chicago, All- Catholic League, all-county and all-state honors in football…also lettered in basketball, hockey, and track for the Crusaders…born Jeffrey Marc Zgonina (pronounced ska-KNEE-na), in Chicago, Ill.
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