Tag Archives: New York Jets

NFL, ufl

Zolak, Scott

Card: StarPics 1991
Acquired: TTM 1993, Patriots Blitz

Scott Zolak is another in a long line of fine Maryland Terps quarterbacks. The school has an absolute knack for locating and putting the best talent on the field at that position. Neil O’Donnell, Stan Gelbaugh, Boomer Esiason, Frank Reich, Shaun Hill, and Mike Tice, are among some of the names over the last 30 years who have played at the pro level in some capacity after graduating from the school. Zolak was no exception. In the 4th round of the 1991 draft, the New England Patriots rolled the dice on the young quarterback while they injected new blood into the aging position. He didn’t take the field that year at all, sitting at #3 behind Hugh Millen and Tom Hodson, but 1992 would prove to be a different story and thus he’d enter into New England lore forever for his actions. After Millen went down and Hodson was inneffective, Zolak would lead the winless team on a two game winning streak- playing respectably in 3 contests before Millen returned to finish out the season. In 1993, Drew Bledsoe would be drafted and another purge would happen at quarterback. Zolak, would survive the purge and remain on the team’s roster through 1998 playing sparingly and slowly moved up the depth chart to #2 behind Bledsoe. He’d also be on the roster through three coaching regimes (Dick MacPherson, Bill Parcells, and the shortlived Pete Carroll era), seeing life on the Patriots from an interesting perspective.

Zolak after 1998 would bounce around. He’d be cut out of Jets training camp and head over to the Dolphins for two unremarkable seasons and then try out for the Detroit Lions, but later opted instead to go up to the booth to become a color commentator. Scott has embraced his life as a sports personality head on and continues to do radio commentary for games and was recently picked up by the fledgling United Football League to do color commentary on the New England Sports Network for the Hartford Colonials games.

G/Gs  55/7   Att 248  Comp 124    Yds 1314   Pct 50%   Td 8    Int 7      Rat   64.8

NFL

McGlockton, Chester (1969-2011)

Card: Action Packed Rookies 1992
Acquired: In Person 1997, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp

Before there was Albert Haynesworth, there was Chester McGlockton…  A man-mountain at 6-3, 334, McGlockton would be drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Raiders with the 16th overall pick in 1991. After his rookie season where he only played 10 games,  Chester’s 1992 was nothing short of dominant with 7 sacks, 78 tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception. It would be the start of 3 straight All Pro and Pro Bowl nominations for the defensive tackle. He’d continue to dominate, making a career high 9.5 sacks in 1993. He’d follow this up with great performances in 1994, 1995 and 1996.  Well Chester got embroiled in a contract dispute with the Raiders in 1997. He’d attend training camp in that season, but frustrated with his contract with the Raiders Chester would openly proclaim how he was going to be on the Chiefs next season. When the Raiders showed up at Cowboys camp that season, he even told me as he was signing his Raiders card how he should be in a Chiefs uniform on the card. After a less inspired 1997, where Chester would still get a Pro Bowl nod, he cashed in for big money signing with Kansas City in 1998. Oddly the team shifted him to defensive end but the move would not pan out. He’d be shelved after 10 games with back problems.  They’d shift him back inside for 1999 and 2000 where he made 4.5 sacks the latter season, and sign with the Broncos at the conclusion of the season. McGlocton would play for the Broncos in 2001 and 2002, and as a reserve for the Jets in 2003 before retiring.

Since football, Chester has gotten involved in coaching, briefly working at the University of Tennessee as an intern and at Chabot College before joining Stanford’s defensive staff as a defensive line coach in 2010.  He has effectively changed his life after discovering coaching, and although he suffered a malaise of injuries that he still feels the everyday effects of, and getting lapband surgery in 2008, Chester is working in the career he loves most -coaching football.

G/Gs  179/151       Tac 555          Sac 51      Fum 14     Int 4     Yds 66     Avg  16.5     Td 0    lg 30

UPDATE 11/30/11-  Chester McGlocton passed away early Wednesday morning reportedly from a heart attack. He was 42.

NFL, WLAF

Norgard, Erik

Card: Wild Card Wlaf 1992
Acquired: TTM 2010, C/o Home
Sent: 8/27  Received: 12/16 (105 days)

Young offensive lineman Erik Norgard was signed by the Houston Oilers as a free agent in 1989. A gem in the rough, at 6-1, 290, Norgard posessed the size, strength, and mobility, to play any position on the line in the Oilers’ run ‘n shoot offense. After he sat out his whole rookie season due to injury, Norgard was assigned by the team to the World League Allocation draft for 1992.

The San Antonio Riders stuck him right into the starting lineup and he’d play at guard blocking for Ivory Lee Brown. It paid off as Brown would lead the league in rushing yardage behind Erik and the team plowed ahead to a 7-3 record.

After the dissolution of the WLAF in 1992, Norgard returned to the Oilers, starting four games in 1993, and seven in 1994, before returning to being a key backup offensive lineman for the team. He’d move with the team to Tennessee in 1997 and play there through 1998. In 1999 he’d sign with the New York Jets and retire soon thereafter.  Over 9 seasons and 108 contests,  Erik caught 2 tackle eligible touchdowns, and started 12 games in the NFL.