Jim Dombrowski

Jim Dombrowski
No. 72
Position: Guard / offensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1963-10-19) October 19, 1963
Place of birth: Williamsville, New York
Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight: 300 lb (136 kg)
Career information
High school: Williamsville (NY) South
College: Virginia
NFL draft: 1986 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 1996
Games played: 151
Games started: 137
Fumbles recovered: 3
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

James Matthew Dombrowski (born October 19, 1963) is a former American college and professional football player who was a guard and offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. Dombrowski played college football for the University of Virginia, and earned All-American honors. A first-round pick in the 1986 NFL Draft, he played his entire eleven-year pro career for the NFL's New Orleans Saints. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.

Early years

Dombrowski was born in Williamsville, New York.[1] He graduated from Williamsville South High School,[2] and played for the Williamsville South Billies high school football team.

College career

Dombrowski accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Virginia, where he played for coach George Welsh's Virginia Cavaliers football team from 1982 to 1985. He won numerous accolades as one of the finest student-athletes in the history of UVa athletics, including being recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American as a senior in 1985. He was also a two-time first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) selection in 1984 and 1985, the recipient of the ACC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy in 1984 and 1985 as the conference's best offensive lineman, and a first-team Academic All-Conference honoree in 1985. After graduation, he was later honored as a recipient of the NCAA's Today's Top Six Award for his combined athletic ability, academic achievement, leadership characteristics and campus involvement. Dombrowski's No. 73 jersey has been retired by the university.

Professional career

The New Orleans Saints chose Dombrowski in the first round, sixth pick overall, of the 1986 NFL Draft,[3] and he played for the Saints from 1986 to 1996.[1] After seeing action in only three games as a rookie in 1986, he became a consistent starter for the Saints in his second NFL season in 1987.[4] Dombrowski played left tackle until the middle of the 1989 season, and then played left guard until his retirement in 1996.[4] He ultimately played his entire professional career with the Saints and was named to the franchise's 30th and 35th anniversary teams. During his eleven NFL seasons, he played in 151 regular season games and started 137 of them.[4]

Life after football

Dombrowski earned his master's degree in education in 1991. He resides in Mandeville, Louisiana and works as a certified financial planner. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008, and the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2013, he was elected into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 National Football League, Historical Players, Jim Dombrowski. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  2. ↑ database Football.com, Players, Jim Dombrowski. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  3. ↑ Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1986 National Football League Draft. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Jim Dombrowski. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Keselowski, Dombrowski and Zayak honored by Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame". National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame (Yahoo News). March 26, 2013.
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