Tommy Zbikowski: Trading in the Turf for the Canvas
Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 5:00PM As negotiations between owners and players have reached a standstill, the NFL lockout has already sent some players looking elsewhere for work. And when your job as an elite athlete is to keep yourself in top physical condition and hit people, boxing has an understandable draw.
Baltimore Ravens safety and former Notre Dame captain Tommy Zbikowski(R),Chicago,Ill. talks with his new Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward during a special media luncheon in New York City for his upcoming feature fight on the undercard of "Featherweight Fury" , Gamboa vs Solis on Saturday, March 26, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Photo: Chris Farina
Baltimore Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski has returned to the ring, where he had a stellar amateur career before being drafted to the NFL. He's already fought once this month, knocking out Richard Bryant in the first round. Since then, he has been working with legendary trainer Emanuel Steward, and finds himself on the undercard of this week's Boxing After Dark matchup between Yuriorkis Gamboa and Jorge Solis.
"He has a great natural rhythm and he's always in position when he is punching," Steward says. "He doesn't box like a football player. He boxes like a boxer." Bryant isn't the only NFL athlete trading in the gridiron for the sweet science, Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards is also on the same path, eyeing his first ever professional bout sometime in April.
Maybe now Andre Johnson and Cortland Finnegan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBT6MygnKKw) can finally settle things in the ring.
Catch highlights from Zbikowski's fight on Saturday night.
[SI.com]