Benjamin Ray Zambiasi (born August 19, 1956) is a former linebacker for the University of Georgia and in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
| No. 31 | |
| Date of birth | September 19, 1956 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Valdosta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Linebacker |
| US college | Georgia |
| NFL draft | 1978 / round: 10 / Pick 271 (By the Chicago Bears) |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1978–1987 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 1988 | Toronto Argonauts |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| CFL All-Star | 1978–1982, 1985 |
| CFL East All-Star | 1978-1982, 1984-1986 |
| Career stats | |
Zambiasi was born in Valdosta, Georgia, and attended high school at Mount de Sales Academy in Macon playing on three state championship football teams there.[1] He played for the Georgia Bulldogs from 1974 to 1977.[2] While at Georgia Zambiasi led the Bulldogs with 467 career tackles tackling 173 in 1977.[3] He later graduated from the University of Georgia in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) degree. He was drafted by the NFL's Chicago Bears in the 10th round, 271st overall, in 1978, but ended up coming to Canada after training camp.[4]
Zambiasi played 10 years with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1978–1987) and one year with the Toronto Argonauts (1988).[2][5] He played in 4 Grey Cup games winning one championship in the 74th Grey Cup. He won the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award in 1979 and was an all star 8 times.[6] He was selected to the University of Georgia Bulldogs' Team of the Century and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Wall of Honour in 2002. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2004.[2] In 2014 Zambiasi was inducted into the Georgia-Florida game Hall of Fame. [7]
References
edit- ^ "Ticat legend Ben Zambiasi is heading to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame". The Hamilton Spectator.
- ^ a b c "Ben Zambiasi". Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum.
- ^ "Zambiasi Dogs SEC Legend". BuckBelue.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
- ^ "1978 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- ^ Mark Harding (September 30, 1988). "How Ben Zambiasi became an Argo Pitch for a job coincided with Landry's vanishing". Toronto Star.
- ^ "Ben Zambiasi". CFLapedia.
- ^ "Nashvillesportsmix.com". nashvillesportsmix.com.
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