SCOTT ZOLAK: EARLY LIFE, FOOTBALL, BROADCASTING AND NET WORTH (BIOGRAPHY)
If you are an avid sports fanatic, you must have come across the on-air personality of Scott Zolak, whose words are a dripping sense of humor.
Furthermore, his uncanny knack to keep the audience in his grip surely makes the game either more exciting or miserable.
Additionally, he is that one broadcaster who is more hyped than his adoring public as he takes the game to the peak with his back and forth rolling.
Besides, the television icon is a former football player for the National Football League (NFL).
By the end of his career, Zolak had posted 124 of 248 passes for 1,314 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions. All in all, he had a passer rating of 64.8.
FACTS ABOUT SCOTT ZOLAK
- Full Name: Scott David Zolak
- Date of Birth: December 13, 1967(54years old)
- Birth Place: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Nick Name: ZO
- Religion: Christianity
- Nationality: American
- Ethnicity: White
- Hair Color: Blonde
- Eye Color: Light blue
- Father’s Name: Paul Zolak
- Education: Ringgold High School
- Profession: Football player, Broadcaster
- Position: Quarterback
- Affiliations: New England Patriots
- Net Worth: $9 million
Scott Zolak | Early Life
Zolak (fully named Scott David Zolak) was born on December 13, 1967, under Sagittarius’ sun sign. Apparently, he is the son of Paul Zolak, who he grew up with in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Furthermore, there is no detailed information about his family backgrounds and childhood days. However, we can see he had normal and comfortable days.
High School
For his early education, Scott Zolak attended the Ringgold High School in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, where his father was the athletic director and the head coach.
Before enrolment in the school, Zolak used to serve as the waterboy for the football team.
During that period, Zolak met the future NFL quarterback Joe Montana gave Zolak his ball, which he keeps to date for a good luck charm.
Later, he entered the school as a starting quarterback and punter, where he also played basketball.
For the basketball team, Zolak played as the forward. However, his football was way better than it, thus, getting an invitation for the Big 33 Football Classic.
College
After completing his high school studies, Zolak committed to the University of Maryland, majoring in business management. Apparently, he commenced football with the college’s team from his sophomore year.
At first, Zolak played as the third-string quarterback behind Dan Henning and Neil O’Donnell . Afterward, Zolak had his college debut against West Virginia, where he posted six passes for 28 yards.
Furthermore, Zolak improved quite well with his game as he recorded 69 passes for 407 yards and two touchdowns in 1989.
After the year, Zolak, who was always a backup behind O’Donnell, commenced the game as the starter after O’Donnell graduated.
As the starter of Maryland’s team, he played under the head coach Joe Krivak where he faced Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, and Louisiana Tech.
Altogether, by the end of his timeframe in Maryland, Zolak recorded 3,124 career passing yards with 2,589 passing yards.
Therewith, Scott Zolak also bagged the Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Week four times. Additionally, he stood fifth in the school’s history ranking with his 270 pass completions.
Scott Zolak | Professional Career
With the graduation with honors, Zolak appeared in the 1991 NFL Draft. Many Scouters were impressed with his body measurements and strength; however, his game accuracy stood as trouble.
Subsequently, the New England Patriots drafted him as the 84th overall pick in the fourth round of the draft.
Similarly, Patriots’ Joe Mendes stated his accuracy was not a problem. Additionally, they signed a contract with Zolak in July.
New England Patriots
After the deal agreement, Scott Zolak starred as the third-string quarterback, behind Hugh Millen and Tommy Hodson in his first season.
However, the next season in November, Zolak made his professional debut over the New Orleans Saints.
Likewise, Zolak’s foremost career start came against the Indianapolis Colts, followed by his first American Football Conference (AFC) Player of the Week Award. After few games, he played against Atlanta, where Millen filled his pot as the starter.
Again, Zolak claimed the spot as a starter during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Later for the new season, Zolak played under the new head coach of the Patriots’ Bill Parcells.
Eventually, Zolak took the starting position of the team as Secules stood as his backup. Moreover, during the offseason, Zolak became a restricted free agent; thus, they signed a contract extension for three years
Overall, Zolak was injured during the latter half of the new season as he finally appeared for the game over the San Francisco 49ers.
After his playoff games, Zolak’s three-year contract ended in 1998, and he became an unrestricted free agent.
Consequently, the Patriots didn’t re-sign him; thus, he stood without any team for the time being.
New York Jets
With the farewell with the Patriots, New York Jets signed Zolak with a year contract. However, he had to compete for the second-string quarterback against Ray Lucas.
What’s more intense is after the Jets bought in Green Bay Packers’ Rick Mirer, all three of them competed for two spots in the team. Unfortunately, Scott Zolak was then set free.
Miami Dolphins
Right after it, Miami Dolphins signed a year contract with Zolak to feature as the backup behind Damon Huard and Jim Druckenmiller. However, Scott did not start in the team as much as others.
To illustrate, his only appearance was in November against his former team, Patriots. The single gameplay of his wasn’t something to consider. However, the Dolphins extended their contract for another year.
All in all, the Dolphins cut him off from the team in 2000. Afterwards, Zolak tried in for the Detroit Lions, which came as a failure.
Overall, Scott Zolak put an end to his football career with 8 touchdowns in 7 interceptions, 1,314 yards, and a quarterback rating of 64.8.
Scott Zolak | Jersey
Zolak wore jersey number 16 for the New England Patriots of the NFL. Here’s a picture of Scott Zolak in his Patriots jersey:
Scott Zolak | Broadcasting Career
At present, Scott Zolak is a 20-year-old professional broadcaster who has been serving behind the microphone since 2000. Back then, the 33-year-old footballer had no idea for the next step after ending his career.
However, Zolak commenced hosting for Patriots Gameday alongside Bob Lobel in August. Later, he started working as the co-host for a morning sports radio talk show.
All in all, he continued working there on Rhode Island sports talk station “The Score” until the show finally closed in 2008.
Additionally, Zolak also worked as a football analyst in the CBS College Sports Network. At the same time, he partook in the CBS College Sports Network, which was hosted by Gregg Murphy.
Back then, Zolak was also a frequent guest host on The Big Show on WEEI in Boston. Later, he covered the 2008 NFL season for his former team, the Patriots, which also included “SportsCenter 5 OT” on Sundays with Mike Lynch.
Not to mention the time when he featured to cover the Boston area for the midday slot on “The Sports Hub” alongside Gary Tanguay.
Besides the broadcasting and coverage, Zolak also stood as the color commentator for the 2010 United Football League on the New England Sports Network.
Advancing further, Scott Zolak became the color analyst for the Patriots and started to rise as a face in that field.
As acclaimed, his best moment as the commentator came on October 13, 2013, when his natural reaction to Tom Brady‘s touchdown pass went viral.
Altogether, Scott Zolak is a self-taught broadcaster who did not attend any professional classes. However, his natural sense of humor and gripping effect on the audience makes him by far one of the most loved television icons.
Overall, Zolak currently works as a co-host of “Zolak and Bertrand” on “The Sports Hub” with Marc “Beetle” Bertrand.
Scott Zolak | Net Worth
As of 2022, Scott Zolak is estimated to have a net worth of $9 million. Apparently, all the detailed figures of his earnings are missing; however, he sure earns a fortune from his present career and more.
Scott Zolak | Private Life
Currently, Zolak is a married man to his wife, Amy Holian. The duo has been going strong with each other for decades now.
At present, they reside in Massachusetts as the couple shares three children, Hadley Zolak, Samantha Zolak, and Brody Zolak.
However, like every family, they too have their share of problems. Scott Zolak is a responsible father who has been investigating every curable measure for Type 1 Diabetes.
This is because their daughter Samantha is diagnosed with diabetes (has way more lacrosse). In detail, Samantha Zolak is a freshman at King Philip Regional High School in Wrentham.