We celebrate birthday No. 53 (May 24, 2023) with former Purdue defensive lineman extraordinaire Jeff Zgonina. A star for the Boilermakers from 1989-92, Zgonina was named Big Ten defensive player of the year as a senior in ’92, making him one of only two Boilermakers to win the award. Coincidentally, the other to win the award is Ryan Kerrigan (2010), who now is on the Washington Commanders’ defensive coaching staff along with Zgonina. The Chicago area native enjoyed 17 years in the NFL including a Super Bowl title with the Rams and has worked in the league as a player and coach for 25 of the past 33 years. He talks about how he got to Purdue, what it is like to work with Kerrigan and his simple philosophy towards the sport he loves.
LANDOVER, MD – SEPTEMBER 25: Assistant defensive line coach Ryan Kerrigan (L) and defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina of the Washington Commanders look on before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on September 25, 2022 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Recent Arni’s Birthday Zoom interviews of former Purdue athletes:
Though the Purdue defense finished third in the conference in sacks a season ago, the pass rush will look different this fall. Nic Scourton, who led...
We celebrate the 43rd birthday (March 25, 2024) of former Purdue All-Big Ten linebacker Niko Koutouvides. We caught up with the Boilermaker who was a...
