QB Justin Zwick (B1G Champion, National Champion)

[Buckskin86]

Zwick back on Tiger turf for title tilt
By CHRIS EASTERLING
[email protected]

Justin Zwick has been on the field when his team won a state championship. Now, he?ll be in the broadcast booth calling two state championship games.

Zwick, the former Massillon Tiger and Ohio State Buckeye quarterback, will be teamed up with Cleveland Indians broadcaster Matt Underwood as part of Sports Time Ohio?s coverage of the state football championship games this weekend in Stark County. He will broadcast Friday?s 3 p.m. Division III state title game between Licking Valley and Big Walnut at Fawcett Stadium, before returning to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium on Saturday for the 3 p.m. Division IV contest between Cardinal Mooney and Coldwater.

?It definitely has been kind of weird,? Zwick said Wednesday, ?just knowing that I played football, and now this is the first fall I?m not doing that. To get into the booth and to be watching football and talking about the games has been kind of nice.

?At least I?m talking about the game and watching it. It was different, but something I?ve had a lot of fun doing.?

After his Ohio State career ended last fall, Zwick was brought into a couple of NFL camps for tryouts, but neither resulted in a contract. He managed to stay close to the high school action by working with Ohio News Network, broadcasting games around the state during the regular season.

When the playoffs began, he moved over to Sports Time Ohio, which has exclusive rights to the postseason games. An ONN producer hooked Zwick up with Sports Time Ohio, and he has worked all four weeks of the playoffs, including last week?s Mentor-Brunswick Division I state semifinal.

?They were looking for some people, and I was available,? Zwick admits.

The Independent

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Arena footballDestroyers
Zwick pursuing next career move

Wednesday, December 12, 2007 3:02 AM
By Mike Price


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Justin Zwick


As he put it, Justin Zwick is in no hurry to get a real job.
Instead, the former Ohio State quarterback is focused on continuing his football career with the Columbus Destroyers.
Zwick worked out for the Destroyers yesterday in the Columbus FieldHouse. It was his fourth workout for the team, and he will do so again today.
"It's a different game," Zwick said. "It's just a lot faster. The routes you throw might be called the same thing, but it happens a lot faster."

Continued....

 

[bkochmc]

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Justin Zwick

Couldn't the Dispatch find a better picture?
Good luck to Justin in pursuing an AFL career!

 

[buff2506]

Go Justin

Goodluck Justin, our family hopes you make it!!!

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Arena football: Zwick signs with Columbus team
Saturday, February 9, 2008

COLUMBUS Former Massillon and Ohio State quarterback Justin Zwick has signed to play with the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound QB threw for 1,779 yards and seven TDs in 29 games with the Buckeyes. He also threw for more than 10,000 yards in high school at both Massillon and Orrville.

 

[MD Buckeye]

Glad to hear. Good luck with arena football Justin!

 

[MD Buckeye]

Nine Former Buckeyes In Arena Football - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com

Nine Former Buckeyes In Arena Football
Nine former Ohio State football players, including three quarterbacks, are on Arena Football League rosters as AFL teams open training camp. The AFL's opening weekend is February 29 - March 3.

Among those who played at Ohio State are Columbus Destroyers? DL Winfield Garnett and New Orleans VooDoo WR/DB BJ Barre, who were both named to the 2007 All-Ironman Team. Garnett will be joined in 2008 by recently signed QB Justin Zwick. Former Buckeye QB Joe Germaine had a standout season in 2007 with the Utah Blaze, where he posted a team-high 5,005 pass yards and 107 passing touchdowns. Germaine also ran for a team-high six rushing touchdowns.

Other former Ohio State players on preseason AFL rosters include: Josh Huston (Cleveland), James Cotton (Columbus), Juan Porter (Grand Rapids), Jamar Martin (New York) and New Orleans VooDoo QB Steve Bellisari. In 2007, Bellisari led the VooDoo with a team-high 47 passing touchdowns and seven rushing touchdowns, as well as 2,287 passing yards in 307 attempts.

 

[Buckskin86]

Justin cut by the Destroyers...

Destroyers Trim Opening Day Roster To 23
02/24/08 - Arena Football League (AFL) Columbus Destroyers

To meet the AFL roster limit, the Destroyers have waived defensive lineman Jon Simmons; defensive back Ukee Dozier; linebackers Lee Foliaki, Chris Hunsaker and Nick Reid; offensive linemen Dave Dean and Jacob Hobbs; wide receiver Eugene Baker; and quarterbacks Brian Jones and Justin Zwick.

Destroyers Trim Opening Day Roster To 23 - OurSports Central - Independent and Minor League Sports News

 

[Buckskin86]

Destroyers Sign Former Buckeye Quarterback Justin Zwick
02/26/08 - Arena Football League (AFL) Columbus Destroyers

COLUMBUS, OH - The Columbus Destroyers, presented by Germain, have signed quarterback Justin Zwick to the active roster, Head Coach Doug Kay announced today. The team also waived defensive lineman Mondre Dickerson and quarterback Perry Patterson.

Zwick (6-4, 225, The Ohio State University) will play his first season in the Arena Football League in 2008. A member of the 2002 Ohio State National Championship squad, he appeared in 29 games played he completed 159-of-276 passes for 1,779 yards and seven touchdowns. The Orrville, Ohio native will serve as the backup signal caller to Matt Nagy in the Destroyers 2008 season opener at Colorado.

Destroyers Sign Former Buckeye Quarterback Justin Zwick - OurSports Central - Independent and Minor League Sports News

 

[Buckeyedynasty]

This is great news. Good luck Justin, all you can ask for is an opportunity and now you have it. Hope you do some great things this year.

 

[Buckskin86]

Arena football: Zwick gets another shot with Destroyers
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 3:05 AM
By Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

"It's crazy how things work," Zwick said yesterday. "I kept hearing from people, 'Stay patient. Just continue learning.' I was cool with that because this is a new game for me. I just want to get as much experience and learn as much from Matt and the other guys as I could. Now it's a little jump-start, but I'll be ready to go."

Like all quarterbacks new to arena football, Zwick is adjusting to the speed of the game.

"It's much different," he said. "You get to college and that's a lot faster. I was with the (Carolina) Panthers and (Indianapolis) Colts for a little bit, and that was a lot faster. In the arena league, the field is so small and things happen so quick. It's very hectic, but it's a lot of fun."

The Columbus Dispatch : Arena football: Zwick gets another shot with Destroyers

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Ohio State fans haven't forgotten Justin Zwick. During the fourth quarter of the Philadelphia Soul's 76-55 win over the Destroyers on Monday night, fans in Nationwide Arena began chanting "Zwick ? Zwick" in hopes of seeing the backup get his first snaps as an Arena Football League quarterback.

Cont...

 

[Buckskin86]

Former Buckeye Justin Zwick To Make AFL Debut With Columbus Destroyers
06/09/08 - Arena Football League (AFL) Columbus Destroyers

COLUMBUS, OHIO - Former Ohio State Buckeyes and Ohio high school prep star Justin Zwick will make his Arena Football League debut at quarterback on Saturday when the Columbus Destroyers, presented by Germain, play their final home game of the 2008 season against the Grand Rapids Rampage. Game time from Huntington Field at Nationwide Arena is set for 7 p.m. ET.

Zwick, who is playing in his first AFL season, has not seen action at the position for the Destroyers through the first 14 games of the campaign. Veteran Matt Nagy, who has been outstanding for the club in 2008 completing 310-of-484 passes for 65 touchdowns with seven interceptions, will start Saturday's game before Zwick makes his debut.


A 6-foot-4, 225-pound native of Orrville, Ohio, Zwick starred at Orville (1998-99) and Massillon Washington High Schools (2000-01) earning prep All-American honors and finishing his career among the most prolific passers in Ohio history. After redshirting as a freshman, he played four seasons for the Buckeyes from 2003-06. He completed 158-of-276 passes for 1,779 yards and seven touchdowns and, as a sophomore, guided the team to 2004 Alamo Bowl win over Oklahoma State by completing 17-of-27 for 189 yards and a touchdown.

Former Buckeye Justin Zwick To Make AFL Debut With Columbus Destroyers - OurSports Central - Independent and Minor League Sports News

 

[Buckskin86]

Zwick to see time at quarterback
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
By Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Justin Zwick doesn't need a primer on the revolving-door ways of the Arena Football League.

Late last week, Zwick thought he was going to be waived. Now he'll get his first snaps as a Columbus Destroyers quarterback on Saturday.

The Destroyers announced yesterday that the former Ohio State quarterback will play in the Destroyers' home finale against Grand Rapids. Matt Nagy will start, and Zwick will take over at an unspecified point.

Zwick expected to be cut and re-signed to the practice squad last week when the team signed Westerville North grad Josh Harris. The Destroyers didn't waive Zwick, but they did make Harris second string.

So Zwick was taken aback when told he'd play against Grand Rapids.

"I was definitely surprised," he said. "I thought it was a joke."

Zwick has not taken a snap in a game since the 2007 Hula Bowl. He entered Ohio State as a blue-chip prospect but eventually was beaten out by Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, who now is with the Baltimore Ravens.

Zwick's taste of the NFL consisted of a tryout with the Indianapolis Colts. He is happy for the chance to prolong his career in the AFL with the Destroyers.

"It has been a great experience," he said. "Football in Columbus is top dog. Even though we're not Ohio State, we still get great support from fans. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

The Columbus Dispatch : Destroyers: Zwick to see time at quarterback

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Justin Zwick's start for the Destroyers in the home finale against Grand Rapids on Saturday bears all of the earmarks of a blatant public-relations move. The Destroyers are a 3-11 team with nothing to play for, so why not run the former Ohio State quarterback out there and maybe sell a few more tickets?
For Zwick, it's something more. He has spent most of the season as the third-string quarterback, which has made it difficult to show his teammates that he is more than just the token Buckeye on the roster. He can do that with a good performance, and maybe even put in a plug for another Arena Football League job, either here or elsewhere, next season.
After the kind of season the Destroyers have had, there's always a chance that Doug Kay and his coaching staff won't return, and a new regime will have little incentive to re-sign Zwick unless he shows something in a game situation. This might be his only chance.