Top 10 NFL careers of Tennessee football LBs

Teams played for:

• Cincinnati Bengals; 1985-1991

One of the many elite players who joined Tennessee football in the early 1980s to help Johnny Majors rebuild the program, Carl Zander came from New Jersey and burst onto the scene his junior and senior seasons. In two years as a starter, he had 296 total tackles and four forced fumbles. He was the glue guy for the Vols and helped them go 9-3 and then 7-4-1, just as they were emerging.

The 6’2″ 235-pound Mendham, N.J. native’s play allowed him to be taken in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. Midway through his rookie season, he became a starter at inside linebacker, and he held onto that spot for the next six years after that. Zander became an integral part of the Bengals’ franchise.

In 1988, Zander helped Cincinnati reach the Super Bowl and give the San Francisco 49ers their toughest fight in any of the championships they won with Joe Montana or Steve Young during that time. He got them back to the playoffs with a solid 1990 campaign, and he emerged as the play-caller for the Bengals’ defense throughout these years.

After a seven-year run, Zander’s career came to an end once the 1991 season drew to a close. He appeared in 106 games and started in 92 of them. He had seven fumble recoveries, three interceptions and eight sacks during that time. Although he never became a superstar in the pros, he was a reliable player and managed to have a decent career.