BEN ZAMBIASI

Ben Zambiasi is the University of Georgia’s all-time leading tackler and a three-time All-SEC player who went on to become a Canadian Football League Hall of Famer. In high school as a four-year starter, Zambiasi led Mount de Sales of Macon to Class C championships in 1970 and 1971 and the Class A title in 1973. As a senior fullback/linebacker, Zambiasi was Mount de Sales’ leading tackler who also rushed for 1,131 yards on 171 carries. He ran for 145 yards in the Class A championship game victory over Commerce, outrushing the state’s all-time leading rusher at the time, Runt Moon. At Georgia, Zambiasi was the leader of the Bulldogs’ Junkyard Dawg defense and the 1976 SEC championship team. He was first-team All-SEC in 1976 and 1977 and second team All-SEC in 1975. Zambiasi played 10 seasons in the CFL, was the league’s Rookie of the Year in 1978 and its Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 1979. He was an All-CFL player for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ 1986 Grey Cup-winning team. Zambiasi was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2004 and Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. He is a member of the Tiger-Cats’ Wall of Honor and the University of Georgia’s Team of the Century.