Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski is probably the last rookie veterans will want to pick a fight with ? just ask Robert Bell.
Bell is the Ohio heavyweight boxer Zbikowski, a former Notre Dame standout, knocked out in 49 seconds in his professional boxing debut during the summer of 2006 in front of a crowd of 14,000 at Madison Square Garden.
“It was just an awesome time,” Zbikowski said. “To fight in Madison Square Garden with 40 teammates and 150 [of my] fans watching is what every boxer hopes for.”
Zbikowski, 22, has a 60-13 record as an amateur, highlighted by being a Silver Gloves national finalist from 1998-00.
But his next fight won?t come in the boxing ring. It will be on the football field. He?ll begin his professional football career on Friday when he participates in the team?s rookie mini camp in Owings Mills, where he?ll take the first step in fighting up the team?s depth chart, much like a young boxer aiming to earn a title fight.
“Special teams appears to be a place I can help make plays at right away for the Ravens,” he said. “I also love being on a team that takes such an aggressive approach on defense. I really feel like the Ravens are going to be a great fit for me and how I play.”
The 5-foot-11, 215-pounder started in all 48 games of his career at Notre Dame, finishing with 300 tackles and eight interceptions, including two returned for a touchdown.
Zbikowski will try to provide depth in the secondary for the Ravens, who had few options at safety beyond Ed Reed and Dwan Landry. The Ravens also drafted Cincinnati safety Haruki Nakamura in the sixth round.
But Zbikowski also will battle incumbent Yamon Figurs for the starting job at punt returner ? a position where Zbikowski averaged 11.5 yards a punt return at Notre Dame, which included three returns for a touchdown.
“[Zbikowski] is physical, fast and can run to the football,” said Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens general manager. “Zbikowski can also be a backup returner for us, so those were some areas where we got hit pretty hard last year, and we ended up taking guys off our practice squad, taking guys off the street.”
Zbikowski is one of 10 of the team?s draft picks who will make their first impression at the Ravens? only mandatory mini camp before training camp begins in late July in Westminster.
“No one is winning a job right now,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “It?s part of the process.”
