Eric Zilisch
Athlete-Football
How good of a football player was Eric Zilisch at Arrowhead High School? He's in the conversation as one of the best defensive players in school history.
"Eric was as good as the school has ever seen, totally dominant," said sports reporter Chuck Delsman. "His speed, strength and knowledge of the game made him the total package; a disruptive force for every team that tried to block him. I put him as one of the top defenders ever, right alongside Nick Hayden and Donnie Eicher."
Eric played three years of varsity football and earned numerous honors in his final two seasons, 2000 and 2001. As a junior, the defensive end/linebacker earned All-Conference, All-Area and All-District honors, plus he was an honorable mention All-State player. As a senior the next fall, he continued to pile up all kinds of accolades. He once again was All-Conference, All-Area and All-District, and this time, he was named the state's Defensive Player of the Year by both the AP and Wisconsin Football Coaches Association. Eric also was good in the classroom, being a member of the National Honor Society. In addition, he also played basketball at Arrowhead in 2000-2001 and 2001-2002.
After graduating at Arrowhead, Eric had a good NCAA Division 1 football career playing at the University of Iowa. In the 2002-03 season, he helped the Hawkeyes win the Big 10 championship and earn a berth in the prestigious Orange Bowl. The following season, the Hawkeyes and Eric had another good year, eventually winning the championship at the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida.
Eric currently lives in Waukesha and works at Sterling as a Manufacturing Manager. The company is a pharmaceutical manufacturer.
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