Chicago Bears Draft: 3 things to know about TE Cole Kmet
By Ryan Heckman
1. Football is in his blood
Kmet has a family background in football. It’s in his blood. He grew up around the game. He’s lived and breathed it all his life. First and foremost, his father played football at Purdue. Defensive tackle Frank Kmet was a fourth-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 1992.
Chicago Bears
Like his father, Kmet’s uncle Jeff Zgonina also played college ball at Purdue. Zgonina went on to play 17 NFL seasons, most notably with the St. Louis Rams and Miami Dolphins.
Zgonina’s best year as a pro was probably in 2004 with Miami, when he totaled 63 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks and three passes defended. You could also argue 2002 was one of his best years, that one coming with the Rams. Zgonina racked up 38 tackles, 4.0 sacks and three forced fumbles.
The highlight of Zgonina’s career, though, was in 2000 when he and the Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV.
After retiring in 2009, Zgonina took a few years off from the game before returning as a coach in 2013. Today, he is an assistant defensive line coach for Ron Rivera‘s Washington Redskins.