He's still the Z-Man

Jim Zorn might be all grown up as an NFL head coach, but the former Seahawks star has kept his youthful charisma and corny approach

By Gail Wood | The Olympian • Published November 21, 2008

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They were supposed to meet at the Quarterback Club, a plush restaurant/club in downtown Seattle.

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The Jim Zorn years

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It's 1976, the Seattle Seahawks' first season.

And Jim Zorn, the Seahawks' undrafted rookie who won the starting quarterback job, and Norm Evans, the veteran offensive tackle who won three Super Bowls with Miami, were the guest speakers.

Evans, wearing slacks and tie, waited for Zorn to arrive. Zorn showed up wearing cut-off sweats and a T-shirt.

"I couldn't believe it," Evans said, laughing. "I take him aside and I say, 'Jim, you never do this again.' He's got this page-boy haircut. He looks like a surfer."

Evans, the All-Pro lineman who blocked for Bob Griese at Miami, learned to appreciate the Z-Man.

"That first year was fun," Evans said. "Jimmy is a fun guy. He likes to laugh."

Zorn was the outside-the-box quarterback with a knack for ad-libbing, dodging a rush and completing a pass on the run. He returns to Qwest Field on Sunday as the head coach of the Washington Redskins to face the team he played 126 games for as quarterback from 1976 to 1984.

Evans will be watching his old teammate and friend on TV.

"Jim is serious about being real," said Evans, who played for Miami from 1966-75 and for Seattle from 1976-78. "He's honest, fair and has this integrity."

It's that integrity that impressed the Washington Redskins ownership, which promoted Zorn from offensive coordinator to head coach in less than a month last spring.

After he left the Seahawks in 1984, Zorn played one season with Green Bay, the Winnipeg Bombers and Tampa Bay before retiring. Zorn then worked his way back into the NFL as a college coach — working as an assistant at Boise State (1989-91), Utah State (1992-94) and Minnesota (1995-96).

Zorn spent 17 seasons with the Seahawks — nine as a player and eight as an assistant coach.

"You hear coaches say they have an open-door policy and to make sure you can handle the truth," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "Sometimes you wonder if you're really getting the truth. Jim is a terrible liar and he can't hide his opinion. He is just honest, as a player you have to respect that."