Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — He played his final game for the Gators more than three decades ago, a 17-13 Florida win over Florida State at a rain-soaked and sloppy Doak Campbell Stadium.

Gators senior offensive lineman Jeff Zimmerman had much to celebrate the night of Nov. 29, 1986.

Before the Gators' sixth consecutive win over the Seminoles, the Walter Camp Foundation named Zimmerman to its All-America Team. He joined notables such as Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde and defensive lineman Jerome Brown, Oklahoma tight end Keith Jackson and linebacker Brian Bosworth, Ohio State receiver Cris Carter, Penn State running back D.J. Dozier and Alabama linebacker Cornelius Bennett.

Zimmerman's selection made him the first offensive lineman in school history to be named first-team All-American in back-to-back seasons. He was named a first-team All-America by The Sporting News in 1985.

Zimmerman still holds that distinction today. "He's a unique athlete,'' former Gators coach Galen Hall once told reporters. "I've never been around a lineman that big who can run like he does."

Zimmerman enrolled at UF in the summer of 1983 after a growth spurt at Evans High in Orlando, where he was a teammate of future FSU offensive lineman Jamie Dukes. The duo was nicknamed the 500-pound Hulk, and both players went on to play in the NFL.

In Zimmerman's first three seasons at UF, the Gators went 27-4-3, as he was part of the "Great Wall of Florida" offensive line as a sophomore in 1984 that starred Lomas Brown and helped the Gators finish atop the Southeastern Conference. He returned to anchor the line as a junior in '85 and finished his career in the school record books in '86.

As talented as Zimmerman was — he was clocked as fast as 4.8 seconds in the 40-yard dash and had thighs the size of a quarterback's waist — he battled weight issues in the offseason. Zimmerman played anywhere from 295 pounds to 320 while in college, but some teams backed away when he showed up at the 1987 NFL combine at 340 pounds.

"I'd like to think I'll go in the first round,'' Zimmerman quipped to the Orlando Sentinel. "Then I wouldn't have to watch the draft on TV all day."

The Dallas Cowboys passed in the first round but eventually called, selecting Zimmerman with the 68th overall pick in the third round. He played in 34 games over the next four seasons, gaining the attention of famed TV analyst John Madden for his girth. Zimmerman played in an era before nearly every NFL offensive lineman tipped the scales over 300 pounds.

Zimmerman earned a spot on the All-Madden Team in 1990.

"Even though he was hurt much of the year with a knee injury, we still need guys like Jeff Zimmerman on our team,'' Madden is quoted on Zimmerman's All-Madden Team football card. "He's listed at 6-foot-3 and 332 pounds, but Jeff might weigh a bit more. On our 'Industrial Strength' unit, we need guys to make sure the unit stretches from sideline to sideline, and Jeff gives us some really good width."

Zimmerman abruptly stopped playing when the next season, with his weight on the high side, he did not show up at the Cowboys' training camp, and head coach Jimmy Johnson said he no longer considered Zimmerman on the roster.

Zimmerman faded from the spotlight after his NFL career and resurfaced in the minds of Gators fans in 2016 when the Gators inducted him into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame.

Zimmerman died March 1 at a hospital in the Orlando area following an illness. His brother has created a GoFundMe page for his memorial service.

Jeffrey Alan Zimmerman, born Jan. 10, 1965, in Enid, Okla., was 59. He will forever stand as a member of the "Great Wall of Florida" in the memory of those who saw him play.