Mike Zentic
{{Short description|American football player (born 1963)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Mike Zentic
| number = 62
| position = Center
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|11|22|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Tecumseh, Nebraska, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 255
| high_school = Lincoln (NE) East
| college = NW Missouri St.
Oklahoma State
| undraftedyear = 1987
| pastteams =
- Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|1987}})
- Kansas City Chiefs ({{NFL Year|1988}})*
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 3
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 3
| pfr = ZentMi20
}}
Michael Lee Zentic (born November 22, 1963) is an American former professional football center in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Oklahoma State University.
Early life
Zentic attended Lincoln East High School, where he was coached in football by his father Lee. He received All-conference honors as a senior.{{cite web| url=https://newsok.com/article/2162184/zentics-return-to-nebraska-causes-color-crisis-in-family | title=Zentic's Return to Nebraska Causes Color Crisis in Family | accessdate=January 12, 2019}} He enrolled at Division II Northwest Missouri State University, where he was named a starter at center.{{cite web| url=https://bearcatsports.com/sports/2014/2/17/fb_record_roster.aspx?id=2 | title=ALL-TIME ROSTER | accessdate=January 12, 2019}}
He transferred to Oklahoma State University after his third year.{{cite web| url=https://newsok.com/article/2143961/osus-old-man-finally-gets-shot-as-starter | title=OSU's "Old Man' Finally Gets Shot as Starter| accessdate=January 12, 2019}} As a senior, he was named the starter at offensive tackle in the fifth game of the season against the University of Nebraska, after not being able to beat Tony Wilkins for the starting center position.{{cite web| url=https://newsok.com/article/2168372/jones-sees-fast-improvement-in-cowboys-in-1987 | title=Jones Sees Fast Improvement in Cowboys in 1987 | accessdate=January 12, 2019}}
Professional career
=Dallas Cowboys=
Zentic was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys after the 1987 NFL draft. He was waived on September 1.{{cite web| url=https://newsok.com/article/2197508/king-one-of-several-vets-clipped-from-nfl-rosters | title=King One of Several Vets Clipped From NFL Rosters | accessdate=January 12, 2019}}
After the NFLPA strike was declared on the third week of the 1987 season, those contests were canceled (reducing the 16 game season to 15) and the NFL decided that the games would be played with replacement players. He was re-signed to be a part of the Dallas replacement team that was given the mock name "Rhinestone Cowboys" by the media.{{cite news|title=Who's playing today and for whom|newspaper=Lakeland Ledger|date=October 4, 1987}} He started 3 games at center. He was cut on October 20, at the end of the strike.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=19671021&id=gptHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y38MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6301,2469815&hl=es | title=Cowboys | accessdate=April 21, 2018}}
=Kansas City Chiefs=
On July 11, 1988, he was signed as a free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs.{{cite web| url=https://newsok.com/article/2232006/basketball | title=Transactions | accessdate=January 12, 2019}} He was released on August 22.{{cite web| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/23/sports/transactions-276588.html | title=Transactions | work=The New York Times | date=August 23, 1988 | accessdate=January 12, 2019}}