Jim Dombrowski

Football

Jim Dombrowski was an outstanding football player and student at Williamsville South High School (1978-82) who was selected all-ECIC, all-WNY, and named to the Adidas All-American and the Centarian All-America football teams during his senior year. His football jersey (#77) was the first jersey ever retired at the school.

He earned a full-scholarship to the University of Virginia where he went on to become one of the top student-athletes in the history of Virginia athletics. There, he received the NCAA Today’s Top Six Award for his combined athletic ability, academic achievement, leadership characteristics and campus involvement. He was a unanimous First Team All-America football selection in 1984 and was a three-time First Team All-ACC player for the Cavaliers. The university retired his #73 for his outstanding contributions. Dombrowski was further honored for his collegiate career when he was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame in 2008.

Jim Dombrowski was a first-round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints (the sixth overall pick) in the 1986 NFL draft (highest drafted WNY player in history). He started most of his 11 years (1986-1996) with the Saints, playing both guard and tackle. He was named to the New Orleans Saints All-Time Team for the franchise’s 30th, 35th and 40th anniversaries and was inducted into their hall of fame in 2003. He ranks ninth all-time in games played in Saints’ history with 151 and was an integral part of leading the Saints to their first winning season and first playoff appearance in 1987. He was part of four playoff teams in New Orleans as a starter (1987, 1990, 1991, and 1992).

Presently, Dombrowski works as a certified financial planner for Wells Fargo Advisors in Mandeville, Louisiana and serves as an assistant football coach at Mandeville High School.