Tony Zimmerman was named the Dukes' receivers coach by first year head coach Jerry Schmitt on April 19, 2005. But his playing days aren't over just yet. The next day, April 20, 2005, the Johnstown Riverhawks of the Atlantic Indoor Football League announced Zimmerman signed a contract with the team. Their regular season begins in mid-April and runs through July 9th.

Zimmerman was drafted by the Orlando Predators in the October 2004 Arena Football League (AFL) as the number 10 (of 44) selection in the dispersal draft of players from the Carolina Cobras, Detroit Fury and Indiana Firebirds, who dropped out of the league. He was the only player selected by the Predators from this draft. However before the season started, he moved to the Nashville Kats, an expansion team for the 2005 season.

He got his first start five games into in his second AFL year when starting QB Leon Murray was sidelined with injuries to his knee, shoulder and hamstring. In four games, Zimmerman completed 78 of 130 passes (60.0%) for 809 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. He was waived by Nashville on March 31, 2005, after a healthy Murray returned to the lineup.

Zimmerman moved up to the AFL for the 2004 season, signing with the Indiana Firebirds on October 30, 2003. He was the backup to AFL rookie of the year Adrian McPherson. Zimmerman played in six games, completing 29 of 55 passes for 292 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He also scored one touchdown rushing (3-for-6 yards) and recorded one tackle.

In his second season with AFL's developmental league Quad-City (Iowa) Steamwheelers, Zimmerman was named the arenafootball2 Offensive Player of Year. He set the af2 record for touchdown passes in a single season, throwing 93 touchdowns in 2003 and leading the Quad City Steamwheelers to a 14-2 regular-season record and the Midwest Division championship. He finished the season with 4,357 passing yards, finishing second in the league, and threw just seven interceptions boasting a passer rating of 117.98.

His 2002 season with the Steamwheelers was cut short by a broken leg suffered six games into his inaugural AF2 campaign. Duquesne's most prolific quarterback in school history was leading the league with 36 touchdown passes when a defender rolled over his leg in a pileup late in a 68-36 May 18th victory against the Wichita Stealth. Quad City was 5-1 and atop the Midwest Division at the time.

The Penn-Trafford HS grad from surburban Pittsburgh attempted to return to action against Peoria on June 1st, but had to leave after re-aggravating the injury. He had thrown just five passes that night. X-rays revealed that the leg was not healing as fast as hoped, benching Zimmerman for theseason.

Zimmerman was accumulating all-star type stats averaging 207.9 yards per game while completing 57.4 percent (183-105) of his passes. He was intercepted just seven times two of those in the aborted comeback attempt. He has a 106.67 QB rating,

Zimmerman was the 2000 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year as a senior. He finished his career at Duquesne as the holder of 14 school records. He passed for 7,313 yards and threw for 73 touchdowns in his three years as DU's starting quarterback.

• Riverhawks Add AFL Star Tony Zimmerman to Roster
• Indiana Firebirds sign Zimmerman
• Tony Zimmerman bio
• Indiana Firebirds website
• AFL website

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