Known as one of the most intense blockers in the 2011 college ranks, first-round Bengals 2012 draft choice opened his NFL career as starting RG ... One of 10 Bengals to start every game and Wild Card playoff ... Helped RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis lead NFL in third-and-one rushing conversions (14), with Green-Ellis failing to convert only once ... Part of run-blocking effort for Green-Ellis to gain at least 100 yards four times in a five-game stretch (Games 10-12 and 14), with 168.2 team average in that span ... Rated in film studies with no sacks allowed during his Wisconsin career.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Cincinnati in first round of 2012 NFL Draft (27th overall) ... Signed with Bengals on 5-25-12.
2012 RECAP: Helped RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis rank first in NFL in third-and-one rushing conversions, edging Houston’s Arian Foster by one (14-13), and Green-Ellis had only 15 attempts to Foster’s 19 ... On Sept. 16 vs. Cleveland, helped lead blocking effort for 375 net offensive yards and 34 points ... Supported blocking effort Sept. 23 at Washington that netted season highs in yards (478) and points (38) ... Contributed to 382-yard output Sept. 30 at Jacksonville, with offense allowing no sacks ... Supported blocking effort Oct. 14 at Cleveland that paved way for 438 yards ... In Nov. 11 win vs. N.Y. Giants that started team’s second-half surge, helped offense allow no sacks for third game on the season ... Supported 189 team rushing yards Nov. 18 at Kansas City ... Supported season-best 221 rushing yards (6.5 average) Nov. 25 vs. Oakland ... On Dec. 2 at San Diego, supported third straight 100-yard rushing game for Green-Ellis (25-118) and helped lead pass protection that allowed only one sack for zero yards ... On Dec. 9 vs. Dallas, helped support blocking effort for team’s 146 yards net rushing ... In Thursday night win Dec. 13 at Philadelphia, aided rushing effort of 41-for-157 (3.8) and season-best 37:40 possession time, with Green-Ellis (106) becoming only second player in Bengals history to get four 100-yard rushing totals in span of five team games.
COLLEGE: Played four seasons (2008-11) at Wisconsin, starting 37 games over his final three seasons ... Capped his senior season with All-America first-team honors from the American Football Coaches Association,
Pro Football Weekly and the NFL Draft Report ... As a junior and as a senior, helped Badgers capture Big Ten championships and Rose Bowl berths ... Wisconsin went 32-8 record in his last three campaigns ... Credited with 68 TD-producing blocks, and had 23 games of blocking grades at 90 percent or higher ... As a senior, ranked as NCAA FBS leader in TD-resulting blocks (33).
PERSONAL: Hometown is Waukesha, Wis. (in Greater Milwaukee) ... Attended Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, where he started for two 13-1 teams and was named Little Ten Conference Lineman of the Year as a senior ... Also as a senior, was ranked as No. 4 college prospect in the state by Scout.com ... National Honor Society student in high school, and was an Academic All-Big Ten first-team choice as a senior, after also placing on the team as a junior ... Majored at Wisconsin in kinesiology ... Last name is pronounced “ZITE-ler.”
