Dave Szott
Sport: Football
Born: December 12, 1967
Town: Clifton
David Andrew Szott was born December 12, 1967 in Passaic and grew up in Clifton. Big and agile, Dave was a natural on the gridiron from an early age and was also a terrific high school wrestler. He lettered in both sports for the Clifton High Mustangs, playing the line for coach Jack Jones and reaching the semifinals of the 1986 USA Wrestling Junior Freestyle Tournament.
Dave competed as a heavyweight; he stood 6’4” and was well north of 250 pounds by the time he was recruited as an offensive lineman by Penn State. Dave played his first varsity season for the Nittany Lions in 1986. Penn State finished 12–0 and beat Miami in the Fiesta Bowl to claim a second national championship for coach Joe Paterno. In Dave’s senior year, the team finished in the Top 20 again. He was drafted in 1990 by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 7th round.
Dave became a starter in his first NFL season, playing left guard beside fellow rookie Tim Grunhard. He received much of the credit for keeping Joe Montana on the field in 1993 and 1994.
Tim continued to anchor the Chiefs’ offensive line throughout the 1990s, earning First Team All-Pro honors in 1997. Injuries kept him sidelined in 1998 and again 2000. After a season with the Redskins in 2001, he finished his career with the Jets. He was one of the team’s top players in 2003 at age 36, but a torn ACL in the season’s final game convinced him it was time to quit.
After retiring, Dave stayed with the Jets as a coach and later became director of player development. He also helped players complete their degrees and prepare for life after football. He and his family reside in Morristown.
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