Now he's fighting in NFL

Tom Zbikowski will report to minicamp with the Ravens on Thursday, just like the rest of the rookies either drafted or signed by Baltimore last week.

And neither that arrival nor the debut he figures to make on Sept. 7, when the Ravens open the season by hosting the Bengals, figures to compare to the pro debut he's already made.

"That one was different," Zbikowski said. "That one will be hard to top."

Nearly two years ago, Zbikowski, then a safety at Notre Dame, fought his first - and only - professional boxing match.

It was at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2006, and it didn't last long, as he knocked out Robert Bell in 49 seconds. With several dozen Fighting Irish teammates in the stands, Zbikowski wore a pair of gold gloves and walked through the arena with the Notre Dame fight song blaring.

"There's nothing like walking to the ring before a fight, because you know everyone is watching you and that's where the spotlight is," said Zbikowski, now 5-foot-11, 215 pounds.

"In football, you're out there with 50 or 60 other guys and the focus is on the team. The emotions are different."

But the third-round pick said his experience at the Garden will benefit him when he does suit up for the Ravens after a collegiate career during which he made a name for himself as a playmaker.

"I played college football on a national stage, so I know what that pressure is like and I fought at Madison Square Garden on another big stage, so I know what it's like to be scrutinized and perform in a big-time atmosphere," said the 22-year-old native of Arlington Heights, Ill.

"It's one less thing to worry about. And the one thing that is pretty much the same is the adrenaline rush right before a fight or a big game. That's not going to change."

He laced up the gloves one last time, he said, recently at a charity event in South Bend, winning a decision. He said he won't be climbing into the ring again any time soon.

"That was a dream, to fight pro, and I did it and it is still in my blood," Zbikowski said. "But my other dream has been to play pro football, and I'm finally getting that chance."

He'll be getting that chance alongside several players with local ties, including second-round pick Ray Rice, who starred at Rutgers and New Rochelle H.S., as well as free-agent signees, Benjamin Dato, a punter from Fordham, Piotr Czech, a kicker from Wagner.