Paramus Native Now Blocks for Syracuse

Paramus native Zack Chibane, at 6-foot-5, 293 pounds, suits up for the Syracuse Orange as a left guard.

But his journey to the Big East (and now the Atlantic Coast Conference) started back in his hometown—more specifically, in his own backyard.

Chibane, 20, didn’t play organized football until his freshman year of high school.

He played roller hockey as a child, and only took an interest in football when his older brother, Nouri, played the sport as a freshman at .

“My brother would come home from practice and I would try on his pads,” said the younger Chibane, two years his brother’s junior.

Nouri recalled having a bench press in the garage, and the two Chibane brothers would lift weights and talk football.

As a seventh and eighth grader, Zack was unable to play at the recreational level due to the imposed weight restrictions, further postponing his playing career.

But he did get a start by squaring off against his brother.

“We’d put the pads on in the backyard during the spring and summer,” said Nouri, a 6-foot-3 former defensive end.

To hone both their skills, the elder Chibane would give his brother different pass rushing looks in their at-home practices.

“I was probably a little harsh on him at the time,” Nouri said. “But he responded well. He definitely picked up the physical aspects of the game, the muscle memory and reactions faster than anyone I’ve seen.”

Once Zack entered high school, he became an integral part of a program that began to establish itself as a contender under head coach Dan Sabella.

“The kids played hard, we had some talent,” Chibane recalled of his freshman team. “But it wasn’t something that people took seriously 12 months out of the year.”

Chibane noticed that there was no pipeline from the recreation program to the high school until Sabella’s arrival.

“I give coach Sabella all the credit,” Chibane said. “He established that culture and it’s something that I’m proud to have been a part of.”

Chibane, a 2009 PHS grad, noticed a “tremendous” change in the football program and relished being a part of it.

“It was definitely a positive experience,” he said, “to go from being a losing program that won three games a year then turning things around and becoming a winning program.”

Chibane was a three-year varsity starter as a two-way lineman. He was on back-to-back league champion squads in 2007-08. PHS hadn’t won its league since 1969.

Chibane was also a first team All-Bergen County selection as a junior, when he recorded 45 tackles.

After spending time hitting and tackling each other in their backyard , the Chibane brothers lined up next to each other on offense in 2007 for the Spartans, Zack at tackle, and Nouri at tight end.

“It was definitely a highlight for me,” Nouri said.   

The 2007 team (7-4) won the school’s first playoff game, before falling to Wayne Valley in the North 1, Group 3 semifinal.

Zack, who also wrestled and threw shot put, finished with 110 career tackles and drew offers from Syracuse, the University of South Florida, and Temple.

He ultimately decided on Syracuse because of its reputation as an academic institution, and Chibane said he knew he would be challenged in the classroom as well as on the field.

Being a part of the turnaround at PHS also inspired Chibane to take to Syracuse, a team that was attempting to rebuild its stock in the Big East.

In 2010, Chibane, who started all 13 games, helped pave the way for 1,000-yard rusher Delone Carter.

“I think for every yard that the running back gains,” Chibane said, “It’s something that we can feel in our hearts. It’s something that we put everything we have into to make it happen.”

The Orange went 8-5 last year and won the first ever Pinstripe Bowl, held at Yankee Stadium, by defeating Kansas State 36-34.

Chibane switched majors from communications to political science and would like to pursue a career in football at the professional level.

“I think it’s every kid’s dream to play on Sundays and I’m gonna do everything I can to get there.”

But Chibane isn’t putting all his eggs into one basket: “I’m putting everything I have into my studies in case that doesn’t work out,” he added.

If he isn’t drafted by an NFL team, or does not receive a work out, Chibane would like to work a government job or attend law school.

Reflecting back on the nutcracker drills in the yard, to being teammates, to watching his brother play on national television, Nouri is proud of his brother for excelling.

However, he said, “I’m not taking credit for what he’s doing. He’s worked harder than I ever did at it.”