Zak Kustok Zak Adam Kustok ( born February 24 , 1979 ) is an American businessman who was starting quarterback for the Northwestern Wildcats from 1999 to 2001 . He originally matriculated at Notre Dame , but suffered from a change in the offensive game plan when Bob Davie replaced Lou Holtz , who had recruited him . Early in his second season in 1998 he left the program and joined Northwestern after its fifth game in 1999 . Despite playing only two and a half seasons for Northwestern , he is the current Northwestern recordholder for many quarterback rushing and passing statistics , including single season and career rushing touchdowns , career rushing yardage , career and single - season consecutive games with a touchdown pass and career consecutive pass attempts without an interception . He was a 2001 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist . Personal . Kustok is the son of Allan and Anita Kustok . Allan was a member of Mendel ' s 1968 team ( now St . Martin de Porres High School ) , which won the 1968 Prep Bowl championship . He also played catcher on the baseball team . Allan played football for Illinois . Allan had a tryout with the Chicago Bears . Zak ' s younger sister Sarah became " Chicago Sun - Times " ' 2000 Girls High School Basketball Player of the Year and captain of the DePaul Blue Demons women ' s basketball team before becoming a reporter for Comcast SportsNet . His wife Nicole ( formerly Kuznia ) was named Minnesota ' s 1999 Junior Miss and was also an All - American cross country runner at Northwestern . On September 29 , 2010 , Kustok ' s mother was shot and killed , with his father accused as the murderer . She worked at Central Elementary School in Riverside , Illinois . Allan ' s bail was set at $ 2 million . Youth career . As a freshman , Kustok led Lincoln - Way Central High School to a SICA West championship . By the time he was a sophomore during the 1994 – 95 school year , he was as well known as one of the best football prospects in the Chicago metropolitan area as he was as a scholar who ranked first in his class of 925 students . He also started at point guard on the basketball team . Kustok was unhappy at Lincoln - Way , so his family moved from to . Thus , as a junior , he transferred to Sandburg High School , and he led them to the an 11 – 0 start to their season and a second round of the 1995 Class 6A playoffs win against Schaumburg High School before losing to Romeoville High School in the quarterfinals . Entering his senior season in 1996 , he was the top - rated quarterback in the Chicago area and one of 9 local players ranked among the nation ' s top 100 . Although he was a standout in football , he earned a " Chicago Tribune " prep athlete of the week award for his basketball performance both as a junior and as a senior . In the spring , before his senior season , he announced that he intended to attend Notre Dame . Kustok chose Notre Dame over Northwestern . Kustok earned the 1997 Tribune Scholar Athlete of the Year award from the " Chicago Tribune " . Entering his senior season , " USA Today " rated him as one of the top 25 prospects in Illinois . That season , he again led Sandburg to the Class 6A football playoffs , but the team only went 6 – 4 as he endured injuries and an inexperienced offensive line . That season he was an All - Area special mention athlete in both football and basketball . Although head coach Lou Holtz left Notre Dame following the 1996 season , Kustok remained committed to his replacement Bob Davie even though Ron Powlus decided not to enter the 1997 NFL Draft . After his senior season , he was ranked as the second best quarterback ( behind Antwaan Randle El ) and seventh best football prospect in the Chicago area . In his 1997 senior spring , he won the regional competition for the Footaction High School Quarterback Challenge , which qualified him to compete at the Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World against 14 other high school quarterbacks . College career . Kustok spent the 1997 season as a quarterback for the scout team at Notre Dame . During 1998 Spring football , freshman Kustok found himself in a battle with junior Jarious Jackson , sophomore Eric Chappell , and incoming freshman Arnaz Battle for the starting role in a newly revamped option offense for the 1998 NCAA Division I - A football season . Kustok , like Powlus before him , was more of a drop back passer and suddenly found himself fourth on the depth chart at the beginning of the 1998 Notre Dame season . In late September , he decided to leave the program . While at the University of Notre Dame he was a Dean ' s List scholar with a 3 . 519 grade point average on a 4 . 0 scale . He transferred to Moraine Valley Junior College near his family in Orland Park . In December 1998 , he committed to Kansas . However , Kansas received a commitment from Dylen Smith , and Kustok received offers from outgoing Northwestern coach Gary Barnett , who was transitioning to a new job as Colorado Buffaloes football head coach as well as an offer from Northwestern . In February 1999 , Kustok committed to Northwestern . The following summer , incumbent quarterback , Gavin Hoffman , announced he was transferring to Penn . Upon transferring the date of his athletic eligibility was contested because although by all accounts Kustok left Notre Dame on September 28 , his transcript s were not registered an official date of October 21 . This necessitated a request for court ordered emergency relief in the Cook County Circuit Court . He sought immediate eligibility which was denied . In mid - September the NCAA settled with Kustok and granted him eligibility for the October 2nd game based on the September 28 date . Kustok made his debut after Northwestern fell behind Minnesota 14 – 0 in the game and head coach Randy Walker removed starter Nick Kreinbrink . The following week he started against Indiana . He was a 2001 finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award along with Joey Harrington , David Carr , Eric Crouch and Kurt Kittner . During that season as team co - captain and team MVP , he compiled a school - record and Big Ten - leading 3 , 272 yards of total offense , which ranked tenth in the nation . He was co - MVP of the 2000 Alamo Bowl along with Dan Alexander and Kyle Vanden Bosch of Nebraska . Kustok graduated with the following Northwestern football records , many of which have been broken : Professional career . Miami Dolphins . Kustok was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent on April 26 , 2002 following the 2002 NFL Draft . He was waived on August 26 during initial roster cuts . Green Bay Packers . After spending the 2002 season out of football , Kustok signed with the Green Bay Packers on February 7 , 2003 . He was allocated to NFL Europe on February 14 to play for the Berlin Thunder , and returned to the Packers on March 25 . He was waived on June 17 . Chicago Bears . Kustok was signed by the Chicago Bears to a two - year contract on March 26 , 2004 . He was released on May 2 .