Tampa Bay Bucs helmet (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Tobias Dorzon may not be a name that many NFL fans will remember, but he did spend some time in the league, as he just almost had his life taken away from him and another instance of senseless gun violence in this country.

The former NFL player turned chef and restaurateur was one of two people shot Tuesday night during a robbery in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Dorzon and his companion were shot multiple times by four gunmen who opened fire with semiautomatic weapons, police said. 

They were taken to the hospital and are expected to survive.

The shooting happened on Wednesday as the suspects attempted to rob them as they returned from dinner, the Hyattsville Police Department said in a Facebook post.

Tobias Dorzon is very accomplished in his second career, as he has appeared on national television through the Food Network, and he hosts “Timeout with Tobias,” a cooking show on ESPN+ and Hulu in which he cooks with other former and current athletes.

Tobias Dorzon Has Had A Unique Life And Career

Dorzon’s life went from donning helmets to donning a chef’s hat.

While most former athletes look for a career in broadcasting after retirement, Dorzon, the former running back for the Bucs, replaced his football with kitchen utentils.

Tobias Dorzon went to Jackson State University, where he played football before joining the NFL and then the CFL.

He was drafted into the NFL in 2010 and played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans. He also played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

By 2012, he was attending the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Washington during the offseason. He would then open Union District Oyster Bar and Lounge in Washington, D.C., in 2018 and then later open Thirteen Restaurant in Houston, Texas, and Huncho House in Hyattsville.

Just this year, he was named 2024 Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Maryland.

Tobias Dorzon made history as he was the first chef from Prince George’s County to receive the honor.