Tobias Dorzon is an American chef, television personality, and social media influencer who first stepped onto the scene as a National Football League (NFL) player. He played football for the Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League before hanging up his cleats and putting on an apron.
Dorzon now serves as the executive chef of the Houston-based restaurant, Thirteen. The former athlete is also a regular on food television, winning four times on Guy’s Grocery Games. Here is how he transitioned from a football player to a chef.
Tobias Dorzon Began Playing Football in High School
Like every other pro athlete, Tobias Dorzon started playing football while he was still in school. His talents earned him an athletic scholarship to study at Jackson State University, where he also excelled on the school’s football team as a running back.
Despite suffering a knee fracture in college, he did not let it get in his way to success as he made an amazing comeback a year later. He would end up entering the NFL as a free agent, but his pro career did not stand the test of time.
What Football Team Did Tobias Play?
Tobias Dorzon played for three teams in his two-year professional football career. He played the Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Canada before calling it quits.
He joined the Titans in 2010 as a free agent but ended up on the roster of the Buccaneers. The following year, Dorzon moved to Canada to join the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but he also struggled to make an impact. It has been reported that being away from his family further contributed to the failure of his venture in Canada, and so he decided to call it quits.
He Began His Cooking Career in 2013
After he ended his football career, Tobias Dorzon decided to start a new one as a chef. As a student-athlete, when he wasn’t at practice or preparing for a game, he was always hosting fish fries for his teammates. According to him, cooking was something he enjoyed doing from a young age, so it was a no-brainer that he would turn his attention to the kitchen as soon as football was no longer viable.
Did Tobias Dorzon Attend Culinary School?
While he was still a pro in the NFL, Tobias enrolled in culinary school during the off-season in preparation for what was to come in the future. He took culinary classes at the Art Institute of Washington, after which he moved to South America to receive culinary lessons in Brazil for a period of three months.
During his stint at the Art Institute, he is said to have also studied abroad in Sicily for 6 months, a move that also contributed to his overall cooking skills. What, however, particularly inspired his cooking, and can be said to be the first culinary teacher he had, is his Liberian father, who owned an African restaurant and catering company in Georgetown when he was growing up.
Dorzon would later kick off his cooking career by taking a job at the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown. He subsequently worked at the Society Restaurant and Lounge in Silver Spring.
Dorzon is Now a Celebrity Chef and Television Personality
After gaining fame on social media for his cooking, Tobia Dorzon decided to launch his own catering company called Victory Chefs. His breakthrough came in 2015 when Washington Redskins player Santana Moss invited him to cook for him and his family.
Santana would go ahead to tell his teammates about the cooking, and this resulted in Tobias getting recognized. Two years later, he launched his food truck called Victory Trucks on the streets of New York. He would later expand his business by founding the restaurant Huncho House.
Tobias Dorzon has not solely relied on the word of mouth to get the word out about his culinary skills. He has created awareness by featuring on several television shows about chefs. His first television appearance was on the 2013 edition of the Guy’s Grocery Games. He has been a contestant in several other editions of the game and emerged the winner of the game show on four different editions.
Dorzon has also was featured on the 2017 edition of the 202 Xtra. In April 2022, he appeared on the famous food network game show, Tournament of Champions, hosted by Guy Fieri. The former athlete has a good relationship with Guy, who he sees as a coach, friend, and mentor in the food business.
What is Tobias Dorzon’s Net Worth?
Tobias Dorzon has an estimated net worth of $4 million. His career in the NFL did not amount to anything, so it is clear that a majority of his wealth comes from his cooking career.
Life as a cook was not quite rewarding from the start for Tobias, as he was earning an annual salary of around $40,000 when he began. He has since come a long way to become a sort-after celebrity chef who requires a handsome payment for his services.
