Selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL draft, he was a member of the Bengals' starting lineup in Super Bowl XXIII.
[1] During his freshman year in 1981, he played only sparingly as a reserve behind veteran Mike Cofer, and registered 11 tackles (6 solo).
[3] Zander's breakout season came during his junior year in 1983, when he registered 129 tackles (67 solo), second on the team only to Alvin Toles' 135.
In Tennessee's 7–0 win over Rutgers, which took place at Giants Stadium in Zander's home state of New Jersey, he had 16 tackles (7 solo), and shared "Player of the Game" accolades with Reggie White.
[7] In Tennessee's 28–27 loss to Maryland in the 1984 Sun Bowl, he had a team-leading 20 tackles, and received the game's "Most Valuable Lineman" award.
[13] By the 1989 season, he was the Bengals' defensive signal-caller, relaying the play from the coaches to the other players on the field, and modifying it as necessary to respond to the offensive formation.