In a tale that sounds like it was lifted straight from the pages of a gripping novel, Christopher Pazan, once a star quarterback at the University of Illinois, now finds himself embroiled in a sticky situation on the wrong side of the law. Pazan, who traded his college football glory for a badge and a patrol car, is now facing an allegation that isn’t quite in line with the heroics typically expected of a cop. His alleged misstep? Attempting to purloin $300 worth of baseball cards from a Meijer store in the pleasant suburb of Evergreen Park.
Perched on the sidelines of this unfolding drama is Sgt. Victor Watts of the Evergreen Park Police, the bearer of the tale who confirmed that Pazan was collared following some surveillance magic. Apparently, a vigilant security guard found Pazan putting on a rather unsporting performance, slipping the baseball cards into a yard waste bag right under the store’s watchful eye. In an anticlimactic touch, Pazan apparently paid for the bag—perhaps in an ironic nod to partial honesty—but vacated the premises sans covering the cost of his card haul.
This plot twist casts a pall over what had been a respectable second act for the former athlete. Post-football, Pazan donned the blue uniform in 2015, aligning himself with the noble credo of protect and serve. Assigned to the Morgan Park District and moonlighting in the central investigations division—addressing complex cases from arson to vehicular theft—his mandate required upholding the very laws he now allegedly sidestepped.
Efforts to get an official statement from Pazan—or his legal representative—have returned little more than the kind of silence familiar to someone sitting out a penalty box sentence. His previous life reads like a scout’s dream: a high school star at Brother Rice in Mount Greenwood, where he gleamed with All-American honors, followed by a notable stint at the University of Illinois. His collegiate football career featured some front-and-center moments, albeit in a supporting role. Later, he transitioned from quarterback to coach, offering insight and guidance at both Illinois and St. Joseph’s College before finding his way to law enforcement.
A 2015 Chicago Tribune interview paints Pazan as someone yearning for purpose behind the badge. Declaring a desire to serve differently, his career shift seemed altruistic and well-timed. Moreover, his commitment to law enforcement extended beyond mere duty; he suited up for the Chicago Enforcers, a team representing officers in a competitive police football league—because even when off-duty, competitive sport is part of his DNA.
Despite maintaining a steady salary just north of six figures (without the enticing additive of overtime), it seems financial discomfort has been sacking him for more yards than any opposing defensive back ever managed. The onset of a divorce found him navigating murky financial waters, including a looming court hearing calendared on the very day of his arrest. Additional woes surfaced when attorney Tania K. Harvey petitioned a judge for the nearly $6,000 Pazan owes in legal fees.
The saga doesn’t end there. As his new legal team maneuvers to refloat his financial ship by refinancing his home in Beverly, a pattern emerges: cash flow headaches have dogged Pazan like a persistent rival ever since he donned a uniform. Last year, his fiscal follies included evasive maneuvers akin to a masterful scramble under center. Fifth Third Bank pursued him for a $4,000 debt, only to be thwarted by his apparent Houdini act. And in 2022, the spotlight of another lawsuit from JPMorgan Chase found him in arrears to the tune of $15,000—a skirmish that ended with a late reconciliation by mid-2024.
His current predicament brings a freshly minted misdemeanor charge of retail theft, which looms over his now uncertain future. His day in court awaits him on June 23 in Bridgeview, where he’ll trade a gridiron for the courtroom, and strategizing plays for legal defenses. For Pazan, a man who once dreamt of rushing touchdowns and intercepting passes, life has taken some unexpected yardage, challenging him to find a way forward amid the mire of personal and professional turmoil.
As Pazan prepares to face the gavel’s verdict, one can’t help but ponder the irony and tribulations that have enfolded his life—a former star quarterback dancing around allegations like a would-be thief, his financial troubles playing center field in his personal narrative.
