Once celebrated under the Friday night lights and roaring college stadiums, Christopher Pazan, a former University of Illinois quarterback, now finds himself under the unflattering glare of police station fluorescents, accused of stealing baseball cards. A Chicago cop by profession, it seems the playbook he’s consulting nowadays is less of the Hail Mary variety and more of the ‘Hail No’ kind, given the misstep he’s recently taken.
The 41-year-old Pazan was intercepted, not by an opponent on the field, but by an eagle-eyed security guard at a Meijer store located on South Western Avenue in Evergreen Park. What started as a seemingly innocuous day quickly turned into a debacle, as he allegedly attempted to depart with about $300 worth of baseball cards tucked sneakily into a yard waste bag. He paid for the bag, but the thrill of the game must have distracted him from settling up for the tangible treasures within.
The incident has led to Pazan being benched from his role as a Chicago police officer, with his police powers put on pause pending an internal review. Ironically, Pazan was attached to the central investigations division which tackles cases like financial crimes—which is why this scenario might just take the cake for irony-induced eye-rolls.
To further complicate the narrative, attempts to communicate with Pazan’s legal representative have borne no fruit; calls reportedly going unanswered as his legal matters spiral. Meanwhile, Pazan remains as elusive as a quarterbacks’ pass on a gusty day.
Looking back at Pazan’s path, he was quite the touchdown king at Brother Rice High School in Mount Greenwood, strumming all-American chords on the football battlefield. He then took his skills to the University of Illinois, playing a few games that have since been tucked away in the annals of university glory. Post-collegiate life had him trying his hand a bit at coaching before he pivoted to a career in law enforcement—a decision that, in retrospect, might have been as unpredictable as a desperate fourth-quarter Hail Mary.
Fast forward to now, where he faces more than a metaphorical pass rush. Despite earning a respectable salary of over $111,000 (before overtime) as a police officer, he’s been embroiled in financial difficulties. Perhaps his own game of life took a nasty hit, as he’s reportedly amidst divorce proceedings and was predictably tangled up with court hearings the same day as his alleged pilfering adventure.
A court application from a previous legal advisor unmasks unfinished business with over $5,800 in unpaid fees, suggesting that personal finance might be among the toughest opponents Pazan has faced.
His courtroom defense ensemble now claims his plans include refinancing his abode in Beverly as he tries to tackle pending legal costs. Given his financial history, this saga reads like a thriller novel, albeit one where the plot twists are splashed liberally with legal dramas from major financial players such as Fifth Third Bank and JPMorgan Chase. The amount of tension these debts have put him under could probably outscore a nail-biting double-overtime match.
Amidst looming bankruptcy warnings, Chicago police hiring practitioners outline guidelines that deter recruits carrying significant debt from joining. The idea is to thwart corruption risks—a philosophy evidently not meant to tailor ex-football stars turned officers grappling with sudden financial downslides.
The quarterback-turned-cop, now in legal limbo, is staring down a misdemeanor count of retail theft. With a first court showdown on June 23 in Bridgeview penciled in, one can only hope that this dramatic episode finds a less turbulent resolution.
In his heyday, Pazan’s arms were meant for hurling a football downfield, not hoarding collectibles. The public eye will watch intently, maybe with a popcorn box at the ready, to see how he navigates this latest hurdle—a cautionary tale that even when you’re a cop with a pension plan, it’s apparently no trump card against life’s blitzes. Will he make an interception in his life’s trajectory, or has he thrown his last game-winning touchdown? Only time will tell.
