Former NFL Tight End Eric Stocz Tackles the Main Event for the Fourth Time

Poker, especially the World Series of Poker, brings together people from all different walks of life. There's professional players and amateurs, celebrities and athletes, men and women — all of whom love the game, some for competition, some for fun, and some for both.

One such athlete that has returned to play the WSOP Main Event this year is Eric Stocz, former professional football player.

Born in 1974 in Ohio, Stocz was drafted as a tight end by the NFL's Detroit Lions in 1996. He played with them for three years before leaving the game and seeking out other interests to occupy his time. One of those interests turned out to be poker, and he has built up $193,238 in live tournament earnings.

After scoring his first live cash in 2008 at a Heartland Poker Tour event, Stocz went on to win the HPT $1,500 Main Event in Mount Pleasant for more than $117,000 in May of 2010. Since that win, he's added several in-the-money finishes to his résumé, including a 2011 WSOP Main Event run that saw him cash for $30,974.

Stocz is playing the Main Event for the fourth time this year and has already worked his way up to about 50,000 in chips.