The son of Canadian immigrant parents, Lou Zivkovich attended the University of Miami where he received a degree in Physical Education and English. He then played five years as a defensive end for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. His greatest fame came when, at age 33, he earned $1000 for agreeing to appear as the July 1974 centerfold in Playgirl Magazine. In this photospread, (taken during an expense-paid trip to Hawaii), the muscular, hirsute Zivkovich displayed his 6'4" physique -- 216 lbs. with a 46" chest and a 35" waist -- in a series of shots which featured full-frontal nudity. (Curiously, there were no rear-view shots.) Copies of the magazine quickly became something of a collector's item and even sparked brief talk of an acting career for Zivkovich but there were also unfortunate ramifications. The high school in Apple Valley, California, where Zivkovich worked as a phy-ed teacher fired him, charging that his centerfold appearance showed he was not a proper role model for his students. Many of these students as well as fellow teachers then came to the defense of Zivkovich who stated: "I don't see anything wrong with a nude body that is a work of art." The case went to a state appeals panel which admonished Zivkovich for a "mistake in judgment" but ruled in March of 1975 that he could not be fired.