2024 has been a big year for North Andover, MA native Zak Zinter. In January, his Michigan Wolverines captured college football’s national championship. And this past April he was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Draft. Tom Leyden catches up with Zak in the June 2024 issue of BostonMan Magazine to talk football, family, life, and what the future holds.
SILENCE.
When’s the last time you were able to hear a pin drop in a crowd of more than 110,000 people?
Zak Zinter, a 6’6”, 325 pound mammoth of a man from North Andover, lay prone on the turf, shocked and in pain, his lower left leg snapped in an instant. This is not how Senior Night was supposed to go at The Big House. Undefeated Michigan’s battle with undefeated Ohio State was living up to the hype. The Wolverines and Buckeyes were engaged in another classic, with the winner headed to the Big Ten Championship Game.
Zinter, a captain on Michigan’s team and anchor of an offensive line recognized as one of the nation’s best, had returned for his senior season in chase of a national championship. After leading the Maize and Blue to an unblemished start, Zinter and his teammates were four wins away from accomplishing the goal.
And now…. It was over. At least for Zak.
“I still have PTSD from it,” said Tiffany Zinter, Zak’s mom who was in the stands with her husband, Paul and daughter, Kierstyn, at Michigan Stadium that Saturday. “It was a big play and we always watch the play and follow the ball. Kierstyn, was at my side and said, ‘A player is down,’ and as soon as you realize that, you start scanning the field. Kierstyn said, ‘It’s Zak,’ and then we saw his teammates standing over him and they immediately called for help – you saw them freaking out. As soon as the trainer came out and called for the cart – I was gone. I didn’t even say anything to Paul. Everyone was in the walkways, trying to watch. The guy at the gate saw me coming and then Pastor Robbie, who knows us and had a great relationship with Zak, said, ‘Let her in.’ I didn’t even realize Paul was with me.
“I asked Pastor Robbie if he knew what was wrong and when we finally got to Zak, we saw his leg crooked and I got down on the ground with Zak, right in his face.”
“I had everything going through my mind. I mean anything, everything you could imagine, the emotions, the thoughts, everything was going through my head,” said Zak. “I didn’t know what was going on, but to look back and see the videos, how quiet it was. I wouldn’t say I was able to hear how quiet it was just at that moment, because I was in a lot of pain.”
After several tense moments on the field, with the training staff immobilizing Zak’s leg and moving him to a gurney, he was slowly rolled off the field toward the tunnel. In that moment, the unsung hero, part of a blue-collar group of grinders who powered the Michigan offensive attack, was recognized in way that was as surprising as it was satisfying.
The capacity crowd chanted, ‘Let’s Go Zak,” in unison as he raised his arm to acknowledge the fans.
“It’s definitely surreal in the moment,” said Zak. “Last game in the big house, last time I ever walked off the – I didn’t even walk off the field, you know what I mean? I was carted off the field for the last time. Last time wearing that helmet and wearing that uniform. I didn’t know what was going on, but all the emotions were running through my head.”
“He was able to joke a couple of days later that if he hadn’t broken his leg, there was no way 110,000 people would have ever chanted his name,” said Tiffany. “It was in that moment that you realize how much your team truly loves you, how much your fans truly love you. It was just huge.”
As Zak recalls, there was one thought going through his mind as the emotional scene unfolded.
“One thing I’m not doing in front of 20 million people on TV is crying as I get taken off this field, that’s for sure,” he said.
“Before we left, with all of his teammates surrounding Zak as the training staff was working with him on the field, he screamed, ‘Finish the f-in game!’” said Paul. “He didn’t want the guys to be worried about him. Basically, he was telling them, ‘I just broke my leg for this game,’ right? So he wanted to make sure they finished the job.”
The gurney reached the tunnel and Ohio State’s head coach, Ryan Day, stopped the Zinters to say he’d be praying for Zak and the family.
“I thought that was pretty cool,” said Tiffany. “It’s such a rivalry game, and yet, it’s just a game. People do care. That was just the first of many coaches who reached out to us. It was pretty touching.”
As Michigan was finishing off a 30-24 win over Ohio State, the Zinters life was in fast-forward. Zak was rushed to the hospital, where the game had been playing on TV. The staff was ready when the ambulance arrived and he was wheeled in.
“It was lined with every doctor and nurse in the ER,” said Tiffany. “Every piece of equipment was ready for him because they didn’t know if he may have cut an artery. They didn’t know what was what with the break, so it was pretty intense when we walked in. It was like something out of a movie.”
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My first interaction with the Zinter family was on a cold December day in 2019 as Zak made his commitment to play football at Michigan. That same day, Buckingham Browne & Nichols hosted a special early graduation ceremony for Zak. He had fulfilled his academic requirements and would immediately head to Ann Arbor to practice with the 2019 Wolverines as they prepared for a Citrus Bowl date with Alabama.
It was abundantly clear to me, on that day, the Zinter family was unique. Paul and Tiffany’s three children, Zak, Preston and Kierstyn, are each stellar athletes. Zak studied and played at Michigan. Preston is currently in his second season as a linebacker at Notre Dame and Kierstyn is headed to the University of Tampa to play lacrosse.
Developing your children into top-notch student-athletes takes great sacrifice and dedication from the entire family.
“I’ve always wanted my kids to be the best of friends,” said Tiffany. “I always made us do things together. I consider US a team. We’ve just always been there for each other. No matter what, your highs and lows, we’re going to be there for each other. I think we stand on our faith a lot.”
“Communication is key,” said Paul. “The dinner table discussions can be a bit interesting, having them all around. We’re all in it together- good, bad, indifferent. We’ve leaned on our faith. We’ve leaned on friends, coaches, and we always try to ground ourselves in our principles. The kids wanted a great education at a big-time level, and they wanted that brotherhood piece of it, too. Now Kierstyn will be there soon, too.”
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Zak’s injury was broadcast around the world, so his brother, Preston, was immediately aware of what was going on, despite the fact he and his teammates were in Palo Alto, CA to play Stanford that night. The Fighting Irish won the game 56-23, but Preston’s mind was in Ann Arbor, where his brother was undergoing surgery to repair the breaks in his tibia and fibula.
After the game in California, the Fighting Irish football team flew back to Indiana. Preston immediately got in his car and headed from South Bend to Ann Arbor, arriving at the hospital unbeknownst to anyone.
“Without telling us and without anyone knowing, he just got in his car and drove up to surprise me, which I think shows you our relationship,” said Zak. “He just surprised me, and my mom, and everyone – just showed up at the hospital.”
“That brought me to tears, too,” said Tiffany. “Zak was sleeping, I had slept in the chair. I thought it was a doctor and I looked up and in walked Preston. He told me he wouldn’t be anywhere else. That was pretty emotional.”
Preston’s visit wasn’t the first. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh immediately headed to the hospital after Michigan’s win to check on Zak. Harbaugh’s connection to his players was one of the key intangibles that propelled the 2023 Michigan team to such great heights.
Following the victory over Ohio State, Michigan was slated to play Iowa in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship. Zak was determined to be there and was on the sideline on crutches as the Wolverines beat the Hawkeyes 26-0 to claim the title. On the podium after the game, the trophy was presented to Zinter, wearing his familiar #65 jersey and surrounded by his teammates.
His connection to the squad continued over the next month, as Michigan prepared for the Rose Bowl, a national semifinal matchup against Alabama that ended in dramatic fashion with the Wolverines on top after an overtime thriller. Next up was the College Football Playoff Championship Game against Washington, where Michigan put the finishing touches on a perfect 15-0 season by knocking off the Huskies 34-13 to claim the crown.
One leg of the journey, so to speak, was complete. Another leg was just beginning.
As one of the most highly-rated offensive guards in the country before the injury, Zinter had lofty expectations regarding his draft status. Could he possibly go in the first round? As his stock rose, excitement built, and then the setback dashed his draft dreams, to an extent.
He couldn’t work out for NFL teams as he was rehabbing, but Zak took every meeting and every interview he could. He attended the NFL Combine in February and Michigan’s Pro Day in March. He worked with a specialized training team in Texas to get back to full strength, but there were still concerns about how he’d recover from the break and when he’d be able to contribute on the field. Through it all, he could only rely on his personality, his character and what he’d put on tape over four years at Ann Arbor.
“Most NFL teams loved the way I play,” said Zak, before this year’s NFL Draft. “I’m just a clean cut, humble, hardworking dude, but it’s going to come down to who sees my my leg as not being an issue. I’m cleared for everything now. The bones are healed, we’re continuing to build strength. It will be stronger than it was before when we’re done.”
There’s no question the injury affected where he might be taken, but the Zinters remained focused on their faith and belief in destiny.
“God has a plan and we just have to trust the plan,” said Tiffany in the days leading up to the draft. “You want to control everything, but I truly feel everything happens for a reason. I’ve told Zak at the end of this he’s going to have an amazing testimony to share about the journey he’s been on.”
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Zak being picked in the first round was a long shot and not expected, but the Zinters were hopeful the phone would ring on Day 2 of the NFL Draft. A group of family and friends gathered on Friday, April 26 in their North Andover home, riddled with the excitement and anxiety of the unknown, but hopeful this would be the night. Round Two passed without Zak being picked and twenty players were selected in Round Three before the phone rang.
With the 85th overall selection, the Cleveland Browns tabbed Zak as their choice and the room exploded in celebration. A lifetime of hard work had paid off and a new chapter was beginning. Showered in confetti and nearly suffocated in hugs and kisses, Zak absorbed the love and began envisioning a future in which Cleveland rocks.
“I had a formal meeting with the Browns at the combine and I knew they had liked me,” said Zak. “When those picks were coming around, I had my fingers crossed. And when the phone rang, I was super excited.”
He has already reported for duty in Ohio, ready to work and help the Browns build on the winning season in 2023 that led to a playoff appearance.
“I want to get back on the field,” he said. “I want to start producing and doing all that stuff again. The injury really did bring the love back. You know, I’d been going on a great run and to have it all taken away really hurt. So, I’m excited to keep grinding and get back out on the field.”
With an impressive collection of hardware, Zak has big visions for what might be ahead in Cleveland.
“I don’t like to lose,” he said. “I like to win, and I’ve got some rings over the years. I’m hoping to keep adding to them.”
