Zak Zinter
{{Short description|American football player (born 2001)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Zak Zinter
| image = 025 MBN S23G13 IOWA (53373753096).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Zinter with Michigan in 2023
| current_team = Cleveland Browns
| number = 70
| position = Guard
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|4|17}}
| birth_place = Port St. Lucie, Florida, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 6
| weight_lb = 310
| high_school = {{ubl|Buckingham Browne & Nichols|(Cambridge, Massachusetts)}}{{ubl|St. John’s Prep|(Danvers, Massachusetts)}}
| college = Michigan (2020–2023)
| draftyear = 2024
| draftround = 3
| draftpick = 85
| pastteams =
- Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|2024}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
- CFP national champion (2023)
- Unanimous All-American (2023)
- 2× first-team All-Big Ten (2022, 2023)
- Second-team All-Big Ten (2021)
| statseason = 2024
| statweek =
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 17
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 3
| pfr = Z/ZintZa00
}}
Zak Lyle Zinter (born April 17, 2001) is an American professional football guard for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, winning three consecutive Big Ten Conference titles and a national championship in 2023. He was a three-time All-Big Ten selection and a unanimous All-American. Zinter was selected by the Browns in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Early life
Zinter was born in Port St. Lucie, Florida on April 17, 2001, the son of Paul and Tiffany Zinter. He lived in Florida until middle school, when his family moved to North Andover, Massachusetts. Zinter attended St. John’s Prep for the first two years of his high school career, before transferring to Buckingham Browne & Nichols. He played both football and track and field, excelling at both. Zinter was a three-year starter along the offensive line, with one year at St. John’s Prep and two at BB&N. As a junior, he led BB&N to an 8-1 record and title game appearances in the Independent School League and New England championships.
Zinter was a two-time Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association All-State selection, USA Today All-Massachusetts in 2018, and on the Super 26 All-State Team in 2019. He was also the NEPSAC All-New England Lineman of the Year in 2019. As a junior, he was the NEPSAC New England State Shot Put Champion, breaking and still holding his school record with a distance of 49’-7”.{{Cite web |last=Shuck |first=Barry |date=April 28, 2024 |title=Meet Up! Get to know new Browns OG Zak Zinter from high school to a national title and more |url=https://www.dawgsbynature.com/2024/4/28/24142860/browns-nfl-draft-zak-zinter-profile-michigan |access-date=June 8, 2024 |website=Dawgs By Nature |language=en}}
PrepStar Magazine listed Zinter as a Top 150 Dream Team member, rated as the top prospect in Massachusetts, the 17th-best offensive tackle in the country and the nation’s 123rd overall recruit. He committed to play college football at the University of Michigan, over Notre Dame, Ohio State and Boston College.{{Cite web |title=Zak Zinter |url=https://mgoblue.com/sports/football/roster/zak-zinter/24423 |access-date=June 8, 2024 |website=University of Michigan}}
College career
File:UM Western 09.04.21 1274 (51427278186).jpg (No. 7) in 2021]]
Zinter enrolled at the University of Michigan in 2020. As a true freshman, he started 4 games for Michigan. In 2021, he was part of Michigan's offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award.{{Cite news |last=McMann |first=Aaron |date=March 15, 2022 |title=Zak Zinter gets used to new neighbors along Michigan’s offensive line |url=https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2022/03/zak-zinter-gets-used-to-new-neighbors-along-michigans-offensive-line.html |access-date=March 22, 2024 |work=Mlive.com}}{{Cite web |last=Yost |first=Kyle |date=June 22, 2022 |title=Zak Zinter’s path to Michigan, outlook for 2022 |url=https://www.maizenbrew.com/football/2022/6/22/23176094/michigan-wolverines-zak-zinter-right-guard-offensive-line-2022-season-college-football |access-date=May 26, 2024 |website=Maize n Brew |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Cohen |first=Michael |date=September 4, 2021 |title=Michigan football's Zak Zinter, 'our best offensive player,' does not start opener vs. WMU |url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2021/09/04/michigan-football-game-western-michigan-zak-zinter-injury/5732239001/ |access-date=May 26, 2024 |work=Detroit Free Press}}{{Cite news |last=Muldoon |first=Michael |date=December 6, 2021 |title=North Andover bruiser Zinter helps lead Michigan into playoff semifinals |url=https://www.eagletribune.com/sports/north-andover-bruiser-zinter-helps-lead-michigan-into-playoff-semifinals/article_64ca5d00-5580-11ec-bbfa-a30c2585e75b.html |access-date=May 26, 2024 |work=The Eagle-Tribune}}{{Cite news |last=McMann |first=Aaron |date=April 2, 2021 |title=Zak Zinter is healthy again, turning heads along Michigan’s offensive line |url=https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2021/04/zak-zinter-is-healthy-again-turning-heads-along-michigans-offensive-line.html |access-date=May 26, 2024 |work=The Ann Arbor News}} Zinter started 12 games and was named second-team All-Big Ten.{{cite web | last=Cohen | first=Michael | title=Michigan football's Hassan Haskins named 1st-team All-Big Ten | website=Detroit Free Press | date=December 1, 2021 | url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2021/12/01/michigan-football-hassan-haskins-all-big-ten-cade-mcnamara/8825509002/ | access-date=December 30, 2024}}
In 2022, Zinter started 14 games,{{cite web | last=Breiler | first=Christopher | title=Michigan Football: Five Key Pieces Have Decisions To Make | website=Sports Illustrated | date=January 11, 2023 | url=https://www.si.com/college/michigan/football/michigan-wolverines-football-zak-zinter-trevor-keegan-nfl-draft-jim-harbaugh-big-ten | access-date=September 5, 2024}} and was selected by the conference coaches as a first-team offensive guard on the All-Big Ten team. All three of Michigan's interior offensive lineman (Zinter, Olusegun Oluwatimi, and Trevor Keegan) were named to the first-team by the conference coaches.{{cite web|title=Big Ten Conference Unveils Football All-Conference Teams for Offense and Select Individual Honors|publisher=Big Ten Conference|date=November 30, 2022|url=https://bigten.org/documents/2022/11/30//2022_Big_Ten_FB_All_Conference_Individual_Award_Winners.pdf?id=7754|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130174815/https://bigten.org/documents/2022/11/30//2022_Big_Ten_FB_All_Conference_Individual_Award_Winners.pdf?id=7754|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 30, 2022}} In doing so Michigan won back-to-back Joe Moore Award’s, and Zinter was named to the Outland Trophy watch list.{{Cite web |date=December 17, 2022 |title=Michigan Wolverines Win Unprecedented Back to Back Joe Moore Awards |url=https://joemooreaward.com/press-release/2022/12/17/michigan-wolverines-win-unprecedented-back-to-back-joe-moore-awards |access-date=June 8, 2024 |website=Joe Moore Award |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Lozon |first=Von |date=July 26, 2022 |title=Zak Zinter, Olu Oluwatimi named to Outland Trophy watch list |url=https://www.maizenbrew.com/football/2022/7/26/23278885/michigan-wolverines-football-zak-zinter-olu-oluwatimi-named-to-outland-trophy-award-watch-list-2022 |access-date=June 8, 2024 |website=Maize n Brew |language=en}}
On November 25, 2023, in the victory against rival Ohio State, Zinter sustained a broken tibia and fibula and was taken off the field on a cart. He missed the remainder of the season.{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2023/11/25/sports/michigans-zak-zinter-carted-off-on-stretcher-vs-ohio-state-in-scary-injury-scene/ |title=Michigan’s Zak Zinter carted off on stretcher versus Ohio State in scary injury scene |newspaper=New York Post |first=Andrew |last=Crane |date=November 25, 2023 |access-date=November 25, 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2023/11/25/zak-zinter-injury-update-michigan-football-wolverines-ol-carted-off-ohio-state-video/71703520007/ |title=Zak Zinter injury update: Michigan lineman broke tibia, fibula in horrific injury vs. OSU |newspaper=Detroit Free Press |first=Kevin |last=Skiver |date=November 25, 2023 |access-date=November 25, 2023}}{{cite news |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2023/11/25/michigans-zak-zinter-to-have-surgery-after-gruesome-leg-injury-vs-ohio-state/71706797007/ |title=Michigan's Zak Zinter has surgery after being carted off with gruesome leg injury |newspaper=The Detroit News |first=Angelique S. |last=Chengelis Skiver |date=November 26, 2023 |access-date=November 27, 2023}}
Despite the injury, Zinter started 12 games for Michigan’s national championship team, was selected to the All-Big Ten team for a third consecutive season, and was named a unanimous All-American in 2023.{{Cite web |last=Breiler |first=Christopher |date=December 14, 2023 |title=Michigan's Zak Zinter Becomes Unanimous First Team All-American |url=https://www.si.com/college/michigan/football/michigan-wolverines-football-zak-zinter-all-american-big-ten-offensive-lineman |access-date=June 8, 2024 |website=Sports Illustrated |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=January 8, 2024 |title=Michigan stymies Michael Penix Jr., Washington to win CFP |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5188984/2024/01/08/michigan-washington-national-championship-result-takeaways/ |access-date=June 8, 2024 |website=The New York Times |language=en-US}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 5 7/8
| weight = 309
| arm span = 33 1/2
| hand span = 9 3/8
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{Cite web |last=Reuter |first=Chad |last2=Zierlein |first2=Lance |title=Zak Zinter Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/zak-zinter/32005a49-4e61-5024-6aa5-537c5960518b |access-date=March 17, 2024 |website=NFL.com}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1045968&DraftYear=2024 |title=2024 NFL Draft Scout Zak Zinter College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=March 17, 2024}}
}}
Zinter was selected 85th overall by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.{{Cite web |last=Ulrich |first=Nate |date=April 26, 2024 |title=Zak Zinter to Browns in NFL draft: Instant grade, analysis, stats for 85th pick |url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/pro/browns/2024/04/26/zak-zinter-cleveland-browns-nfl-draft-grade/73458115007/ |access-date=May 26, 2024 |website=Akron Beacon Journal |language=en-US}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/players-roster/zak-zinter/ Cleveland Browns bio]
- [https://mgoblue.com/sports/football/roster/zak-zinter/23126 Michigan Wolverines bio]
{{Cleveland Browns roster navbox}}
{{2023 Michigan Wolverines football navbox}}
{{2023 NCAA Division I FBS College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Browns2024DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zinter, Zak}}
Category:American football offensive guards
Category:Cleveland Browns players
Category:Michigan Wolverines football players
Category:All-American college football players
Category:People from North Andover, Massachusetts