Zackary Zambrano: Choosing The Right Path

By Craig Sachson
PrincetonTigersFootball.com

Zackary Zambrano was figuring it out in the spring of 2020.

The sophomore offensive lineman had dealt with the normal early challenges throughout his first three semesters at Princeton, both on the field and in the classroom. He had his toughest time academically in the fall of 2018, the same season he was trying to figure out what it took to succeed as a college football player.

Zambrano built himself up as both a student and an athlete. His grades and his playing time improved, and by relying on those he trusted, he started to believe that he belonged with the best of the best.

Those good feelings were tested by the COVID pandemic, and a family tragedy knocked him down even harder. But in the toughest moments, Zambrano found people who could help build him up into something better than he'd ever been before.

• • •

Family has always had a massive influence on Zambrano. The son of Heather and Gus Zambrano, two varsity athletes at Wayne State, Zackary always knew football would be his eventual path. Neither Gus, who played football at Wayne State, nor Heather ever pressured their sons into the sport. In fact, Zackary's size kept him from playing in an age-appropriate league until he was in middle school.

It never mattered. His father played football, and Zackary believed he was going to play as well. He was quite good, earning first-team all-state and all-county honors at American Heritage High School in Jacksonville, and he was named the eighth-best recruit overall in FCS by HeroSports.com.

He wasn't the only college-bound football player in the house, either. Younger brother Hunter (now at Illinois State) was wrapping up his high school career when Zackary returned home in the spring of 2020 due to the pandemic. There was a system in place for Princeton players to feel connected during that time — and based on the team's performance since it returned, it certainly seems to have worked — but there isn't anything quite like having a training partner there with you daily.

"For the first five months, we'd wake up and work out together," Zackary said. "On days we would run, we'd head to the field together. It was a horrible time, but the silver lining for me was to get that time with my brother before we went off to college. Having somebody to work out with and keep you accountable was really lucky, and I owe a lot to my brother for being there and being able to lean on him."

While he grew closer to one family member, he unfortunately said goodbye to another. His grandmother passed away early during the pandemic, and it hit Zambrano hard. It wasn't the only personal challenge he was dealing with, but it was the one that helped him re-evaluate the way he was handling them.

"Anxiety was something I always dealt with on the field or in my everyday life," he said. "I was not in the best place at that time. I realized that I've been dealing with this stuff forever, and I've never dealt with it appropriately. Dealing with that loss, and then thinking about my day-to-day life, I knew I had to work on how I can be a better person."

Zambrano started to see a sports psychologist and learned ways to deal with the anxiety he experienced in games. Those sessions made a significant difference, and he was able to carry some of the lessons learned into his everyday life. It's not something he hides; instead, he has talked about anxiety and other mental health challenges openly with his fellow offensive linemen and other teammates.

"We've talked about it to a good amount, and it's important because we want to be the best players we can be," he said. "It's uncomfortable, and people can be hesitant to talk about it, but especially this year, the leaders of this team talk about if you are dealing with something, it's important that you take care of yourself. There's no weakness in saying you need a little help."

Zambrano got that help. And now he's helping Princeton football on a potentially historic run.

• • •

Zambrano's physical and emotional work paid off when he returned for the 2021 season. He played in all 10 games and helped the Tigers win another Ivy League championship. The current starting left guard made his offseason focus to improve his footwork and mobility, and head coach Bob Surace has noticed the growth.

"Zack has invested so much into his training and development, and has made steady progress every year," Surace said. "It is awesome to see him playing at the very high level he has consistently been at right now."

Zambrano is part of a senior-laden offensive line that has cleared the way for Princeton to post a perfect record through six weeks and rank atop the Ivy League in scoring offense. He's happy with the way the season has started. He isn't surprised, and he isn't satisfied.

"As a team, we've established this kind of culture," he said. "This is the expectation. It's a testament to every guy. Our freshmen are putting in a lot of work and time to make sure we get here. It's the looks we're getting in practice. It's the meetings. It's the stuff we do day in and day out, and it's what the older guys have been replicating for five years."

Zambrano, who believes he is a more relaxed and fluid player than in past years, understands and appreciates the opportunity that awaits him. He is a person who succeeds when he feels excitement and passion, whether it was in musical theater in high school, or when he took part in the Princeton in Africa program. It's what he will look for in a future career; the history major may not know exactly what path he'll take, but he knows he'll believe in those who set that path.

Playing football at Princeton is another opportunity, and it won't last much longer. He knows that, and he is relaxed enough to both appreciate and thrive in it.

"It's a privilege," Zambrano said. "It's finite. You're not going to have it forever. Being a fifth-year senior now, you really appreciate that. I love it. I play next to my best friend at left tackle. The offensive line is a really tight unit, so I'm going out there with some of my closest friends to play these games. It's awesome."

It wasn't the easiest path. It had severe lows, ones that Zambrano couldn't have handled alone.

He chose another path. He chose one with people who could help him. It was the one that made all the difference for him.

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