Hearing Travis Petrone ’25 snap the football, tight end Zachary Nelson ’27 explodes down the field, bulldozing his way to the endzone. As the ball spirals toward him, he watches its path before snatching it out of the air as it dips in front of him.
“Smiles, smiles everywhere. Everybody was happy,” said Nelson.
In a 41-6 victory against Robbinsville in his sophomore year, Nelson’s first-quarter touchdown helped extend the team’s lead to 19-0, but that’s not why it’s Nelson’s favorite memory on the team.
“My body’s really fragile, and I get injured a lot,” said Nelson. “Sophomore year, I got a concussion—I was out for three weeks. Last year, I broke a part of my hand—I was out for last year.”
Indeed, Nelson’s touchdown came during his first game back after the aforementioned concussion. Similarly, despite being unable to play, Nelson was still able to impress Head Coach Charles Gallagher with another aspect of his game: his dedication and commitment to the team.
“[After] he broke his hand last year, he came to every single one of our practices,” said Gallagher. “He ended up taping [his hand] up, getting a cast, [and] saying, ‘Coach, I can still play.’ You get banged up pretty seriously [in football]—your football season could be over—[yet], he made it back in the last couple weeks to play and was great.”
Although Nelson isn’t one of the senior captains on the team, it hasn’t prevented him from setting a strong example with younger players. For instance, Sam Carter ’29, the tight end behind Nelson on the depth chart, regards Nelson highly.
“[Nelson] is a real leader,” said Carter. “He gives good advice; he’s very willing to interact with players and doesn’t act like he’s better than the freshman and sophomores. He is grounded on a real level with everyone else.”
However, Nelson doesn’t just lead with his words, he also is willing to put in the work needed to earn his place on the team.
“I was supposed to be a receiver, but freshman year I wasn’t that athletic,” said Nelson. “I took that personally, and in the off-season after freshman year, I did what I could. I got my speed up, I got stronger, and [the coaches] saw it.”
On the contrary, Gallagher remembers Nelson standing out from the rest of the freshman in his year.
“He had played the game, he knew how to tackle and how to hit guys,” said Gallagher. “Sometimes that takes a little bit of getting used to...but he came in much more acclimated than other freshmen.”
In any case, this only highlights Nelson’s strong mentality and work ethic. Specifically, this mentality has earned the respect of not just his peers but his coaches as well.
“Zach is just a good, humble young man that has been brought up the right way,” said Gallagher. “He does the little things... when no one’s watching. It just shows great character.”
Earlier this month, Nelson finished with 3 total tackles and 2 receptions for 24 yards, demonstrating his versatility on the pitch.
“On the football field, we really depend on him,” said Gallagher, “He’s one of our premier players. He can catch, he can throw the football, even though we’ve never asked him to throw the football. He’s great at tackling. He’s kind of a utility knife.”
Although Nelson doesn’t intend on pursuing football in college, his example has made a lasting impact on the teammates he has played with, who will remember his dedication and leadership.