Zachary Anderson is a class of 2023 offensive lineman out of Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The 6’2″, 275 pound senior has recently committed himself to the University of Massachusetts over plenty of other teams in the country. A staple on the offensive line, Anderson benches 315, squats a 475, and deadlifts an even better 530, all while managing a 3.71 unweighted GPA. This week, I had the great ability to chat with Zachary, and this is how it went.
Q: Why do you play the game? “Football has always been a passion of mine ever since I was little. I love how the game of football can prepare you for many different challenges you face in life. Football has been such a great tool in building myself as a person It has taught me how to work hard, communicate with others, face and fight adversity, and has shown how important consistency is. In addition, I love the feeling of dominating the person in front of me. Being relentless, physical, and nasty is the best part of playing football.”
Q: What are some goals you’ve set for yourself for this upcoming season? “The biggest goal that we have [as a team] is winning a state championship. But this year we have a special opportunity to be the first team in Quince Orchard history to win back-to-back state titles. A few personal goals that I have set for myself include First Team All-State and First Team All County.”
Q: What challenges have you overcome? “Throughout my college football recruitment, I have been considered undersized. Sometimes coaches wouldn’t give me a look due to not fitting their measurements. However, their is absolutely no point in sulking over something you cannot control. This challenge turned into my biggest motivation. I worked extremely hard to improve and better myself in every category I could control.”
Q: How are you looking to improve your game? “Continuing to perfect my craft every day. Whether that be through conditioning, physical/mental reps, watching game film, or lifting weights. Everything must be done consistently and with purpose.”
Q: Do you have a favorite football memory? “I would say my favorite memory was receiving my first offer. It was truly a special moment, especially since it was one of my earliest childhood dreams. All of the countless hours and sacrifice leading up to that moment just made it such a significant memory.”
Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned playing football? “Over the many years I have been playing football, I think a very important lesson has been… how important it is to master the little details while taking on a task. There have been countless story’s of players and teams coming up short of a goal by overlooking the little details that make all the difference.”
Q: How do you stay trained and in football-shape during the off-season? “Training in the off-season is very important towards having success in season. I love to train and push myself to the limit everyday. I definitely prioritize heavy deadlifting, tons of agility drills, and conditioning. I train each of those different categories every day – with the focus mainly towards weightlifting and agility drills.”
You can view his highlights here.
You must be logged in to post a comment.