Diamond in the Rough: Zion Tracy

Zion Tracy is a class of 2023 ATH out of St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Connecticut. He is 6’1 and weighs around 180 lbs. Zion recently graduated from Long Island Lutheran High School, but he is now doing a prep year at St. Thomas. Zion plays wide receiver on offense, but is primarily getting recruited for his defensive ability at the cornerback position. After watching the film and highlights of Zion, there’s no doubt about his athletic ability. At receiver, he has great hands and great route running ability. His athleticism allows him to go up and make a big play in the air whenever necessary. On the defensive side of the ball, he’s very technical. Zion has a high football IQ, he reads coverages well and is not afraid to run downhill and make a tackle. He has a 3.3 GPA, his broad jump is 10”6 and he recorded a 40 inch vert. Zion recently just made his commitment decision to Penn State University. 

In the first game with his new team, Zion picked up two touchdowns. One being a huge 87 yard reception and the other was interception returned for a touchdown.

When did you start playing football? 

“I started playing when I was 7 years old”.

What position do you play? 

“Cornerback, wide receiver, punt/kick returner”.

Are there any NFL or college players you would say you model your game after or study their film?

“I’d say Sauce Gardner, Jaycee Horn, Justin Jefferson, and Ja’marr Chase”.

What aspects of your game have you been working on this past offseason/summer?

“I just have been trying to work on defense. Because, I just started that and I’m going to college for it now, so I’m just trying to learn it”. 

When did you start playing defense? 

“I just started a year ago. My senior year I started it”.

Describe a time where you might have gone through adversity.

“I broke my wrist two years ago in a game. It was for the win, I was on defense, and they drew up a play for me. So when they threw the ball up I tipped it, got a deflection, but when I fell my wrist popped out and it broke. I couldn’t play for the rest of the season and that was my tenth grade year. I was going through all that and the next year Covid happen”.

Click here to see Zion’s highlights

Zion’s Twitter handle

Football aside, who would you say is your biggest role model? 

“My mother”.

What has football taught you over the years while playing? 

“It taught me a lot. It taught me that even when you fall down, you can still get back up. When things happen with adversity and stuff, you just gotta go through that. It also taught me about work ethic, how to be a leader and how to bring people up”. 

Do you play other sports? 

“Yeah I play basketball too. After my tenth grade year, that’s when I stopped. I can still play, like we still be going to the gym”.

What is your biggest strength as a player?

“My speed and football IQ”.

What do you love about the game of football?

“I like what it teaches me, I love learning something new. I’ve been playing football my whole life, so I feel like I just have to play football”. 

What separates you from the thousands of other trying to play division I football?

“Because where I’m from, like we don’t really make it like that doing this. So me doing something like that is big time”.

What motivates you? 

“I’d say that me wanting to do it, to show people it can really be done”.

What is your favorite football memory?

“When I won the championship when I was younger. I think I was maybe twelve and we won the chip. That’s probably one of my favorite memories”.