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Short Interview with Zach Guiser Upon introducing myself, Zach said he was a big fan of ZipsNation.org. He said the guys on the team like the site, especially the game day photos posted by Dr. Z. Zach’s an awesome kid. You couldn’t ask for a better representative of The University of Akron and Zips Football. Question: “What does the Wuerffel Award nomination mean to you?” Zach: “I’m really excited about it, considering what the award represents. Beyond that, I’m really proud of what our team has been able do in regards to service to the community. I’m a member of the Student Advisory Committee (S.A.C) and we do an award every year for the Program with the most community service hours. I haven’t tallied up the numbers yet, but the football team is over 400 hours this summer alone. We’ve really made it a point to volunteer our time to the community as much as possible on a regular basis. I wasn’t always as heavily into community service growing up, but being part of the football program has opened up the door to do so. Coach Gildersleeve has a points system for the guys on the team regarding community service, and I think that brought out the competitive side in me to join in and try and do well. I found I have a real passion for it." Question: “With the rigors of Division 1 football, and school, and your personal life, how do you find the time to volunteer. And not just showing up…but volunteering at a level where you’re under consideration for a national award?” Zach: “Well…I have an amazing girlfriend that takes real good care of me…cooks me meals and things like that. I have an amazing support staff at UA, and…if you are really passionate about something, you make the time for it. Same with anything else in life, I guess.” Question: “How’s your health?” Zach: “I feel really good right now. I hurt my elbow in the Western Michigan game last year, and had to sit 4 games. But I was able to finish-out the season against OU. I’m in good shape…definitely the most athletic I’ve been in my career.” Question: “How is it different now being a senior/role model, as opposed to being a star-struck freshman of a few years ago?” Zach: “It’s a lot different. When I was a freshman, I got a sports-hernia surgery on my third day of camp. It took me a long time to recover. When I came back, I was probably one of the most non-athletic kids on the team. Not that I came in unathletic, but it was hard to recover. The seniors treated me pretty rough…I was the ‘low man on the totem pole’ for sure. But I try to remember that and be a role model for those lower-level guys, like I once was. The walk-ons that don’t know quite what to do yet…I try to be there for them. I remember one time, on your board, someone called me “Rudy”…that was a big inspiration for me. Someone was really upset that I was #1 on the depth chart…it was quite the insult…I don’t know who it was, but I didn’t forget reading it. You know…I can’t blame anyone for thinking that though…coming back from that injury, I just wasn’t near 100% and was playing pretty bad. It was a big motivation for me…but now I’m all healthy and ready to go.” Question: “What do you like about this year’s secondary the most? Coach Bowden says it’s the best it’s been since he’s been here. Zach: “We have a lot of experience. I’m the only senior back there, but we have Alvin Davis who started last year and is a really good football player, Jordan George has started a lot of games, and he’ll be at corner, Darian Dailey doesn’t have much experience yet, but he’s one of the fastest kids on our team. And Kyron Brown has a lot of experience, and some interceptions too. But what I really like the most is the personality of all the guys. We don’t have that guy that’s selfish…who gets upset with the coach’s calls. I’m just really excited about this group of guys and can’t wait to get started.” Question: “Although camp hasn’t even broken yet, is there anyone in the secondary that’s caught your eye as a “wow” sort of player? Zach: “Jordan Riley is a really good athlete…but it’s tough to say much right now because we haven’t played much football. You know Alvin (Davis) didn’t come it until the first day of camp last year, so we didn’t even know who he was, and he ended up playing a lot for us as a true freshman. You never know how things play out.” Question: “So what’s it like trying to tackle Warren Ball?” Zach: “We haven’t actually gone up against each other very often. We both didn’t play much in spring ball. But…man…it’s one of those tasks where you’re gonna go low…absolutely…just like tackling Sequon Barkley… Samaje Perine …I’ve played against some really good backs…Joe Mixon…” “You know that’s one of my biggest nightmares…the A-gap opens up and you’re playing deep-middle…and one of those guys is just coming at you full steam…it’s tough, but it’s fun. It’s a challenge. Sometimes you get run over, but as long as you make the tackle it’s all good.” CK 7-27-17

Freshman Dustin Burkhart sets new Zips record for WR's: This vertical mark would have been good for fourth place among the WR's at the 2017 NFL Combine

3 other D1 offers, all of which are MAC schools: Kent, BG, and Buffalo. Props to Vincent, he pulled off the rare "blessed" and Akron U in one tweet. Highlight tape and more info can be found here. Hard to get any info from the tape as he seems to be at least twice as big as everyone he blocks in the video

Hudl

I'm pretty sure I apologized for the Rudy comment but now is a good time to revisit that apology and say to Mr. Guiser how wrong and sorry I am for typing it. It's one of those things you wish you could take back but can't. It was really just a smart aleck comment with no mean-spirited-ness intended but obviously, that's not how it was taken. Sorry, Zach.

I'm on my phone so can't post his tweet.

After an entertaining match last night, D-Nags is getting lots of praise. This from Grapham Parker at The Guardian, Britain's Daily football articles, Midfield We’ve mentioned Bradley and Acosta, but the link-up play of Darlington Nagbe got a sustained airing in this tournament, and of all the players in this US roster he may have done the most to solidify his claim. Clever, great on the ball, and always capable of driving at the box and earning dangerous free kicks, Nagbe also has a range of subtle movement in midfield that can be very effective for combining with Bradley when he’s making himself available for the ball further forward. Nagbe’s occasional diffidence is the knock against him – his positioning in the El Salvador quarter final threatened to make him anonymous. But then again he was quiet in the final before his smart run forward started the move that won the free kick Altidore scored from, while the more visible Arriola did plenty of conspicuous work without being noticeably more effective.

I will try to post some info from the Media Day later today. A couple quick notes: As previously mentioned by other ZN.o members, Jest and King are out for 2017. It is planned that they attend a JUCO, and return to Akron in January. They had a GPA that was ok per NCAA standards, but fell short of the requirement to play at Akron. King's academic shortcomings were a bit of a surprise, as "..he never had any problems with grades at Miami." Brian Bell is definitely with the Zips in 2017. If he's not on an official roster, I can't control it. The loss of Jest and King isn't really seen as a deal-breaker. Jest needed to get into football shape, and King never played a down for the Zips anyhow...so it is tough to consider him a "loss." Newcomers Brimmage and Sampson are expected to make early impacts.

New Commit: OL Ben Phillis, 6'5", 300 lbs., Trinity Area HS, Washington, PA

Here is to hoping we have no wide receivers playing quarterback, but if we have to, one of them at least has experience

My god, when did I ever say we were "stacked" at QB!? I said we've improved our QB situation over last year. I think that's objectively confirmable. We had what, one 1/2 serviceable QBs? This year we have One, maybe two-halfs between the other three? I mean I'm not saying each of them is freaking Barrett, I AM saying that our QB situation is more promising than last year, where we had to resort to using a converted WR for the last game. Please everyone stop making anything I say a strawman. What I said wasn't that off base.

MAC Football 2017: Akron tailback Warren Ball can turn pass-happy Zips into ground warriors (video) Akron's Ball Learns a Lot From Zips Hall of Famer Akron remains a wildcard in MAC East race

2nd goal of the season for Victor Souto. He is really playing well for the Riverhounds

New commit: OT Vincent Fonte, 6'4", 303 lbs., Copley.