11:39 AM Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Zach Burns was a stellar student-athlete at Lebanon High School in the early 1990s.
His career has taken him back to the playing field, as he works as a sales and marketing representative for the Motz Group, installing field turf to football stadiums in the area.
Varsity days
Burns was an All-Mid-Miami League performer in both football and baseball during his playing days at Lebanon from 1991-95.
A linebacker on the football team and a first baseman on the baseball team, Burns’ high school career was shortened by knee surgery his senior season.
“That was a disappointment, because we had a really good baseball team my senior year and I had to miss it to get my knee scoped and get ready for college football,” Burns said.
Burns said the highlight of his high school days was playing for John Reed, the now legendary football coach at Coldwater High School.
“I can’t say enough about what it meant to play under coach Reed,” Burns said. “I still draw back on the lessons he taught me about life and the level of integrity he instilled in his players.”
Burns played football for four years at Brown University, earning All-Ivy League status two times at tight end and was the first Brown football player ever to be named first team All-American his senior year.
“I was fortunate enough to play in an advanced offense while at Brown,” Burns said. “Our coach, Mark Whipple — who is now the offensive coordinator at the University of Miami — installed a pass-happy spread offense. We scored 30-35 points a game and I was able to catch 60 balls in a season in that offense.”
After his senior season, Brown was invited to play in the Blue-Gray Game, an annual college all-star showcase.
“I got to throw my hat in the ring with Big 10 and SEC players, so that was fun,” Burns said. “The whole college football scene was a great experience.”
Today
Burns graduated from Brown in 1999 with a degree in organizational behavior and management.
After working with Dakin Insurance in Lebanon for a few years, he took a spot as sales and marketing representative with the Motz Group.
“I get to talk to football coaches and athletic directors all the time,” Burns said. “That’s my comfort area, and I feel very fortunate to still be involved in athletics in some way.”
Burns has also been involved as a coach, serving as a varsity assistant baseball coach at Lebanon and a junior high football coach earlier this decade.
He is now focused on coaching youth sports for his son, Jackson, 7. He and wife, Jennifer, also have a daughter, Lillie, 1
Quotable
“It’s great coming back home to the community we’ve enjoyed and grown to love. Seeing our kids grow up and play sports in the same place we did as a kid, it’s an honor for me and Jennifer.” — Zach Burns
— Scott Hayes, staff writer
Click HERE to see the original article posted on Western-star.com
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