Zach Yopps '20 Recruiting Profile

    Football is a mental game as much as it is a physical game. However, no matter how much you train your physical strength, your mental strength will be the determining factor of your success. Throughout my life, my dad always told me, "there will always be someone stronger than you, faster than you." As a kid I always thought he was just trying to knock me off my pedestal. But once I started playing football in fifth grade, I began to realize the accurateness of his saying. I realized that no matter how hard you work, there will always be someone who works a little harder. So then I thought to myself, "What can I do to set myself apart from everyone else?" That is when I came to the realization that I have to be the hungriest. I have to want to compete more than any other man on the field. 

    The key to that concept was mental toughness. Last year, my cousin passed away suddenly and left me broken. He was the closest thing I had to an older brother. He died the Thursday night before my last home game of the season. Instead of letting that pain take me down, I used it to fuel my efforts. I used my pain, my suffering to play the game that I loved most. I learned a lot about myself that night. I learned that overcoming your pain, will lead you to success. I also learned that there are 10 other guys with you on the field that love you. They knew I was hurting, and that pushed them to push me. 

   My current goal for high school is to make High Honor Roll the next three semesters. Beyond that, My next goal in my academic endeavor is to attend a college that not only challenges me, but provides me with the tools I will need for the rest of my life. I want to be able to be part of a team of men that push each other in the class room and on the field. I bring wit, intelligence, and hunger to the table, but it is what my teammates bring to the table that matters to me the most.