By Don Lowe
The past four years have been a whirlwind for reserve/futures back-up tight end and former Webb City Cardinals star Zach Davidson. He continued pursuing a career in the National Football League while getting married to his wife, Juliet, a couple years ago and becoming a first- time father to Jane in 2022.
The thrills make it worthwhile but there are plenty of challenges. Aidrian says, “Being successful in track takes a heavy mental load. It’s easy to have one bad race or fall short of a goal and plunge into a lower mental state.
As Zach remains driven to play pro football, there’s no questioning how much more important having a family is to him. “Being a husband and dad is a huge source of joy for me. “It’s hard to balance work and home life during football season, especially during training camps and at the end of the season when the atmosphere is so intense. We get to spend more time together in the off-season. I’m thankful for that time, because I can lean into being a dad and other things we enjoy together.”
Zach gets a tremendous amount of joy playing football and it was a dream come true when he heard his named called in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings during the fifth round, as the 168th overall selection.
“It was a surreal moment,” he says. “I had so many emotions. I felt like all my hard work was paying off. Little did I know how much more work had to be done. “But seriously, it was dope (slang for cool or awesome). I was with all mine and Juliet’s family, and our friends. I also felt relieved to finally know my opportunity after months training for it.” He played for Minnesota for a little more than a year before getting waived Aug. 30, 2022, only to catch on with the Buffalo Bills practice squad just two days later on Sept. 1.
Since joining the Bills, Davidson suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury in 2023 but battled through that and has continued to handle adversity as he has gone from the practice squad to the active roster a handful of times.
While this journey through the NFL hasn’t been easy, Zach knows his time at Webb City (Missouri) High School under the leadership of legendary retired Cardinals Football Head Coach John Roderique was instrumental in getting him where he is today. “I’m extremely grateful for Coach ‘Rod’ and my experience with high school football,” Zach says. “I can’t speak highly enough of his character and his method for coaching. He encouraged me to continue playing football when I thought I wanted to focus on basketball and track.
“High school is where I developed into a competitor and teammate through his (Coach Roderique’s) program, which was fundamental to my collegiate and NFL careers.
I participated in a winning culture and that prepared me to continue my career as an athlete.” Coach Roderique says, “Zach was a typical high school student-athlete. There is a huge mental and physical development during those four years. Zach’s senior year was his best in all sports. His confidence and ability just grew. Early on, he wasn’t always super-confident, which is like many kids during the same point in their development.”
Reflecting more on Zach’s maturation over his final years at WCHS, Coach Roderique says, “Zach was such a long kid, and I think it took him a bit longer to develop physically. “He’s what I would describe as the ultimate ‘late bloomer.’ It’s also important to know that Zach was just 17 years old when he graduated. He didn’t turn 18 years old until the summer after graduation.”
Interestingly, Zach was more successful as a punter with the Webb City Cardinals, while taking on that role unexpectedly, and he says, “I was a back-up tight end on the junior varsity team and didn’t have much of a role on our team. Going into the week we played Carthage, some guys, including our punter, decided to go around smashing mailboxes. “They got suspended, so I told one of our coaches I punted in youth football. I took a few kicks and the first two carried at least 35 yards but were ‘shanks.’ The third and fourth kicks spiraled and carried 45 yards. Junior Varsity Coach Nathan Hulstine said, ‘I think we found our punter.’”
Zach’s punting only got better, and he says, “I began working with a kicking coach, Sam Adams, who was in his 70s or 80s. Coach Adams had worked with a handful of collegiate All-Americans and a few All-Pros in the NFL. “By the time Coach Adams got to me, he’d lost about 90% of his vision, which led to him coaching me by the sound of the ball.
I’m blessed for this relationship. Working with him allowed me to develop my skills and earn a scholarship to the University of Central Missouri.” Coach Roderique says, “Once Zach found his niche as a punter, he worked at it relentlessly. There would be days he’d spend most of practice punting. He was extremely coachable and wanted to be the best. Once he had success, he worked even harder.” Along with achieving great success as a punter in college, by the time he was a redshirt junior at UCM, Zach was also being recognized for his terrific play at tight end.
“My head coach at UCM (Jim Svoboda) saw one of my basketball games when I was a senior at Webb City and he saw more potential in me based on my size and athleticism,” Zach says. “We had a conversation about getting me developed at tight end, so I knew it was a goal alongside punting.
“My redshirt sophomore year, I learned a lot about what it took to be successful in Division 2 from Seth Herbert, who’d been a 1st Team All-American tight end. I would say Coach ‘Boda’s belief in me and learning from teammates where the biggest keys to having such a successful redshirt junior year.” Coach Roderique says, “Zach continually worked to get better. He never became satisfied with where he was at. Going to UCM gave him the opportunity to excel. They used him well as a pass catcher and he just continued to develop.”
Zach made steady progress every step of the way, and he says, “Physically, I had to continue gaining weight and working on my skillset. Mentally, I dealt with the discipline it takes to be a student-athlete. “Emotionally, aside from support on the football side, my wife has been invaluable. Since my redshirt junior year, my agent (Carter Chow/Red Envelope Sports) has been an incredible advocate. The people I surrounded myself with contributed greatly to my maturity.”
By early 2021, he decided it was time to follow his dream of playing pro football. “Entering the Draft was a bet on myself, because I still had eligibility to play at the college level. However, I had a lot of encouragement from my agent, and it worked out well.”
Although in relatively short span, his pro career has taken several twists and turns. He says, “I’ve had way more ups and downs than I did in college and high school. But I find the challenge exciting. “I will say tearing my ACL rocked me for a bit. Being cut is also difficult emotionally but I don’t find it too difficult to keep pushing forward.
At the end of the day, the NFL is a business and I’ve learned to accept that.” Zach appreciates what’s been afforded him and says, “I’ve been given the opportunity to push myself to the highest level physically, mentally and emotionally. The Bills organization is special and I’m grateful my journey has led me and my family to Buffalo.” Coach Roderique applauds Zach’s approach, and he says, “I’m just so impressed with his persistence and ‘never quit’ attitude. I’m proud of the player he’s developed into but just as proud of the humble way he goes about it. “He has great work ethic and continues to give his best. I love watching Bills games and just seeing him on the sideline getting excited about the success of his teammates.”
Football is a lot of fun for Zach, but he says, “Even though I love what I do, my experience as an athlete doesn’t compare to being a husband and dad.”
Buffalo Bills & Former Webb City Cardinals Star Zach Davidson Fast Facts
Age: 26
Height: 6’7”
Weight: 250 lbs.
High School Alma Mater/Year Graduated: Webb City High School, 2016
Hometown: Webb City, Missouri College Alma Mater: University of Central Missouri (UCM)
College Studies: Sports Management and Business Administration
Parents: Dustin Davidson, Staci Habiger
Siblings: Morgan & McKenzi Davidson and Jayda DeCarlo
Favorite Subject in School: Science
Favorite Food: Grass-fed strip steak, medium rare, fresh fruit (mango, berries and avocado), raw honey and grass-fed butter
Favorite Pro Football Players: Hall of Famer and Former Pittsburgh Steelers Star Linebacker Troy Polamalu and current Buffalo Bills Cornerback Taron Johnson
Favorite Football Movie:
“Remember the Titans”