By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
If things had worked out just a little bit differently, Ty Zentner might have never kicked a football.
But the new Philadelphia Eagle is sure happy he did.
Former Shawnee Heights three-sport standout Ty Zentner, sporting an Eagles hat, celebrated with family and friends in Topeka last Saturday after signing an NFL contract. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
Ty Zentner said his phone "is still blowing up'' after signing a free agent contract with the Philadephia Eagles last Saturday. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
"I was already committed to Barton Community College to play soccer right at the end of the summer going into my senior year and Trey Brown and Michael Brooks and Cole Emerson, they were all playing on the football team and those are my best friends,'' Zentner told TopSports.news in a phone interview. "We needed a kicker because the guy the year before was a senior so I went out.
"I really didn't know how it was going to work, but luckily for me Steven Block was there and he's got a lot of kicking experience and has coached a lot of guys so he really taught me the fundamentals. And by the end of the season he had just totally convinced me that I had a better future playing football.''
The rest, as they say, is history.
Zenter went on to become a standout at Butler Community College and Kansas State and launches his NFL career this week with the Eagles after signing a free agent contract last Saturday.
Zentner, an All-State goalkeeper in soccer and a starter for Shawnee Heights' 2017 Class 5A state championship basketball team, was scheduled to fly to Philadelphia on Wednesday to join his new team.
"I'm going out for the mini-camp and I'll be back for about a week and then I head back for what they call rookie development period and that lasts about a month,'' Zentner said.
Zentner, who averaged 44.5 yards per punt and went 11 of 11 on field goals for Kansas State last fall, said it was more than an coincidence that he ended up with the Eagles.
"After the season ended they have all the senior games and the NFL Combine and I didn't get invited to any of that, which really surprised me because I felt like I deserved it, but it is what it is and that stuff's kind of hit or miss,'' said Zentner, who kicked the game-winning field goal in the Big 12 championship game.. "After all of that stuff kind of wrapped up then teams can start to work you out and the Eagles were the very first team to come work me out.
"They came and worked me out and they kept in touch more than any other team throughout the whole process. Like five other teams came to Manhattan and worked me out but I talked to the Eagles twice more than any other team.''
Zentner was hoping to hear his name called during the three-day NFL Draft, but was convinced that the Eagles would give him a chance to fulfill his NFL dreams one way or another.
"Their goal was to draft me,'' said Zentner, who ranks No. 2 in K-State history with a 43.37 career punting average. "Their special teams guys aren't really in what they call the war room, the draft room, but they were calling me every day throughout the draft and just kind of updating me on how it was playing out for them.
"They didn't really know until the last day if they were going to be able to take me, and it just turned out they didn't have enough picks to be able to draft a kicker or punter, so they were like, 'Let's get a deal put together so that way when the draft's over we can go ahead and sign you immediately.' I had already agreed to it before the draft ended so as soon as it was over I knew I was going there.''
Although time will tell, Zentner feels like the Eagles are a perfect fit for him.
"Before any teams had even started talking to me I was watching all the NFL film and I had the Eagles marked as my No. 1 spot, just because what they do on punt really fits my play style and I felt like I had a good opportunity to try to beat out their punter,'' he said. "I've still got to go to do that, but (Philly) was my No. 1 spot the entire time.
"I'll be punting and also kicking off and holding. Maybe in the preseason games I'll kick some field goals, but I doubt it. It will be primarily punting.''
Now Zentner is chomping at the bit to get started.
"I'm so excited to get there and get to work and show the coaches what I can do and that I'm the guy for them.''
