When Lions running back Zach Zenner arrived in Detroit as an undrafted rookie in May, he appeared to be a long shot to make the roster. Zenner was an excellent college player, with three 2,000-yard seasons, but that was at South Dakota State, which isn’t exactly known for producing NFL talent.
But the way Zenner has played in the preseason, it would be tough for the Lions to justify cutting him -- and he probably wouldn’t clear waivers if they tried to stash him on the practice squad. Zenner finished the preseason as the NFL’s leading rusher, with 183 yards on 35 carries.
In last night’s preseason finale, Zenner scored the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter, and he said afterward that he sees his preseason performance as proof that he can make it in the NFL.
“Every preseason game is very important, especially for a guy like me as an undrafted free agent,” Zenner said, via the Associated Press. “Those opportunities, not everyone gets them.”
One person who isn’t surprised by the way Zenner played in the preseason is his fellow Lions rookie running back, Ameer Abdullah. South Dakota State played Abdullah’s Nebraska team in 2013, and Zenner finished that game with 21 carries for 202 yards and two touchdowns, plus a 21-yard reception. Although Abdullah ran for 139 yards in that game and Nebraska won in a blowout, he said he and his teammates left that game with a lot of respect for Zenner, and when Abdullah found out they were going to be NFL teammates, he figured Zenner was going to prove himself on the next level, too.
“I expected it,” Abdullah said. “We played South Dakota State in 2013 and his first run was like a 50-yard touchdown. I think he ran for like 220 on us. At that point, I knew what kind of player he was going to be.”
Abdullah was ahead of the curve: Most people didn’t know what kind of player Zenner was until this preseason. Now everyone who’s been paying attention knows that Zenner is for real.
