Kansas State University Athletics
‘Truly the Best Decision I’ve Ever Made’
May 16, 2023 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Ty Zentner will forever be known for the game-winning field goal in overtime to lift K-State to a 31-28 victory over No. 3 TCU in the 2022 Big 12 Championship Game. Now he is also known for this: Being a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Life changed for Zentner shortly before 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 29. That's when kicker, punter and Topeka native received a call from the Eagles and signed as an undrafted free agent with the club following the 2023 NFL Draft.
Zentner earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors as a punter this past season, as he averaged 44.5 yards on 59 punts, including 27 punts that landed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Twenty-two punts traveled at least 50 yards. Zentner also made all 11 of his field goal attempts and all 31 extra point attempts after taking over place kicking duties midway through the season.
Having participated in the Eagles' rookie camp the weekend of May 6, Zentner now returns to Philadelphia for Rookie Development camp, which will run until June 9.
Zentner spoke with K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen about receiving the phone call from the Eagles and his path to joining an NFL franchise:
D. SCOTT FRITCHEN: On April 29 at 6:06 p.m. you tweeted "Go Birds." What were the array of emotions you felt when you tweeted those two words?
TY ZENTNER: It felt really good. I was still a little bit disappointed that my name didn't get called in the NFL Draft, and for a while I really didn't know what was going to happen. Toward the end of the fifth round, I fielded a bunch of calls from teams' special teams coaches who were each saying, 'We could take you with our next pick.' A couple of them said they were still trying to convince the front office to select me. However, most special teams coaches weren't present in the draft war room. All the sudden the draft wrapped up and I was a free agent.
I had stayed in contact with the Eagles since the Pro Day. Getting on the phone with them as soon as the draft ended and knowing they still wanted me, I just felt really good. It was a relief because I knew once the draft ended, things would move quick and teams would be calling and wanting me to get a deal done right away. The Eagles were my top spot, and I felt they were the team that most wanted me. It felt good that I was able to agree to a deal with them.
ZENTNER: Yeah, they sent me a hat earlier in the week. I had an Eagles hat and five other hats ready to go. As soon as I got off the phone with the Eagles, I put on the hat. I was in my parents' home in Topeka with my immediate family, both of my grandmothers, K-State special teams quality control coach Will Burnham and his wife, and my girlfriend, Emilee.
FRITCHEN: You wake up the following morning on April 30. What's the first thing that pops into your head?
ZENTNER: When do I go to Philadelphia? I was just ready to get there and work. I knew I had a long road ahead of me before I could possibly win the job. There's a lot of work required before any of that. I'm just ready to work.
FRITCHEN: What did the Eagles' rookie camp entail?
ZENTNER: The first day I met a lot of new people. There are guys in the building who've played there for a long time. You feel like you're entering your first day as a freshman in high school or your first day at K-State football. I checked in with the athletic training staff, the strength staff, and learned how they go about their business. We had team meetings and special teams meetings ahead of the next two days of practice. In that sense, it felt like a mini-fall camp day where you have a bunch of meetings and get prepared for the next day of practice. We practiced the following two days. Now I'll be at Rookie Development in Philly until June 9. We'll lift, run and practice each day, which will help us to develop into professional football players. I know it's going to be an everyday process. I know there'll be tough days where I don't punt or kick as well as I should but I have to learn from the mistakes and bounce back the next time.
FRITCHEN: How many kickers or punters did the Eagles have at rookie camp?
ZENTNER: It was just me.
FRITCHEN: How might Ty Zentner benefit a NFL team?
ZENTNER: I have to go in and focus on punting. That's where I have to show that I can make a difference and be a great player. At the same time, I have to continue to kick off at a high level and show that I can hit a high rate of touchbacks. In the NFL, more kickoffs get returned out of the end zone. I also have to be able to serve as a holder. Being a holder is probably one of the most overlooked jobs and one of the most important jobs. Lucky for me, I had been around Jack Blumer. He was such a great holder, and I learned a lot from him. I was able to pick up on the things that they do in Philly and what's important to them and show that I can do those things at a high level.
FRITCHEN: Can you walk me through your training routine prior to the draft and your thoughts during the K-State Pro Day?
ZENTNER: It was an interesting time leading up to the draft. A lot of guys go different routes and will go to Arizona, Florida or Texas to train. For specialists, it's a little bit different because you aren't training for the 5-10-5 shuttle or the 40-yard dash — you're training to become the best specialist you can be, which entails kicking and holding and punting. For me, I stayed in Manhattan. I didn't receive any of the senior game invites or an invite for the NFL Combine, so it was really quiet on my end while other guys were getting attention.
I just had to stay with the daily process and focus on myself and what I could do to become the best player I could in those months and be ready for any opportunity. Lucky for me, once the combine wrapped up, there were a bunch of teams that hadn't yet seen me in person, so they came to K-State and worked me out. I'm very thankful that Coach Burnham took time out of his day to meet with those teams and help us go through the workout together.
FRITCHEN: You began your journey as a soccer player. Take me back to the day that you decided to pick up a football.
ZENTNER: It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. In soccer, you learn to kick the ball with both feet and put a different curve on the ball, so kicking a soccer ball is a lot different than kicking a football. I quickly learned I had to change my technique. Fortunately, I was a good soccer player, so I knew what it took to strike a ball cleanly, and I felt that transitioned over pretty well.
Right before my first game at K-State, I had an idea that I could play in Division I. Week 1, I was warming up and had a 55-yard kick. From then on, I was like, 'I can do this.' I just had to keep improving. There were a lot of things I could do better. But from that point on, I knew I had the leg strength to do it. I just needed to continue to improve.
FRITCHEN: How would you describe the Ty Zentner story at K-State?
ZENTNER: There are so many people who played a huge factor in my success at K-State. I was blessed with great roommates in Sammy Wheeler and Eric Hommel. I learned so much from Coach Klieman and his staff. Transitioning from junior college to K-State, I thought, 'I've made it.' I was like, 'I'm at Division I and this is going to be simple. I've made it through the hard part.' I was completely wrong. I was going to go through ups and downs and needed to learn from each experience. A big driving for in my success was being able to go through the ups and downs. You just have to make it through those tough times.
FRITCHEN: And what were some of those tough times?
ZENTNER: There's a couple. The 2020 season was honestly really tough for everyone. I had knee surgery before the season. It was a scope. I just didn't rebound from it as quickly as I hoped to, so I learned all about rehabilitation from surgeries and what it took to be a great player and a great person each and every day. Attacking that process was tough. Then I had to undergo a second procedure where they broke up a bunch of scar tissue. Also, during the 2020 season, Jack and I split reps, so neither of us were able to win the starting job. We both learned that how you practice is how you perform. From there on, Jack and I really attacked practice really hard and learned a lot about each other, but we also learned a lot about ourselves.
FRITCHEN: What did you learn most about yourself at K-State?
ZENTNER: That it's not just me. There are so many people who played a big part in me being able to accomplish great things. I'm very blessed and grateful for the people around me who kept me going each day.
FRITCHEN: How long does it feel like it's been since the game-winning kick to capture the Big 12 Championship?
ZENTNER: The pre-draft process felt like an eternity for me. It seems like the kick was two years ago.
FRITCHEN: What are the emotions that'll forever be attached to that kick?
ZENTNER: Just everything that went into it. Tough summer runs, hard lifts. Everyone in that locker room played a part in us being able to make that field goal. Without everyone in that locker room having such a tight bond, we wouldn't have made it that far. I hope K-State teams in the future can look back at this season and see what we did and how guys developed through their time here and the type of players that stepped up and that showed we can go out there and win a Big 12 Championship. It all starts with the work that's put in during the offseason.
On the kick, I think back to the goal-line stop. I went down to the other end of the sideline and tried to stay away from the rest of the team as much as possible. I just took in that moment. I remember seeing Deuce Vaughn rush for 9 yards on the first play on our overtime possession. I was just saying, 'Go down!" I knew we had this. We just needed to get onto the field with the ball and we'd be just fine. That just speaks to being able to operate at the highest level with the most amount of pressure on yourself and going out there with confidence. If you have confidence in yourself, you'll be able to get the job done.
I'm just so thankful for my experience at K-State. It was truly the best decision I've ever made. When I was coming out of junior college, I didn't have much of a decision to make. K-State was my only scholarship offer. It's almost felt like a movie this entire time with the ups and downs. In the end, when times get hard, you just have to keep going.
Ty Zentner will forever be known for the game-winning field goal in overtime to lift K-State to a 31-28 victory over No. 3 TCU in the 2022 Big 12 Championship Game. Now he is also known for this: Being a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Life changed for Zentner shortly before 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 29. That's when kicker, punter and Topeka native received a call from the Eagles and signed as an undrafted free agent with the club following the 2023 NFL Draft.
Zentner earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors as a punter this past season, as he averaged 44.5 yards on 59 punts, including 27 punts that landed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Twenty-two punts traveled at least 50 yards. Zentner also made all 11 of his field goal attempts and all 31 extra point attempts after taking over place kicking duties midway through the season.
Having participated in the Eagles' rookie camp the weekend of May 6, Zentner now returns to Philadelphia for Rookie Development camp, which will run until June 9.
Zentner spoke with K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen about receiving the phone call from the Eagles and his path to joining an NFL franchise:
D. SCOTT FRITCHEN: On April 29 at 6:06 p.m. you tweeted "Go Birds." What were the array of emotions you felt when you tweeted those two words?
TY ZENTNER: It felt really good. I was still a little bit disappointed that my name didn't get called in the NFL Draft, and for a while I really didn't know what was going to happen. Toward the end of the fifth round, I fielded a bunch of calls from teams' special teams coaches who were each saying, 'We could take you with our next pick.' A couple of them said they were still trying to convince the front office to select me. However, most special teams coaches weren't present in the draft war room. All the sudden the draft wrapped up and I was a free agent.
I had stayed in contact with the Eagles since the Pro Day. Getting on the phone with them as soon as the draft ended and knowing they still wanted me, I just felt really good. It was a relief because I knew once the draft ended, things would move quick and teams would be calling and wanting me to get a deal done right away. The Eagles were my top spot, and I felt they were the team that most wanted me. It felt good that I was able to agree to a deal with them.
FRITCHEN: You were wearing an Eagles ballcap in a photo.Go Birds pic.twitter.com/4POSW1Wm1N
— Ty Zentner (@tyxzentner) April 29, 2023
ZENTNER: Yeah, they sent me a hat earlier in the week. I had an Eagles hat and five other hats ready to go. As soon as I got off the phone with the Eagles, I put on the hat. I was in my parents' home in Topeka with my immediate family, both of my grandmothers, K-State special teams quality control coach Will Burnham and his wife, and my girlfriend, Emilee.
FRITCHEN: You wake up the following morning on April 30. What's the first thing that pops into your head?
ZENTNER: When do I go to Philadelphia? I was just ready to get there and work. I knew I had a long road ahead of me before I could possibly win the job. There's a lot of work required before any of that. I'm just ready to work.
FRITCHEN: What did the Eagles' rookie camp entail?
ZENTNER: The first day I met a lot of new people. There are guys in the building who've played there for a long time. You feel like you're entering your first day as a freshman in high school or your first day at K-State football. I checked in with the athletic training staff, the strength staff, and learned how they go about their business. We had team meetings and special teams meetings ahead of the next two days of practice. In that sense, it felt like a mini-fall camp day where you have a bunch of meetings and get prepared for the next day of practice. We practiced the following two days. Now I'll be at Rookie Development in Philly until June 9. We'll lift, run and practice each day, which will help us to develop into professional football players. I know it's going to be an everyday process. I know there'll be tough days where I don't punt or kick as well as I should but I have to learn from the mistakes and bounce back the next time.
FRITCHEN: How many kickers or punters did the Eagles have at rookie camp?
ZENTNER: It was just me.
FRITCHEN: How might Ty Zentner benefit a NFL team?
ZENTNER: I have to go in and focus on punting. That's where I have to show that I can make a difference and be a great player. At the same time, I have to continue to kick off at a high level and show that I can hit a high rate of touchbacks. In the NFL, more kickoffs get returned out of the end zone. I also have to be able to serve as a holder. Being a holder is probably one of the most overlooked jobs and one of the most important jobs. Lucky for me, I had been around Jack Blumer. He was such a great holder, and I learned a lot from him. I was able to pick up on the things that they do in Philly and what's important to them and show that I can do those things at a high level.
FRITCHEN: Can you walk me through your training routine prior to the draft and your thoughts during the K-State Pro Day?
ZENTNER: It was an interesting time leading up to the draft. A lot of guys go different routes and will go to Arizona, Florida or Texas to train. For specialists, it's a little bit different because you aren't training for the 5-10-5 shuttle or the 40-yard dash — you're training to become the best specialist you can be, which entails kicking and holding and punting. For me, I stayed in Manhattan. I didn't receive any of the senior game invites or an invite for the NFL Combine, so it was really quiet on my end while other guys were getting attention.
I just had to stay with the daily process and focus on myself and what I could do to become the best player I could in those months and be ready for any opportunity. Lucky for me, once the combine wrapped up, there were a bunch of teams that hadn't yet seen me in person, so they came to K-State and worked me out. I'm very thankful that Coach Burnham took time out of his day to meet with those teams and help us go through the workout together.
FRITCHEN: You began your journey as a soccer player. Take me back to the day that you decided to pick up a football.
ZENTNER: It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. In soccer, you learn to kick the ball with both feet and put a different curve on the ball, so kicking a soccer ball is a lot different than kicking a football. I quickly learned I had to change my technique. Fortunately, I was a good soccer player, so I knew what it took to strike a ball cleanly, and I felt that transitioned over pretty well.
Right before my first game at K-State, I had an idea that I could play in Division I. Week 1, I was warming up and had a 55-yard kick. From then on, I was like, 'I can do this.' I just had to keep improving. There were a lot of things I could do better. But from that point on, I knew I had the leg strength to do it. I just needed to continue to improve.
FRITCHEN: How would you describe the Ty Zentner story at K-State?
ZENTNER: There are so many people who played a huge factor in my success at K-State. I was blessed with great roommates in Sammy Wheeler and Eric Hommel. I learned so much from Coach Klieman and his staff. Transitioning from junior college to K-State, I thought, 'I've made it.' I was like, 'I'm at Division I and this is going to be simple. I've made it through the hard part.' I was completely wrong. I was going to go through ups and downs and needed to learn from each experience. A big driving for in my success was being able to go through the ups and downs. You just have to make it through those tough times.
FRITCHEN: And what were some of those tough times?
ZENTNER: There's a couple. The 2020 season was honestly really tough for everyone. I had knee surgery before the season. It was a scope. I just didn't rebound from it as quickly as I hoped to, so I learned all about rehabilitation from surgeries and what it took to be a great player and a great person each and every day. Attacking that process was tough. Then I had to undergo a second procedure where they broke up a bunch of scar tissue. Also, during the 2020 season, Jack and I split reps, so neither of us were able to win the starting job. We both learned that how you practice is how you perform. From there on, Jack and I really attacked practice really hard and learned a lot about each other, but we also learned a lot about ourselves.
FRITCHEN: What did you learn most about yourself at K-State?
ZENTNER: That it's not just me. There are so many people who played a big part in me being able to accomplish great things. I'm very blessed and grateful for the people around me who kept me going each day.
FRITCHEN: How long does it feel like it's been since the game-winning kick to capture the Big 12 Championship?
ZENTNER: The pre-draft process felt like an eternity for me. It seems like the kick was two years ago.
FRITCHEN: What are the emotions that'll forever be attached to that kick?
ZENTNER: Just everything that went into it. Tough summer runs, hard lifts. Everyone in that locker room played a part in us being able to make that field goal. Without everyone in that locker room having such a tight bond, we wouldn't have made it that far. I hope K-State teams in the future can look back at this season and see what we did and how guys developed through their time here and the type of players that stepped up and that showed we can go out there and win a Big 12 Championship. It all starts with the work that's put in during the offseason.
On the kick, I think back to the goal-line stop. I went down to the other end of the sideline and tried to stay away from the rest of the team as much as possible. I just took in that moment. I remember seeing Deuce Vaughn rush for 9 yards on the first play on our overtime possession. I was just saying, 'Go down!" I knew we had this. We just needed to get onto the field with the ball and we'd be just fine. That just speaks to being able to operate at the highest level with the most amount of pressure on yourself and going out there with confidence. If you have confidence in yourself, you'll be able to get the job done.
I'm just so thankful for my experience at K-State. It was truly the best decision I've ever made. When I was coming out of junior college, I didn't have much of a decision to make. K-State was my only scholarship offer. It's almost felt like a movie this entire time with the ups and downs. In the end, when times get hard, you just have to keep going.
Players Mentioned
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