As the 1996 football season draws near, many Ivy League football fanatics are nurturing high expectations for the Dartmouth gridiron squad. Having lost few of its stars to graduation, the Big Green hope to build upon its seven game unbeaten streak and, with a little luck, bring the Ivy League title back to Hanover.
But Dartmouth will not be needing any luck if star linebacker Zach Walz '98 has a say in the matter. A repeat performance of his outstanding season last year will play a major role in placing Dartmouth atop the Ancient Eight once again.
Anchoring a stellar defensive line and an unstoppable core of linebackers, Walz feels certain that the Dartmouth defenders will guide the team to victory this season.
"We're probably the smallest linebacking core in the league," he said. "We're all under 215 [pounds]. We're not a big defense, but we're definitely a quick defense. I think our defense was the key to our success last year, and it's going to be a stronger part this year."
Assistant football coach Roger Hughes agrees. "I think we have a very strong defense. Our strong point would be our linebackers."
Few would argue with such an assertion. Despite relative size disadvantages compared to other Ivy pass-rushers, Walz and fellow linebackers Mark Abel '97 and Brian Schmidt '97 terrorized opponents last year.
Walz is not a stranger to gridiron success. From his first days in Pop Warner Football through high school, the California native has climbed to the top and managed to stay there.
At St. Francis High School, Walz earned three letters as a defensive end and tight end while also playing baseball. His team won the Central Coast Section football championships three years in a row, putting up a 13-0 record his junior year. "We had a really strong high school team and a real strong program. I got pulled into St. Francis because I knew how strong their athletics were," Walz said.
Interestingly, the government major and Beta Theta Pi fraternity member did not begin thinking about Dartmouth as an option for college until late in the application process.
"I wasn't even looking at Ivy League schools at first, coming from California," he explained. "Then a couple of Ivy League schools sent me recruiting letters asking me to send them a film, and when I saw the rankings from 1990 and 1991, I thought I'd like to send [a film] to Dartmouth. I came out here [to visit] and I loved it."
The Big Green faithful are glad that he did. During last year's eye-opening 7-2-1 season, Walz racked-up 116 tackles, 15 quarterback pressures and five sacks. He also led the team in fumble recoveries with four.
His spectacular season culminated with his selection to the All-Ivy defensive first team, alongside teammate Abel. The eight Ivy League head coaches selected only two other sophomores for the entire First Team.
"Of all the linebackers in the league, I think that Walz has to be the best athlete out there," second team All-Ivy safety Lloyd Lee '98 said.
Place-kicker Dave Regula '98 puts Walz's character and leadership efforts into perspective. "He is a real outgoing guy. Off the field he is a goof-off who keeps us loose. On the field he is as intense as anyone out there. He leads by example, and his play pumps up the team. We kind of feed off of him."
Coach Hughes also believes Walz, nicknamed "Blade" by his teammates, exerts a strong presence on and off the field. "He's a very intense player," he said.
This driving intensity seems to emerge from the unity of the Dartmouth linebackers, a group which teammates refer to as "The Core."
Walz explains, "We're definitely a group within a group. We like to consider ourselves a very tight-knit core. We try to learn everything we can from each other, and we pump each other up."
As the season approaches, Walz will continue preparing for the battles ahead by working on what he considers his biggest obstacle his weight. Even at 6'5" and 210 pounds, Walz said he is "one of the smallest linebackers in the league." He continues, "I've been gaining a lot of weight, but I probably have ten or fifteen pounds to go to where I'm at optimal playing weight."
If Walz reaches his top form this season, and the rest of the team comes together as expected, Dartmouth fans should have plenty to look forward to come fall. "On paper, we certainly have a lot of experience coming back," said Hughes. "If we can stay healthy, we'll have a chance."
"We have a lot of returning starters," said Walz. "If we just focus on how we're capable of playing... I honestly think that we should have the Ivy League Championship."
