Former USF equipment manager walks on to Bulls football team

TAMPA (FOX 13) - USF long snapper Zach Deitz hasn't always worn a Bulls football jersey. 

The sophomore out of Steinbrenner High School spent his first year at USF donning a different uniform, as the Bulls equipment manager.

"Basically, I would just like hold sticks for coaches and I would set up the field before practices and take it all down after practice," he explained.

The Bulls thought they knew Zach, the student assistant, but they didn't know all about him.

"One day started (I was) snapping with them, they're like, you should do this next year since we're going to graduate," he recalled.

Zach literally walked on to the field all because of what he was doing on the sideline prior to practices.

"He was like, 'Oh yeah, I used to snap in high school,'" said teammate and USF punter Jonathan Hernandez. "I said, 'Okay, well let's see it.' He snapped it and I was like, okay, that was actually pretty good."

Now, he's the USF's sole long snapper.

"Just a little diamond in the rough," said special teams coach Justin Burke. "We're fortunate that he came out and he's wanted to be a part of it. That's the biggest thing, is that people want to be a part of the program. He gets to be an integral part, you know, play 20, 25 snaps a game of important football. Every play there is for points or a major piece of yardage."

USF head coach Charlie Strong echoes that thought.

"Deitz doesn't get the credit that he deserves. He's doing a great job, a really good job of snapping the ball," Strong said. 

Becoming a college football player wasn't something Zach had envisioned for himself following a host of injuries in high school. But, now that he's here, it's all he's ever wanted.

"I couldn't ask for much more. I'm spoiled being out here."

With each snap of the ball, Zach is living out his dream.