May 3, 2024 • 5 mins
Center Zach Frazier talks with Missi Matthews about being drafted by Steelers in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft and more
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Pittsburgh Steelers select Zach Frazier Center of West Virginia. It's
rare you find a guy with that kind of pedigree
in his resume and not a snaps he has in college.
We couldn't be more fired up than to get Zack
and a B.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
All right, Zach, welcome to Pittsburgh. Take me through your
draft night experience.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Yeah. So I got the call right when I saw
fore too, I knew it was Pittsburgh. I actually had
some trouble with my phone. They couldn't hear me. I
could hear them, but they couldn't hear me. So I
got the call, ran upstairs out of the basement, and
you know, tried to get the phone call to work,
and it ended up working. But you know, just an
amazing feeling to you know, have that relief of getting
(00:40):
the phone call and then you know, end up being
here in Pittsburgh, you know, an hour and a half
away from where I'm from.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Coach Tolland always does on the phone, like, you know,
you ready to be in Pittsburgh steel Are you're healthy?
Are you hearing that? And like wait, they can't hear me,
Like what's happening?
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Making you a little nervous.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Yeah, it made me a little nervous. Of course, my
phone stopped working in the most important time. But yeah, yeah,
it was all those questions and you know it eventually worked. Yep.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Does it feel real when you took that drive to
get here to the Steelers facility? You came for a
pre draft visit, as you said, not far from Pittsburgh
growing up. But did this make it like, Okay, this
is happening.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Yeah it was. It was definitely special. You know. Obviously
I didn't have to get on a plane and go somewhere.
I just got in my truck and drove up here,
and I think it hit me when I drove through
the tunnel and saw the city. It's like, this is real.
It still doesn't feel real, but it was pretty special.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
You talked on your call after you were drafted just
about the history of the Steelers offensive line. Does that
add a little pressure maybe to being such a high
draft pick to continue that tradition at Oline?
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I think it's just knowing that there's a high standard
of offensive line play here, and you know, that's just
going to make me work that much harder to you know,
keep and uphold that standard.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
You were an accomplished athlete in both high school and
in college. Was there any adversity that you face where
you thought, okay, this is this is going to help
me in.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
The long run. I would say, uh, you know, the
last game of my you know, career, I had had
an injury that you know, going into this pre draft
process definitely wasn't easy. But I just attacked the rehab
and you know, got back to being healthy. Definitely was
a curve ball, but just taught me a lot.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Was it hard going through it?
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Now?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
You can say, okay, I got passed in, I got drafted,
But at the time, how hard was it to keep
it together and to keep your eye on the prize?
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yeah? Definitely not easy. You know you're worried about going
to the Senior Bowl. Obviously I wasn't able to participate there.
I got to go, but wasn't clear for contact. And
then you know, at the combine, I wasn't able to
do everything. But then you know, I was able to
do everything at per day. So it ended up working out.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
When you went to West Virginia and eventually became the
starting center, what did you learn about what the key
is that center quarterback connection? And relationship that you.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Have to have. Yeah, it's all about communication. The center
in the quarterback has to be on the same page.
We have to know where the protection is, who's the mic.
Everyone just has to be on the same page so
there's no no miscommunications.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
And how much on your part is that being able
to read the defense and different things and your prep
work and just the extra things they go into it.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Yeah, it's a lot of film study throughout the week,
also studying the game plan for that week, and then
it's knowing the calls and communicating that across the line
so everyone can hear me clearly and you know, even
when it's loud, just so we're all on the same page.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Have you talked to any Steelers quarterbacks?
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah? Yeah, I talked to Russell last night. He called
me again my phone wasn't working great service. Yeah yeah, yeah,
but that was pretty cool moment.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
I guess take us through why you have your name
and why you wore the number that you wore, what
your parents kind of decided there.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Yeah, special that was.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Maybe for you.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Yeah. So my dad was originally from Florida and they
were Dolphins fans, So my dad named me after Zach Thomas,
who were fifty four just got inducted into the Hall
of Fame. You know, that's always been special for me.
I've more in fifty four since tea ball.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Did you start wrestling first or playing football or did
they start happening at the same time when.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
You were younger, same time, around four or five years old?
Speaker 2 (04:22):
And what was that like growing up just being in
a very sports centric family.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Yeah, you know, you go straight from football season the
rest of the season to baseball for a while until
I stopped playing that. But you know, it was just
just a fun time to be a kid and you know,
play all these sports and really at that time, I
just had had fun to on it.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Arthur Smith, your new oc he said, woodworking is also
something else you do, So is that another hobby? Is
there anything else?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Yeah? Yeah, I like to build things, like to work
with tools. I also like to golf.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Okay, so yeah, there's a lot of golf on this team.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Oh yeah, it's fun to do. Its fun to do,
that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
And why do you feel like now that it's real
that you were meant to be a Pittsburgh Steeler just
based off of your mentality and how you like to
play the game.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Yeah, I played with toughness and grit, and you know,
I think that's, you know, how the Steelers have played
throughout the years. I think that's kind of their identity.
And you know, I think I can follow it up
all right. Well, thanks forgetting welcome yep, thanks for having me.
Pittsburgh Steelers select Zach Frazier Center of West Virginia. It's
rare you find a guy with that kind of pedigree
in his resume and not a snaps he has in college.
We couldn't be more fired up than to get Zack
and a B.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
All right, Zach, welcome to Pittsburgh. Take me through your
draft night experience.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Yeah. So I got the call right when I saw
fore too, I knew it was Pittsburgh. I actually had
some trouble with my phone. They couldn't hear me. I
could hear them, but they couldn't hear me. So I
got the call, ran upstairs out of the basement, and
you know, tried to get the phone call to work,
and it ended up working. But you know, just an
amazing feeling to you know, have that relief of getting
(00:40):
the phone call and then you know, end up being
here in Pittsburgh, you know, an hour and a half
away from where I'm from.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Coach Tolland always does on the phone, like, you know,
you ready to be in Pittsburgh steel Are you're healthy?
Are you hearing that? And like wait, they can't hear me,
Like what's happening?
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Making you a little nervous.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Yeah, it made me a little nervous. Of course, my
phone stopped working in the most important time. But yeah, yeah,
it was all those questions and you know it eventually worked. Yep.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Does it feel real when you took that drive to
get here to the Steelers facility? You came for a
pre draft visit, as you said, not far from Pittsburgh
growing up. But did this make it like, Okay, this
is happening.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Yeah it was. It was definitely special. You know. Obviously
I didn't have to get on a plane and go somewhere.
I just got in my truck and drove up here,
and I think it hit me when I drove through
the tunnel and saw the city. It's like, this is real.
It still doesn't feel real, but it was pretty special.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
You talked on your call after you were drafted just
about the history of the Steelers offensive line. Does that
add a little pressure maybe to being such a high
draft pick to continue that tradition at Oline?
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I think it's just knowing that there's a high standard
of offensive line play here, and you know, that's just
going to make me work that much harder to you know,
keep and uphold that standard.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
You were an accomplished athlete in both high school and
in college. Was there any adversity that you face where
you thought, okay, this is this is going to help
me in.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
The long run. I would say, uh, you know, the
last game of my you know, career, I had had
an injury that you know, going into this pre draft
process definitely wasn't easy. But I just attacked the rehab
and you know, got back to being healthy. Definitely was
a curve ball, but just taught me a lot.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Was it hard going through it?
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Now?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
You can say, okay, I got passed in, I got drafted,
But at the time, how hard was it to keep
it together and to keep your eye on the prize?
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yeah? Definitely not easy. You know you're worried about going
to the Senior Bowl. Obviously I wasn't able to participate there.
I got to go, but wasn't clear for contact. And
then you know, at the combine, I wasn't able to
do everything. But then you know, I was able to
do everything at per day. So it ended up working out.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
When you went to West Virginia and eventually became the
starting center, what did you learn about what the key
is that center quarterback connection? And relationship that you.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Have to have. Yeah, it's all about communication. The center
in the quarterback has to be on the same page.
We have to know where the protection is, who's the mic.
Everyone just has to be on the same page so
there's no no miscommunications.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
And how much on your part is that being able
to read the defense and different things and your prep
work and just the extra things they go into it.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Yeah, it's a lot of film study throughout the week,
also studying the game plan for that week, and then
it's knowing the calls and communicating that across the line
so everyone can hear me clearly and you know, even
when it's loud, just so we're all on the same page.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Have you talked to any Steelers quarterbacks?
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah? Yeah, I talked to Russell last night. He called
me again my phone wasn't working great service. Yeah yeah, yeah,
but that was pretty cool moment.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
I guess take us through why you have your name
and why you wore the number that you wore, what
your parents kind of decided there.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Yeah, special that was.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Maybe for you.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Yeah. So my dad was originally from Florida and they
were Dolphins fans, So my dad named me after Zach Thomas,
who were fifty four just got inducted into the Hall
of Fame. You know, that's always been special for me.
I've more in fifty four since tea ball.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Did you start wrestling first or playing football or did
they start happening at the same time when.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
You were younger, same time, around four or five years old?
Speaker 2 (04:22):
And what was that like growing up just being in
a very sports centric family.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Yeah, you know, you go straight from football season the
rest of the season to baseball for a while until
I stopped playing that. But you know, it was just
just a fun time to be a kid and you know,
play all these sports and really at that time, I
just had had fun to on it.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Arthur Smith, your new oc he said, woodworking is also
something else you do, So is that another hobby? Is
there anything else?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Yeah? Yeah, I like to build things, like to work
with tools. I also like to golf.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Okay, so yeah, there's a lot of golf on this team.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Oh yeah, it's fun to do. Its fun to do,
that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
And why do you feel like now that it's real
that you were meant to be a Pittsburgh Steeler just
based off of your mentality and how you like to
play the game.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Yeah, I played with toughness and grit, and you know,
I think that's, you know, how the Steelers have played
throughout the years. I think that's kind of their identity.
And you know, I think I can follow it up
all right. Well, thanks forgetting welcome yep, thanks for having me.
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