October 30, 2025 • 13 mins
Bob Papa sits down with former Giants long snapper and 2x-Super Bowl champion, Zak DeOssie. He discusses his playing career, the lessons he learned from Coach Coughlin, and his life after football.
:00 - Start of his career
2:20 - Life after football
4:55 - Lessons from Coach Coughlin
7:35 - Memories from New York
10:45 - Zak’s favorite games
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Popper's Perspective is brought to you by Bob's Discount Furniture,
the official furniture store Mattress partner of the New York Giants.
As we welcome you into the Hackensack Bridian Health podcast studio,
Keep getting Better. This week's Poppa's Perspective is with former
New York Giant and two time Super Bowl champion Zach Diassi. Zach,
welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Thank you, Bob. I've been tuning in for a while.
Glad to be here, all right.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
So, thirteen years as a Giant, nine years as a captain,
But you told me before we started taping, thirteen means
something very important to you.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Thirteen's a good number for me because it's one more
year than my dad, Steve Diassi, made it in the league.
So I love you. Dad beat you by one. For
those keeping track at home, I win.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
You also got to wear one one uniform. What was
it like coming to the Giants. You were a fourth
round draft pick out of Brown, You were a good
linebacker in college. When you came to this organization, knowing
that your dad had played here and knowing the history,
what kind of pressure did you feel?
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Honestly, I didn't feel a lot of pressure. I felt
a lot of you know, I was very fortunate and
lucky to be here. The fact that I got to
play for my dad's favorite team, the four he played for,
and obviously as a as a young man, you understand
that you know what type of organization this is. I
(01:31):
just felt very, very fortunate to be here. And the pressure.
You know, everyone still in my thirteenth year called me
Steve around the building, those who were upstairs, who were
around my father when he played. But to me and
to my family, that's an honor to be confused with
my dad.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Well, yeah, a great You have a great combo too, right,
I mean NFC Championship game on the road against the Niners,
and both of you had the important snaps we did.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
We did when we snapped that game win in Candlestick,
the last game in Candlestick. Obviously my dad was there
and I came out and he said, you'll never believe it.
That's the same exact end zone where I snapped the
game winner to Matt Barr to go into the Super Bowl.
And for the long you know, the long snapper nerds
out there, that's a pretty special moment for that and
(02:19):
I also share it with my dad.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Let's talk about life after football and transitioning. Some guys
prepare for it, they understand it's not for long the NFL.
What was your thought process as you were playing for
the Giants about what could be next for you?
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Well, listen, I you know, I watched my dad play
football for twelve years. I was in fourth grade when
he retired, and he went over to sports and radio
TV covering you know, the Boston markets. And I decided
when I was when I was young, I would intern
in New York City as often as I could. I
did exactly that, and in the last three years I
(02:57):
was interning at Gold and Sachs in between mini camp
and training camp and security seat upon retirement. So I
was always thinking about Look, football is the best job
to have as a young person, but you never know that.
You know when it's over. So think I like to
think I spent my off seasons wisely and it worked
(03:18):
out well for the transition when it came.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
And now you're doing great with the firm L three
Capital yet to share it on talk about what you
do on a daily basis in that role, and then
I want to know the lessons you learned as a player.
How you're applying it to what you do now?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah? Sure. No. I'm at L three Capital. We're an
SBI C private equity firm. We provide growth capital to
lower middle market across the United States. My job is
a director of business Development and best relations so I
keep all relationships warm with growth buyout firms across the country, brokers, dealers,
et cetera. And we're always looking for our next investment. Today,
(04:00):
for example, I'm hosting a bunch of clients here at
camp and it's a fun day and and my job
is to pound the pavement and make sure we get
first the first look at opportunities when when they come
onto the market, it's a grind a lot like football.
You know, our our investment thesis is very bespoke and focused,
so we see a ton of deals and only a
(04:21):
certain amount past our criteria. Uh And in that regard,
you know, when I'm pounding the pavement and getting inbounds
on these opportunities that we see, you know, it's usually
the answer is usually know because we're cash flow lenders.
But you know, I think from football, you always get
knocked down, you know, you just keep going and you
(04:42):
had a team around you, and you want to do
it for your team. And I think that that prevails
in my second career, even when I was like Golden
Saxon here, no matter what happens, you just keep going
and keep improving and learning and along the way, and
that's the beauty of the game of football.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
What were some of the lessons or do you do
you hear Coach Kaughlin or one of your coaches in
your ear as you get into these tough situations in
a business negotiation and whatever that you're doing, were you
kind of almost default to it?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah? I mean Coach Coughlin is in the back of
my head always and his inspirational quotes that the one
that I like to share is attached significance to everything
that you do, whether it's putting on socks. You used
to talk about putting on socks the right way like
John Wooden. And I think, you know, Coach Cofflin did
(05:34):
an amazing job at raising young men to prepare them
to be, you know, prepared for the real world after football.
And those who have played for him understand what I
mean by that. And you know, all my clocks in
my house still are Coughlin time. I operate my life
(05:55):
in Cofughlin time, and I think it's when I was
a rookie out of Brown I didn't really understand it
in two thousand and seven, but after a year of
watching and learning and listening and obviously winning Coach Coughlin's lessons,
and he's an inspiration sort of like a father figure
to all of us. So it's great.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
So any of the guys that played for Parcels, as
they grow older, they hit you with Parcels Parcels isms,
they kind of reference back to Parcells. As a kid
growing up, listening to your dad, I'm sure at times
you probably rolled your eyes a little bit. But now
(06:34):
that you've experienced the Coughlin thing, I'm sure now you're
doing the same thing to your kids. And now seeing that, hey,
you know, it wasn't my dad just talking like it's real.
It applies.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
It really does. And my kids are finally or at
least my six year old rising six year old, is
starting to understand Cofflin time. I've been trying to observe
that for a while, but it's it truly is remarkable.
Like my kids were here two days ago with my wife.
I was at work, and they had the opportunity to
meet Coach Coughlin. They've met him in the past, but
(07:07):
now that my kid's getting older. He came back and
showed me the picture with Coach and I immediately sent
it to my dad and we sort of got a
little choked up. You know, he's a special man and
what he did for us as young men was remarkable,
and the fact that he sort of crossed over three
generations of Diace's and provided us some great experiences along
(07:30):
the way is very, very special to the diass family
and forever grateful for being able to play for him.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
When you walk into a building like this and you're
part of the history, your name is etched on two
Super Bowl trophies forty two and forty six, and you
played a big role in the team's really resurgence, what's
the first thing that comes to your mind when you
walk in?
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Honestly, family, looking back, I was here for the thirteen years,
so I was a young man when I entered in
and had some great experiences and met some amazing people.
But you know, I was telling my sons on the
way here, it's it's like I grew up with everyone
in this building, and it is so nice to know
(08:16):
that I can always walk in here and just hang
out and give people hugs and catch up because it
was a huge part of my life for a long time,
and I just love coming back here. And it's very
special for me to bring my sons back here too
and sort of like let them look around and enjoy
and you know, the players, there's a lot of turnover,
and that's football, but you know, and I'm friends with
(08:39):
a lot of players and former players around the league.
Something different about coming back to New York. This is
the best organization in my opinion. If you pour your
heart out on the field, there will always be open
door here and welcome you with open arms. And that's
a good feeling.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
So in order to be on a championship team, it's
all about team. Coaches always preached that do you get
the same rush or not the same that's the wrong question.
I don't think anybody could ever get the same rush
of being in a winning locker room, like when you
guys beat the Cowboys and seven beating Dallas knowing Jerry
(09:16):
had left the tickets. We're beating farv in Green Bay,
or the San Francisco playoff game or whatever. And obviously
the Super Bowls go without saying. Can you get close
to that in the business world as far as team
and camaraderie and celebration.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
I don't think you can ever match that but close,
but like, but yeah, you can get close. You can't
match you can't, but yes you can. You know, my
role now at the FIRMA matt Is, I love it
that my teammates are phenomenal and I feel like I
found another locker room. And I think a lot of
(09:55):
players when they leave sort of the NFL, they lose
that locker room feel. But now that I'm in my
new role and been there for three years, when we
get victories and we get we signed up new deals,
it's it comes. It's a close second to the feeling
that I used to have when when I was a
kid in the locker room. But I will say that
(10:17):
I remember in twenty eleven, we went up to New
England and we beat them, you know in Jellette or
at Foxborough. Jake Ballard, great Jake Ballard had a It
was just an incredible game and the Patriots were rolling
and that's you know, I'm from Massachusetts, and I will
never forget the vibe in that locker room. Obviously, the
playoff games are huge, but that was you know, mid season.
(10:37):
We went up there and we beat them, and I
swear to god, everyone in that locker room was ready
to just keep going, and it was the vibe was incredible.
I'll never forget it.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Yeah, because if you remember, they had this unbelievable streak
at home in which they hadn't lost any games. It
was the first meeting since the Super Bowl in which
you guys beat them, and it was like, all right,
they're going to get their event. And it was almost
like you sent a shot across their bow, like, dude,
if we meet in the Super Bowl again, you know
(11:07):
we're not the The eleven Giants were not the unbelievable
underdog giants.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
No.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
If you guys have beat them, and then when you
went up there and you beat them again on their turf,
had to give you a ton of confidence going into
the second Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
It certainly did. And you look back, you know seven
we went toe to toe and lost that last game
so they could keep their perfect season. That gave us
some confidence. But this this game in twenty eleven, then
we're talking about was something different. We went into the
Bermuda Triangle up there in Foxboro and came out with
a win, and like you know, when you stack up wins,
you know, regardless of playoff implications, like that was one
(11:46):
of the best ones that was a part of for sure.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
As someone who's experienced highs and lows of professional sport
and done it on a championship level, do you find
sometimes like if you have a teammate at work that's
maybe in a row spot, you naturally gravitate as a
former captain of an NFL team to be able to
pick that person up a little bit.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
I like to think so yeah, for sure. Look, navigating
and living in a locker room for as long as
I did is a privilege, but you also pick up
some social cues that you wouldn't otherwise other places of employment.
I try and bring those lessons of gelling in that
(12:27):
locker room with young men from all different backgrounds, shapes
and sizes, And you know, when I can add value,
just like when I raise my hand when the team
need a long snapper in O seven, I raise my
hand at work and just try and add value outside
of my role as often as I can, and everyone
sort of has that mentality there and it's just great
to be a part of Zach.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
We appreciate you sharing your experiences and life after football
on this edition of Popper's Perspective. Always good to see.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
You, Thanks Bob. Great to be here.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Popper's Perspective is brought to you by Bob's Discount Furniture,
the official furniture store and Mattress partner of the New
York Football Giants.
Popper's Perspective is brought to you by Bob's Discount Furniture,
the official furniture store Mattress partner of the New York Giants.
As we welcome you into the Hackensack Bridian Health podcast studio,
Keep getting Better. This week's Poppa's Perspective is with former
New York Giant and two time Super Bowl champion Zach Diassi. Zach,
welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Thank you, Bob. I've been tuning in for a while.
Glad to be here, all right.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
So, thirteen years as a Giant, nine years as a captain,
But you told me before we started taping, thirteen means
something very important to you.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Thirteen's a good number for me because it's one more
year than my dad, Steve Diassi, made it in the league.
So I love you. Dad beat you by one. For
those keeping track at home, I win.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
You also got to wear one one uniform. What was
it like coming to the Giants. You were a fourth
round draft pick out of Brown, You were a good
linebacker in college. When you came to this organization, knowing
that your dad had played here and knowing the history,
what kind of pressure did you feel?
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Honestly, I didn't feel a lot of pressure. I felt
a lot of you know, I was very fortunate and
lucky to be here. The fact that I got to
play for my dad's favorite team, the four he played for,
and obviously as a as a young man, you understand
that you know what type of organization this is. I
(01:31):
just felt very, very fortunate to be here. And the pressure.
You know, everyone still in my thirteenth year called me
Steve around the building, those who were upstairs, who were
around my father when he played. But to me and
to my family, that's an honor to be confused with
my dad.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Well, yeah, a great You have a great combo too, right,
I mean NFC Championship game on the road against the Niners,
and both of you had the important snaps we did.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
We did when we snapped that game win in Candlestick,
the last game in Candlestick. Obviously my dad was there
and I came out and he said, you'll never believe it.
That's the same exact end zone where I snapped the
game winner to Matt Barr to go into the Super Bowl.
And for the long you know, the long snapper nerds
out there, that's a pretty special moment for that and
(02:19):
I also share it with my dad.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Let's talk about life after football and transitioning. Some guys
prepare for it, they understand it's not for long the NFL.
What was your thought process as you were playing for
the Giants about what could be next for you?
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Well, listen, I you know, I watched my dad play
football for twelve years. I was in fourth grade when
he retired, and he went over to sports and radio
TV covering you know, the Boston markets. And I decided
when I was when I was young, I would intern
in New York City as often as I could. I
did exactly that, and in the last three years I
(02:57):
was interning at Gold and Sachs in between mini camp
and training camp and security seat upon retirement. So I
was always thinking about Look, football is the best job
to have as a young person, but you never know that.
You know when it's over. So think I like to
think I spent my off seasons wisely and it worked
(03:18):
out well for the transition when it came.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
And now you're doing great with the firm L three
Capital yet to share it on talk about what you
do on a daily basis in that role, and then
I want to know the lessons you learned as a player.
How you're applying it to what you do now?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah? Sure. No. I'm at L three Capital. We're an
SBI C private equity firm. We provide growth capital to
lower middle market across the United States. My job is
a director of business Development and best relations so I
keep all relationships warm with growth buyout firms across the country, brokers, dealers,
et cetera. And we're always looking for our next investment. Today,
(04:00):
for example, I'm hosting a bunch of clients here at
camp and it's a fun day and and my job
is to pound the pavement and make sure we get
first the first look at opportunities when when they come
onto the market, it's a grind a lot like football.
You know, our our investment thesis is very bespoke and focused,
so we see a ton of deals and only a
(04:21):
certain amount past our criteria. Uh And in that regard,
you know, when I'm pounding the pavement and getting inbounds
on these opportunities that we see, you know, it's usually
the answer is usually know because we're cash flow lenders.
But you know, I think from football, you always get
knocked down, you know, you just keep going and you
(04:42):
had a team around you, and you want to do
it for your team. And I think that that prevails
in my second career, even when I was like Golden
Saxon here, no matter what happens, you just keep going
and keep improving and learning and along the way, and
that's the beauty of the game of football.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
What were some of the lessons or do you do
you hear Coach Kaughlin or one of your coaches in
your ear as you get into these tough situations in
a business negotiation and whatever that you're doing, were you
kind of almost default to it?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah? I mean Coach Coughlin is in the back of
my head always and his inspirational quotes that the one
that I like to share is attached significance to everything
that you do, whether it's putting on socks. You used
to talk about putting on socks the right way like
John Wooden. And I think, you know, Coach Cofflin did
(05:34):
an amazing job at raising young men to prepare them
to be, you know, prepared for the real world after football.
And those who have played for him understand what I
mean by that. And you know, all my clocks in
my house still are Coughlin time. I operate my life
(05:55):
in Cofughlin time, and I think it's when I was
a rookie out of Brown I didn't really understand it
in two thousand and seven, but after a year of
watching and learning and listening and obviously winning Coach Coughlin's lessons,
and he's an inspiration sort of like a father figure
to all of us. So it's great.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
So any of the guys that played for Parcels, as
they grow older, they hit you with Parcels Parcels isms,
they kind of reference back to Parcells. As a kid
growing up, listening to your dad, I'm sure at times
you probably rolled your eyes a little bit. But now
(06:34):
that you've experienced the Coughlin thing, I'm sure now you're
doing the same thing to your kids. And now seeing that, hey,
you know, it wasn't my dad just talking like it's real.
It applies.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
It really does. And my kids are finally or at
least my six year old rising six year old, is
starting to understand Cofflin time. I've been trying to observe
that for a while, but it's it truly is remarkable.
Like my kids were here two days ago with my wife.
I was at work, and they had the opportunity to
meet Coach Coughlin. They've met him in the past, but
(07:07):
now that my kid's getting older. He came back and
showed me the picture with Coach and I immediately sent
it to my dad and we sort of got a
little choked up. You know, he's a special man and
what he did for us as young men was remarkable,
and the fact that he sort of crossed over three
generations of Diace's and provided us some great experiences along
(07:30):
the way is very, very special to the diass family
and forever grateful for being able to play for him.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
When you walk into a building like this and you're
part of the history, your name is etched on two
Super Bowl trophies forty two and forty six, and you
played a big role in the team's really resurgence, what's
the first thing that comes to your mind when you
walk in?
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Honestly, family, looking back, I was here for the thirteen years,
so I was a young man when I entered in
and had some great experiences and met some amazing people.
But you know, I was telling my sons on the
way here, it's it's like I grew up with everyone
in this building, and it is so nice to know
(08:16):
that I can always walk in here and just hang
out and give people hugs and catch up because it
was a huge part of my life for a long time,
and I just love coming back here. And it's very
special for me to bring my sons back here too
and sort of like let them look around and enjoy
and you know, the players, there's a lot of turnover,
and that's football, but you know, and I'm friends with
(08:39):
a lot of players and former players around the league.
Something different about coming back to New York. This is
the best organization in my opinion. If you pour your
heart out on the field, there will always be open
door here and welcome you with open arms. And that's
a good feeling.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
So in order to be on a championship team, it's
all about team. Coaches always preached that do you get
the same rush or not the same that's the wrong question.
I don't think anybody could ever get the same rush
of being in a winning locker room, like when you
guys beat the Cowboys and seven beating Dallas knowing Jerry
(09:16):
had left the tickets. We're beating farv in Green Bay,
or the San Francisco playoff game or whatever. And obviously
the Super Bowls go without saying. Can you get close
to that in the business world as far as team
and camaraderie and celebration.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
I don't think you can ever match that but close,
but like, but yeah, you can get close. You can't
match you can't, but yes you can. You know, my
role now at the FIRMA matt Is, I love it
that my teammates are phenomenal and I feel like I
found another locker room. And I think a lot of
(09:55):
players when they leave sort of the NFL, they lose
that locker room feel. But now that I'm in my
new role and been there for three years, when we
get victories and we get we signed up new deals,
it's it comes. It's a close second to the feeling
that I used to have when when I was a
kid in the locker room. But I will say that
(10:17):
I remember in twenty eleven, we went up to New
England and we beat them, you know in Jellette or
at Foxborough. Jake Ballard, great Jake Ballard had a It
was just an incredible game and the Patriots were rolling
and that's you know, I'm from Massachusetts, and I will
never forget the vibe in that locker room. Obviously, the
playoff games are huge, but that was you know, mid season.
(10:37):
We went up there and we beat them, and I
swear to god, everyone in that locker room was ready
to just keep going, and it was the vibe was incredible.
I'll never forget it.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Yeah, because if you remember, they had this unbelievable streak
at home in which they hadn't lost any games. It
was the first meeting since the Super Bowl in which
you guys beat them, and it was like, all right,
they're going to get their event. And it was almost
like you sent a shot across their bow, like, dude,
if we meet in the Super Bowl again, you know
(11:07):
we're not the The eleven Giants were not the unbelievable
underdog giants.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
No.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
If you guys have beat them, and then when you
went up there and you beat them again on their turf,
had to give you a ton of confidence going into
the second Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
It certainly did. And you look back, you know seven
we went toe to toe and lost that last game
so they could keep their perfect season. That gave us
some confidence. But this this game in twenty eleven, then
we're talking about was something different. We went into the
Bermuda Triangle up there in Foxboro and came out with
a win, and like you know, when you stack up wins,
you know, regardless of playoff implications, like that was one
(11:46):
of the best ones that was a part of for sure.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
As someone who's experienced highs and lows of professional sport
and done it on a championship level, do you find
sometimes like if you have a teammate at work that's
maybe in a row spot, you naturally gravitate as a
former captain of an NFL team to be able to
pick that person up a little bit.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
I like to think so yeah, for sure. Look, navigating
and living in a locker room for as long as
I did is a privilege, but you also pick up
some social cues that you wouldn't otherwise other places of employment.
I try and bring those lessons of gelling in that
(12:27):
locker room with young men from all different backgrounds, shapes
and sizes, And you know, when I can add value,
just like when I raise my hand when the team
need a long snapper in O seven, I raise my
hand at work and just try and add value outside
of my role as often as I can, and everyone
sort of has that mentality there and it's just great
to be a part of Zach.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
We appreciate you sharing your experiences and life after football
on this edition of Popper's Perspective. Always good to see.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
You, Thanks Bob. Great to be here.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Popper's Perspective is brought to you by Bob's Discount Furniture,
the official furniture store and Mattress partner of the New
York Football Giants.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!