Zacch Pickens Reflects On Time At South Carolina
Zacch Pickens is one of a few upper classmen who played a pivotal South Carolina Football's rise under Shane Beamer over the past couple of years, wreaking havoc from the interior of the defensive line with his combination of explosive strength and impressive motor skills for his size. Now, he's looking to carryover his impact to the NFL, something that's been a long-time dream of his, which he reflected on at the NFL Combine when fielding questions from reporters on Thursday.
"It's exciting. I mean a lot of ups and downs come with that, but I was blessed to come out with no injuries. When I did, I still played, it didn't really hurt me and I didn't miss a game. I wanted to do everything for my team, I know they needed me and I needed them."
Before a person can reach the highest levels of their respective profession, there's always someone they look up to as a mentor, someone who passes along the wisdom and knowledge they've attained along the way, and for Pickens, that person was former Gamecocks and current San Fransisco 49ers defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw.
"He basically taught me everything I know, how to be physical, when to be physical, I learned a lot from him."
Of course, it's not just on-field growth that's college players must endure in order to have a chance to play at the next level, as a player's off-field development can make the difference in both where they're drafted or if they're drafted at all. When asked what he would've told his younger self back in his high school days, Zacch had little hesitation with his answer.
"Always stay true to yourself, no matter who doubts you, always be the man that you are today. That's one thing I've learned, one thing I've had to take with me because I had a lot of doubts, and now I [embrace] who I am."
While some top notch talent is walking out the door, Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks still have plenty of firepower returning for 2023, with Pickens commending multiple specific players when asked who to watch for next year.
"Y'all got a good group next year, you got Alex [Huntley], Tonka [Hemingway], Spencer [Rattler], [and] Juice Wells," said Pickens. "I'm excited to watch them, so be on the lookout for them. I know they're going to do everything they can for the season that's coming up. I believe in them."
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