Zach Ertz: From Stanford Star to NFL Pro

Zachary Adam Ertz, born on November 10, 1990, is an accomplished American football tight end currently playing for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Before his successful NFL career, Ertz left a significant mark on the Stanford Cardinal football program, earning unanimous All-American honors in 2012.

Early Life and High School Career

Born in Orange, California, Zach Ertz grew up as the oldest of four children. He honed his skills at Monte Vista High School in Danville, California, where he played under coach Craig Bergman, a former Santa Clara University quarterback. Ertz was a three-year varsity letterwinner. As a senior, he caught 56 passes for 756 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Ertz's outstanding high school performance earned him numerous accolades. Scout.com listed him as the fourth-best tight end prospect in the nation. CSTV/Tom Lemming and SuperPrep Magazine ranked him seventh, while Rivals.com placed him tenth. He was a first-team all-state selection by Scout.com, a two-time All-Northern California first-team pick by NorCalPreps.com, and a first-team All-Metro selection by the San Francisco Chronicle. The Contra Costa Times also recognized him twice as an All-East Bay selection. In 2008, Cal-Hi Sports named him the North Coast Section Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Ertz also lettered in basketball.

College Career at Stanford

Zach Ertz played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, where he majored in management science and engineering. His career at Stanford was marked by consistent improvement and outstanding performance, culminating in a remarkable senior season.

2009 (Freshman Season)

Ertz did not see action during his freshman year.

2010 (Sophomore Season)

Ertz appeared in 13 games during his sophomore season. He began to show promise as a receiving threat, catching 16 passes for 190 yards and five touchdowns. His five touchdown receptions were third on the team, behind Doug Baldwin (9) and Coby Fleener (7).

He caught his first career touchdown in the season opener against Sacramento State. Over the last six contests, he caught 12 passes for 174 yards and four TDs. Ertz had one reception at Notre Dame and Oregon. During Stanford's 41-0 victory at Washington, he caught three receptions for 20 yards and a touchdown. He caught his second touchdown of the season on a three-yard pass from Luck as time expired in the third quarter. In the Big Game at Cal, he caught two passes, including a 13-yard touchdown pass from Luck. He also pulled down a season-long 32-yard reception. Ertz hauled in a season-high four passes for 65 yards and a touchdown in Stanford's 38-0 victory over Oregon State, catching a 21-yard TD pass from Luck. In Stanford's Orange Bowl victory over Virginia Tech, Ertz pulled down a pair of passes, including a 25-yard touchdown pass from Luck.

2011 (Junior Season)

As a junior, Ertz was part of a talented tight end trio that included Coby Fleener and Levine Toilolo. He appeared in 10 games, making three starts. He missed the Oregon State, Oregon, and Cal games after sustaining a knee injury on the opening kickoff of the USC game but returned to action for the final regular season game against Notre Dame. He finished the season with 27 receptions for 343 yards (12.8) and four touchdowns.

He caught TD passes in each of the first three games against San Jose State, Duke, and Arizona. Ertz ranked as Stanford's third-leading receiver with 22 receptions for 308 yards and seven touchdowns through seven games before sustaining a knee injury at USC. He caught at least four passes in three games against Arizona (4-58), Colorado (4-78), and Washington State (5-52). Ertz also had four receptions of 20 yards or more, including a 26-yarder from Luck against Colorado. He caught four passes for 38 yards and a touchdown against Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl, on the receiving end of an 18-yard scoring strike from Luck.

2012 (Senior Season)

Ertz's senior season was exceptional, earning him unanimous All-American honors. The American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, Sporting News, and Walter Camp Football Foundation all recognized him with first-team honors. He led Stanford pass catchers and all FBS tight ends in receiving yards (898) and total receptions (69), both school records for a tight end. He paced Cardinal in receiving eight of 14 games this season and caught 41 receptions for first downs. Ertz hauled in 20 passes for 15-plus yards and six for 25-plus yards. He recorded a reception each of the last 16 games.

He had 61 yards on three reception against Wisconsin in a Rose Bowl victory. At No. 1 Oregon, he finished with 106 receiving yards and a career-high 11 catches, the last of which was good for a 10-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14-14 and force overtime. He led Stanford with a (then) career-high nine catches for 75 yards and a 13-yard game-winning touchdown against Oregon State. At Colorado, he pulled in six catches for 41 yards and a score. He posted a career-high 134 yards receiving on six catches with one touchdown at California, including a career-best 68-yard reception. Ertz recorded 55 yards on four receptions at Notre Dame. He cashed in on the Cardinal's first drive vs. Arizona with an 11-yard touchdown catch, one of six receptions for 64 yards. At Washington, he led the team in receiving with 106 yards on six receptions. He caught three passes for 71 yards in a 21-14 victory over USC and scored the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Trojans, a 37-yard catch-and run that finished with a dive into the end zone. Ertz was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week and John Mackey Tight End of the Week for his performance vs. USC. He hauled in a (then) career-long catch of 43 yards vs. Duke. Ertz was named one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award for the most outstanding tight end in FBS college football. He was named All-Pac-12 first team as well as Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention and received the team's Outstanding Senior Award, along with Alex Debniak.

On January 8, 2013, Ertz announced his decision to forgo his senior season.

College Statistics

Throughout his college career, Zach Ertz showcased his reliability and versatility as a tight end. He consistently demonstrated the ability to make crucial catches and contribute significantly to the Cardinal's offense.

NFL Draft Preparation

Leading up to the 2013 NFL Draft, Ertz participated in Stanford's pro day on March 24, 2013, aiming to improve his performance in various drills. He successfully posted better numbers in the 40-yard dash (4.67s), 20-yard dash (2.74s), 10-yard dash (1.64s), vertical jump (35.5"), and broad jump (9'6"). He attended private visits and workouts with the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles.

NFL draft experts and scouts projected Ertz to be a late first-round pick or a second-round pick.

Read also: Decoding College Admissions

NFL Career

Zach Ertz was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

2013 Season

Ertz was unable to attend organized team activities due to the NFL's policy on players completing their college quarter before joining their team's off-season programs. Throughout training camp, he competed to be the No. 2 tight end on the depth chart against veterans James Casey and Clay Harbor. He made his professional regular season debut in the Philadelphia Eagles' season-opener at the Washington Redskins and made his first career reception on an 11-yard pass by Michael Vick. On September 29, 2013, Ertz earned his first career start after surpassing James Casey on the depth chart. In Week 9, he made five receptions for 42 yards and caught his first career touchdown during a 49-20 victory at the Oakland Raiders. On December 1, 2013, Ertz made five catches for a season-high 68 receiving yards and two touchdowns during a 24-21 win against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13. Ertz remained the second tight end on the Eagles' depth chart, behind Brent Celek, for the third consecutive season.

2015 Season

On November 22, 2015, Ertz caught two passes for 12 yards before exiting the Eagles' 45-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter after sustaining a concussion. On December 22, 2015, Ertz caught a season-high 13 passes for 122 receiving yards in the Eagles' 38-24 loss to the Washington Redskins in Week 16. On December 29, 2015, the Philadelphia Eagles fired head coach Chip Kelly. Ertz finished his third season with 75 receptions for 853 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 15 games and seven starts.

2017 Season and Super Bowl LII

In Week 6, Ertz caught two passes for 18 yards and two touchdowns from Carson Wentz during a 28-23 victory at the Carolina Panthers. On October 29, 2017, Ertz caught four passes for 34 receiving yards and a touchdown in the Eagles' 33-10 win against the San Francisco 49ers. He sustained a hamstring injury during their game against the 49ers and was sidelined for the following week (Week 9). In Week 12, he caught ten passes for 103 yards and a touchdown during a 31-3 victory against the Chicago Bears. On December 3, 2017, Ertz caught two passes for 24 yards before exiting the Eagles' 24-10 loss at the Seattle Seahawks in the third quarter after sustaining a concussion.

On February 4, 2018, Ertz started in Super Bowl LII and caught seven passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. During the fourth quarter, he caught the go-ahead touchdown reception on a seven-yard pass by Nick Foles, after beating safety Devin McCourty on a slant route, to put the Eagles up 38-33.

2018 Season

Ertz's sixth season with the Eagles began with five receptions for 48 yards in an 18-12 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, but he had 11 receptions for 94 yards in a Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During Week 4, Ertz totaled 10 receptions for 112 yards in an overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans. He followed that up with 10 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5. After another touchdown in a win over the New York Giants, a Week 7 loss to the Carolina Panthers saw Ertz record nine receptions for 138 receiving yards. He topped that two games later, with 14 receptions for 145 yards, and two touchdowns, both of which tied the game in the second half though the Eagles ultimately lost to the Dallas Cowboys. During the Eagles' Week 16 win over the Houston Texans, Ertz broke Jason Witten's NFL record for most receptions by a tight end with 113. He ended the game with 12 receptions for 110 yards, along with two receiving touchdowns for the fifth time in his career. He also had a 20-yard reception with 1:29 left to set up the game-winning and playoff-hope-preserving field goal. He was named to the Pro Bowl for his 2018 season. He ended the season with 116 receptions, 1,163 yards, and eight touchdowns.

Later Career

In Week 6 of 2019, Ertz suffered a high ankle sprain. On March 13, 2022, Ertz signed a three-year, $31.65 million extension with the Cardinals. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 10 and was placed on injured reserve on November 26, 2022. He appeared in and started ten games in the 2022 season.

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