One year after achieving his dream of playing in the National Football League (NFL), Zach Triner ’15, long snapper for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is a Super Bowl Champion.
“It feels like a rollercoaster; I know that sounds kind of cliché,” said Triner, explaining that the weeks leading up to the game were stressful, that there was peace during the game, and that the parties, celebrations, and formalities after were surreal. “To finally get home and take a breath, I feel like I have some time to look back at what just happened.”
For Triner, the most memorable aspect of the victory was sharing it with his wife, Carissa, who was able to join him for the victory boat parade. “Being able to share that with her was awesome,” he said.
Triner’s wife has been one of his steadfast supporters through his five-year journey of NFL camps and tryouts (and a stint working for Fidelity Investments) before finally landing with the Bucs. Just as his faith helped him pursue his NFL dream, it also provided him the support he needed to succeed during an unusual season that ended with the ultimate prize.
“I think probably one thread that ties a lot of my journey together is the faith aspect of it,” said Triner. “Faith in this context simply means that when you take one step forward, into that darkness or into that unknown, you have no idea what’s about to come, but if you think of the positive outcome that will come from that one step and just believe there is a step there and there is solid ground, if you can understand that one concept, you’re going to be able to do a lot of things in life. Assumption did a really good job of instilling in us that you might not be able to see where that step is, but there is solid ground there, and you just have to keep moving forward. Whether it’s the Super Bowl or making it into the NFL, whether you’re going for your first job or making that one phone call for a deal for your company, none of that action comes from not believing there is solid ground on that next step. To be able to have that mindset is invaluable.”
Triner, who prays before his games, said there were three particular moments during this season when his faith helped him the most: the first game of the season against the New Orleans Saints (“You didn’t really know what that situation was going to be like without fans; there’s just a lot of added variables,” he said); the team’s first playoff game, also Triner’s first, in which the team played in colder weather in Washington, DC (“With that weather, there are certain nuances and adjustments you have to make in order to be on point, so when it gets really cold and you can’t feel your fingers, faith is important for me,” he explained); and, of course, the Super Bowl.
Triner also shared his experiences playing against “the best returner in the League,” fellow former Greyhound and member of the Saints, Deonte Harris. The image of him chasing down Harris during a return in the NFC Division Championship went viral and will prompt Triner to “switch up my angles next year” in hopes of catching his fast friend.
“It’s just really fun to be able to have another Hound, not only in the NFL but in the same division, that you get to see twice a year,” he said, adding that he and Harris spoke after the games and even swapped jerseys.
In April, Triner signed a new contract with the Buccaneers, extending his stay in Tampa Bay, but in the meantime, he’s enjoying the off season with his family, including his new daughter, Indy. Though he plans to play for as long as he can, Triner is also preparing for the next stage of his career. Last off season, Triner completed a Harvard Business School program and did an externship with a startup in Boston, and he will continue to work on the finance side of the venture while keeping his full attention on football.
Triner noted the similarities between the NFL and the finance industry. “They’re looking for that Ivy League grad, but you just need to articulate the values that Assumption gave you and what you’re willing to bring to a company, and you’ll never be out of the race,” he said, comparing his unlikely success in the NFL to that of a finance major’s dream job. “You may not realize this now, but [being from a small school] is an asset because you had to work for it; you’re a step ahead of the game. The journey is just a little bit different. One thing from my own journey that I would hope people realize is that you can honestly do whatever you want, but it is up to you to put the work in and get there.”
