Zach Piller

Last updated

Zach Piller
No. 76, 69
Position: Guard
Personal information
Born: (1976-05-02) May 2, 1976 (age 48)
St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:315 lb (143 kg)
Career information
High school: Lincoln (Tallahassee, Florida)
College: Florida
NFL draft: 1999  / round: 3 / pick: 81
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:87
Games started:58
Player stats at PFR

Zachary Paul Piller (born May 2, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the late 1990s and 2000s. Piller played college football for the University of Florida, where he was a member of a national championship team in 1996. Thereafter, he played professionally for the Tennessee Titans of the NFL.

Contents

Early life

Piller was born in St. Petersburg, Florida. [1] but primarily grew up in Tallahassee, Florida and attended Lincoln High School [2] where he was a starting offensive lineman for the Lincoln Trojans high school football team.

College career

Piller initially accepted an athletic scholarship to attend Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia, where he played for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team. After his freshman year ended, he transferred to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and played for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1996 to 1998. [3] Piller was a sophomore letterman on the 1996 Gators squad that defeated the in-state rival Florida State Seminoles in the Sugar Bowl to win the national championship. As a senior team captain in 1998, he was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection. [3]

Piller graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in exercise and sport science in 2006.

Professional career

The Tennessee Titans selected Piller in the third round (eighty-first overall pick) in the 1999 NFL draft. [4] He played for the Titans from 1999 to 2006. [5] After playing eighty-seven games for the Titans (and starting in fifty-eight of them), [1] Piller was released by the team on February 20, 2007.

Piller was signed by the Detroit Lions on March 23, 2007; he was released on May 3. Piller signed with the New York Giants on June 7, 2007, only to be released again on September 2. After spending two seasons out of football, Piller was selected by the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League (UFL) in the UFL Premiere Season Draft in 2009. He signed with the team on August 17, [6] but was released before the season began.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jevon Kearse</span> American football player (born 1976)

Jevon Kearse, nicknamed "the Freak", is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the late 1990s and 2000s. Kearse played college football for the Florida Gators, earning All-American honors and was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ike Hilliard</span> American football player and coach (born 1976)

Isaac Jason Hilliard is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played primarily with the New York Giants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Graves</span> American football player and coach (1918–2015)

Samuel Ray Graves was an American professional football player and college football coach. He was a native of Tennessee and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, where he was the starting center and team captain for the Volunteers under head coach Robert Neyland. After playing in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, he returned to Tennessee to serve as an assistant football coach, then left for a longer stint as an assistant at Georgia Tech under head coach Bobby Dodd. He was the head football coach at the University of Florida from 1960 until 1969, where he led the Gators to their most successful decade in program history up to that point. While at Florida, he recruited and coached Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Steve Spurrier, who often praised Graves as a role model and mentor during his own successful coaching career. Graves also served as Florida's athletic director from 1960 until his retirement in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cooper Carlisle</span> American football player (born 1977)

Cooper Morrison Carlisle is an American former college and professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. Carlisle played college football for the University of Florida, where he was a member of a national championship team. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2000 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos, and has played professionally for the Broncos and Oakland Raiders of the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Carter (American football)</span> American football player (born 1973)

Kevin Louis Carter is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons in the 1990s and 2000s. Carter played college football for the Florida Gators, earning All-American honors. A first-round pick in the 1995 NFL draft, he played in the NFL for the St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Benjamin LaShaun Troupe is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the early 2000s. Troupe played college football for the Florida Gators, earning All-American honors in 2003. He was a second-round pick in the 2004 NFL draft, and played professionally for the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.

Erron Quincy Kinney is an American former college and professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons during the early 2000s. Kinney played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Tennessee Titans of the NFL.

D'Tanyian Jacquez "Quezi" Green is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and punt returner in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the 1990s and early 2000s. Green played college football for the Florida Gators, earning consensus All-American honors in 1997. He was a second-round pick in the 1998 NFL draft, and played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Washington Redskins and the Detroit Lions of the NFL.

Doug Johnson, Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the early 2000s. Johnson played college football for the Florida Gators, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Atlanta Falcons, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Cleveland Browns, and the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. He is in the Florida Georgia Hall of Fame, and played in minor league baseball for the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

Ellis Bernard Johnson is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Johnson played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as the National Defensive Player of the Year. He was selected in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft, and played professionally for the Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos of the NFL.

Willie Bernard Jackson Jr. is an American former professional football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Florida. As a football coach, he was the wide receivers coach for the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football (AAF).

Huey L. Richardson, Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons during the 1990s. Richardson played college football for the Florida Gators and earned All-American honors. He was a first-round pick in the 1991 NFL draft and played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins and the New York Jets.

David Wayne Williams is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. Williams played college football for the University of Florida. He was a first-round pick in the 1989 NFL draft, and played professionally for the Houston Oilers and the New York Jets of the NFL.

James Kelley Yarbrough is an American former college and professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 1960s and 1970s. Yarbrough played college football for the University of Florida. A second-round pick in the 1969 NFL/AFL draft, he played his entire professional career for the NFL's Detroit Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Smith (running back)</span> American football player (born 1947)

William Lawrence Smith is an American former professional football player who was a running back for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1960s and 1970s. Smith played college football for the Florida Gators, earning All-American honors. He was a first-round pick in the 1969 NFL/AFL draft, and played professionally for the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins of the NFL.

Reginald Gerard McGrew is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons during the late 1990s and early 2000s. McGrew played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Latsko</span> American football player (born 1984)

William Latsko is a former American professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, and was a member of a BCS National Championship team. Thereafter, he was signed by the NFL's Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2007, and was also a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers of the NFL, and the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League (UFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Fike</span> American football player (born 1961)

Dan Clement Fike Jr. is an American former college and professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New York Jets, the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL.

Steven Olson Tannen is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the early 1970s. Tannen played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as an All-American. He was a first-round pick in the 1970 NFL draft, and played his entire professional career for the New York Jets of the NFL.

Dexter Lavista Daniels is an American former college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for a single season in 1996. Daniels played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL.

References

  1. 1 2 Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Zach Piller. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  2. databaseFootball.com, Players, Zach Piller Archived June 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  3. 1 2 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 97, 103, 125, 185 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  4. "1999 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  5. National Football League, Historical Players, Zach Piller. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  6. "United Football League Signs 21 Players to Florida Tuskers' Roster". PR Newswire . August 17, 2009. Retrieved July 14, 2011.

Bibliography