Young Tailback Makes Most of Opportunity

Some football players know their future early on. It’s the game they grow up with, a path they must follow as soon as they can fit into shoulder pads.

But for sophomore running back Rich Zajeski, there was no pressure while starting young—in the beginning, football was just about fun.

“I actually played soccer growing up, [but] a bunch of my friends…all played football, so naturally I just wanted to play with my friends,” Zajeski said. “I think I was like 10...and I’ve been with it since.”

But after a seemingly carefree start to the game, the 5’11” tailback gradually developed his skills, and it soon became clear that football ought to be his focus.

The multi-sport athlete dropped baseball as well, making room to devote himself year-round to a game that would largely dictate his future.

“It was just a big commitment to try to do both [sports] at the same time,” Zajeski said. “And to really achieve the things I wanted to achieve in football, I decided that’s what I had to do. It was a hard decision, but I’m glad that I made it.”

The accomplishments rolled in for the standout runner, who quickly ascended to become team captain and lead his Hinsdale Central High School team to the Illinois state championship.

“[Zajeski] was one of the finest players we’ve had in pretty much every measurable way,” said Hinsdale head coach Mike Dimatteo. “He had a ridiculously dedicated work ethic to his studies and football.”

Soon enough, the college offers started rolling in, and when the Ivies came calling, Zajeski was ecstatic.

“Harvard, when I looked at it—they’re perennially a powerhouse in football, and academically obviously there are very few schools in the world, if any, that could say that they are on par with Harvard,” he said. “I knew that I wanted to play football, but I also knew that I wanted to get a good education, and also I had realistic expectations for myself. I knew that I wasn’t a big-time D-I athlete that was going to go play at Florida or something like that.”

At first his coach disagreed, but after the decision was final, Dimatteo knew his star player was right at home.

“This is not a knock on Harvard, but I thought [Zajeski] could have played somewhere in MAC, played a bigger level of football,” the coach said, “but Rich is also a student, and he understands the value of that. That’s why it was the perfect choice.”

Indeed, the running back jumped at the chance to join one of the winningest FCS programs of the decade.

But the former captain soon realized that he would have to spend time following before he could lead. Zajeski arrived last season to find a talented pair of running backs ahead of him—classmate Treavor Scales and then-junior feature back Gino Gordon.

Rather than feel discouraged in a crowded backfield, though, Zajeski took the opportunity to learn.

“Gino is just unbelievable,” Zajeski said. “He just knows so much about the game, not only about what our schemes are and what the plays are, but also just general wisdom about how to play running back. And then Treavor, he’s such an amazing athlete. He does things that I’ve never seen someone do before on a football field.”

Not surprisingly, Scales and Gordon continue to earn the bulk of the carries after teaming up to lead the Ivy League in rushing last season. But suddenly they can both hear Zajeski’s footsteps.

“When you have these young guys kind of clipping at your heels every time, it really pushes you to keep trying,” Gordon said in the preseason.

“Z is a baller. He’s a great back, and I’m glad that he’s finally gotten the chance to showcase what he’s got,” Scales added. “It’s not a dropoff going from Gino or me to him. We’ve got good competition going on…He’s constantly rising to meet every single challenge.”

Indeed, it’s this playful competition that keeps the entire team on its toes. While Zajeski emphasized that the running back group supports each other, like any true gamer, once he steps on the field, he expects to be part of the action.

“Everyone that’s playing college football is an extremely competitive person, so I’d be lying to say that there’s no competition between us,” Zajeski said. “There’s always this desire between us to outdo the other one. You know, Gino breaks a 70-yard run, and then Treavor and I want to break a 75-yard run.”

Of course, in the end there’s just one ball, and the running game remains far from an equitable platoon.

Gordon has led the way with a gaudy 8.2 yards per rush average, rolling for 231 total yards and three touchdowns, but Zajeski has the second-most touches on the team this season, taking 21 handoffs for 91 yards, including his first-career touchdown last weekend against Lafayette.

And while the sophomore’s touches may not continue during the Ivy slate—he tellingly handled the ball just once in a loss to Brown—missing out on handoffs won’t keep Zajeski off the field. The tailback has embraced an additional special teams role, determined to bolster the Crimson in any way possible.

This team-first attitude is just one of the factors that has propelled Zajeski this far. Whether he’s leading as a captain or following in others' footsteps, the running back has never failed to earn his teammates’ respect, nor has he lost his sense of fun along the way.

“One element [Zajeski] brings is definitely his energy,” Scales said. “He’s a great guy to be around. He might seem quiet, but he’s the jokester on the team, humble but funny, especially with all his one-liners.”

But for the coach who got him this far, Zajeski’s potential on the football field is only the beginning.

“Will [our players] be good family members, good, contributing members to their community? Those are things we measure as a program, and we’ve seen that with Rich,” Dimatteo said. “He comes by and lifts with our guys, works with them, and I couldn’t be more proud as a head coach. We couldn’t be more proud of what he’s done.”

—Staff writer Max N. Brondfield can be reached at mbrondf@fas.harvard.edu.