Zach Wood

Zach Wood's Biography

Zach Wood, born on January 10, 1993, toiled relentlessly to cement his place as a professional football player, earning sustained recognition as the long snapper for the renowned New Orleans Saints in the esteemed National Football League (NFL). With his roots laid in college football at the Southern Methodist University, Wood’s professional journey in the realm of football also embraced his time as part of the eminent Dallas Cowboys.

Fervently devoted to football since his high school years, Wood’s journey embarked from Rowlett High School located in the heartland of Rowlett, Texas. Here, he honed his skills as a defensive tackle, an endeavor which garnered him impressive statistics. During his time as a junior, he recorded an impressive 99 tackles, 32 of which were successfully completed for loss, and 8 quarterback sacks. These formative years of sporting exertion saw him cultivating prowess that unquestionably set the stage for his forthcoming ascendancy. The climax of his high school football journey saw him post a notable 115 tackles and 10 sacks in his senior year, which earned him an honorable mention as Class 4A All-State as an exceptional defensive lineman.

Keeping his football passion ablaze, Wood secured a football scholarship from the highly respected Southern Methodist University, where he was redshirted in 2011. A journey of transformation was initiated in 2012, when Wood played in nine games, amassing five solo tackles, four tackle assists, and half a sack. The ensuing year (2013) witnessed Wood making 25 solo tackles, 24 tackle assists, one sack, one pass breakup, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one blocked kick across 12 games, predominantly as a 3–4 defensive end.

In 2014, Wood made inroads into 12 games, all as a 3–4 defensive end, where he managed to register 18 solo tackles, 22 tackle assists, 4 sacks, and a fumble recovery. The year 2015 was etched deeply into Wood’s career, marking his 10 games with nine starts as a team captain. His anticipative play and inherent strategic skills allowed him to record 29 solo tackles, 10 tackle assists, 3.5 sacks, 2 pass breakups, and 3 blocked kicks. His time at the university also saw him donning the hat of a long snapper. With 33-of-43 starts, 137 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 3 blocked kicks, Wood’s university career was marked by perseverance and constant growth.

With the NFLDraftScout.com rating him as the 85th best defensive end in the 2016 NFL draft, Wood was signed as an undrafted free agent by the illustrious Dallas Cowboys post the 2016 NFL draft. Though initially waived in September 2016, he was signed back as a reserve for the Cowboys in January 2017 where he focused on honing his skills as a long snapper.

In 2017, the New Orleans Saints found themselves in dire need of a long snapper and after a series of auditions and tryouts, Wood found his next stepping stone on September 9, 2017, with the Saints. He swiftly became the team’s long snapper for all punts and place kicks for the season. Following this initial one-year association, Wood was re-signed to one-year contracts in 2018 and 2019, after which he inked a four-year contract with the Saints on March 23, 2020.

Despite being briefly placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team in August 2020, he was promptly activated after just three days. Continuing his successful run, he signed a further four-year contract extension with the Saints in July 2023, underscoring his consistency and the trust that the team placed in him. Thus, this journey recounts the determined climb of Zach Wood, from the scrappy high school player in Texas to the reliable long snapper in the NFL.