NAME: Zach Venesky
SCHOOL: Valley View
LAST SEASON: 2014
POSITIONS: OL/DL
When a lineman has size and athleticism, he can take be dominant in many different ways. Quickness and strength come from a work ethic that special players have and that’s how Zach Venesky got to the level he has achieved. Venesky, a three-time Golden Gloves boxing champion, took that skill set to become a dominant lineman. A senior captain, Venesky led a young Valley View unit on offense and produced a 1,000 yard rusher. He also was a run-stopper as a defensive tackle his senior season.
Venesky was an NPF Lackawanna Football Conference Division I first-team offensive lineman in 2013 and 2014. He was also an 2014 NPF All-District 2 offensive lineman. Venesky was named an all-state offensive lineman by the Pennsylvania Football Writers and a first-team all-state offensive lineman by the Pennsylvania Football News his senior season. He was also named a first-team offensive lineman by EasternPaFootball.com. Venesky played in the 2015 Big 33 Classic and was a member of the WNEP Dream Team. He was ranked the No. 16 overall prospect by Rivals and continued his football career at Division I-FBS Rutgers University where he started 17 games in his career and his was a team captain his senior season.
Valley View coach George Howanitz on Venesky: “Zach was the most imposing, tenacious, and physical lineman I’ve ever coached. If you got a chance to watch his highlight video, it was play upon play of not just pancake blocks, but pancake blocks with him burying his helmet in the opposing players chest to remind him that it was going to be a long night. His training as a boxer afforded him great feet, hands and athleticism that only added to his dominance. ”
