Zach Banner facts for kids
Banner in 2016
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| No. 78 – Houston Roughnecks | |||||
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| Position: | Offensive tackle | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | December 25, 1993 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 335 lb (152 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Lakes (Lakewood, Washington) | ||||
| College: | USC (2013–2016) | ||||
| NFL Draft: | 2017 / Round: 4 / Pick: 137 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||
Zachery Samuel Banner (born December 25, 1993) is an American professional football player. He is an offensive tackle for the Houston Roughnecks in the United Football League (UFL). People sometimes call him "the Hulk" because of his large size.
Zach played college football for the USC Trojans. There, he was named All-American twice. He was also a first-team All-Pac-12 player. The Indianapolis Colts picked him in the 2017 NFL draft. He later played for the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Early Life and Family
Zach Banner grew up in Tacoma, Washington. He also lived in Puyallup, Washington. His biological father is Lincoln Kennedy, a former NFL player. Lincoln Kennedy was a Pro Bowl offensive tackle.
Zach was raised by Ron Banner, who married his mother when Zach was eight. Ron legally adopted Zach a year later. Zach's mother, Vanessa, is Chamorro. This is the name for the native people of the Mariana Islands. She works as a middle school administrator. Zach did not know who his biological father was until he was in seventh grade.
Zach is of Chamorro and African-American descent. He was very tall from a young age. By second grade, he was 5 feet tall. In seventh grade, he was 6 feet 4 inches tall. By his first year of high school, he was 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighed over 300 pounds. His younger brother, Xavier, played football at Eastern Washington University. His sister, Mia, is a high school soccer goalie.
High School Football and Basketball
Zach went to Lakes High School. He was a two-time All-American offensive lineman for the Lancers football team. He played as a left tackle. Even as a freshman, he was named the team's Most Inspirational Player.
As a junior in 2010, he received many honors. These included being named to the USA Today All-USA first team. In 2011, his senior year, he earned even more awards. He was a finalist for the Watkins Award. This award honors the top African-American student-athlete in the nation. Experts like Rivals.com saw him as a top recruit. They ranked him as the second-best offensive tackle in his class.
Zach also played basketball for Lakes High School. He played center and was very good. In his junior year, he helped Lakes win the 2011 Washington State Class 3A championship. He averaged 18.6 points and 17.3 rebounds per game.
Besides sports, Zach was also the Lakes class president. He spent 373 hours doing community service. He also had a good grade point average of 3.6. His nicknames in high school were "Big Daddy" and "The Diesel."
College Career at USC
Zach Banner received more than 20 college scholarship offers. He chose to attend USC. He played as an offensive tackle for the USC Trojans football team from 2013 to 2016. He played in 39 games and started 37 of them.
In 2012, he took a "red-shirt" year, meaning he didn't play in games. In 2013, he played only two games before needing hip surgery. He was born with a condition that caused extra bone growth on his hips. This surgery fixed the problem.
In 2014, Zach played every game as a right tackle. He earned an honorable mention as a Sophomore All-American. In 2015, he was named First Team All-Pac-12 Conference. He also won USC's Offensive Lineman of the Year Award. He started all 14 games, mostly at right tackle. He also played two games at left tackle. In 2015, he was very good at blocking for passes.
As a senior in 2016, Zach was a team captain. He was again named All-Pac-12 first-team. He was also a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award. This award goes to a top senior who excels in community, classroom, character, and competition. At one point in 2015, Zach was the largest player in college football. He was 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 385 pounds. He also played in the Senior Bowl in January 2017.
Zach also played basketball for USC in 2013 but did not play in any games. He joined the fraternity Zeta Beta Tau. He studied Sociology. He also won the USC Trojans' community service award.
College Statistics
| Year | Team | G | GS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Total | ||||
| 2013 | USC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | USC | 13 | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 | USC | 14 | 14 | 1 | 1 |
| 2016 | USC | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 39 | 37 | 2 | 2 | |
Professional Football Career
Zach Banner was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft. He was the first Chamorro person ever picked in an NFL draft. He was also the tallest lineman drafted since 2007. He was the biggest lineman on the Colts' team. One expert said he was "a massive, massive human being." The Colts' coach, Chuck Pagano, called him "a giant." After training camp, Zach made the Colts' main roster. However, he was released by the Colts one day later.
Cleveland Browns
On September 4, 2017, the Cleveland Browns picked up Zach. He played in 8 games for the Browns that year. He played on offense and on special teams. He was released by the Browns in March 2018.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers then picked up Zach on March 16, 2018. He was released by the Panthers in May 2018.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Zach signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 12, 2018. In 2019, he played in 14 games for the Steelers. He started one game in Week 12. He played his first game for the Steelers on September 15. He made his first NFL start on November 24. He was very good at blocking for the quarterback.
Zach became a favorite among fans. He was known as "No. 72." Fans would cheer loudly when he was announced as "No. 72 is reporting as eligible." He signed a new contract with the Steelers in March 2020. He started the 2020 season as the Steelers' starting right tackle. However, he got a serious knee injury (a torn ACL) in Week 1. This injury ended his season.
In March 2021, Zach signed another contract with the Steelers. He was placed on injured reserve again in September 2021. He returned to play in October. In March 2022, Zach was released by the Steelers.
Houston Roughnecks
On March 6, 2025, Zach Banner signed with the Houston Roughnecks. This team is part of the United Football League (UFL).
Personal Life and Community Work
Zach Banner is married to Alexandra Banner. She is a lead writer for CNN's daily morning newsletter. They got engaged in Pittsburgh in December 2021.
In 2017, Zach started the B3Foundation. This foundation helps students in Guam, Tacoma, Washington, and Los Angeles. It supports them in both school and sports.
Zach is also known for speaking out against hate. He posted a video on Twitter after another NFL player made a hurtful social media post. Zach was one of the first NFL players to speak up. He received a lot of praise for his video. In the video, he talked about how his friends from USC taught him about different communities. He was part of a fraternity called Zeta Beta Tau. He said his fraternity brothers shared their family experiences with him.
Zach shared an important message in his video. He said: "We need to understand that Jewish people deal with the same amount of hate and similar hardships." He also said: "When we talk about Black Lives Matter and talk about elevating ourselves, we can't do that while stepping on the back of other people." He encouraged people to "Change your heart, put your arm around people, and let's all uplift each other." He also stressed the importance of learning about other groups' histories.
Zach's words touched many people. His B3 Foundation received over $60,000 in donations. Many donations were in amounts of $18. This is a Jewish tradition that means "life." Zach said he made the video to defend his friends. He was surprised and thankful for the support he received. He said he is ready to stand with the Jewish community. He also continues to work to uplift Black and Brown people.
