Zach Banner facts for kids
Banner in 2016
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| No. 77, 72 | |||||
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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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| 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 a former American football player. He was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). People sometimes called him "the Hulk" because of his size.
Zach was a top player in high school and college. He was a two-time All-American offensive lineman at Lakes High School. He also played for the USC Trojans in college. There, he was a two-time All-American and 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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Zach's Early Life
Zach Banner grew up in Tacoma, Washington. He also lived in Puyallup, Washington. His mother, Vanessa, is Chamorro. This is an indigenous group from the Mariana Islands.
Zach was raised by Ron Banner, who married his mother when Zach was eight. Ron legally adopted Zach a year later. Zach's younger brother, Xavier, played football at Eastern Washington University. His sister, Mia, is a high school soccer goalie. Zach was very tall from a young age. By his first year of high school, he was 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighed over 300 pounds.
High School Football Star
Zach went to Lakes High School. He was a football All-American offensive lineman twice. He played left tackle for two seasons. As a junior in 2010, he received many honors. These included USA Today All-USA first team.
In 2011, as a senior, he earned even more awards. He was again on the USA Today All-USA first team. He was also a finalist for the Watkins Award. This award honors top African-American student athletes. Experts like Rivals.com saw him as a top player. They ranked him as the second-best offensive tackle in his class.
Zach also played basketball for Lakes High School. He was a center and helped his team win the 2011 Washington State Class 3A championship. He was also the class president and did a lot of community service. He had a good grade point average (3.6).
College Football Journey
Zach Banner received over 20 scholarship offers for college. He chose USC. He played tackle for the USC Trojans football team from 2013 to 2016. He played in 39 games and started 37 of them.
In 2013, he played only two games. He had hip surgery for a condition he was born with. This condition made it hard for him to squat.
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 was very good at blocking for passes.
As a senior in 2016, Zach was a team captain. He was again on the All-Pac-12 first-team. He was also a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award. This award recognizes senior athletes who excel in community, classroom, character, and competition. At one point, he was the largest player in college football. He weighed 385 pounds.
Zach also briefly played basketball for USC in 2013. He joined Zeta Beta Tau, a fraternity. He studied Sociology. He also won a community service award from the USC Trojans.
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
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 8+3⁄8 in (2.04 m) |
353 lb (160 kg) |
34+7⁄8 in (0.89 m) |
10+3⁄4 in (0.27 m) |
5.58 s | 5.21 s | 8.31 s | 23+1⁄2 in (0.60 m) |
7 ft 8 in (2.34 m) |
22 reps | |||
| All values from NFL Scouting Combine | ||||||||||||
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts drafted Zach Banner in 2017. He was the 137th player chosen overall. He was the first Chamorro person ever picked in an NFL draft. He was also the tallest lineman drafted since 2007. The Colts' coach, Chuck Pagano, called him "a giant." Zach made the Colts' main roster after training camp. However, he was released by the Colts one day later.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns picked up Zach Banner on September 4, 2017. This was less than 24 hours after the Colts released him. Banner played in Cleveland's last 8 games that season. He was released by the Browns in March 2018.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers then claimed Zach Banner in March 2018. He was waived by the Panthers in May 2018.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Zach Banner 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 protecting the quarterback.
Banner became a fan favorite. He was known as "No. 72" because he was often announced as "No. 72 is reporting as eligible" during games. Fans would cheer loudly for him.
He signed a new contract with the Steelers in March 2020. He started the 2020 season as the Steelers' starting right tackle. However, he suffered a torn ACL in Week 1. This injury ended his season.
In March 2021, Banner signed another two-year contract with the Steelers. He was placed on injured reserve again in September 2021. He was activated in October. On March 16, 2022, Banner was released by the Steelers.
Zach's Personal Life
Zach Banner is married to Alexandra Banner. She is a lead writer for CNN's daily morning newsletter. He proposed to her in Pittsburgh in December 2021.
Zach started the B3Foundation in 2017. This foundation helps students in Guam, Tacoma, Washington, and Los Angeles. It supports them in both school and sports.
Zach spoke out against an anti-Semitic social media post by another NFL player. He posted an emotional video on Twitter. He was one of the first NFL players to talk about this issue. Many people praised him for speaking up. His video was viewed over 790,000 times.
In the video, he explained that his friends from USC taught him about the Jewish community. He was part of Zeta Beta Tau, a fraternity. He said his fraternity brothers shared their families' experiences with him. He said that Jewish people face hate and hardships too. He asked the Black and Brown community to support them. He added that people should learn about other groups' histories, like the Holocaust.
Banner's words spread widely on social media. Many people were touched by his message. His B3 Foundation received over $60,000 in donations. Most donations were in amounts of $18. This is a Jewish tradition that honors the numeric value for "life" (chai). Zach said he made the video to defend his friends. He was surprised by the support he received from the Jewish community. He said he is ready to stand with the Jewish community. He also continues to uplift Black and Brown people through the Black Lives Matter movement.
