Zach Wood facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Zach Wood

Wood with the SMU Mustangs in 2015
No. 49 – New Orleans Saints
Position:	Long snapper
Personal information
Born:	(1993-01-10) January 10, 1993 (age 32) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High school:	Rowlett (Rowlett, Texas)
College:	SMU (2011–2015)
Undrafted:	2016
Career history
Dallas Cowboys (2016–2017)* New Orleans Saints (2017–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Games played: 132
Player stats at PFR

Zach Wood (born January 10, 1993) is an American professional football player. He is a long snapper for the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the Saints, he played college football for the SMU Mustangs. He was also a member of the Dallas Cowboys.

Early Life and High School Football

Zach Wood grew up in Rowlett, Texas. He went to Rowlett High School. There, he played as a defensive tackle. This position means he tried to stop the other team's offense.

In his junior year, he made 99 tackles. He also had 32 tackles for loss and 8 sacks. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the quarterback. In his senior year, he had 115 tackles and 10 sacks. He was recognized as an honorable-mention All-State player.

College Football Career

Wood received a football scholarship to Southern Methodist University (SMU). In 2011, he was redshirted. This means he practiced with the team but did not play in games. This allowed him to gain experience.

In 2012, he played in nine games. He made nine tackles and half a sack. The next year, 2013, he started all 12 games. He played as a 3–4 defensive end. He made 49 tackles, one sack, and forced two fumbles. He also blocked one kick.

Wood continued as a defensive end in 2014. He started all 12 games again. He recorded 40 tackles and 4 sacks. In 2015, he played in 10 games and started 9. He was also a team captain. He had 39 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and blocked 3 kicks. During his time in college, Wood also spent some time practicing as a long snapper.

He finished his college career with 137 tackles and 9 sacks. He also blocked 3 kicks.

Professional Football Journey

Before the NFL Draft

Experts rated Zach Wood as one of the top defensive ends. This was before the 2016 NFL draft.

Time with the Dallas Cowboys

After the 2016 NFL Draft, Zach Wood was not chosen by any team. However, the Dallas Cowboys signed him as an undrafted free agent. This happened after he tried out at a rookie minicamp in May 2016.

During his first training camp, he played on the defensive line. He even practiced with the main defense. But he was released by the Cowboys in September 2016.

He signed a new contract with the Cowboys in January 2017. In his second training camp, he focused on being a long snapper. He was released again in September 2017.

Joining the New Orleans Saints

In 2017, the New Orleans Saints needed a long snapper. A long snapper is a special player who snaps the ball for punts and placekicks. On September 9, 2017, the Saints signed Zach Wood. He had a tryout with other players and was chosen.

He quickly became the team's main long snapper. He played in every game that season.

On February 20, 2018, the Saints re-signed him for another year. He signed another one-year contract in February 2019. On March 23, 2020, Wood signed a four-year contract with the Saints. He was briefly placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list in August 2020. He was activated from the list a few days later.

On July 28, 2023, Wood signed another four-year contract extension with the Saints. In the 2023 season, he played in all 17 games.