National Football League

Zach Zenner diary: Journey to the NFL Draft

Published Jan. 9, 2017 11:46 p.m. ET

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Zach Zenner played running back at South Dakota State, where he became the first FCS back to rush for 2,000 yards in three different seasons and finished 12 yards shy of setting the FCS' all-time rushing record. Projected to be a late-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Zenner will take you through the process of training for the NFL Combine, his pro day, the anticipation for draft day and more. Follow Zenner on Twitter @Zenner31.

So, I guess you could say it was kind of a crazy New Year for me.

On Dec. 29, just over three weeks after my last game at SDSU, I asked Alyssa, my high school sweetheart and girlfriend of six years, to marry me. She said yes, but we didn't have long to celebrate, because the next day, my dad and I left for New Orleans to attend the Sugar Bowl, where I was being honored for the Allstate Good Works Team. Then while I was in New Orleans, I got an email inviting me to the Combine.

My agent, Chris (Gittings), thought I was going to get an invite, and other people I had talked to told me, 'Oh, I'm sure you'll get one.' But for me, whether I got one or didn't get one, I wasn't necessarily waiting for it. I was on the lookout, obviously, but I wasn't expecting to get it on New Year's Day. And honestly, just to get that invite was really a dream come true for me. It was incredible. It's was one of those things that you think about as a kid that had actually become a reality.

Anyway, we flew back up to Minnesota on Jan. 2, and two days later, Alyssa and I flew to Dallas and I began training at Michael Johnson Performance. So that's kind of how my whirlwind 2015 started, which was wild.

Even now, I think it was just surreal that this is even happening. You know, people watch the Combine stuff on TV, and I've looked up times and watched people run on YouTube ever since high school, really, so to be invited was really special. And for the last month, I've been training twice a day to get ready for my big chance in Indianapolis.

Usually we'll do some speed work in the mornings, or drill work -- some form of running. And then in the afternoons we'll either do some form of recovery or a lift. I'm trying to improve in all areas, but I think if you were to look at what the main focuses of the Combine are, the 40-yard dash holds a lot of importance, no matter who you are. So there's been a lot of focus on that, for me at least.

As for how it's going, I don't really want to talk numbers; that's going to be the tale of the Combine tape. But I think as far as technique and what I'm doing with my 40, there's definitely been improvement.

In addition to the 40, there's the 5-10-5 shuttle drill, the three-cone drill, the 60-yard shuttle, broad jump, vertical jump and position drills, with certain routes that I run, along with some other things. Coming into this training, I think I had room to improve in some of these numbers -- everyone does -- and we've just been working to do that in all of them.

One thing you might find surprising, though, is that I'm not nervous. I've been prepared really well, and I'm excited to go out there and show what we've been working on. And of course, there's some importance to it, but at the end of the day, I think how fast you are in your 40 isn't going to destroy you or make you, as far as getting on a team.

I think it's more about the position work and your game film and maybe your interviews, but I don't think the actual results are the be-all and end-all. They're very important, don't get me wrong, but I don't think they're the most important thing. I mean, Emmitt Smith ran a 4.7-second 40 at the Combine, and he went on to be one of the greatest running backs of all time. So what does that tell you?

In any case, I'm excited for this week. We've been working hard, and because of how important this is for my future as a football player, I'm anxious to get out there, do the best I can and show what I can do. Six years ago, when I was a senior at Eagan High School in Minnesota, I wouldn't have believed you if you told me where I'd be and what I'd be doing today. I would have thought you were crazy. But here I am, so now it's time for me to make the most of it.

Make sure to follow Zenner on Twitter @Zenner31.