KP Exclusive Interview With Armstrong Running-Back Zane Dudek

by Jake DeLuca

Armstrong’s star running-back Zane Dudek had a record breaking season in 2016 - posting a WPIAL single season record 2,936 rushing yards and 42 total touchdowns (37 rushing, 2 receiving, and 3 defensive).

Along with his ridiculous statistics Zane Dudek is also an honor student with above a 4.0 GPA.
This season Dudek was named 1st Team All State Running-Back, State 5A Player of the Year, along with numerous media outlets naming him their player of the year.

After a long football season, Zane had decided to take his talents to New Haven Connecticut to play for the Yale Bulldogs.

I got the chance to sit down and talk with Zane in this exclusive Kittanning Paper Interview.

KP: The hard part is finally over, how does it feel to put the recruiting process behind you?

Zane Dudek: It was a big stress relief, a lot off my back and it makes the next few months a lot easier knowing that it’s all decided on and I won’t have to worry about that process (being recruited) anymore. I can just focus on one school now (Yale).

KP: How did you come to the decision to go to Yale?

ZD: I have a great relationship with the running-back coach (Derrick Lett), he’s awesome. He makes it seem like a family atmosphere where I want to be there all the time and it will be fun to be at practice. It’ll be fun to play football, I don’t want to dread going to practice the next four years. I want to look forward to going and he seems like the most fun guy and the best guy I have met along this process.

KP: Will you stick to running-back at Yale or could we see a 2-way star?

ZD:I think right now I will be sticking to just running-back, if an opportunity would come along the next couple years I would definitely take it, but I think right now I’m sticking to running-back and hoping it goes well.

KP: Last season Yale as a team averaged 140.6 yards per game, and you come in averaging 290 yards in High school, what are your expectations for your first year?

ZD: It’s looking like I could get a lot of playing time. They graduated two seniors and they have a freshman coming back and he’s a smaller guy, but he played well. But it’s looking like I could get a decent amount of carries through the year and I’m hoping to get a lot of yards. It would be nice to win a championship the first year, that’s the main goal. I just want to win and win and win, that’s the main goal, but it would be nice to get a lot of carries my freshman year.

KP: Yale beat Harvard this year for the first time in 9 years, how much are you looking forward to that rivalry and are you ready to do the same (beat Harvard)?

ZD: I can’t wait for the Yale-Harvard game, that’s the big one, that’ll be fun and exciting. I’m looking forward to it.

KP:Do you have a chip on your shoulder for not being so heavily recruited?

ZD: I was playing the cards I was dealt, that’s the way I looked at it. It bothers me a little bit, but not really, because even if (Division 1 offers) were to come in how can you pass up a school like Yale is the way I look at it. If I do put up good numbers then maybe I’ll think about what could have happened, but it’s not going to matter because if I still do well at Yale I can go where ever.

KP: What’s your most found memory this season?

ZD: It was pretty sweet to win the conference championship with a team that was predicted to be like third from last in the conference, so to do that and surprise everyone is something I will never forget. Especially with the guys I shared it with, it was a pretty awesome experience.

KP: Anything else for the fine people of Armstrong County?

ZD: Go Bulldogs Baby!

No Comments

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.