Michigan OL Zak Zinter updates health status at NFL Combine

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Michigan football offensive lineman Zak Zinter is one of 18 Wolverines at the NFL Combine, a record for a school in a year, but he won’t participate in testing or drills. The 6-foot-6, 322-pounder is recovering from a broken left leg suffered in a 30-24 win over Ohio State Nov. 25.

Zinter was rushed to the hospital in the second half of the game against the Buckeyes. He underwent surgery that night, after it was deemed he broke his tibia and fibula. Zinter was seen walking without crutches at the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl against Alabama, and he said in late December that he was in store for a three-month recovery.

It’s been 98 days — just over three months — since he went down, and he’s continuing to get healthier. While Zinter won’t work out in Indianapolis, he’ll be present and bench press at Michigan’s March 18 pro day.

“I’m not going to be doing anything here at the combine, but the leg’s doing good, so the plan is to do the bench and move around at pro day a little bit,” Zinter said, adding that he believes he’ll get around 25 reps on the bench.

“I’ve been saying ‘best worse case scenario,” continued the Michigan offensive lineman, speaking on his injury. “Just broke the tib and fib, no ligaments in the ankle or the knee, so recovery is going quicker and better than I thought. I’m moving around well and pretty much cleared for everything. Just building the strength in the leg back up.”

While out for Michigan’s final three games of its national championship season, Zinter, a team captain, remained engaged with the rest of the offensive line and team.

“I still wanted to be a part of the team, be with the team, so I was still in the meetings, still watching film,” Zinter explained. “Even though I wasn’t on the field, I still wanted to impact the team in a way, so whether that was watching film or watching them when they were out there. Karsen [Barnhart] went in to right guard — he had played there before — and just talking with him. He’d come off the field and say, ‘Hey, what’d you see there?’ Just little things like that. I almost turned into some sort of GA type of role, trying to help the team win in any way I could.”

Zinter is the No. 2 offensive guard prospect in the NFL Draft, according to ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr., behind only Washingotn’s Troy Fautanu. The Michigan lineman lamented the fact that some media are making his injury out to be a bigger issue than it really is.

“I’ve had a hell of a career,” Zinter said. “I was having a hell of a last season. I ended up getting hurt toward the end of last season, and I think that put a lot of doubt in some media’s head, but I think there were a lot of misconceptions of what happened, if it was an ACL or ankle or whatnot. But it was just bone. They put a rod in there, and I’m just letting it heal up. It’s going to be stronger than it was before, so that’s not a huge concern for me. I feel like my game speaks for itself.

The Michigan lineman said that when speaking to teams, the conversations are more about him as a player than the injury.

“Honestly, everyone’s asked about it, but it’s been quick,” Zinter said. “They see me moving around great, feeling good. We had some medical yesterday and finished up some medical today, but I’m going to be ready to roll in a month; I’ll be football ready. So, it’s not a huge concern with a lot of teams just seeing me move around really well.”

He was named a unanimous All-American, Michigan’s first along the offensive line since left tackle Jake Long in 2007. Zinter appeared in 45 games with 42 starts at right tackle in four seasons at Michigan. Zinter played some center in practices throughout his career, something he points to when NFL teams discuss versatility.

“I kinda got lucky freshman year, a couple guys got injured, and I kind of got fit in at right guard and stayed there throughout my career,” Zinter said. “But I cross-trained in ’21 through spring ball and fall camp, because [center Andrew Vastardis] had some back problems. He was able to make it through the whole season, and then we were able to bring in Olu [Oluwatimi] and Drake [Nugent], but it’s something I’ve worked on in practice, for sure. I played two spring games at center, too.”