TV20 Meldon Law Scholar Athlete: Andrew Zock (Hawthorne)

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Hawthorne’s Andrew Zock lives and breathes football, it’s a rarity for him to leave the gridiron. The senior uses his fierce mentality and gifted ability to play on both sides of the ball.

“If you’re not able to push yourself or be motivated by other people to get better, then you’re never going to get nowhere,” said Zock.

Zock wasn’t always a standout linebacker, he used to be a defensive end that had to overcome adversity.

“I’m pretty small for a DN as far as what colleges want, so I had to make the move and that took a lot.”

He embraces having the odds stacked against him, just like his favorite football player.

“It was always Ray Lewis just because he became like one of the most motivational people there are, and he became the greatest linebacker to ever play the game,” exclaimed Zock.

Zock doesn’t shy away from the challenge because he puts his team first.

“Being a part of a team they just, they push you. When you have a team, everybody’s picking you up, everybody’s making you better.”

“He’s been huge, he’s a really good athlete so we’ve been able to use him on offense and defense, big tackles, sacks and he’s very athletic on the offensive side of the ball, we’ve been able to also, put him at tight end where he’s also made plays,” Cornelius Ingram, Hawthorne Head Football Coach.

Zock would do anything for the hornets but prefers making plays on defense.

" I like it just because I have a lot of control and I’m able to read what’s going on. I can just get to the ball and make a play,” said Zock.

His competitive drive and work ethic has paid off. Zock recorded over 200 tackles and 36 sacks from North Marion and Hawthorne, was all district player of the year, and has committed to play D1 football at Navy.

“You got to have fast hands. You got to have fast feet because when you get to the next level, you got tackles that are 6′6, 6′7, and I’m only about 6′1, 6′2. So, you got to be able to, you got to be able to beat them with speed.”

Zock is a hard hitter on the field, but he hits the books with the same drive. He has a 3.6 GPA, dual enrolled, a part of the Cambridge gifted program and honor society.

“Going to college, I just want to make myself better and better every day. Show my coaches, show everybody around me that I can do what I know I can do,” said Zock.

“He’s a great leader, not just on the field, but academically in the classroom. He’s been awesome. He’ll do great things once he go off to college,” said Coach Ingram.

Andrew Zock our Meldon Law TV20 Scholar Athlete of the Week.

Nominate a scholar-athlete

To nominate someone for Scholar-Athlete of the week, make sure he or she has at least a 3.0-grade average, is a major contributor in his or her sport, and a high school senior. We’ll need the name of the Scholar-Athlete, his or her school, and as much contact information as you can give us on him or her and the coach.

Send your information to Taylor Burr at [email protected] or Jake Rongholt at [email protected]

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