Who are Zack Kuntz's parents? Everything you need to know about Jets' new 'freak' TE's family
Although Zack Kuntz was selected as the 220th pick for the New York Jets, the team's officials have high hopes for his potential, and head coach Robert Saleh even called him a "freak" due to his impressive abilities and passion for football.
“There’s an old saying, ‘Always take the freak that loves ball.’ And if you do, usually they pan out. So, he’s got freakish ability and he’s got a love for football, so now we just got to work with him.”
So, what makes Kuntz stand out?
A look at Zack Kuntz's family
Kuntz, unsurprisingly, comes from a family of athletes. His father, Francis Sr., played football at Maryland, his mother played basketball and track in high school, and two of his older brothers played wide receiver at Penn State, while his sister played basketball at West Chester.
Growing up, the siblings were very competitive and played no-contact football and basketball, with Kuntz recalling how someone would usually end up crying after getting hurt or losing.
"It was always competitive in our house. Whatever we did, someone would usually end up crying from either getting hurt or getting their feelings hurt from losing."
Kuntz and his brothers were also meddlesome in Anna's love life, until she got married:
"We were tough whenever she dated anyone. But she's married and we love the guy, so that's all good."
How did Zach Kuntz fare in 2022?
Like Dalton Kincaid, the first tight end drafted, Kuntz played for two colleges, in his case, Penn State (like his brothers before him), then Old Dominion. He was a force to be reckoned with in his first year as a Nittany Lion, catching 73 passes for 692 yards and five touchdowns.
But in his second (and last) year, he suffered an injury five games in when his foot got crushed underneath a tackler during an opening drive. At the point, he had caught twelve passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns.
While the injury may have contributed to his draft position, the Jets are confident that they can develop him into a key player in their receiving game, which already includes standout names like Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, and Randall Cobb. For Aaron Rodgers and Nathaniel Hackett, it seems like a mini-reunion of sorts from their Green Bay Packers days.