Zeller maintains passion for football

When Patrick Zeller was just 7, his only contact with Texas Christian University was running into former San Diego Chargers’ running back and Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson at a video store.

“I didn’t know anything about the place except that LT played there,’’ Zeller admitted. “I didn’t even know what the mascot was.’’

He knows a lot more about TCU now.

The 6-foot, 200-pound wide receiver is entering his fifth and final year of football after joining the Horned Frogs as a preferred walk-on in 2014. This came after a four-year varsity playing career at Del Norte High School. Practice at TCU starts Aug. 7.

Knowing that he wanted to play more football in college, Zeller generated just lukewarm interest from Harvard and Yale in the Ivy League and Valparaiso in Indiana.

But when TCU came around, after viewing a highlight tape Zeller submitted, he wasted no time in accepting the offer.

“I didn’t even stop to Google anything about the school,’’ Zeller said. “I just accepted. They were a Division I school. I completely lucked out just two months before the start of summer workouts.’’

On a visit to the school later on, Zeller knew he had made the right choice.

“I fell in love with the place,’’ he said. “I really just wanted to play football the highest level possible.’’

Now Zeller, who has played in just seven games after redshirting his first season, has one catch for zero yards on his TCU resume.

He’s looking for a bigger contribution this coming season.

“I remember my first play,’’ Zeller said. “It was late in a game against (Southern Methodist University) that we had wrapped up. On a running play I knocked my guy, a linebacker, to the ground, maybe a little too hard. He probably hated me, but he never got to my guy.

“When we watched on film a couple of days later everyone saw my pancake block. They all cheered. Very cool.’’

Zeller dreams of pursuing more football to the ends of the earth, if need be.

“I’ll try to play in the NFL,’’ he said. “If that doesn’t work, I’ll try to play in the CFL. I’ll go to Europe. I’ll go to China.’’

Zeller has yet to start game at TCU. He’s a modern version of Rudy, the former walk-on Daniel “Rudy’’ Ruettiger at Notre Dame who inspired a movie about his brief career.

A member of the scout team ever since he arrived at TCU, Zeller’s main assignment has been to help every player listed ahead of him on the depth chart prepare for the next game.

There are very few rewards on Saturdays, except Zeller wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love being on the scout team,’’ he said. “I’m killing myself every day against a great defense and having a blast doing it. I’ve never gotten mad or bored. I know my role. If someone is better than me, play them. Let’s win the game.’’

Zeller has been part of four bowl games as a Horned Frog.

He went to the Peach Bowl against Mississippi as a redshirt, the Alamo Bowl against Oregon as a redshirt freshman, the Liberty Bowl against Georgia two years ago and the Alamo Bowl again against Stanford last year.

Former Del Norte teammate Quentin Meeks played for Stanford, so the two Nighthawks held a quick reunion in San Antonio.

“Seeing Quentin play again was great,’’ Zeller said. “I used to love running routes against him at Del Norte. How often does that happen where high school teammates wind up on opposite sides in a bowl game like that?’’

Zeller will graduate in December. He has already completed his undergraduate degree in psychology and has just one Spanish class left.

His plans include staying near TCU when his playing days are done. His parents are moving back to the Dallas area as well.

“Makes me laugh to think what my life would be like if I’d never come to TCU,’’ Zeller said. “Every now and then LT will show up for a function or a game, but I’ve never had the courage to tell him I saw him that day at Blockbuster way back when.’’