Texas Tech University Athletics
Meet The Two-Deep: Austin Zouzalik
August 02, 2011 | Football
August 2, 2011
"Meet The Two-Deep" is an exclusive daily feature at texastech.com designed to allow Red Raider Nation to connect with this year's football team. The players in this feature made the official "two-deep" following spring practices, which means they will be competing for a starting spot when Texas Tech opens the 2011 football season at home against Texas State on Sept. 3. Check-in each morning at 10 a.m. (CT) on texastech.com and get to know a different member of your Red Raider football team.
Meet Austin Zouzalik | Watch on YouTube | 
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What goes through your mind when running onto the field with the team on a gameday?
"A lot of excitement, kind of looking forward to the game and getting the week behind us, all of our hard work has finally paid off and everybody has come out to see us so that's pretty exciting."
What is your favorite thing about being a Red Raider?
"Probably game-day, that's definitely the most exciting time for us, all the work we've put into it finally comes out on game day."
What is your personal goal for this season?
"Personal goal for the upcoming year, to stay healthy and just fill my role on the team and do whatever they need me to do."
Do you have any hidden talents?
"I'm pretty good at surfing, on the lake behind the boat."
Who are some of the major influences in your life, both on and off the field?
"For on the field, I would have to say just all the guys around me, just everybody we work out with every day it kind of pushes you to get to that next level. Off the field, of course my parents, my family, they are really big to me and Young Life .... Has been a big influence in my life"
What was the main aspect of Texas Tech and its football program that stood out among other schools during your recruiting process?
"Well I was raised here in Lubbock so I've been coming to games for twenty years now and I always like their offense, two of my cousins played here so that really got me into it whenever I was in Jr. high and high school and then finally came in to play when I was in high school, I though I had a shot, and it worked out."
What has been the biggest difference for you personally from your first year at Tech to where you are now in your career? "I would say the first couple of years I tried not to step on anybody's toes, kind of just stayed behind the scenes, then whenever you get to be an upper classman you kind of start leading, kind of start standing out, speaking your mind and bringing other people along."
