The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Longhorn Profiles: Zach Shackelford
10.18.2019 | Football
The Longhorn OL is a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy and a candidate for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award.
If growing up in a military family taught Texas senior offensive lineman Zach Shackelford anything, it's how to adapt. Between the ages of 8 and 15, Shackelford, whose father serves as an Army chaplain, called six different places home.
From Marysville, Ohio, to Tacoma, Washington, then to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Bottom Württemberg in Germany when he was 11, before moving to San Antonio at 13 and finally to Belton, Texas two years later, Shackelford has seen quite a bit of what the world has to offer.
"It's an experience that I wouldn't trade for anything," Shackelford said. "It was rough having to move every two or three years, but I think it's really helped me coming into college. There's such a diverse culture at The University of Texas, and the institution that this place is, it's helped me come into this place and just run pretty smoothly."
Moving so often allowed Shackelford to develop many of the skills he uses today as one of the Longhorns' captains. The Army stresses leadership, discipline and accountability, aspects his coaches and teammates will tell you "Shack" has in spades. But changing schools and living in various cities taught him how to communicate with and get to know people. If there's one thing that can help you quickly adapt to your surroundings, it's making friends.
"I just tried to make friends as fast as I could, that's what really helped me," Shackelford said. "The hardest transitions were in the summer when we weren't in school. There were some boring summers that I had in different parts in the world, when you couldn't make friends until the school year started. Just making friends, that was the biggest part for me."
A corporate communications major with an aim to one day be in business management, Shackelford jumped at the opportunity to learn at one of the top universities in the nation when he received his offer from Texas.
The University of Texas is routinely lauded for its business school and communications program, career paths Shackelford had always envisioned pursuing. Add the tradition of Texas Football and the worldwide recognition of the Longhorn brand — it was an opportunity Shackelford couldn't pass up.
Among the highlights of his coursework has been the ability to learn American Sign Language (ASL). A self-professed visual learner, Shackelford saw it as an opportunity to learn another language and allow him to build bonds with more people, including relatives back in Ohio. The subject is now his minor and he serves as a pedagogy, an assistant student mentor, for an ASL class.
"One of the passions I have is leading people, so if I can manage people and learn how they click and learn what they like and don't like, that's something I really enjoy," Shackelford said. "I enjoy getting to know people and learning what gets them motivated."
Texas' quarterback, junior Sam Ehlinger, will tell you that's exactly what he's able to do.
"He's one of the best leaders I've ever been around, on and off the field," Ehlinger said. "He has a passion for leadership. He's always wanting to learn, always wanting to improve, and that just speaks to his character, his work ethic and the type of person he is." 
Balancing textbooks and playbooks, study sessions and practice sessions, Shackelford has been able to succeed in the classroom and on the field. A five-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (spring 2016, spring 2017, fall 2017, spring 2018 and spring 2019), as well as a former Academic All-Big 12 selection, Shackelford is a semifinalist for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy, which honors college football's top scholar-athlete.
Shackelford credits his work ethic and study habits to his military upbringing. He uses every moment of free time to its fullest, spending his 30 minutes while waiting to get taped for practice to work on assignments, always finding ways to be productive.
"Growing up, my dad was pretty regimented about waking up early and always being early to stuff, not wasting time with stuff that doesn't really help you out on a certain task," Shackelford said. "I think's carried over to what I'm doing now. I'm always managing my time and certain aspects — not doing something in order to accomplish another thing — so there's a necessity for everything. I want to be as prepared as I can be."
