MIAMI GARDENS — Most players in Zach Sieler’s position would deny it. Asked if they take the time to appreciate how they got where they are, players will swear that won't happen until they're in a rocking chair.
Sieler can’t help himself.
You know Sieler. You know him now as the anchor on the Miami Dolphins’ defensive line. The under-appreciated, under-the-radar lunchpail guy who, right before our eyes, became very much appreciated, very much on the radar and very much able to afford any kind of lunch his heart desires.
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The story of how Sieler rolled into town living in an RV had plenty of mileage in 2019. Turns out that was only half of it. Saturday, Sieler detailed what life was like for him pre-RV. When he finished, you were left with the conclusion that if this long shot made it in the NFL, it had to be in the trenches.
“It was a long trip,” Sieler said. “My buddies asked how it was and everything. You can’t even explain it sometimes.”
Zach Sieler had 3 a.m. wake-up calls working at Chrysler
His story actually dates back to Ferris State. If you know Ferris State as a Division II school in Big Rapids, Mich., and home of the Bulldogs, it probably means you went there.
Sieler majored in mechanical engineering. One of the requirements was a 12-week summer internship.
“I just happened to pick the hardest internship,” he said. If you know Zach Sieler, this is something you might have assumed.
“It paid well and I needed the cash,” he said. “I think the whole summer I had two days off.”
Sieler worked for Chrysler. If you’re driving a battle-tested Wrangler, Zach Sieler may be the guy you should credit for keeping it in one piece.
“I was a weld tech engineer,” he said. “We did the body panels, the welds and the body sides for Durangos, Wranglers and all that kind of stuff right there in Detroit.”
But Detroit was an hour away.
“I’d wake up around 3, 3:30,” he said. “Had to get in there by the time third shift ended for handoff. We’d do an eight-hour shift and then you had about a two-hour overlap into second shift. So you’d go about 10 to 12 hours a day. Assuming nothing went wrong.”
Most guys might lose sight of the ultimate dream — playing in the NFL. Sieler isn’t most. He’d squeeze in a workout on the way home, make dinner and get to bed pronto. Then, rinse and repeat.
Now a husband, father with a $38.6 million contract
Hold that thought while you compare it to Sieler today, at age 29: Husband and father with a young son. Rather than living in an RV, he’s in a home while likewise laying down roots as an NFL veteran with a three-year, $38.6 million contract extension.
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Some NFL players take their signing bonus and buy luxury wheels. Sieler paid off student loans.
“It’s nice,” he said.
With Christian Wilkins off to Las Vegas, eyes turn to Sieler on the defensive line in 2024.
“It’s just been kind of a blessing, the path that God’s taken me on to get to this point,” Sieler said. “Obviously, it was always a dream of mine. But to be here, it’s just kind of awe-inspiring to myself.
“It just actually helps drive me that much more. I mean, I was working 70 hours a week at Chrysler in college in between the seasons to get some money. And then to come here, to come to the NFL, where they say, ‘Look, all you've got to do is play football,’ that's the biggest blessing that there is.”
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Sieler was a seventh-round pick, 238th overall. He spent most of his first two NFL seasons in Baltimore, appearing in just six games. Then came December 4, 2019, when the Ravens released him. The Dolphins claimed him the next day. Almost immediately, everyone could see there was promise in his game.
This season, the Dolphins’ defense will be coordinated by Anthony Weaver — who came from Baltimore. Although Sieler is five years removed from the Ravens, there are similarities. So he finds himself “relearning” the defense rather than working from scratch.
That’s not to suggest Sieler feels he’s a finished product. Complacency isn’t in his DNA.
It just means he appreciates where he is because of where he was.
“I absolutely do,” he said. “Every day on this Earth.”
Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached athhabib@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @gunnerhal. Click here to subscribe.
