When David Coleman first met Zak Burnett, Coleman was wearing a Fellowship of Christian Athletes football shirt.
“He went crazy because he was involved with FCA in his hometown,” said Coleman, Burnett’s roommate and fellow quarterback at Samford University. “He started yelling, ‘Dude, FCA, no way!”
Burnett, a redshirt freshman on the field and a sophomore academically, still is involved in FCA. He’s on the leadership team and is a small group “huddle leader,” which includes leading Bible studies.
Serving on summer staff for Northeast Alabama FCA, Burnett worked with a boot camp for interns to prepare them for FCA camps for children and youth. He was in charge of the huddle leaders for camps in Huntsville, Madison, Cullman and Albertville.
Burnett’s father Ken is director of Northeast Alabama FCA, where his mother Angie is an administrative assistant, working out of the Huntsville home office.
Finding Christ early
Zak Burnett made a decision to become a Christian when he was four, he said.
“I knew who my savior was. I was around it all the time,” he recalled. “I saw what it did to people and the joy it gave people and I did not want to go another day without that. I wouldn’t let my dad go to sleep until I accepted Christ.”
Burnett wants others to see his faith by how he lives. He wants to be “very different, set apart from the rest,” he explained, and wants the fruits of the Spirit to be evident in him.
Outspoken faith
As a Christian, others are looking at him to do the right thing, he realizes, and Samford offensive coordinator Mitch Stewart said Burnett is outspoken about his faith.
“He is the type of guy that makes you want to be better when you’re around him. You almost feel embarrassed or bad when you say or act a certain way that you’re not proud of and then you look over and see Zak looking at you,” Stewart admitted. “It’s like salt in the wound. You feel like you’ve let him down in a way.”
Calling Burnett a devoted Christian, Coleman said he has learned from him how to be bold with his faith “and not care what the world thinks, because the world is never going to be in favor of the Christian walk.”
“Zak has taught me that you can still be a light for Christ on and off the field by how you’re treating your teammates, because your teammates are always watching how you react to different situations,” Coleman said. “Zak spiritually is a person people know they can count on for personal or spiritual advice.”
Burnett stays rooted in the Bible daily and he surrounds himself with “good people,” he said.
‘Learning and growing’
Coleman, especially as his roommate, watches Burnett’s faith in action by seeing him reading his Bible, learning and growing in his faith, and in the way he treats others.
Burnett is a member of Christ Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, and attends Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Birmingham.
Majoring in sports administration, he is scheduled to graduate in 2024. Burnett may get a teaching certificate so he can teach and coach, but his career goal is to work for FCA.
Respected teammate
He has gained the respect of his teammates, coaches say.
“He has gained the trust of his players and coaches,” Mitch Stewart said. “That is why he is a signal man for us. That’s tough to do as a young player. [Next year] he may have a shot to take more reps (at quarterback), but for right now he has been awesome for us as one of our signal men.”
Burnett wants to play by the time he’s a senior, and will have three more years of eligibility after this season.
He said he wants his teammates to see him as a leader on and off the field
“It surprises me how much you use your faith,” Burnett said, “and football has surprised me how hard you have to work. Just like your faith, you have to work hard at it.”
He knows young people look up to him, especially those who want to play college football.
Burnett has been dating Delaney Dilfer, whom he met at an FCA event, for about a year and a half. She plays on the volleyball team at David Lipscomb University in Nashville, and her father, Trent Dilfer, led the Baltimore Ravens to the 2000 Super Bowl title. He helps train Burnett.
Burnett’s inspiration is knowing that God has a plan for his life, and the key to his success is “never changing who I am,” he said.
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