{"id":793409,"date":"2026-07-11T11:15:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T11:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/793409\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T11:15:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T11:15:11","slug":"countdown-to-kickoff-zach-strief-is-the-saints-player-of-day-64","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/793409\/","title":{"rendered":"Countdown to Kickoff: Zach Strief is the Saints Player of Day 64"},"content":{"rendered":"

July 11, 2026, 4:55 a.m. CT<\/p>\n

Just 64 days await us before the New Orleans Saints<\/a> take the field for their regular season opener. This season, the Saints will open up on the road with a game at the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. With just two weeks to go until training camp, no player for the Saints wears No. 64 currently. Our Saints Player of the Day features still roll on with a look back at one of the greats who did wear the uniform, offensive lineman Zach Strief.<\/p>\n

Name (age): Zach Strief (42)Hometown: Milford, OhioPosition: Offensive tackleHeight, weight: 6-foot-8, 320 poundsCollege: Northwestern Wildcats<\/a>Drafted: Round 7, 210 overall in 2006 (Saints)NFL career: 12 years (all with Saints)<\/p>\n

Strief was all-region in football along with letterman in both basketball and track at Milford High School in western Ohio. Milford would retire his No. 63 football jersey, only the second to be retired by the school to date. From there he’d go on to Northwestern, where he would be a two-year starter, two-time second team All-Big Ten selection, and 2005 first team All-American.<\/p>\n

Despite collegiate accolades, Strief slipped to the second pick of the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. The Saints scooped him up there in an epic draft class for them that also included Reggie Bush, Roman Harper, Jahri Evans, and Marques Colston. As for Strief, he’d play sparingly over his first five years as a reserve. Between 2006 and 2010, he’d appear in 71 games, but make only seven starts with the bulk of his action on the special teams blocking units. He was still often used as a sixth lineman on jumbo packages in short yardage and goal-line situations and was part of the Saints Super Bowl XLIV championship squad.<\/p>\n

In 2011, Strief won the starting right tackle job and made 85 regular season starts there through the 2016 season. He’d be a part of a dominant line on one of the most productive offenses in NFL history, particularly the 2011 unit. While somewhat overlooked among so many stars, Strief was a punishing run blocker and a reliable pass protector.<\/p>\n

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n

An injury early in 2017 ended Strief’s year after just two games. He’d retire after that season with 158 total games and 3rd Team All-Pro recognition in 2013. A year after retirement, Strief took over as the Saints play-by-play radio announcer following the retirement of the legendary Jim Henderson. He’d perform well in those duties for three seasons alongside former Saints running back Deuce McAllister.<\/p>\n

In 2021, Strief was hired out of the booth to be an assistant offensive line coach for the Saints. He’d be in that role for two years until joining former New Orleans coach Sean Payton with the Denver Broncos<\/a> as their offensive line coach. Zach Strief has that title to this day, and in 2025 was promoted to Denver’s assistant head coach and run game coordinator.<\/p>\n

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