Cal Football Interview: Zach Kline Discusses The Future

Zach Kline: Cal quarterback of the future? (via Lindsay Brauner)

Lindsay Brauner: Hey Cal fans, it's Lindsay Brauner, I'm going to be talking to Zach Kline today. Still waiting on Zach though. I'm not sure when he's going to be arriving.

[surveys the terrain, spies a figure in the distance]

LB: Oh! Is that Zach?

[a lone figure plays the world's loneliest instrument]

LB: Hey Bears fans, it's Lindsay Brauner here with Zach Kline. Zach, thanks for joining us.

Zach Kline: No problem.

LB: I wanted to ask you about how it was growing up right around here. Were you a huge Cal fan while you were at San Ramon Valley High School?

ZK: Oh yeah, of course. You just grew up going to the games and usually all the people who are in your hometown are Cal alums. When recruiting got in full swing, Cal was always number one because everyone that you're around. You're always seeing the Cal stickers on the back of cars. You grew up going to the games, and my dad went to law school here. So everybody here that you're surrounded by is in this Cal family, so it's a pretty cool upbringing.

LB: Did your dad play a big part in encouraging you to come here?

ZK: No, my parents let me decide for myself, which was good. My mom wanted me to go to a school with a good education, which was obvious. Other than that they let me make decisions on my own.

LB: Which quarterbacks were your biggest role models growing up?

ZK: Peyton Manning was definitely one. Watched a lot of Peyton Manning. Other than that, I can't really think of anybody else. My family is like a big football family but never had a one team who they really loved. I don't really know.

LB: Was there any point during the season last year when they were considering throwing you into the game and forgetting your redshirt?

ZK: I have no idea. Probably not. I was doing the signals, I was like hand dancing out there. I don't know. But this year should be a good year to compete. Last year, 3-9, gotta flush that as a fluke. That's definitely not Cal football, so this year's going to be a lot different. I hope so.

LB: Have you seen the Dykes playbook and are there any adjustments that you're going to have to make as a quarterback coming from the Tedford playbook?

ZK: Yeah. Sonny's playbook is genius. A lot of the guys on the team love it a lot more because I think they can really translate their athleticism and the playbook well on the field. There's not much confusion which is good. Personally, Tedford's playbook … it's the hardest playbook that a quarterback can look at. It's a great playbook, but being prepared and groomed through that playbook I think really helps us in Sonny's playbook too. It should be a good transition, not an easy transition but it should be a good one. A lot of hard work is definitely in the future but it should be good. It should be fun.

LB: What are you most looking forward to about this coming season?

ZK: Well, fall camp is going to be pretty fun because it's going to be my second fall camp. Spring ball should be cool, but really just throwing the pads on again. This is a new team, new coach, new everything. Last year is behind us, and we're looking forward to really getting a Pac-12 championship.

LB: What's your favorite on-field memory?

ZK: High school, beating our crosstown rival Monte Vista in the playoffs is always good, both those years. Other than that, I think I want to write new memories on this field and hopefully that's beating Stanfurd.

[credits]

[the man with the world's loneliest instrument seeks shelter]

Stay tuned for Part II!