Zack Mills
Encyclopedia
Zachary Eric Mills is a former American football
quarterback
. He was an All-Big Ten
selection and four-year starter at Penn State University. He is currently serving as the offensive coordinator at Clearfield Area High School
in Clearfield, Pennsylvania
.
in Frederick County, Maryland
from 1996 to 2000, where he led the school's football team to consecutive 2A state championships in 1998 and 1999, going undefeated both years. In the course of his high school career he broke Maryland public school records both for passing yards (5,638) and touchdown
passes (59) and won countless awards including first team All-CMC and first team All-Mid-Maryland. Mills was also a standout on the basketball
team.
from 2001 to 2004, Mills led the team to the Capital One Bowl
in the 2002 season. Mills was a three-time Davey O'Brien Award
finalist and was presented with the 2004 Hall Foundation Award as Penn State's outstanding senior football
player. In 2002 Mills was named All-Big Ten
.
Mills holds many Penn State passing and total offense records: He finished his career with a school record 7,796 yards of total offense, 41 career touchdown
passes (since broken by Daryll Clark
), and 16 career 200-yard passing games. Mills is the first Nittany Lion under head coach Joe Paterno
to throw, catch, and run for a touchdown
in a single game (in 2004 versus Akron
). He wore jersey number 7.
He graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science
in Kinesiology
.
' training camp as an undrafted free agent
, but was released before the season began. He pulled his hamstring early in camp and the injury prevented Mills from participating in most drills.
He wore jersey number 14.
under first-year head coach (and fellow Penn State alumnus), Al Golden. He joined the coaching staff at Clearfield High School
in Clearfield, Pennsylvania
as an assistant in 2007.
He is currently serving as the offensive coordinator at Clearfield High School
in Clearfield, Pennsylvania
.
Mills lead the Clearfield Bisons to a perfect 11-0 for the 2010 season. His outstanding knowledge and experience helped the Bisons become an offensive powerhouse in the District 9 Conference, and led them to the District 9 Title.
of the af2
, a minor league of the Arena Football League in the Spring of 2007 but left the team a few weeks later.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. He was an All-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
selection and four-year starter at Penn State University. He is currently serving as the offensive coordinator at Clearfield Area High School
Clearfield Area High School
Clearfield Area High School is a public high school located near the village of Hyde, Pennsylvania. The high school serves students from most of central and north central Clearfield County. The school's mascot is the bison, modeled after the American Bison...
in Clearfield, Pennsylvania
Clearfield, Pennsylvania
Clearfield is a borough in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,631 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clearfield County.-Geography:Clearfield is located at ....
.
High school
Mills attended Urbana High SchoolUrbana High School (Maryland)
Urbana High School is a public high school in Urbana, Maryland, and is the only International Baccalaureate Diploma School in Frederick County. The school colors are navy, gray, and white, and the mascot is the hawk. The principal is Ms. Kathy Campagnoli, and the Vice Principals are Mr. Jeff...
in Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
from 1996 to 2000, where he led the school's football team to consecutive 2A state championships in 1998 and 1999, going undefeated both years. In the course of his high school career he broke Maryland public school records both for passing yards (5,638) and touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
passes (59) and won countless awards including first team All-CMC and first team All-Mid-Maryland. Mills was also a standout on the basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team.
College
As the quarterback of the Nittany LionsPenn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
from 2001 to 2004, Mills led the team to the Capital One Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
in the 2002 season. Mills was a three-time Davey O'Brien Award
Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
finalist and was presented with the 2004 Hall Foundation Award as Penn State's outstanding senior football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. In 2002 Mills was named All-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
.
Mills holds many Penn State passing and total offense records: He finished his career with a school record 7,796 yards of total offense, 41 career touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
passes (since broken by Daryll Clark
Daryll Clark
Daryll Lawrence Clark is a football quarterback who is currently a member of the Chicago Rush. He was signed by the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League as an free agent in 2010. He played collegiately for the Penn State Nittany Lions. He is the Nittany Lions' all-time leader in...
), and 16 career 200-yard passing games. Mills is the first Nittany Lion under head coach Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
to throw, catch, and run for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
in a single game (in 2004 versus Akron
University of Akron
The University of Akron is a coeducational public research university located in Akron, Ohio, United States. The university is part of the University System of Ohio. It was founded in 1870 as a small college affiliated with the Universalist Church. In 1913 ownership was transferred to the City of...
). He wore jersey number 7.
He graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Kinesiology
Kinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
.
NFL
Mills spent the 2005 preseason in the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
' training camp as an undrafted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, but was released before the season began. He pulled his hamstring early in camp and the injury prevented Mills from participating in most drills.
He wore jersey number 14.
Coaching
In 2006, Mills served as an assistant coach at TempleTemple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
under first-year head coach (and fellow Penn State alumnus), Al Golden. He joined the coaching staff at Clearfield High School
Clearfield High School
Clearfield High School is a secondary school in Clearfield, Utah, and part of the Davis School District. The Clearfield High School mascot is the Peregrine Falcon. The school colors are green and white. In 1960-61 students opened the doors of the new Clearfield High School with the first class...
in Clearfield, Pennsylvania
Clearfield, Pennsylvania
Clearfield is a borough in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,631 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clearfield County.-Geography:Clearfield is located at ....
as an assistant in 2007.
He is currently serving as the offensive coordinator at Clearfield High School
Clearfield High School
Clearfield High School is a secondary school in Clearfield, Utah, and part of the Davis School District. The Clearfield High School mascot is the Peregrine Falcon. The school colors are green and white. In 1960-61 students opened the doors of the new Clearfield High School with the first class...
in Clearfield, Pennsylvania
Clearfield, Pennsylvania
Clearfield is a borough in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,631 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clearfield County.-Geography:Clearfield is located at ....
.
Mills lead the Clearfield Bisons to a perfect 11-0 for the 2010 season. His outstanding knowledge and experience helped the Bisons become an offensive powerhouse in the District 9 Conference, and led them to the District 9 Title.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers
Mills signed with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PioneersWilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers were a minor league arena football team that played in the AF2. The team was part of the East Division in the American conference. The Pioneers were an expansion team for the league's 2002 season, and were the runner-ups in ArenaCup VIII and ArenaCup X.-2001:The...
of the af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
, a minor league of the Arena Football League in the Spring of 2007 but left the team a few weeks later.
External links
- "Passing into history: Mills moves on from PSU career, leaves behind lasting QB legacy", Jenny Vrentas, The Digital Collegian, March 3, 2005
- "Mills' agent optimistic about NFL prospects," The Digital Collegian, March 16, 2005
- "NFL draft analysis for Zack Mills"
- "Passing into History," The Digital Collegian, March 3, 2005
- "Zack Mills Named Senior MVP At Nittany Lion Football Banquet" gopsusports.com, December 12, 2004
- PSU’s Mills enjoying retirement, The Citizens' Voice, July 20, 2007.