ZICO PASUT CLIMBS ABOARD THE EAST CAROLINA PIRATES SHIP

By Tripp Roakes, Publisher

East Carolina University Head Football Coach Skip Holtz has always been attracted to football players that are full of passion.  Growing up as the son of legendary football coach Lou Holtz, Skip learned early on about the value of having passionate football players on his roster.  With the recent verbal commitment of Ardrey Kell High School tight end, Zico Pasut to East Carolina, Holtz has landed one of the most passionate, hard working and energetic football players in the state.   The 6’3”, 240 pound son of Holly Pasut and the late Alessandro Pasut will head east next August to join the # 23 ranked East Carolina Pirates.

Zico, 17, started playing football in the 8th grade at South Charlotte Middle School. At the time, the game was more for fun and a diversion from his favorite sport, baseball.  Zico played well, but at the time, the thought of playing college football was nowhere close to the front of his mind.

When Zico moved to high school, he started out at defensive end, before playing on both the offensive and defensive lines.  By his junior year, Zico had settled into the tight end position for Ardrey Kell head coach Marty Woolbright.   He helped lead the Knights into the state playoffs in only their second year by catching 31 passes for 399 yards and 2 TDs.  Zico also provided great blocking for running backs Justus Pickett, Travis Burrell and quarterback Brad Wornick.  Ironically, Brad is now on the East Carolina football team and will welcome his friend Zico to town next fall.

Ardrey Kell head football coach Marty Woolbright is a big fan of Zico’s.

“The best quality about Zico is his desire to win. Zico plays with so much intensity on every play. He also has a lot of athletic talent and is an unselfish player.”

Zico is also an all-conference right fielder for head coach Hal Bagwell.  His towering home runs and solid defense helped The Knights reach the finals of the 4A State Championship.  

“Zico is a 2-year starter as an outfielder and is extremely talented,” said Coach Bagwell.  He has been integral in getting the Ardrey Kell Baseball Program to the level we are currently. Without him, last year's championships and run to the state championship series would have been almost impossible. He has that rare combination of size and speed that makes him a truly special baseball player. We will ask for leadership from him as we pursue another successful season! Personally, I love Zico and have the utmost respect for him...and I look forward to sharing his senior season with him!”
 Many college baseball coaches would have loved to have offered Zico a spot on their roster, but his passion for football was simply too strong.  As tough of a decision as it was, Zico elected to pass on playing showcase baseball this summer and give up on the chance to play in college.  Instead, he attended many college football camps and workouts.  He was determined to show his football value to the best college football teams in the country.

By the end of August Zico had narrowed his college choices to East Carolina, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.  As fate would have it, the first two teams on East Carolina’s schedule were West Virginia and Virginia Tech.  The Pirates beat Virginia Tech at Bank of America Stadium and followed it up with a huge win over West Virginia in front of a sold out Ficklen Stadium crowd in Greenville.  Zico was able to attend both games and the victories paid dividends for East Carolina.

Zico talks about how the Pirates wins played a role in his commitment to East Carolina.

“The wins made a big difference because I felt like East Carolina was going to be a true contender this year and I really liked how much they used their tight end. When I went to the games there was a lot of electricity and energy out there that I really liked. All of those things added up made me feel really good about ECU.”

“I had really been back in forth between Virginia Tech, West Virginia and ECU but ended up just following my heart.  I feel strongly that East Carolina is my best future. I really like all of the coaches at all of the schools so I had to go off of what would be the most beneficial for me and my future goals of becoming a NFL player.”

“I hope to be a key player for Coach Holtz. I hope to be a leader on the team and make him happy for offering me a chance to play for him.”

With the decision in the rear view mirror, Zico can now concentrate on helping his team win football games.  The Knights believe they can contend for a state title if they play their brand of football.

Zico has elected to pass on the opportunity to graduate early and enter East Carolina in January for one reason and one reason only.  He wants to be a part of the Knights baseball team one more year and help them win a state championship.

“I love the game, the coach, and the guys on the team.”

Big words from a hardworking student that carries a 3.0 grade point average at Ardrey Kell.

Zico asked to make special mention of all the people that have helped to put him in this wonderful position.

“I want to thank all of my Football and Baseball coaches that have gotten me ready physically and mentally and always pushed me to be the best I can be. I want to also thank my Mom for helping me get to camps all summer and for her mental support.”

It’s important to note that Zico and his Mom are very close and they worked together as a team to help Zico make the best decision possible on his college career.  Holly is always there for Zico’s games and it must be a real joy for her to see Zico earn the right to play college football.

The South Charlotte Sports Report congratulates Zico Pasut on his commitment to East Carolina University and for his continued passion for the games of football, baseball and life.  Zico is a unique young man with wonderful manners and a huge heart for younger children.  We can’t wait to see him take the field in college next season!