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LSU Tigers

LSU's punter is 29-year-old former MLB draftee who returned to school after baseball dream died

By Howie Kussoy New York Post
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Zach Von Rosenberg attended freshman orientation at LSU more than a decade ago. On Saturday, the 29-year-old punter will step on the field for the top-ranked Tigers’ first-ever playoff appearance.

In between, he won battles against Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.

“It’s nuts that it’s all happened the way it did,” the former minor league pitcher said. “It’s crazy. It really is.”

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Teammates call him “grandpa.” The field-goal holder is more than 10 years older than kicker Cade York and just 371 days younger than assistant coach Joe Brady.

Von Rosenberg had given up on going to college.

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 14: Zach Von Rosenberg #38 of the LSU Tigers reacts during a game against the Northwestern State Demons at Tiger Stadium on September 14, 2019

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 14: Zach Von Rosenberg #38 of the LSU Tigers reacts during a game against the Northwestern State Demons at Tiger Stadium on September 14, 2019 (Getty)

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After committing to play baseball at LSU, he instead turned pro when he was selected in the sixth round of the 2009 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, 46 spots ahead of future Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel. Von Rosenberg had slipped that low only due to signability concerns, but the teenager was swayed, in part, by a $1.2 million bonus.

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Six seasons, and several injuries, later, Von Rosenberg had never advanced past High-A ball and was released by Pittsburgh.

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“I thought baseball was going to be my career,” Von Rosenberg said. “That’s what I was planning. Unfortunately, it wasn’t my choice. It was tough. … I decided I was going to go back and get my college degree. And I wasn’t gonna go back to school and be a student only. I still wanted to be an athlete.”

This story originally appeared in the New York Post. For more from the Post, click here.