Trauma, tragedy inspires NFL prospect
MTSU’s Dobson fueled by brother’s death, then spiraled. But an NFL star ‘saved my life’
As Zack Dobson strolls through the Lonsdale Homes housing projects in Knoxville, Tenn., reflecting on the time he spent growing up along Texas Avenue with his boys, trauma and tragedy are no longer the narrative.
It’s his turn to write the story. As Dobson fights back tears, he reflects on the journey that almost never was.
After graduating from Fulton, Dobson was left with the memory of his brother, Zaevion, who was by his side everywhere they went. Only two years apart, they shared the same bed, the same clothes, and the same dream.
By the time Dobson attended Fulton High School, he had already gained significant football experience. He was a versatile athlete, also excelling in track and winning a state title in the triple jump. In football, he played a pivotal role in leading the Falcons to the Class 4A state championship in 2014.
Throughout his high school career, he amassed impressive stats, including 1,411 receiving yards, 2,824 all-purpose yards, 80 tackles, and five interceptions as a wide receiver and defensive back. Despite his stature, the 5-foot-8, 165pound Dobson was rated as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports.
But one night after a Fulton basketball game changed everything. He lost his brother to gun violence right before his eyes.
Zaevion was killed during a random shooting while shielding three friends from the gunfire. He was just 15.
“I was in shock,” said Dobson. “I ran home to tell my momma what happened. When I got back, all I saw was the yellow tape. I saw drive-bys, I saw a cop shoot and kill someone in my neighborhood when I was a kid, hearing gunshots wasn’t new for us, but I never thought it would happen to my own brother.”
Overnight, his brother’s heroism became national news, even receiving praise from President Barack Obama, propelling him from being just a kid from Lonsdale to standing on the red carpet in Los Angeles and then accepting the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage on Zaevion’s behalf at the ESPY Awards.
Every famous athlete that Dobson grew up admiring was shaking his hand. Including his childhood hero, NBA legend Kobe Bryant. “Kobe told me that it was such an honor sharing the same number as your brother. I will never ever forget that,” Dobson said.
College bound
Dobson had offers from school’s like Tennessee Tech, Austin Peay, and Charleston Southern but received a full scholarship to Middle Tennessee State and signed with the Blue Raiders in 2018.
In his two seasons at MTSU, he played in 17 games and had 31 receptions for 413 yards, including seven receiving touchdowns and one rushing TD. He started four games in 2019 and played in eight, recording 16 receptions for 242 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
In 2020, he hit the transfer portal and landed at West Virginia.
But his time in Morgantown was short-lived. The isolation during the COVID pandemic brought on a flood of emotions about his brother. Mentally, Dobson checked out.
“I was up there and really had nobody to talk to,” said Dobson. “The pandemic was happening, and I was struggling and felt alone. It was the farthest I had ever been away from home in Tennessee. Then it’s like Zaevion, my brother, and all that happened came back. I just wanted to leave.”
He entered the transfer portal once again. But this time his next move wasn’t football. He came back home to Knoxville.
A Tennessee legend saved his life
His life took a turn for the worse when he landed on the streets of Knoxville in late 2020.
“I was running with the wrong crowd,” Dobson said. “I didn’t have a job. I was just trying to figure myself out. I lost my direction and headed down a path that I know I didn’t want to be on.”
But a pivotal phone call from one Tennessee football legend altered the course of his life just when he was on the brink of giving up.
“Eric Berry saved my life,” Dobson said.
When the star safety was playing for the Vols, he also lived in Lonsdale. It was a refuge away from campus and gave him the independence and privacy he sought away from his status as a college football star.
Berry said that his relationship with Dobson and his brother quickly grew over the years. They would come to his football camps after he became an AllPro safety with the Kansas City Chiefs and Berry would always make sure to stop by to visit the two every time he was in Knoxville.
Dobson said that when Berry heard about him being back in Knoxville, having given up on football and leaving college, he intervened.
“He got on the road, and he came and got me and brought me back to Atlanta with him. I lived with him, and spent every day with him. And who could turn that opportunity down,” he said.
The two spent several months together working out with a trainer helping Dobson get back into shape physically. And during the time he spent watching Berry and the seriousness with which he conducted his daily life only motivated him to do the same, mentally preparing him as well.
“He remolded me. I was down there training with top draft picks in football, baseball and basketball,” said Dobson. “I was just really able to see what my life could be like if I stayed on this path and lived my life like he does.”
In 2023, MTSU gave Dobson another chance. He returned for his final season of eligibility.
He played in 10 games, recording 21 receptions for 305 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, he led the team in punt returns with eight for 108 yards, averaging 30 snaps per game. His performance earned him Offensive Player of the Game twice.
After catching passes and running routes for NFL scouts at Tennessee’s pro day on March 27, he’s hoping a team will invite him to rookie camp as a free agent.
“I’ve been ready,” said Dobson. “Whether it’s the NFL or some other football league if I can get an opportunity to make money doing what I love, it’s all worth it. I want to give back to my family and my community.”
SAUL YOUNG/ NEWS SENTINEL