Chick Chattin with Zach Strief: An Afternoon of Recipes, Chat, and Football

Zach Strief didn’t know what he was entering when he arrived in New Orleans in the spring of 2006 to join the Saints as a rookie from Northwestern University. While driving into town, he ended up on the wrong exit and found himself in New Orleans East, an area still uninhabited at that point. He had an 1/8 of gas in the tank and there were no open exits. He didn’t know what he was going to do. He even called his father wondering what he was doing here. Now three years later, he looks back at that time and he’s proud to be a part of the rebirth of this region. He also realizes that Louisiana will always be his home, especially since he is now married to a local woman, Mandy Schexnaydre Strief who is a Loyola Universtiy graduate and former Saintsation.

A native of Milford, Ohio, which is outside of Cincinnati, Strief played football for Milford High and ended up playing college ball with the Northwestern Wildcats, a football team that historically speaking, um, didn’t have the best record on the planet. Yet, during his time in Evanston, Streif played for a nationally ranked team, which averaged over 500 yards a game and he ended up a first team All-American. Sound familiar?

Once in New Orleans and knowing of the Saints’ history of lackluster standings, he said that the Saints’ past didn’t matter to him or to the other players. He was getting the chance to play football and be a part of something larger here in New Orleans. Also, the old culture of not performing to standard was gone. The Saints in 2006 had 38 new players, a new attitude, and that helped folks stay motivated. All players were excited about the program and could see its potential.

With the last two seasons being a bit of a disappointment for the team, Strief says that he sees a difference this season. “Our mentality is more focused this season. There’s been a growth in the leadership on the team on all sides. That’s the difference from last season. The core is still in tact and they take ownership in the locker room.” The players knew that they would have to clean up certain aspects of their games, especially finishing games and creating turnovers. He looks at the fourth quarters this season and says that they are now finishing the games and it shows with the team’s record.

With his utility role with the Saints, Strief can play at either Tackle or Tight End. He commented that he’s enjoying his chance to start and that it’s much easier than filling in for someone mid-game. He also commented that the Saints’ depth is pretty amazing and when someone goes down with an injury, the team doesn’t miss a beat. “We have lots of backups who contribute to the team such as Jamar Nesbit. Drew Brees can run an offense. I’ve been in the backup role for so long that it’s easier now to step in and now I feel more comfortable.”

With the success the team has had this season, many look to the offensive line’s improvements with the run game. Yet, most of the media misses the point that while Brees is a master of the game, he also relies on his line for protection and open lanes for the running game. Strief isn’t bothered by the lack of media attention. “That’s usually a good sign. We enjoy anonymity. We have a good group of guys—good people—seven of us have been together now for four years. And, the guys on the team know the work that we produce. The locker room is so good that no one ever feels slighted. If there is one player that deserves more credit, however, it’s Jahri Evans.”

Once Strief entrenched himself in New Orleans, he and his mother, Cathy Strief, a commercial artist, started up the Zach Strief Dream Big Foundation in 2006. Now, Mandy Strief, Zach’s wife, runs the organization and they are making a difference both here in New Orleans and in Milford, Ohio. “We felt that it was important to develop the ability to do bigger things with our communities. We focus on kids enrichment, primarily after school. Here in New Orleans, there are real limited activities for kids after school. And, with the recession in Ohio, funding for after-school activities had been cut or extinguished entirely. We became active with my old high school, Milford High School, with donating equipment, paying for uniforms, and providing scholarships for kids to pay for other expenses. We recently raised our first $100,000. We hope that this can give kids some structure to their lives and provide them with opportunities.”

When asked about his new found life in Louisiana, his recent marriage to Mandy, and the future, Zach chuckled a little bit: “Mandy told me that she will move anywhere so that I can play football, but once I retire, we are coming back to St. Rose. I know that I’ll never get her out of St. Rose.” Mandy is a lifelong Saints fan. When I asked her if she could handle living in a city like, God forbid, Atlanta (a team who tends to take our players), she said that while Zach will always be her player and she will always support him, the Saints will always be her team. Sounds like he married a smart, savvy Louisiana woman to me.

Stay tuned for Chicks Cookin in the Kitchen with Zach and Mandy where we talk about the Saints, the Zack Strief Dream Big Foundation, and his cookbook, When You’re the Biggest Guy on the Team. And, they show me a thing or two about cooking.