Fifteen years ago, it looked as if former Panther and Georgia Tech running back Zach Laskey would play one year of youth football for the Peachtree City Packers before giving it up, according to his father John Laskey.  Today, dad is more than happy to admit he was wrong because his youngest son recently joined the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent.

“He could’ve cared less about playing in the game,” recalled Laskey’s father of those early days. “He was having more fun rolling down the hill behind the bench. I remember saying to my wife, ‘This will probably be his last year playing football’.”

Flash forward to Saturday, May 2, 2015, a day Laskey will never forget.

It was the third and last day of the three-day NFL draft, and Laskey, a four-year player who posted impressive numbers during Tech’s pro day, was on-and-off the phone with his agent and several interested NFL teams. He and his family had gathered at his manager’s house in Buckhead to wait for “the call.” Every time he received a call, the room of about 20 people went silent, said his dad.

“We were pretty relaxed throughout the draft process until his mother saw him answer his phone,” Laskey’s father said. “We thought that he would only answer if it was a team trying to get in touch with him.”

It wasn’t until a few minutes after the draft concluded, and Zach was not drafted, that his phone rang again — and this time he answered it.

“When he hung the phone up, he said, ‘I’m a St. Louis Ram’,”  said his dad.

The former Panther signed a three-year contract, including a signing bonus, with the Rams on May 2, the final day of the 2015 NFL draft. He also graduated from Georgia Tech earlier that day, earning his B.S. in history, technology, and society. He joins Lions’ punter Sam Martin as the second Panther alum in the NFL.

“It is an amazing feeling to be in the NFL,” Laskey said. “Still a ton of work to get accomplished, but overall a great feeling.”

Laskey balanced academics and football to accomplish his goals. He finished his career at Tech with more than 2,000 rushing yards and completed his senior year with an Orange Bowl victory, an ACC Coastal Division championship, and a dramatic win against in-state rival Georgia. He set career highs with 140 rushing yards and three touchdowns in that game.

“Being a student athlete at Georgia Tech, I’ve seen the hard work and dedication that Zach has put into both academics and football,”  John Laskey said. “I thought it was fitting to have him graduate and sign on the same day.”

A total of 14 teams showed interest in Laskey, with 10 calling him before, during, and after the draft. One team even called during the graduation ceremony. Some of those teams were Pittsburgh, New England, Green Bay, and Atlanta, but ultimately, it came down to St. Louis and Tennessee.

“St. Louis is a great fit for me,” Laskey said. “Their running back coach and special team’s coach made me feel very welcomed.”

Laskey will join Georgia running back Todd Gurley, who was the Rams’ first pick and No. 10 overall. According to ESPN’s team depth chart, last year’s starting fullback Corey Harkey is now listed as a tight end, the position he played at UCLA. This gives Laskey a chance to play fullback and block for Gurley.

“It is exciting to be on the same team as Todd,” Laskey said. “It will be fun to have a chance to work together at something we love.”

Laskey left for St. Louis last Thursday for a mandatory rookie mini-camp.  Laskey must still get through training camp and the pre-season and make the team.

“I’m excited to be in the NFL because of the chance to strap it up again,” Laskey said. “You never know when your last play could be, so you have to soak it up and leave no regrets.”