Steelers pick 'great human being' with Fairmont's own Zach Frazier

Apr. 26—FAIRMONT — On Friday night, Fairmont's own Zach Frazier had his name called by Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth as the 51st pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

He became the most recent Fairmont Senior football alum to make it to the NFL and have the opportunity to play professional football.

According to Frazier's high school coach, Nick Bartic, the Steelers are getting a player who is as good of a person off the field as he is a center on the field.

"He is as good of a human being as you can find," Bartic said. "That's what's so special about him. It's not just his obvious athletic ability, but he's also extremely intelligent and a great human being."

Weather it be his high school coach, his childhood pastor or high school principal, they all agree Frazier embodies humility in his success while putting others before himself.

Larry Buckland, pastor of Suncrest United Methodist Church in Morgantown, has known Frazier since the latter was a young boy. Buckland was assigned to St. Paul United Methodist in Fairmont in 2006 where he met the Frazier family.

"They're great people of faith," Buckland said about the Fraziers. "Their faith continues to guide them and who they are, and they're wonderful human beings that are loving all people."

According to Buckland, Frazier's mother, Heather, had "proclaimed" Zach would make it to the NFL one day. Now that the proclamation has been fulfilled, Buckland is excited for Frazier and for his family as well.

"I'm so excited for Zach and his family," Buckland said. "Not only was I their pastor at one point, I am friends with their family. I've been fortunate enough to be alongside some of the journey of watching Zach and his brother, Brady, grow up."

Buckland, because of how close he is with the Fraziers, was there when Zach verbally committed to West Virginia University. While no longer the family's pastor, Buckland says the Frazier's treat him and his family like their own.

One thing Buckland emphasized about Zach is how he puts faith and family before football in his life. Buckland said Zach and his wife Stephanie, who's wedding Buckland officiated, pray everyday together. It's something Zach gets from his mom.

"His mom is like a prayer warrior," Buckland said. "Zach knows that if he's got something on his mind, his mom is a big believer into his DNA as well."

Buckland hosts a podcast on YouTube called "The Rev. Rambles On" and said he recently hosted Zach for an episode. That episode will publish on the Suncrest United Methodist YouTube channel on Tuesday, April 30.

Along with his faith, Zach hasn't forgotten where he's came from and how he was raised, at least according to Jim Green, Zach's high school principal at Fairmont Senior.

"He's humble. He's friendly. He's easy to talk to," Green said. "So I think people relate to him, and they're excited to see what everybody would consider one of their own hard working kids... making it to the top level."

Green knew Zach well when he was in high school. Green's son, Aidan, played beside Zach on the offensive line in football and behind him as a heavyweight wrestler. Green's also good friends with Zach's father, Ray, talking professionally when Ray was principal at the Marion County Technical Center. The two often talked about football together.

When talking about Zach as a student, Green had nothing but positives to say.

"Zach didn't shy away from difficult classes and did his schoolwork," Green said. "I never had a teacher complaint saying 'Zach's slacking off' or him feeling like a star. He was definitely respectful and friendly and nice and interacted with everybody."

Green also said Zach had the respect of students and staff at Fairmont Senior. He called Zach a good role model on and off the field, and Green's own son tried to model his leadership on how Zach led the football team.

An example Bartic gave of Zach leading the football team came from Zach's senior year. Fairmont Senior beat Weir 33-0 one game, but the team didn't score a single point in the second half. Frustrated by their performance, Zach and his teammate Gage Michael did something about it before film the next morning.

"Coaches came in Saturday morning for film, and the whole team was already there," Bartic said. "Frazier had the guys running steps at the stadium, and Gage Michael had the guys come and have a morning workout because they were also not satisfied with how we had performed the night before."

Zach modeled the football program's expectations for players in every way, Bartic said. Whether that be in drills, focus, offseason approach or film, Zach set the standard for everyone else.

In the 120 years of football at Fairmont Senior, Zach became the fifth alumnus with the opportunity to play professional football, the third in the past 10 years. Before him, Darius and Dante Stills, the latter a teammate of Zach at Fairmont Senior and WVU, went undrafted and picked in the sixth round, respectively. Dante Stills is currently with the Arizona Cardinals.

"That just lets you see how unique this time period has been for our program and our area," Bartic said.

Bartic stays in contact with Zach. Through the process of being drafted, Bartic said Zach had felt some stress about not knowing who was going to take him. Bartic thinks Zach may have learned from the Stills brothers and how they handled it to better manage the anticipation.

According to Bartic, Zach had no preference as to who would take him. Buckland, a self-described Pittsburgh Steelers fan, said himself, Zach's father, a Miami Dolphins fan, and his mother, who comes from a Dallas Cowboys family, also didn't have a preference.

"I think they're just excited Zach is going to be on an NFL roster," Buckland said. "Just like I told Zach at the end of my podcast... what team Zach's on is my new favorite football team. I think that's what his parents will say too for that matter."

The hype surrounding Zach being drafted has been seen by Buckland in Morgantown and by Green in Fairmont. Green said there's going to be a lot of Frazier merchandise sold in the area.

"It really doesn't matter where he goes," Green said. "Wherever Zach ends up with his professional career, a bunch of jerseys and paraphernalia will be sold in Fairmont, I'm sure."

Reach Colin C. Rhodes at 304-367-2548