Rutgers Football went out an added an offensive line transfer this offseason in former Colorado center Hank Zilinskas and he spoke with the media for the first time since arriving on the banks in January.
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TKR: First few months of Rutgers, overall impressions, how have you liked it?
Hank Zilinskas: “Yeah, I love it so far. I mean, I've been familiar with this program for a number of years now, just through my brother's experience, but being out here, it's really special. The culture, the people, I love New Jersey, it's just been a really positive experience so far, and I'm excited to see what else it has in store for me.”
Q: What's it like to be on the same team as your brother again?
HZ: “Yeah, it's such a blessing, I grew up in high school, I got to play with my older brother for two years, as well as my younger brother for two years, so to be back with my older brother, it's truly special, I mean, some of the best memories I've ever had are playing with my older brother, so I hope to make some more while I'm here..”
Q: Your younger brother Ned's going to Princeton, what's it like to have the whole family out here in New Jersey?
HZ: “Yeah, it's kind of funny, if you told our family, five, ten years ago that we'd all be in Jersey, we probably would have told you we were crazy, but no, it's awesome. My parents are excited, we've all fallen in love with the state, everything it has to offer, and to have our little brother, right down the road, it's going to be awesome”.
Q: Playing with this offensive line, how do you feel like you guys have all grown as the spring has gone on?
HZ: “Yeah, there's definitely been a ton of growth, the biggest thing, I feel like, our strength right now is just our chemistry, there's a lot of good gelling in the room, everyone's always working hard, competing, but also helping each other out at the same time.”
Q: In the pass game, Athan in his second year, how much have you worked with him, and what's that relationship been like with him?
HZ: “Yeah, Athan, I'll start out by saying he's a great dude, looks out for you on and off the field, and as a player, he's about as talented as they come, he's smart, he knows what he's doing, he's a good leader of the offense, and, yeah, so far Athan has been a great leader.”
Q: Working with Coach Flats, obviously, has a long pedigree in the NFL and in college as well, what's that been like for you?
HZ: “It's been really awesome, like you said, he coached in the NFL for a long time, he's got the accolades to show it, and he's really taught me a lot, he knows the game like the back of his hand, so I feel like ever since I've gotten here, I've just been taking steps every day, getting better every day, and he's
really helped me with that, along with Coach Officer and the rest of the guys.
Q: So for Rutgers fans that may not know you and your game, what are you gonna bring to the field, what are you gonna bring to the Big Ten?
HZ: “A lot of excitement, and just somebody that's gonna impact the team in a very, very big way. I tell guys all the time, no matter where I am, what I'm doing,
and if I'm on the sideline, I'm on the field, I'm all about bringing everybody up. So if I can be that guy who can just pull the best out of somebody, you feel me, I feel like that'd be a big part of the team.”
Q: Would you say the biggest draw to Rutgers was being on the same team as Gus and kind of bringing back your family here?
HZ: “I would say that's definitely a big part of it, like I said, I've been familiar with the program for a number of years now, so having Gus here, as well as, they recruited me a little bit out of high school, just being familiar with the program, knowing what they're about, knowing some of the guys on the team as well, just through Gus it was really a no-brainer for me.”
Q: You've been here since January, but what are the expectations for this team?
HZ: “Right now, we're not looking at the long-term expectations, we're really just focusing on the here and the now, chopping the moment, getting better every day, like today, we were working on our last spring practice, and up next is the spring game, so we're really just focused on that right now, and getting better every day.”
Q: The spring game, you mentioned, what's the anticipation level, the excitement level being able to show your talents in front of the fans for the first time this year?
HZ: "It's always awesome to get the opportunity to play in a spring game, they're really fun, the energy's always great on both sides, and I love how Coach does it here with the Scarlet and White team competing against each other, it's gonna be really fun, and I hope we put on a good show for everyone that comes.”
Q: At your previous school you had a quarterback in Shedeur Sanders that might be a first-round pick tonight, probably will be a first-round pick tonight, what was that experience like for a potential pro to snap it to him?
HZ: "It was a really positive experience, being able to work with him, he's a great dude, great player, and he really helped me out with my game, so it was truly a blessing to work with him, and I'm looking forward to taking what I learned from there, and what I'm gonna learn from here, and taking my game to the next level."
Q: I know it's only been a spring session, but do you feel like you've grown anywhere in particular in your game?
HZ: "Definitely, I think overall I've grown a lot, as we touched on a little earlier, Coach Flats, he's really helped me on the mental part of the game, as well as, technique-wise, the little ins and outs on how to get the advantage on the D-linemen and whatnot, I feel like overall my game has really improved.”
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