Featured Athlete of the Week: Zeb Holder, Cloverdale

Thursday, October 27, 2016
Zeb Holder (31) gets ready to tackle a Brown County ballcarrier during action this fall.
Banner Graphic/Joey Bennett

Zeb Holder (31) is a senior at Cloverdale High School who recently completed the football season, and will participate in wrestling and track and field over the next few months. He is planning a military career, and went through Army basic training over the summer.

Banner Graphic: What inspired you to want to be in the military?

Zeb Holder: “It’s always been a huge passion of mine. I have a very patriotic family, and I knew I wanted to go into some kind of armed forces. The Army was the best fit for me. I have always wanted to serve my country, and I will be able to get my degree, keep my boots on the ground for a while, and then be commissioned. I’ve always thought of soldiers as perfect role models, and I wanted to be a role model.”

BG: What was last summer like for you?

ZH: “I did the split option. For people who are in high school, you can do boot camp after your junior year and then do your AIT (advanced individual training) after you graduate. That’s the route I chose, so I would come back more fit than when I left to help me out with my sports. It gives me a head start, and gets me enlisted a year early.”

BG: So what are your specific plans?

ZH: “I’m going to be in the Army reserves while I go to college, then get my degree, then I am reclassifying into active duty infantry. I’ll be in for 26 years. I plan to go to Indiana State and major in exercise science and physical therapy.”

BG: What was boot camp like?

ZH: “I thought it was going to be easy, because I’ve always been in pretty good shape. They make it really hard, and it’s really intense. You are told what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. And that’s it. You have people lin your face all the time, but you know why you’re there. It was really worth it; I can’t wait to go back. It definitely changed me for the better.”

BG: How did your boot camp experience help you this fall in football?

ZH: “The military definitely made me more fit. I can run much better and much longer; before, I would be really tired in the fourth quarters of games. Now, it’s not a problem. I can run for days, and that has helped me out. It’s a brotherhood; when you’re on a football team, I’m my brother’s keeper. They tie hand in hand. Coach [Tom] Winders is also very patriotic, and he made that connection a lot. Football practice is so much easier; I feel bad for the other guys, because they’re dragging. Football this year was outstanding. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

BG: What other things do you do?

ZH: “I love the outdoors. I go hiking and hunting a lot. I own a video game console, but couldn’t tell you the last time I played it.”

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