USC WR Josiah Zamora I Fall Camp Day 6
College football has changed a lot in recent years, leaning toward big business. But that hasn’t completely erased the heartwarming stories that are a constant feature of the sport and play a role in why we follow the teams we follow. The USC Trojans were home to one of those teams this offseason as a walk-on wide receiver. Josiah Zamora was former walk-on wide receiver Josiah Zamora.
Zamora received the message from the head coach Lincoln Riley after a summer practice. The fourth-year receiver had unsurprisingly won a winter practice competition and Riley asked him to break up the team to finish practice. Riley then called out the second reason he wanted Zamora in the middle of the huddle.
“The other reason,” Riley shouted, “he’s getting a scholarship today!”
“It’s been really special,” Zamora said. “I had no idea. No expectations. I go to work and try to make the team better. I didn’t even think about that. For me, it’s just a normal Friday. Show up. Work. It’s a blessing. I’m really excited for the moment. It’s definitely surprised me.”
Zamora said what made it extra special was the fact that his brother, Seth Zamora, had come to campus as another walk-on wide receiver and had seen how hard work can pay off.
Hard work is a theme with Zamora. It took that to earn a walk-on opportunity under former head coach Clay Helton. It took that to stay on the roster when Lincoln Riley took over. And it took that to become one of the most respected players in the wide receiver room and on the entire team.
“This couldn’t have happened to a better guy,” quarterback Müller Moos said.
Co-recipient Duke Robinson beamed when asked about Zamora.
“Josiah is a reliable guy,” Robinson said. “He’s a jack of all trades. He’s a veteran, he’s been through both coaching staffs. He’s there every day and you know exactly what you’re getting. He’s an absolutely outstanding leader, a great competitor. He’ll make any play you ask of him.”
Robinson recalled a story that best illustrates Zamora’s work ethic.
“He just did an internship in New York at the end of the summer,” Robinson said. “For that internship, he had to miss a week of lifting with the team. But he was out there every single day. He would get up at 5 a.m. and send us videos of himself doing all the exercises we were doing – literally the exact same exercises we were doing in the weight room at the same time. And he’s doing that 3,000 miles across the country before he starts his internship. If that doesn’t show you the kind of character he has, the kind of leadership he brings, I don’t know what else does.”
The 5’8″, 195-pound receiver has no stats to show for the Trojans. He has two catches for 11 yards in his USC career, both of which came last season against Nevada. But his value goes far beyond that, and it’s not a stretch to think he could contribute to the offense this season. He made a lot of gains in the spring game and will look to make an impact this season as well. Zachariah Branch, Makai Lemon and transfer addition Jay Fair in the slot.
But no matter what he does or doesn’t do on the field this fall, the Trojans will see the same Zamora every day. He said he never looked at the game, practice or being part of the program from a scholarly or walk-on perspective. That doesn’t change anything for him when it comes to football.
“I like to believe that and hope my teammates can back that up. I’m a good example,” Zamora said. “I like to lead by example. Show up every day and work. It sounds easy, but mentally it’s challenging. You have to be here at 5:30 a.m. and practice. It can wear you down mentally. If you bring the same energy over and over and over again, the other guys see that and they feed off of it. I like to think I bring that type of energy to the table and into the room and lead by example.”
