David Zalzman

Classroom

Throughout his academic career, David Zalzman has exemplified what it means to be a student-athlete. Each semester that he has been at Memphis he has earned his way into the Tiger 3.0 Club. Additionally, he is a five-time member of the dean’s list. Zalzman also has been a two-time addition to the Tiger Academic 30, which is an honor given to the students with the highest 30 GPAs in the athletic department. Zalzman is a three-time member of the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team.

Character

Zalzman’s character is one of the things that has helped him be an effective leader on the Memphis squad. He was ineligible to play his first year on campus, but his dedication and his commitment to his team led him to stay at Memphis despite not being able to help his teammates on the field. After being named a captain in his first year as a starter, Zalzman has been an encouraging voice of calming on the team. As the team struggled through the season in 2017, Zalzman was a mainstay, always fighting for his teammates and encouraging them to keep playing hard, regardless of the odds or circumstances. Zalzman has remained captain into 2018 for the same qualities, leading the team through warmups, cool-downs and everything in between. Zalzman has set the example for the team both on and off the field, showing teammates new and old what it means to represent the University of Memphis as a student-athlete with dignity and pride.

Community

Zalzman has enjoyed being a part of the Memphis community since he arrived. A native of Maracay, Venezuela, Zalzman’s decision to come to Memphis to play soccer was initially disrupted, as he was deemed ineligible to play his first year. The welcome Zalzman received from his team and his community led him to stay anyway, and his commitment to Memphis has only grown as he’s been here. Zalzman has been an example for his teammates off the field as well as on it, maintaining ties to the school beyond just fulfilling his responsibilities. The passion with which Zalzman plays comes not only from his love of soccer, but also from his love of the fans that come out to support the team.

Competition

Zalzman has been a leader on the field since his first season of action. As a redshirt freshman, he led the team in assists with four. He was also second on the team in shots, totaling 32. In
2017 Zalzman took on a captain’s role as he became one of the more senior members of the squad and finished as the team’s leader in points. Zalzman racked up a team-leading two goals and three assists, good for second on the team, giving him a total of seven points. For his efforts on the field, Zalzman was named second-team All-Conference by the AAC.