Hard work pays off as walk-on USC receiver Josiah Zamora is put on scholarship
College football has changed plenty over the past few years as it trends in the direction of big business. But that hasn’t completely erased the heartwarming stories that have been consistent in this sport and play a role in why we follow the teams we do. The USC Trojans were home to one of those this offseason as walk-on wide receiver Josiah Zamora became former walk-on wide receiver Josiah Zamora.
Zamora got the news from head coach Lincoln Riley following a summer workout. The fourth-year receiver had unsurprisingly won a winter workout competition and Riley asked him to break the team down to end the workout. Riley then shouted the second reason why he wanted Zamora in the middle of the huddle.
“The other reason,” Riley yelled, “He’s going on scholarship today!”
“It was really special,” Zamora said. “I had no idea. Zero expectations for it. I show up to work and try to make the team better. It wasn’t even a thought in my mind. Just a normal Friday for me. Show up. Work. It’s a blessing. Really excited for the moment. It caught me by surprise for sure.”
Zamora said a big part of what made it special was that his brother, Seth Zamora, had arrived on campus as another walk-on wide receiver and got to witness it and how hard work can pay off.
Hard work is a theme with Zamora. It’s what it took to earn a walk-on opportunity under former head coach Clay Helton. It’s what it took to stay on the roster when Lincoln Riley took over. And it’s what it took to become one of the most respected players in the wide receiver room and the entire team.
“It couldn’t happen to a better guy,” quarterback Miller Moss said.
Fellow receiver Duce Robinson lit up when asked about Zamora.
“Josiah is Mr. Reliable,” Robinson said. “He is an absolutely do-it-all kind of guy. He’s a veteran, he’s been here through both coaching staffs. He’ll show up every single day and you know exactly what you’re gonna get. He’s an absolutely outstanding leader, a great competitor. He’s going to make every play you ask him to.”
Robinson recalled a story that best exemplifies Zamora’s work ethic.
“He just did an internship in New York at the end of summer,” Robinson said. “He had to miss a week of lifting with the team for that internship. But he was out there every single day. He was up at 5 am, sending us videos of him doing all the lifts that we were doing — literally the same exact lifts that we did in the weight room at that same time. And he’s getting it done 3,000 miles across the country before he starts his internship. If that doesn’t tell you what type of character he has, what type of leadership he brings, I don’t know what else would.”
The 5-foot-8, 180-pound receiver hasn’t piled up statistics for the Trojans. He has two catches for 11 yards in his USC career. Both came this past season against Nevada. But his value goes far beyond that, and it’s not a stretch to think he could get involved in the offense this season. He had a big gain in the spring game and will be looking to make an impact along Zachariah Branch, Makai Lemon and transfer addition Jay Fair in the slot.
But whatever he does or doesn’t produce on the field this fall, the Trojans are going to get the same Zamora every day. He said he’s never approached the game, practice, or being a part of the program from the lens of scholarship vs. walk-on. This changes nothing for him when it comes to football.
“I like to believe and I hope my teammates can attest to it, I set a good example,” Zamora. “I like to lead by example. Showing up every day and working. it sounds easy, but mentally it’s challeging. You’ve got to be here at 5:30 working out. It can wear on you mentally. If you bring the same energy over and over and over and over again, other guys see that and they feed off of it. I like to think that I bring that kind of energy to the table and to the room and lead by example.”
