Wild times at Mercyhurst Brotherly trio refects on football, family, and university life
By Brandon Boyd
Twelve years of Wild at Mercyhurst University began with tears. Not from any of the three Wild brothers themselves, of course – in th e f rst meeting with then-Mercyhurst football head coach Marty Schaetzle, it wasn’t oldest brother and self-proclaimed “meathead football player” Zac Wild who cried. It was his father, James Wild. As a blue-collar worker in suburban Pittsburgh, James worked hard in the construction business to provide for his family and give the best to his three boys – Zac ’08, Ian ’12, and Garrett ’16. Their mother, Teresa Wild, worked part time in the family business and stayed home to help raise the boys. All three excelled in sports, and as Zac began getting recruited by colleges, they went on visits to various schools, including Mercyhurst. “I didn’t know anything about Mercyhurst until I was recruited for football,” Zac said. “But we visited Mercyhurst and had a great time. We sat down with Coach Schaetzle, and he o f ered [an athletic scholarship] and said, ‘Here’s what we can do for you.’” And in the same way opposing o f ensive linemen couldn’t hold back a blitzing Zac Wild, James Wild couldn’t hold back his tears after learning of his son’s scholarship o f er. “He was like, ‘let’s sign right now,’ and I’m just hitting him,” Zac said, laughing. “Like, stop embarrassing me. We’ll think about it.” That thought eventually turned into 12 years, three new Lakers, and a family forever Mercyhurst made. A Wild Introduction As th e f rst member of the Wild family to attend college, Zac describes himself as a trendsetter. “I did the hard work and navigated, and then [my brothers] are like, ‘There’s this nice pathway Zac created,’” he said, jokingly. And while his brothers would later come to Mercyhurst and make their own marks, it was Zac wh o f rst learned what it meant to be a Laker. Growing up, the Wilds lived a middle-class childhood, playing sports with the same kids and getting to know the same families. When Zac branched out for th e f rst time, he realized life looked di f erent outside his bubble. “Growing up, the focus was ‘get a paycheck and a pension, and you’re set,’” he said. “At Mercyhurst, I was meeting new people, making connections, and really expanding my horizons.” He expanded his horizons on the footbal l f eld, too, growing into a lineman with defensive prowess. One of his most impressive statistical games took place in 2007 versus Gannon, where he had six tackles and three sacks. Zac also had the chance to play with brother Ian during the 2008 season, when the elder brother’ s f nal season and the middle brother’s freshman season lined up, a memory that he now treasures.
The Wild Brothers – Zac, Ian, and Garrett Ian In Action Ian Wild felt homesick before ever leaving home. He had just committed to the University of New Hampshire, but something didn’t feel right. Having watched Z ac f ourish as a Laker, on a campus that seemed so welcoming, he opted to follow his brother’s lead and commit to Mercyhurst, where he had been recruited to play football and lacrosse. Ian eventually became a “golden boy” of the Lakers, helping Mercyhurst win it s f rst-ever national championship in men’s lacrosse during the 2011 season, with his fourth an d f nal goal of the championship game serving as the game winner. On the footbal l f eld, his physicality and athleticism helped him earn the Lakers’ Defensive MVP award in 2011, as well as First Team All-PSAC, and he helped the team make the NCAA Division II Football Championship Quarter f nals for th e f rst time. He would later go on to stints with the NFL’s Bu f alo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers in training camp and preseason, as well as playing several years for the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers. But it almost didn’t happen. At least not in that way. The weight of a demanding two-collegiate-sport lifestyle, coupled with injuries during his freshman year of lacrosse and his sophomore year of football, had him down and out.
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