Just south of Denver lies Englewood, Colorado, a town deeply intertwined with football, especially for the Zilinskas family, whose love for the game flows like the Platte River through the Rockies.
The family’s football legacy started with John Zilinskas, who played offensive lineman at UCLA from 1987 to 1991, protecting future Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman. Fast forward nearly 30 years, and his eldest son Gus began his journey at Rutgers as a freshman, despite not playing offensive line during his time at Cherry Creek High School.
Now, Gus Zilinskas, the center for Rutgers, has established himself as a key player on an offensive line that is improving under coach Pat Flaherty. He started all 13 games last season and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors after helping the Scarlet Knights achieve the lowest number of sacks allowed in the Big Ten (1.08 per game) and a strong rushing average of 168.7 yards.
Reflecting on his journey to Rutgers, Zilinskas said, “I’m really grateful it worked out as it did. I wasn’t a highly recruited player and played defensive line in high school. I had never played center until Coach Schiano approached me and encouraged me to try it, and I’m thankful I did.”
Zilinskas’s love for football began when he was just a toddler, his father introducing him to the game from an early age. “I started playing at one year old,” he recalled. “I just messed around with my dad and brothers until I was old enough for tackle football in fourth grade.”
His elementary school fun led to a notable high school career at Cherry Creek, where he contributed to winning two state championships, an undefeated season, and earning the No. 1 ranking in Colorado.
After his impressive time in high school, Zilinskas faced the challenge of adapting to the center position at Rutgers. As the only offensive lineman who handles the snap, he leads the blocking schemes, reads the defense, and calls plays at the line. Along with the physical demands of facing the toughest players, Zilinskas has excelled in the mental aspects of the position.
“As the center, I rely on my guards and tackles, but they all depend on me for the call,” he explained. “You need to master your role, or it can lead to inefficiency or even injury. It comes with a lot of responsibility.”
Thanks to his father’s background as a center, Zilinskas was able to start learning the position before he arrived in Piscataway. However, real-game experience couldn’t be mimicked in backyard drills. “I began doing some drills with my dad, who taught me a lot,” he shared. “When I got here, former offensive line coach Andy Aurich provided me with tremendous guidance during my first true year at center, which was a learning curve.”
Under experienced offensive line coach Pat Flaherty, Zilinskas has refined his skills to become a well-rounded player.
While Gus has garnered recognition at the collegiate level, he’s not alone in his family’s football legacy. His father played successfully at UCLA, and his younger brother Hank is currently the starting center at Colorado as a sophomore. The youngest brother, Ned, is a senior at Cherry Creek and will be heading to Princeton next season.
Like he clears the way for one of the Big Ten’s top rushing attacks, Gus is also paving the way for the next generation of Zilinskas football players. “We have regular talks,” he noted about his brothers. “There’s plenty of friendly rivalry, but it’s great to discuss techniques and share ideas. Just having someone to relate to about football is really special.”
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