Zach Johnson, a 2010 graduate of Campbell University and four-year utility player for the Fighting Camels, spent six years serving in the Army before taking his current role as the data center sales specialist for Cisco's Military in Sales and Leadership (MISL) program.
Johnson enlisted in the Army in 2013 after a brief stint with Wells Fargo and CAPTRUST, where he utilized his undergraduate degree in trust and wealth management. He is currently pursuing his Executive MBA at the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School.
The Smithfield-Selma High School product made an immediate impact on the Fighting Camel lineup, starting in 37 games at second base as a freshman in 2007 before starting all 58 games at shortstop during his sophomore season. During his junior and senior seasons, Johnson spent time as the Campbell third baseman, right fielder and designated hitter; he played in 209 career games, the fourth most in program history.
Johnson solidified himself in the Campbell record books after his four-year career and still ranks in the top-10 in games played (209, 4th), at-bats (766, 3rd), runs (159, T-5th), hits (231, T-5th), runs batted in (161, 4th), doubles (65, 2nd), home runs (26, 10th) and total bases (382, 6th).
A native of Smithfield, N.C., Johnson continues Campbell baseball's Alumni Spotlight series, allowing Campbell baseball alumni to share how the program prepared them for their professional careers and highlight their professional accomplishments.
Describe Campbell baseball in three words.
Blue Collar, Gritty, Unassuming
What does Campbell baseball mean to you?
Campbell baseball was the first brotherhood that I was inducted into; it was and still is a group of guys from different backgrounds and places that I grew up with and became a man with.
How did your time as a student-athlete at Campbell prepare you for your career and life after college?
It was the first taste of difficulty that I had in life. Whether it was not performing to the level I expected of myself on the field, or having to balance academics with the demand of being a Division I athlete, I faced adversity on a level that was new to me at the time and I'm thankful that I went through that with people around me like coach [Justin] Haire.
We were not a very talented baseball team in 2007 when coach got to Campbell. We had a few talented individuals (I was not one of them), but the program was in a bad place. It took a lot of tough love and candor from the staff along with self-reflection on an individual level to get things going in the right direction.
I made some personal decisions around what I wanted out of life between my sophomore and junior years that completely altered my life for the better. Those decisions manifested themselves in my junior and senior years at Campbell. Hundreds of hours of extra work, a lot of which coach Haire was a part of in the hitting facility, showed me that focusing on what you can control and taking ownership of your situation is one of the most valuable things we can do as human beings.
I recently got out of the Army after six years in the Special Operations community. I can honestly say that some of the experiences I had at Campbell helped prepare me, mostly mentally, for situations that I faced during those six years.
What originally attracted you to attend Campbell a student-athlete?
Campbell was a great option for me because it was close to home and was a solid Division I program that played in a great baseball league and carried a tough non-conference schedule. I also knew that, from an academic perspective, it was a great school that was well respected in the South.
What are some of the most memorable moments from your time as a student-athlete at Campbell?
Friday's at 5 a.m. Beating NC State and ECU regularly. The times on the bus on conference road trips with the guys and the coaching staff. It was just being surrounded by good people who were all completely bought in and committed to turning a program around and establishing a foundation that could be built on for years to come.
Describe your career path.
After graduating from Campbell in 2010, I went to work for Wells Fargo Wealth Management. I worked for Wells Fargo for about a year and a half before moving to a smaller institutional advisory firm in Raleigh, CAPTRUST.
I made a pretty drastic change, which had been a long time coming, and enlisted in the Army in March of 2013. After almost two and a half years of training at a lot of schools, I joined an operational detachment where I served for the next three and a half years at Fort Bragg. I deployed to Iraq twice as a part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
I got out of the Army in January of this year and accepted a job at Cisco through their Military in Sales and Leadership (MISL) program. I am now a data center sales specialist covering commercial accounts here in the Carolinas. I'm halfway through the Executive MBA program at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.
What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
Serving [in the Army] with some of the finest men and women to ever walk this earth.
What was the most important thing you learned while you were at Campbell?
You have very little control over most things that happen in life, but you are always in complete control of your perception of and reaction to every situation you find yourself in; having that mindset and being able to use it in a difficult spot can be the difference between success and failure.
What advice would you give to current student-athletes at Campbell?
Don't make excuses for things that don't go your way. You will be challenged mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally at some point, and probably often. Embrace those opportunities for growth. Build relationships with the people around you and be thankful for the time you have with them; it is finite. Go out of your way to do something kind and unexpected for someone every day.
