​Just 64 days stand between us and the New Orleans Saints kicking off their regular season, with a trip to Detroit against the Lions on Sunday, September 13. As training camp approaches with just two weeks left, no Saints player currently wears No. 64. Our Saints Player of the Day feature continues, highlighting a standout who wore the uniform with distinction: offensive tackle Zach Strief.
Name (age): Zach Strief (42)
Hometown: Milford, Ohio
Position: Offensive tackle
Height, weight: 6-foot-8, 320 pounds
College: Northwestern Wildcats
Drafted: Round 7, 210th overall in 2006 (Saints)
NFL career: 12 years (all with the Saints)
Strief starred at Milford High School, earning all-region honors in football and earning letters in basketball and track. In a notable nod to his high school legacy, Milford retired his No. 63 football jersey—the second number retirement in the school’s history. He continued to Northwestern, where he was a two-year starter, a two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection, and a 2005 first-team All-American.
Despite his strong college résumé, Strief slipped to the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft, where the Saints grabbed him in what became a memorable class that also included Reggie Bush, Roman Harper, Jahri Evans, and Marques Colston. His early NFL years saw him serve as a reserve and special-teams contributor. From 2006 to 2010, he appeared in 71 games but started only seven, often functioning as a sixth lineman in jumbo formations for short-yardage and goal-line plays. He nonetheless earned a spot on the Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV championship squad and was valued for his run-blocking tenacity and dependable pass protection.
The turning point came in 2011 when Strief claimed the starting right tackle job, starting 85 regular-season games through the 2016 season. He formed part of a powerful offensive line on one of the most productive offenses in NFL history, particularly the standout 2011 unit. While he was sometimes overshadowed by the star power around him, Strief’s contribution as a run blocker and pass protector was substantial and steady.
An injury in 2017 cut his season short after only two games, and he retired after that year having played 158 total games and earned third-team All-Pro honors in 2013. A year after stepping away from the field, Strief transitioned to the radio booth as the Saints’ play-by-play announcer, taking over after the retirement of the legendary Jim Henderson. He spent three seasons in that role alongside former Saints running back Deuce McAllister.
In 2021, Strief returned to coaching, joining the Saints as an assistant offensive line coach for two years before moving to the Denver Broncos to reunite with former New Orleans coach Sean Payton as their offensive line coach. As of 2025, he held the title of Denver’s assistant head coach and run game coordinator, a reflection of his continued influence on the game from the sideline.
Metairie, Louisiana—June 17: Tyler Shough (#6) of the New Orleans Saints participates in drills during mandatory minicamp at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. This image and the accompanying coverage serve to highlight the Saints’ ongoing preparation as the 2026 season approaches, alongside a focus on the legacy of players like Zach Strief who helped shape the franchise’s identity.