On the day we're supposed to chat, Zach Durfee is dealing with tire troubles. He'll have to get all four replaced, a frustrating ordeal for the Washington defensive end just days before the new-look Huskies open their season against Weber State.
It's small potatoes to what he's been through, which is why he's upbeat and smiling throughout the interview. Durfee's college journey has taken him to three different schools in three different states, and it would have been four in four without the pandemic. So a quick detour on a lovely day in Washington is no big deal, especially given where he's been.
Coming out of tiny Dawson, Minnesota (population 1,466 according to the 2020 census), Durfee originally committed to play Division-III basketball at Gustavus Adolphus College, a private college in St. Peter, Minnesota that's named after the King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632. Durfee, after all, nearly averaged a 20-point double-double as a senior at Dawson-Boyd High School.
He never played there, and for a while, it looked like the high-school hardwood would serve host to the end of his competitive athletic career. Durfee, however, had other plans, from North Dakota State to Sioux Falls and now Washington (Durfee was not on the recruiting radar but was rated as a three-star transfer in 247Sports' transfer rankings). After a brief cameo in last year's national semifinal against Texas, he's a huge part of this year's team, and he registered 2.5 sacks in Week 2 against Eastern Michigan. The Huskies play arch-rival Washington State on Saturday as part of a rivalry-tinged Week 3.
He talked to CBS Sports about his journey.
(NOTE: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.)
CBS Sports: Tell me about Dawson, Minnesota. What's a fun Friday night like?
Durfee: "I don't know how else to really describe it other than it's just a small town. Honestly, I used to just go to the gym on Friday nights with some of my close friends, so I don't know if that's the typical Dawson Friday night."
CBS Sports: Were you a Minnesota sports fan? Who did you like growing up?
Durfee: "I always cheered for the Minnesota teams. At one point, I was a big Detroit Tigers fan because of Miguel Cabrera. I used to love the Panthers because of Cam Newton, but yeah, I was here for the hometown teams and stuff."
CBS Sports: You were mostly focused on basketball. Did you model your game after anyone, and how would you describe it?
Durfee: "I think I was a really good player, but I wasn't like the next LeBron or not even close to anything like that. But I think I was just an all-around good player that could really do anything on the court and play team-first ball. I was just a lot more athletic than most people. That's kind of like, kind of how football works for me too, I guess. ... There's definitely some crossover skills there too."
CBS Sports: What was the toughest part about choosing Gustavus Adolphus and then choosing to go a different path?
Durfee: "I think everyone can agree that was just ... I've never experienced something like that. I don't think most people have. There was just a lot of unknown. So maybe that choice didn't feel all that crazy, just with COVID. You know, when I thought about it, I mean, there were definitely times where I was like, 'I might never play competitive sports again.' So that was probably the hardest part."
CBS Sports: You decide to enroll at North Dakota State as a student only. Was there a moment where you really missed sports and you realized you want to try to compete again and give football another try?
Durfee: "I don't remember a specific day, but I just didn't enjoy it. There was a lot of like partying and stuff going on, and the COVID dorms, and stuff was all separated, and it just wasn't that great of a time. I knew that that is not a life I wanted to live for the next four years or even more. I realized I need to do something that can keep my competitive spirit up. Something I can really dive into and attack and have to be challenged and stuff like that. So I knew it wasn't even like football necessarily -- basketball, football or anything.
"So Christmas break hit, and I talked to my parents and I was like, 'I need to not do that anymore.' And I asked them if I could just stay home and train and walk on somewhere, pursue something ... I don't know, figure something out."
CBS Sports: How did your parents react?
Durfee: "I remember I called them in my room, and I talked to them about it, and I think there was a little bit of shock on their faces right away. But then I think they looked at each other and [were] like, 'All right, like it makes him happy.' They've always believed in me and everything I've done whether it's schooling, athletics, everything. I couldn't ask for better parents. So, yeah, I think they were a little shocked, but they were on board with it and they said okay. But they made sure I was training every day and doing the right stuff and not, you know, doing dumb stuff outside of that. So they held me accountable for that."
CBS Sports: What was the recruiting process like at that point? How did you end up at Division-II Sioux Falls? [Durfee broke his leg in high school and missed his senior football season. According to the Minnesota Star-Tribune, he submitted mostly basketball highlights and expected to play as a wide receiver or tight end.]
Durfee: "I don't remember how many emails I sent. I don't think it was a crazy amount -- but it was quite a few -- to the recruiting coordinators, basketball or football, around the area. Sioux Falls got back to me, and I answered that and went on the visit for the walk-ons. There might have been a few more after, but I didn't even look at them. I had my chance, and that's all I really needed."
CBS Sports: You had four sacks in your Sioux Falls debut. Was there ever a moment when you were surprised this was really happening?
Durfee: "I redshirted that first year, and then I had another fall camp. So I didn't practice, then I was facing against our first-team offensive line the entire time. So I felt super confident about it. And by that point, I realized, 'Yeah, I can really do this.' So I don't know if there was any shock. My parents had never really seen me play outside of maybe like a scrimmage at that point. But to see their faces and their excitement afterwards, that felt pretty surreal and pretty special. I don't think they were even expecting that. So that was really cool. But I don't think I was ever shocked in a weird way.
"I'll humbly say this: As soon as I chose to even walk onto the D-II at Sioux Falls, I just had this feeling that if I'm gonna try to play football, then I'm gonna go to the NFL. I don't know how to explain it. But I just had that belief."
CBS Sports: [Former Washington coach, now Alabama coach] Kalen DeBoer had coached at Sioux Falls, and your coach there, Jon Anderson, was on his staff. What was the process like choosing Washington?
Durfee: "From the moment I went in the portal, [Anderson] said, 'I'm gonna send you your contact info to these guys. These are some of my best friends. You can trust them. If you trust me, you can trust them.'
"I would just say the relationships with the staff, knowing them as people, being able to trust them, really added on to everything that Washington has to offer: what a great school on top of the football. The football program is outstanding. It was just so many things. It was it was a great visit. And my parents and I both basically said that I should commit on the visit. And that's what I did."
CBS Sports: Last season, as a two-time transfer, you don't get cleared, and the #FreeDurf campaign starts. What helped you get through that?
Durfee: "First my parents, especially my mom. Moms have these little motivational things, which honestly helps, as corny as it is, but my parents were great for me, my brother, all my teammates. It showed me they saw what I was capable of and they cared. And even though I knew I was part of the team, sometimes when you're not playing, you feel a little less part of the team. Their support would bring me back to remember like, 'Yeah, I'm part of this team,' and stuff like that felt good.
"Then I just kind of told myself like, 'I was at D-II, a D-II walk-on less than like a year and a half ago.' And if you'd asked me if I could be on a national championship-caliber team -- even if I can't play, but I'm still there training and getting better -- I would have picked that option every day of the week. My faith, my faith also played a big, big part in that."
CBS Sports: You made your debut against Texas in the playoff semifinal. What do you remember from that?
Durfee: "It's hard to explain. I feel like the emotions and everything were so crazy that day. I would say maybe in the bus ride to the Caesar Dome, just with like the police escorts and everyone, you sit next to everyone, you got your music on and you're really thinking."
CBS Sports: Looking at this offseason, you've been able to do a lot of off-field work, including hospital visits. What does that mean to you?
Durfee: "We work with [NIL collective] Montlake Futures, and they do a great job. In order to receive earnings, you have to do something for that. They do a great job of having us do great things in the community. I've always kind of told myself, 'One day I want to be able to be in a position where I can help people like that.' But I never knew how it would be. Going to the children's hospital is some of the best memories of my life. I drive past it every morning, on the way to the facility, and it's just a good reminder that, man, I'm blessed."
CBS Sports: How would you describe your game? Who do you model your game after?
Durfee: "I like guys like T.J. Watt, Nick Bosa, Micah Parsons, Maxx Crosby, all those people. I can say Bralen Trice. I got a lot of film with him last year. I love his game. I learned a lot from him.
"I try to play fast and explosive and nasty and just like, not really caring about contact. I want to deliver the blow and stuff like that. I like to use my athleticism a lot. I think that's where a lot of my advantage is, but through all the work, the great strength staffs I've had the past three years, I think power is a big part of my game now too."
CBS Sports: Where are you most excited to play this season? And what are your thoughts on realignment?
Durfee: "Penn State. Iowa would be another one too, because I have a bunch of family that'll be able to make that game. I think the realignment's sweet. Man, it's challenging. This conference is loaded now. There's so many good scenes and it's going to be so exciting every week. I mean, you couldn't ask for anything better as a college athlete."
CBS Sports: What do you think you've learned about yourself during your college journey?
Durfee: "Especially with having to be away from the game and then even sitting out last year, I learned that I really enjoy being a teammate. That is something that you maybe forget after sports. You don't get it really back in the real world: a true brotherhood, and that's a special feeling. And it's so fun to be around like guys like that every day. Being on a team brings you lifelong best friends, and I've got some from Sioux Falls, and I have more here. I wouldn't trade that for the world.
"I also learned I can overcome really any adversity that's thrown my way. I don't think I knew that in high school at all. I think it takes adversity to become a stronger-minded person. And I think I've gone through a fair share of adversity, whether it be having to walk on and earn a scholarship to transferring is its own battle to sitting out a year to having surgery. And now I'm back. That's been a lot of what I've learned about myself: that I'm pretty strong willed."
