Though he isn’t with the Penn State program anymore, we might be in for another Summer of Zettel. The standout defensive tackle was as much of a force on the field as he was off it, as he was an active contributor to the team’s Lift for Life program which supports Uplifting Athletes, which in turn raises money to combat rare diseases.

Zettel’s latest charity work will take place at the NFL Combine at the bench press. Like Jesse James a year ago, Zettel encourages fans to pledge a donation for each rep he does. Defensive linemen will bench press this Saturday.

James ended up bench pressing 26 times with $210 pledged per rep, for a total of $5,460. His performance wound up not only benefiting Uplifting Athletes but also earned him a draft selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Click here to go to his Pledge It page. At the time of writing, he has only raised $17.50 per repetition, which is well short of his goal of $180 per. All pledges are welcomed and encouraged, but who knows; with arms like these, he might be able to bench to his target $5,000 on his own:

.@Zettel98 is not someone you want to see on the other side of the tug of war. pic.twitter.com/eXTehuAQPl

— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) July 11, 2015

About the Author

Doug Leeson

Doug is a sophomore and Onward State's Assistant Managing Editor. Dislikes: popcorn, Rutgers, and a low #TimberCount. Likes: "Frozen," Rec Hall, and you. Contact him via email at dougleeson@onwardstate.com or on Twitter @DougLeeson.

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