June Alumnus of the Month: Scott Zeigler

Scott Zeigler is our June Alumnus of the Month!

When did you play?

I played rugby from 1986 until 1988 with Michigan.

What position did you play?

I started out as a wing, as all who are fast but inexperienced in rugby do, but then as I played more, I was thrown in at primarily center, with a few appearances at fullback.

What got you started?

I played high school football, basketball and baseball and I missed competing on a team.  A friend of mine had played rugby at Central Michigan University, so he pushed me to get engaged at Michigan. 

What honors/awards did you receive?

I did not receive any honors or awards at Michigan as I was primarily a second or third side player and only played on the top side when many of the more experienced players had a conflict.

What are your favorite memories/teammates?

Prior to Rugby, I did not travel much.  One of my favorite trips was to Fort Lauderdale and Miami over spring break in ’88 for the “Motley Tour of Death”.  We really did not play that well, but we sure had some fun.   

During the first couple years playing, some memorable trips were Miami University (where I still am amazed at personalities on campus) and Indiana University for the Big Ten tournament.  Additionally, Washington DC was a lot of fun despite me tearing a knee ligament and missing the next several months. 

What did you do after Michigan Rugby?

I was an engineering nerd in school but moved into Manufacturing / Operations a few years after school.  I have been lucky to live all over the world.  The last time I played rugby was for my previous company’s club team in Japan in ’91 or ’92.  My Japanese teammates were some of the mentally toughest guys I ever played with, and they were a lot of fun.  Additionally, I have been able to live in Germany for 2 years and China for 6 years where both our sons were born.  I’m an older father and my sons are 6 and 8 years old and they are both getting interested in sports so I’m having fun with them. 

How has Michigan Rugby affected you outside of the athletic realm?

The rugby community is pretty small but is still incredible.  If you meet someone who has played rugby, immediately you build a connection.  Two recent connections were my last CEO who was from South Africa and loved rugby and my current son’s soccer coach had played at Army-West Point and is a great guy, coach and father. 

From Michigan, the biggest takeaway I have was we played hard in the matches and partied hard afterwards.  In high school football, we learned to hate the other team, but I loved how after games we socialized, dined, and sang together.  We were lucky during my time at Michigan where we learned from the more experienced players, played hard and I could trust each of my mates, both on and off the pitch.  Additionally, I remember the sense of pride, tradition and integrity each of us had and these principles have carried me through life whether with personal or professional situations. 

Congratulations to Scott as our Alumnus of the Month for June 2022!