“I wouldn’t say superhero as much,” says Denver Outlaws midfielder Zach Runberg.
That was the way Runberg – a graduate of Arapahoe High School – answered my question about if he feels heroic working a day job, representing his home state, and playing professional lacrosse …
“I am just really happy to be playing in the city I grew up in and where I went to college,” says Runberg.
Oh yea, I forgot to mention he went to Denver University too.
He even went back to coach the varsity lacrosse team at Arapahoe last year. He’s Colorado - through and through.
“I think for me I knew I always wanted to be in Colorado,” says Runberg. “That was ultimately where I wanted to play.”
In his first Outlaws appearance, Runberg scored the game-winning goal against Boston with 20 seconds left to play.
The ball kind of popped out right to me, I saw the sea part,” remembers Runberg. “I had a pretty bad shot earlier in the game, so I was making up for that. I’m just happy that one went in the back of the net.”
Going forward - he’s got a pretty solid mentor to learn from.
“Right now, I think he has 600-plus points, I have maybe one or two,” Runberg says of 44-year-old lacrosse legend John Grant Jr.
‘Junior’ – as he’s known in the lacrosse community – came out of retirement to re-join the Outlaws as a player-coach.
“It’s a dream come true to get back out and play, even though my body sucks,” says Junior. “Because I’m out there with them it’s not like he’s telling us what to do. I’m showing them what to do and that means more.”
The Outlaws sit atop the MLL standings at 6-1 to start the season, and they’re not slowing down any time soon.”
“Being able to represent the place that I grew up, I don’t think it’s settled in,” says Runberg.
