For Zachary Lambert ’25, the road to becoming a Texas State Trooper began with a dream of playing college football and a familiar feeling of home.
When Zachary first came to McMurry University, his goal was to play college football. What he did not initially realize was just how deep his family’s connection to McMurry already ran. Several members of his family had attended McMurry, and growing up, he spent about every other weekend in Abilene because his grandpa is from the area and his family would come visit his Memaw.
Abilene already felt familiar. Then, during his visit to McMurry, something just felt right.
“I knew almost immediately that it was where I wanted to go to college. It felt like home.”
That sense of belonging became the foundation for his college experience. As a student-athlete, Zach learned quickly that college football required much more than what happened on the field. Balancing the demands of football with earning a degree required discipline, time management, and commitment. It also taught him how to keep pushing forward when things became difficult.
Along the way, he found some of the most meaningful parts of his college experience in the people around him. Football introduced him to countless people who became lifelong friends, including some of his best friends to this day.
His favorite memories, though, still center on the field. Competing alongside his teammates, working toward a common goal and experiencing everything that came with being part of a team created memories he continues to appreciate. Off the field, some of those memories were much simpler—living in an apartment with two of his best friends, having friends over, hanging out and making memories together.
“We had a heck of a time,” he says.
The lessons from those years would eventually prepare him for a career he had never originally imagined.
One of the most important lessons Zach took from football was a simple phrase: “If you’re on time, you’re late; if you’re 15 minutes early, you’re on time.”
That mindset has carried significant weight into his professional life. Football taught him that preparation, discipline, and dependability matter. You have to be where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there, and ready to do your job.
Those lessons became especially valuable when he began considering a career in law enforcement.
Growing up, Zach never really had an interest in law enforcement. That changed after conversations with an aunt who had been a Texas State Trooper for about four years. Hearing her talk about helping people, serving her community, and what the job actually consisted of gave him a different perspective on the profession.
At the same time, he realized he was missing the sense of teamwork that had been such an important part of his football experience. When he looked at the Texas Highway Patrol, he saw a team made up of some of the best law enforcement professionals in the state.
“If I want to be part of a team, why not be part of the best law enforcement team in the state of Texas?”
That decision led him to Trooper School, where the discipline and experiences he gained as a student-athlete once again became an important part of his story.
When he first started the academy, Zach approached it with a mindset that was familiar from his football days.
“This is just a really long fall camp.”
There were long days and short days, hot days and cold days, but the expectations were familiar. He already understood the importance of discipline, knowing his assignment, listening to instructions and understanding what was expected of him. That mindset transitioned directly into the Trooper Academy.
During difficult workouts or challenging days, he reminded himself, “You’ve had harder days in football than this.”
Looking back, he never realized just how much playing college football and being part of that environment would prepare him for a career in law enforcement. The connection is clear now. Football taught him how to work as part of a team, stay disciplined, push through adversity, and keep moving forward when things become difficult.
Graduating from Trooper School became one of the greatest accomplishments of his life.
The seven-month experience required significant sacrifice. Zach was away from his family and loved ones, and during those seven months, it could feel like anything that could go wrong would go wrong. He had to learn to trust the people back home to handle things because he was not always able to be there himself.
Those sacrifices, however, were being made for something bigger. He was building a career and working toward providing a better future and a better life for the people he loves.
Now, as he begins his career as a Texas State Trooper, Zach is excited to get out on the road and learn from the many troopers who have experienced so many different situations throughout their careers. He wants to soak up as much knowledge as he can and apply it when he is out on the side of the road serving the public.
His goal is to become the best trooper he can possibly be.
For Zach, that means more than simply doing his job well. Every interaction is an opportunity to leave a lasting, positive impact on someone, whatever that may look like in that moment. More than anything, he wants to give back to the community and serve the people of Texas to the best of his ability.
His journey has taken him a long way from the young man who first arrived at McMurry hoping to play college football. When he arrived, Zach describes himself as “a boy being let loose into the world.” When he left McMurry, he felt like he was a man who knew what he wanted out of life.
He also had a woman by his side who supported him every step of the way, something he says he could not feel more blessed for.
That growth is part of what makes his McMurry experience so meaningful.
Today, Zach is proud to call himself a McMurry alumnus. His connection to the university goes beyond earning a degree; he is carrying on a family legacy as a third-generation McMurry graduate.
Not everyone knows about McMurry, but whenever someone asks where he went to college, he is proud to tell them about McMurry and what his experience there was like. The university gave him much more than a degree. It gave him lifelong friendships, valuable life lessons, and experiences that helped shape the person he is today.
As he begins this next chapter, Zach carries those lessons—and his McMurry legacy—with him.
For current McMurry students pursuing careers that require persistence, discipline, and hard work, his advice comes from experience. There will be days when they want to quit and moments when they question whether what they are pursuing is really what they want. There will be good days and bad days, and they will be tested.
But at the end of the day, it comes down to how badly you want it and what you want to accomplish in life. Remember why you started. Think about your family, or the family you hope to have someday, and the future you want to build.
“Remember why you started, dig deep, and keep pushing forward. Stick with it, because there is always something better waiting on the other side of the hard days.”
For Zach, those hard days have led to a new career, a new opportunity to serve, and another chapter in a McMurry legacy that began long before he ever stepped onto campus.
Do you or an alum you know have a great post-McMurry story? We’d love to feature YOU! Contact the Alumni Office at alumni@mcm.edu to schedule an interview.