Shawn Jones is in his tenth season as the radio play-by-play voice of Mules football, basketball and baseball. In addition to his radio and television duties as host of Sportspage, he is UCM's Associate Athletic Director for External Relations in charge of marketing, promotions, media relations, fund-raising events and special events. Greg Hassler is in his ninth season as the sideline reporter and pre and post-game host for Mules broadcasts. He is the Sports Director of flagship stations 1450 KOKO and The Bar 98.5 FM. Joe Moore and Bob Jackson will provide color analysis this season and Moore will also contribute to this column. Jackson has been a part of the UCM broadcast team since 1981 and is UCM's Athletics Promotions Coordinator and Web Manager. Moore is a former Mules football player and UCM Athletic Media Relations Director. He is now an instructor in UCM's Department of Communication.

  by Joe Moore
  Central Football Radio Analyst
  September 16, 2009

 

Offensive Linemen – The REAL skill-position players

As I sat watching the New England-Buffalo game on television Monday night, it finally hit me. Yes, John Madden, I have finally seen the light.

The commentators were noting how New England left tackle Matt Light was having his way with the Bills’ right defensive end Aaron Schobel. Light goes 6-4, 305 while Schobel weighs in at 243. Now, I can understand clearly how Light would win a wrestling match. I can see where, one-on-one in a 3-foot by 5-foot tunnel Light could pound Schobel into submission. But this was a pass play. Schobel was coming up the field, running forward, with speed and aggression and on a mission to sack New England quarterback Tom Brady.

Light, meanwhile, had to get his massive body moving backwards and still maintain a low center of gravity so he could move left, then right to thwart Schobel’s attack. He deftly threw a left to Schobel’s chest to stop the initial attack, used a Fred Astaire-esqe shuffle to his left to force Schobel outside, and Brady completed yet another pass across the middle for the first down.

Now, that may sound like a long diatribe, but it was in this sequence and in this analysis that it hit me: Offensive linemen are the REAL skill-position players in football. From the time I started playing football in the fourth grade until my career ended as a senior for the Mules in 1991, I played a “skill position.” I was a running back, then a tight end and ultimately a safety. Yes, we had to be able to run full speed, turn and catch a football with a defender in our faces.

Okay, so we had to track down wide receivers, run stride-for-stride with them, turn and see the football and bat it away. Sure, we had to meet 215-pound running backs with a full head of steam. I’m not saying that doesn’t take skill. but watching the game Monday night, and really actually watching the line play in every game I watched this weekend, I gained a whole new respect for the efforts of offensive linemen.

Oh, sure I’ve thought of how much effort and talent it takes before. It’s just that something clicked last night. If you haven’t noticed, offensive linemen have gotten bigger over the past 10 years. Defensive linemen, on the other hand, have gotten smaller. While you may think this plays into the offense’s favor in the run game, think again. There are so many technical run blitzes now it’s not even funny. Teams are now employing bigger linebackers and safeties who stunt on virtually every play. Who picks these guys up? The offensive linemen. And then, on passing downs, these little squirts come at the quarterback like so many kindergarteners on a lollypop. But the great offensive lines are deft at swatting the assault aside.

Tom Brady is a good quarterback, but I watched in awe last night as he dropped back and stood completely flat-footed while reading his favorite novel, writing Gisele a love note, and whipping up his favorite snack before throwing the football. It was incredible. That offensive line, more than Wes Welker and Randy Moss, is why Matt Cassel looked so good last year and why he will struggle in 2009.

Think back to the late ‘90s, early 200s when the Denver Broncos seemed to turn out a different 1,200-yard rusher every year. For crying out loud, Mike Anderson was a 27-year-old former Marine when, in his rookie year behind that vaunted line in Denver, he rushed for almost 1,500 yards and was named Rookie of the Year.

Emmitt Smith was outstanding, but he was not better than Barry Sanders. How many yards to you think Barry would have finished with behind the behemoths in Dallas instead of the Lilliputians in Detroit?

This Saturday, when the Mules and Gorillas square off at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field, there will be some talented ball carriers and receivers on display. By all means, watch in wonder at the athleticism on display. But while your doing so, take a few plays here and there to admire the efforts of the offensive lines, for it is THEIR efforts that will decide the game.

"View From The Press Box" is published every Wednesday throughout the football season.