Dan Goodspeed
CFL.ca
They say football is the ultimate team sport. All three phases, offense, defense, and special teams must complement each other in order to have success on the field. Within the three phases, you could group each unit by themselves such as the linebacking corps or the receiving corps. Now all the players in these groups must work together in order for a play to work successfully, such as receivers running a certain route combination to bust a zone defense or linebackers filling in the proper gaps to take them away from the offense. But all that said, no group on the field has to work more in sync than the offensive line.
Offensive linemen are referred to as many things: the beef eaters, the buffet destroyers, the fat guys, and my favorite, the hogs. Most commonly we are referred to as the group up front. These men are five members who seem to have no names because the sum of the group is more important than the parts. Each must work seamlessly together to be successful. The amount of communication and teamwork that go into one play is an enormous feat in itself, and as the offensive line goes so does the offense. This is why I like being an offensive lineman.
Not many kids grow up saying they want to block. Most of the time they want to throw the winning touchdown or make the highlight reel because of an amazing circus catch. I myself started off as a tight end, but there was a need for a tackle at Kent State and my coach saw a frame that could grow and feet that could pass protect. So the conversion from a tight end to an offensive lineman happened. I really found the attributes of a lineman to my liking.
There is a certain mentality that goes along with being an offensive lineman. You must be able to remain calm, interpret the play from the quarterback, get to the line of scrimmage, and diagnose the defense. You have to think about what the defense is trying to do, what we are trying to do, and what line calls need to be made to make the play effective. At the snap of the ball play, you must use all the rage and violence possible to enforce your will on the man in front of you to make the play work. After the play is over and you make your way back to the huddle, you must refocus yourself so you can think of what the defender and the defense did to counter your actions so you can adapt and make the next play work. It’s this temperament of an offensive lineman that I find engaging.
I also enjoy the work ethic that is associated with being an offensive lineman. I think every coach that I’ve had, on the first day of practice, has said, “We are gonna work”. And work we did. I think on any practice field you will always see linemen in motion, very rarely do you ever see this group standing idle on the field. Whether it be walking through plays or working on the ever important footwork, the work never stops. And not to mention the additional time spent in the weight room and the extra film work needed to know your opponent.
The discipline that is required to be a lineman is something out of the ordinary. Line play is a very technical position. So many times the difference between a successful play and a tackle for a loss or a sack comes down to a foot step that was an inch too wide or too short. The footwork needs to be perfect and it needs to be perfect for all five of us at the same time. A lot of time during our practice day goes into perfecting our footwork to make sure that come game time, each step looks the same from kickoff to the final gun.
I like the off-field mental work we do as linemen, which during the season entails breaking down game film. Many people don’t realize that some defenses and D-lineman give away what they are going to do before they even do it. Making a discovery like this can be fun, but the only way for someone to figure that out is through time spent watching film.
The teamwork and trust you must have on the offensive line is atypical compared to other positions. There are many times when you’re blocking and you can’t see your fellow lineman next to you but you have to pass a defensive lineman to him on faith, knowing that he will get this assignment. And most importantly, you have to trust the center is making the right line call to put everyone in the best position to succeed.
Even though we don’t often make the highlight films, I think everyone knows the line finds great satisfaction in a game in which we have a running back with over 100 yards rushing or a game where no sacks were given up. And there is nothing more satisfying than watching the film from the previous game as a unit and seeing one of us make a good block that just has to be rewound and viewed over again.
Dan Goodspeed is one of the premier offensive tackles in the CFL. He was the East Division Outstanding Lineman in 2007 and is the anchor for an impressive Winnipeg Blue Bombers O-line.
