The Guys Nobody Sees

I’ve been watching some of these JV offensive linemen play for three years now, and one of the coolest things has been seeing how much they’ve grown. Not just physically, but as football players.

I see them working. I see their technique improving, their confidence growing, and their understanding of how to work together as a unit getting better every week.

Being an offensive lineman might be the hardest, most thankless, most under-recognized, and most critical jobs on a football field.

Nobody puts together a highlight reel of a guard creating a running lane. Nobody in the stands is yelling, “HELL YEAH, GREAT BLOCK”

But that block is likely be the reason the running back just ripped off 40 yards.

The quarterback's long pass? Somebody bought him time.

The big touchdown run? Somebody opened the hole.

The receiver’s catch after having time to get downfield? Somebody kept a linebacker off of the quarterback.

The big play everyone celebrates usually starts with a group of guys doing a job most people never notice.

That’s what I love about the offensive line. They don’t get the ball. They don’t show up in the stat sheet. They don’t get much recognition.

They just line up and do their job.

Then they do it again.

And again.

Watching these guys improve over the last three years has been pretty damn cool. They’re still learning, still making mistakes, and still getting better. But the progress is there, and you can see it.

And someday soon, when these guys are playing varsity and making the big plays everyone notices, I’ll know how much work went into getting them there.

So here’s to the offensive line. The guys who do the dirty work, make the big plays possible, and rarely get the credit they deserve.