Shining in the Dark: Linemen Miss Glory but Make Stars of Runners and Quarterbacks

Offensive linemen spend their days working in obscurity so that others can bask in the limelight. They are the foot soldiers of football, doing their deeds down in the dirt.

“It’s not a glamorous life,” said Banning High School tackle Bob Whitfield. “You’re doing mostly all the work for no credit. It’s like a position where not many people notice you.”

The few times that linemen do get noticed, they are usually cast in a negative light. A quarterback crumples to the ground, or a yellow flag comes fluttering out of the referee’s pocket. Then a finger is pointed at the big fellows.

It’s no wonder most young players try to hide when the coach is looking for a few good linemen.

“Most people don’t want to play the line because you don’t get the (publicity),” said Carson High tackle Morris Unutoa. “They want the glory.”

“The offensive line is usually the last choice for players,” Whitfield said. “They figure the only way to get their name in the paper is by doing something spectacular besides blocking.”

If that’s what Whitfield and Unutoa thought, they figured wrong.

Whitfield, who stands 6-6 and weighs 270 pounds, made all-City last year as a junior, and Street & Smith magazine has tabbed him one of the top 50 players in the country.

“He’s a big kid with pretty good agility,” said Dick Lascola, head of the Scouting Evaluation Assn. in Fallbrook. “He has quick feet. A kid that tall who can move that fast is a good prospect. He’s a very young football player with tremendous tools.”

Unutoa is another tackle with good tools. His size--6-3, 240 pounds--has caught the eyes of college coaches. But they have also noticed the way the senior uses his size.

“He’s a big, physical kid,” Lascola said. “He runs well and he’s aggressive. He’s a very tough, tough football player with a lot of potential.”

Both Carson Coach Gene Vollnogle and Banning Coach Joe Dominguez are counting on that potential to be fulfilled this season. If fans don’t notice the importance of lineman, coaches do. Success starts up front.

“I don’t care how great a back you are, you’re not going to be successful or consistent without a fine offensive line,” Dominguez said. “Once or twice a game, a back will create something on his own. But the rest of the time it’s the offensive line creating something for him.”

Clearing the path to pay dirt is what makes the dirty work worthwhile for Whitfield and Unutoa. They know their role, and they accept it. They even like it.

“Sometimes I wish I could play fullback, especially when we’re on the 1-yard line or we need a first down,” Unutoa said. “But I’m happy opening the holes for them. Playing the line can really be fun. I like trying my best to beat the person in front of me. It’s a challenge.”

Said Whitfield: “At first I didn’t like it because it wasn’t a star spot. I wanted to play where everybody is looking at you. But once you start playing the position you like it. It feels good when you make a good block.”

Whitfield and Unutoa sound as if they’re lobbying for others to join them on the line. But there once was a time when they shied away from the trenches. Whitfield didn’t even want to play football.

“Basketball was my first love,” Whitfield said. “I always dreamed of playing for the Lakers. Me and Magic.”

Whitfield’s dream changed the first time his coach had to look up to speak to him and decided that such size shouldn’t be wasted. The same was true of Unutoa. His idea of being a fullback changed to that of being the fullback’s handyman.

The negative thoughts about playing on the line faded when Whitfield and Unutoa discovered that obscurity didn’t have to be dull. Linemen don’t get to score touchdowns. But they do get to hit people.

“You have to be aggressive just like a defensive man,” Whitfield said. “You have to put the other guy on his back. You have to be an animal. It’s fun.”

For Unutoa, that meant changing his easy-going nature--and not just during full moons. Linemen have to be animals every play of every game.

“Off the field I like to be mellow, but on the field it’s a different story,” Unutoa said. “When I’m on the field I don’t have any friends. The guy in front of me is the enemy. I want to kill the guy. I like to run the guy over, take him off his feet.”

“He’s a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Vollnogle said, thankful for Unutoa’s change in demeanor when the whistle blows. Now he has a tackle who can anchor the line and lead the Colts coming out of the backfield.

“In my estimation, he’s one of the better linemen that this school has ever had,” Vollnogle said. “He has great quickness, gets off the ball really well, has outstanding strength. I can’t imagine a high school kid being a better pass blocker than Morris.

“Some schools keep track of ‘decleaters’ where a guy knocks another guy on his back. If we had that kind of deal here, I’m sure he would hold the record. He really is awesome.”

Dominguez has equal praise for his big Pilot, Whitfield.

“He moves so well for his size,” Dominguez said. “Most high school players that big are heavy-legged and don’t move well. Their body coordination hasn’t caught up with their age. Bob’s agility is what makes him a Division I prospect.”

Major colleges agree. Whitfield has been getting recruiting letters from schools all over the country: Notre Dame, Michigan, Syracuse, Miami, Florida State, Alabama and others.

Unutoa’s mailman has been busy also. UCLA, USC, Arizona and Colorado have shown the most interest so far.

All the attention off the field from college scouts is another compensation for the lack of attention on the field from the fans. In fact, Whitfield said linemen have to manage their egos just like quarterbacks.

“People are always hyping you up,” Whitfield said. “You have to be careful because it’s easy to get big-headed. You have to get your priorities straight.”

For a lineman, the first priority is whacking the guy in front of him. That’s usually the second priority, too. It’s not a spot in the spotlight, but somebody has to do it.

“Sometimes you have to feel like ‘he made that TD because of me,’ ” Whitfield said. “You have to have self-respect. Nobody else might say anything, but you pat yourself on the back.

“Sometimes I get the feeling of no respect. But most of the time I’m proud to be an offensive lineman. If you get the job done, people respect you for being on the team. That’s good enough.”

Good enough for Banning and Carson.