The Evolution of the Offensive lineman part 1

The evolution of the Offensive Lineman Pt. 1-The Basics

Offensive linemen face the un-glorious task of hitting their opposition - whether it's the defensive line or a pass rushing linebacker - at least 80 times a game. Despite all of the changes in offensive schemes, the lineman's job has always been the constant. That is not to say that the prototypical size and training regiment remain unchanged. The evolution of football has enacted changes in the ideal height, weight, and athleticism of the ideal offensive lineman. And because of different pass and run blocking techniques, there is a split over what defines ideal size and weight. Some linemen, who weigh as much as 350 pounds, are able to run a 40-yard dash in under 5 seconds. Other linemen may be as light as 285 to 300 pounds and may be quick enough to keep pace with some linebackers.

Not all offensive linemen start out "in the pit." Many linemen start out at other positions and get converted either in high school or early in college. Some offensive linemen start out as defensive line players or sometimes as tight ends. Then, at some point, a position coach notices the player's size or how he comes out of his stance. Certain physical attributes could lead the coach to believe that the player has an aptitude toward the type of techniques and the physical ability to withstand the contact to make a stellar offensive lineman. That type of selectiveness was not always thought necessary when it came to the offensive line. In the "golden" days of the game, the bigger you were the more likely you were selected to play "in the pit."

Until the late 1970's, most offensive linemen topped out around 250 to 265 pounds. In fact one player from the early 60's, Giants offensive guard Darrell Dess once remarked he would be fined $25 for every pound he was over the limit. Dess remarked that in those days, his weight limit was 257 pounds. He would regularly report to training camp over his assigned weight.

As athletic training evolved, trainers learned how to condition large players to have excellent strength, quickness and stamina without necessarily losing their mass. In order to match up physically with progressively bigger and bigger defenders, offensive linemen had to get bigger as well. As blitz packages and base defensive schemes grew more complex, and linemen facing more multiple assignments, linemen had to get bigger but had to stay quick as well. These days 285 pounds is considered the absolute minimum weight for an offensive lineman, with most playing well above 320 pounds at the pro level. An example of this trend is Raiders offensive tackle Robert Gallery who measures 6'7-1/2" and currently tips the scale at 332 pounds.

In the college ranks, many linemen are somewhat smaller. A typical lineman at a smaller college might weigh 265 pounds as a freshman, and maybe 275-285 as a senior, while at the bigger colleges, linemen are closer to pro weights. One example of a successful lineman at a smaller College is Columbia's left tackle Matt Barsamian , who is 6'5" and weighs in at 278 pounds. His eventual successor, freshman Moose Veldman, is 6'3" and 300 pounds. The current trend in the college ranks is to recruit heavier linemen whenever possible. Some current linemen in the NFL may tip the scales at less then 300 pounds, but this is very rare. Many college coaches are instructed not to scout or recruit offensive linemen weighing less then 290 pounds during their recruiting trips.

The recruiting practices employed by these colleges are not necessarily a direct translation to the requirements of the pro game. For example, the lightest linemen on the Dallas Cowboys current roster are listed at about 305 pounds: guard Cory Procter and tackle Kyle Kosier. Yet the Denver Broncos have only three offensive linemen that check in at over 300 pounds. Broncos guard Cooper Carlisle is 6'5" and only 295 pounds. The center lined up next to Carlisle, Tom Nalen, is 6'4" but weighs only 286 pounds. While it appears that Denver has linemen of insufficient size, the difference between Denver and Dallas illustrates the aforementioned split in the ideal size.


The style of line play each team employs dictates the ideal size and quickness required of their respective players. The Broncos are more of a pulling and trap blocking team in their running game. In other words, the linemen are sometimes called upon to pull back from their position on the line and run a sweep around the end of the line to clear room for the running back. This scheme requires faster linemen who are lighter on their feet. The Cowboys are more of a straight-ahead drive blocking team, which would require larger players at the position since they block down (inside) more often then they block up (outside).

In the next installment, we will look at how we got from a 1960's lineman like Darrell
Dess at 6'2" and 257 pounds, to today's Robert Gallery, and the Coaches who train Football's Largest Players to move like Dancers. We will also talk about some of the up and coming offensive linemen from the last three draft classes, and why it takes 3 to 5 seasons for an Offensive lineman to fully mature in the NFL.