BUILDING BLOCKS: Offensive Line

Offensive linemen lead the way for high-profile players They're not your typical football players. They don't receive glory or accolades. You probably wouldn't even recognize one if you passed him on Locust Walk. They don't get their names in the paper very often, and you probably wouldn't even know their names if they did. They're offensive linemen --Ethe most vital asset to this year's Quaker offense. "The kids on the offensive line are different kids," offensive coordinator Chuck Priore said. "They don't get their names in the paper?.It's too bad?but who cares if the newspapers respect you." In fact, when a Philadelphia paper recently came to talk to the Penn captains, the reporters jumped to interview defensive end Mike Turner and running back Terrance Stokes. But the reporters all but ignored starting all-everything center Pete Giannakoulis. "Lineman is a forgotten position," Stokes said. "Everyone tends to overlook the linemen. I try, on each occasion I can, to congratulate them for a job well done." This season, with an inexperienced quarterback leading the Quakers, Stokes expects to have even more opportunities to thank his line for clearing his path to the promised land. But with new quarterback Mark DeRosa coming in, the pressure is on the offensive line to protect him. "Last year, we were very inexperienced," Priore said. "I think the kids did a good job, but I don't think by any means they were a dominant offensive line. We just did what we needed to do. I think this year we should take a little pressure off the other positions." And the men responsible for relieving the pressure begin right in the middle with Giannakoulis. The senior co-captain is a two-year starter who was named first team all-Ivy last season. In games which he has started, the Quakers have amassed an awesome 17-2 record. "He's our best football player up front," Priore said. "He's got to be one of the top lineman in the league. When you start in the middle and have a good center, I think it helps you on both sides." "It's his fourth year with the program," Stokes said of Giannakoulis. "Each year, he's gotten better. He's been a steady performer for us. It's only right that he be named a captain." Flanking Giannakoulis' sides will be junior Rick Knox, who started seven games last season, and senior Mike Teller. These two well-seasoned veterans will be backed up by three big sophomores -- Sears Wright (6-foot-6, 350 pounds), Matt Julien (6-4, 285) and Mark Fleischhauer (6-0, 232). On the ends, the Quakers return both starting tackles. Juniors Scott Freeman and Bill Glascott expect to continue exactly where they left off last season --Eclearing the way for Stokes' wide sweeps and protecting the quarterback's blind side. If either of these two goes down with an injury, senior Kevin Lozinak is a capable backup with some playing experience. The five starting linemen last season cleared the way for the Penn offense to overwhelm the Ivy League. The Quakers only averaged 408 yards of total offense per contest last season. The line only gave Jim McGeehan enough time to become the most efficient quarterback in the league. These five in the middle of every play made the offense run smoothly, and seemingly effortlessly. "Last year, I think they really performed well," Stokes said. "A lot of our success has to be attributed to them. There's no way I would have run for 1,200 yards and there's no way Jimmy would have the career year he had without those guys. They are definitely an important factor in this offense." And come Saturday, although the public address announcer may not call out their names after every play, they're the ones fighting in the trenches. They're the ones covered in mud. Watch Terrance Stokes, he'll congratulate the right people for his success. After yet another one of his successful running plays, he'll go over and thank an offensive lineman for a great block. And that's all they ask for -- respect.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.