Why would anybody want to play the position of Center on a football team? The guy never gets to run with or catch the ball, never gets any glory.He just stands his ground, gets shoved around and trampled on by the attacking players. Doesn’t seem like much fun to me.
I suppose the pros make a lot of money, but to get there, you have to suffer years in high school and college teams, getting trampled on, with no rewards. When we are kids,we all have fantasies of being a star, winning the big game. But does anybody ever daydream about being the Center on the winning team at the super bowl?
Well, if you like football but you weigh 325 pounds, the glamour positions aren’t an option. Center may not look like a glory position, but playing a sport is better than standing on the sidelines. It’s no worse than weightlifting.
Actually, it’s better; although they just look like they’re getting trampled, the offensive linemen DO run blocking patterns. They have to follow plans and run plays. It’s a challenge, just like any other sport.
It’s a challenging position, and one of extreme importance to the offense. Not only is the center responsible for passing the ball to the QB, but he’s also got to immediately recover to keep the 300-pound troglodyte on steroids from coming across on the frail lil’ QB (without grabbing him and drawing a holding penalty,) AND he forms the focal point of the offensive line. If the center gets beaten, 9 times out of ten it’s a sack, no questions asked…especially if the QB is working from “under center.”
It’s a tough, disciplined position. They have to go in play after play after play and take the full force of the Plug-Uglies on D…usually double- and sometimes triple-teamed or more. The center nearly always gets it from a nose-guard and at least one defensive tackle…to say nothing of those times that the D is lined up showing full blitz and he has the linebackers just waiting to shoot a center-guard gap while he’s busy trying to hold off a mountain of sweaty flesh.
I’m certainly not saying that the other offensive line jobs aren’t tough. No way. But the center’s job is tougher. He’s usually standing in the shortest path from the defensive line to the QB, and he’s got to hold that path closed.
That said, it’s a hell of a lot of fun, and a great power trip if you’re having a good game. You can be beat up, bleeding, and sweaty, but when you step up to the line and you know you can control it, the defensive players learn to fear you. It’s a satisfying feeling when the other team starts moving guys out of the melee because the opposite coach KNOWS they can’t handle you.
I loved it. Granted, my favorite position was defensive line, because I loved getting through and getting my hands on Mama’s Pwecious Little QB, but center was a lot of fun.
Those centers are tough! In HS, I was special teams and linebacker (apparantly because of being mildly retarded. Really. Coach tells me “Son, you got no regard for the physical safety of yourself or anyone else on the field, welcome to Special Teams”), and on plays where we blitzed, I lined up over or near center. Standing, usually (sometimes I lined up as another down lineman.) Pawing at the turf. I would even snarl and drool. (Yes, really. Psych 'em out, right? Weird coaches, actually.) And that big ole doof would STILL be able to block me! Sure, not every time. But, even a glancing blow might give all the time the QB needs to get off that pass. Only once did I ass-plant the center. Damn tough bastards. (The delay blitz worked better.) And don’t get me started on those blocking backs…mumble, mumble, mumble…
Offensive lineman have to be the quickest-witted guys on the field. They have to memorize more plays and schemes than anyone with the possible exception of the QB himself. The center has to do all that AND snap the ball with precision on every single down PLUS accomplish all his pass- and run-blocking duties with about three-fourths of a second less reaction time than all the other guys on the line due to having had to snap the ball first.
That doesn’t speak to the question of motivation, but it’s not debatable that it’s a challenging position to play both physically and mentally.
The linemen are the unsung heros of football. I played offensive Tackle and Defensive Nose Guard in high school since I was one of the three biggest guys in school. Although I loved Defense, offense was more challenging because you have to be at the same time Very focused on your job, Very aware of what’s going on both with the defense in front of you and the little guys behind you and you never ever get a break. Ever. I played almost every play of every game both offense and defence because there was just no substitute for my physical size, they just didn’t have anybody else. It didn’t help that I played for a relatively small private school against ultra HUGE public schools with guys on their teams who looked like they were on the 7 year graduation plan. ;>
I never played center(not big enough) but I was a DB and saw what they do. It may not be glamorous, but centers have a tough, demanding job and believe me, if the fans don’t appreciate what they do, their teamates do. They don’t get the credit a lot of the time, but without good O-Lineman, teams don’t win.
What the other guys said. Interior offensive linemen are the salt of the earth and the heart of any football team worthy of the name. Any other player with the wit to recognize that will tell you so. Despite the lack of glamor interior positions can be fun. Nothing I have ever done matches the feeling of quiet pride and accomplishment of playing in a well conditioned, disciplined and coordinated offensive line–except maybe a pancake block on a blitzing safety. You get to eat a lot, too.
hey, cut me some slack. I also played center in hockey and midfield in Lacrosse. I took enough hits in the winter and spring, please allow me the pleasure of remembering the ones I delivered in the fall:D .
what everyone else above said and this. centers are to the offensive line what the qb is to the backs and receivers, and what the safety is to the defense. he has to look at the defensive line, recognize what they’re doing and how they’re lined up, and make the call telling how the rest of the offensive line is to block.
personally, i preferred playing defense, but my reasons why might shed some light on why it’s fun to be the down lineman. my favorite play in college, freshman year, was on scout team, i was playing the opposing team’s defense, and i was a blitzing linebacker. our star running back came to fill the gap i was blitzing. i’d seen this kid catch a pass over the middle, get decked immediately by a safety, and have the safety bounce off his waste, so i had respect for him. that made it even better. i blitzed, he blocked, and i drove my face right into his chest, a little bit toward his one shoulder. he crumpled backward and fell over, and i kept going to the qb. if i was allowed to hit him, i would’ve, and it was a blast crumpling our star runningback. anyway, that may appear to have nothing to do with being a center, but you get to deck someone on every play. which is a fun aspect of football.
so yeah, everyone who’s played football for a while knows that the o-line is the heart of the offense, and the center is the heart of the o-line. plenty of glamour and glory from the people that count, your teammates. and as much responsibility as any player on the field.
Old guy, 50 pounds overweight, balding under his fiberglass helmet, panting under the unaccustomed weight of pads, laboriously drops into a three point stance. “47 Mike Trap Red on two, what the hell is that” he thinks as he rolls the ball to grip the laces. He looks up through sweat fogged glasses and sees, not 12 inches from his face what appears to be a mountain gorilla likewise crouched and panting. Something slaps his crotch and a high pitch voice starts to chant “Set. Down. Hut. Hut.” The old guy swings the ball up to his rectum and lurches forward. A great weight crashes down on his head and back. His knees collapse. Darkness descends. “I’m way too old for this” he thinks as the turf come up to meet his face. There is a taste of blood and mud in his mouth. He gets up groaning and stagers off waiving one arm in the air and shouting “Huddle, huddle, huddle.”
