Smaller schools having trouble finding athletes to play in the trenches

Edward Hayes is a 6-foot-1, 205-pound offensive tackle at Coronado High. In an effort to recruit more linemen for the Islanders, he coaxed a couple bigger students to watch a practice. In one drill, Hayes and his fellow O linemen drove a blocking sled 100 yards, from goal line to goal line.

Later, Hayes asked the prospective linemen if they’d like to suit up.

Citing the sled drill, one of the teenagers said, “Nope, I don’t want to do that.”

Turns out plenty of preps are passing on becoming offensive linemen. In a random poll of more than a dozen coaches throughout the county, offensive line has become the most difficult area to fill, particularly at schools with smaller enrollments.

“Without a question,” said Mount Miguel coach Troy Starr. “One hundred million percent.”

“Everybody’s searching for linemen,” said Lincoln coach David Dunn.

Added Coronado coach Kurt Hines, “I don’t think there’s a coach in the country who hasn’t tried to talk a wanna-be fullback into being a lineman.”

The problem is not San Diego Section wide. Coaches at traditional football powers Mission Hills, Helix and Eastlake say they’re not having problems lining up guards and tackles. But besides tradition, those schools benefit from enrollments that range from about 2,500 to 3,100.

At smaller schools, bigger kids are just saying no to blocking. Coaches cited three primary reasons for the shortage:

<bullet><TH>Fewer numbers of football players in general.

<bullet><TH>Many teens being enamored with football’s glorified positions, like quarterback, running back and wide receiver.

<bullet><TH>With the technological proliferation of cellphones, computer games and 1,000 TV stations, many teenagers simply don’t like the hard work it takes to become a lineman.

Of the latter factor, Starr said, “It’s a sport where you have to embrace the hard. And nowadays, I’ve been saying this for years, difficult means you reset the button on your video game.”

According to the California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body for high school sports in the state, in 2006 there were 107,916 prep football players in California. That figure for 2017: 94,286, a drop of 12.6 percent.

Fewer bodies translate to fewer linemen, which becomes magnified at smaller schools.

Meanwhile, on TV, in magazines, in newspapers, in social media, quarterbacks throwing tight spirals, running backs busting tackles and wide receivers imitating ballet dancers along the sideline draw ratings and Twitter followers.

Said Coronado’s Grant McMillen, an undersized 6-foot, 175-pound guard, “In social media, skill players like Odell Beckham Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster, kids want to be those guys.”

As part of its 2018 high school football preview, the Union-Tribune ran a list of 129 players to watch. Only 15 were offensive linemen, 11.6 percent. There were 56 quarterbacks and running backs listed, 43.4 percent.

If bigger kids can’t play the glamour positions, as Lincoln’s Dunn said, “They can create themselves on video games as wide receivers or running backs.”

Regarding the dearth of linemen, Dunn said, “I think it’s just a lack of activity.”

Starr, who teaches physical education at Helix, agrees.

“These are the weakest and most overweight kids in the history of mankind,” said Starr. (According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the obesity rate for children has tripled since the 1970s.) “It’s because of technology. You ask kids if they ever climb a tree and they look at you like you’re crazy.”

From high school through the NFL, offensive linemen are often the closest knit unit on teams. They pride themselves on their anonymity and hard work.

“There’s a ruggedness to it,” said Mira Mesa tackle Ethan Nelson. “You can get a lot of aggression and anger out.”

Asked what he likes about the position, McMillan, Coronado’s 175-pound guard said “It’s just nasty.”

Edward Hill stands 6-feet-3 and weighs 300 pounds, down from 320 when he was a 5-11 freshman. He plays offensive tackle at Valley Center. His coach, Rob Gilster, now in his 30th season as a high school head coach, said Hill is one of the best linemen he has ever coached.

At that size, it’s not like Hill was ever a budding wide receiver. But even by personality, Hill was drawn to the position.

“Ever since I was little,” said Hill, “my mom always told me to protect someone. I’ve grown up doing it. Offensive line is just natural to me and I loved it.”

Hill and his linemates are close, often dining out together. Their favorite type restaurants?

“Buffets,” said Hill.

Mira Mesa coach Chris Thompson supplied maybe the funniest line about why there aren’t more offensive linemen. Said Thompson, “In the history of the world, nobody has ever said, ‘Why don’t you come over to my back yard and let’s hit a sled?’

Ray Ortiz is a 5-11, 211-pound center for Thompson’s Marauders. Ortiz has spotted big kids on campus, pitched them on playing offensive line. The kids typically say, “I’ll think about it,” then never show up.

Said Ortiz, “They just don’t want to play.”

NFL ALUM CITES REGIONAL TREND

Willie Anderson played 13 years in the NFL and was a four-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle. Now 43, Anderson owns and operates the Willie Anderson Lineman Academy. He runs nationwide clinics for linemen, offers private lessons and is hired by NFL teams to instruct linemen.

To Anderson, the issue of fewer teenagers wanting to play offensive line at many San Diego Section schools is a regional trend.

“If you ask someone from the heartland, say Ohio, what positions do you see coming out of California and they’ll say quarterbacks and receivers,” said Anderson. “But in the South, offensive linemen are stars. Everyone knows Nick Saban’s going to beat your ass with these big offensive and defensive linemen.”

Norcross is a freelance writer.