Alabama's Heart and Soul: The Offensive Line

The No-Names. That is generally the love they get from the fans whether at the college level or in the professional leagues. They are the least known of the warriors on the field, but without this group of fine young men there would be no game.

The offensive line is where all the strategy begins. The play cannot begin until the center releases the ball to the quarterback. The quarterback and the skill players have no chance at all to make a play if the offensive line does not hold back the onslaught of the defense for three to six seconds.

But in many cases, that is all it takes to get it done. In that short period of time, an untold amount of energy is consumed and the work produced by these mammoth athletes can bewilder the best of physicists.

What does it take to move 300 pounds at break neck speed with grace and precision? Only God himself really knows.

It is simply miraculous. These men are some of the greatest sights to behold on the football field, working as a well schooled unit, but the glory of their feat is often overlooked because spectators often follow the ball.

The average fan is more interested in watching where the ball goes, not taking in the the most impressive display of human strength that we see in all of sports.

Considering the tight end as a lineman, in a two tight end set, seven of the 11 offensive players on the field make up the offensive line. That leaves four players to "advance the ball" in a down field direction.

Now you know why Bear Bryant loved the wishbone and learned to run it to perfection. He didn't like putting the ball in the air. With the pass play, three things can happen and two of them are bad (incompletion, interception), so why take the chance, he would say.

But as football has evolved as a game and the rules have changed, there is more opportunity to get the ball to the skill players. Many times the line is unbalanced, using one or sometimes no tight end as a means of having more skill players on the field capable of advancing the ball for positive yards.

Yet that puts even more pressure on the offensive line to get the same job done with less manpower. Stunts, blitz packages, and unbalanced rushes add to the pressure of defending the quarterback so he can release the ball. It falls onto the backs of these fine men.

The line responds to their own quarterback. He is at the center position.

At the University of Alabama, the center position is manned by William Vlachos. William was a prep star at Mountain Brook High School in Birmingham, Alabama.

As a senior, Vlachos was named the most valuable lineman at Mountain Brook High by Coach Joey Jones.

He went on to receive additional city and state-wide honors, including Class 6A All-State selection, Super All-State and All-Metro teams by the Birmingham News, and a No. 15 rating in the Mobile Press-Register Elite 18 players in Alabama.

He was ranked 19th nationally at the center position by Scout.com and ninth by Rivals.

Young Vlachos entered the University of Alabama amidst the turmoil of the Shula firing. He leaned on Joe Kines for advice and Coach Kines reassured the prospect that Alabama was the place that he would want to align his pledge, not the coaching staff.

Vlachos later responded to the media when questioned about his commitment, "I had a good relationship with the coaching staff but my commitment is to the University of Alabama." Thanks for that, Coach Kines and Mr. Vlachos, because you have been a winner from the start.

During his freshman year in 2007, Vlachos saw little in the way of playing time. He only appeared in the season opener against Western Carolina. But as a sophomore, his playing time increased dramatically as his value as a substitute lineman was recognized by the coaching staff.

In 2008, he appeared in seven games at the guard and center positions. As the season progressed, so did his value to the team. He began to pick up the intricacies of the center position from his teammate, All-American Antoine Caldwell.

In 2009, Vlachos was awarded the Ozzie Newsome Most Improved Player Award following spring practice. He assumed the starting role as anchor for the offensive line in the ensuing season.

At a time when most questioned the ability of the "new offensive line" following the loss of two All-Americans (and three All-SEC linemen), Vlachos captained one of the most productive lines in the history of the University of Alabama and did his job, in workman-like fashion, leading them to the BCS national championship.

In 2009, the Alabama offense attempted 346 passes, completed 212 receptions, gained 2631 yards, and scored 17 touchdowns against five interceptions. McElroy completed 60.9 percent of his passes yielding an efficiency rating of 140.7.

The 2008 offense led by John Parker Wilson and anchored by Antoine Caldwell yielded a total of 2396 yards passing (187-323) and scored 11 touchdowns against nine interceptions. The quarterback passer rating for the year was 122.3.

The 2009 running game produced 31 touchdowns on 587 carries rushing for 3096 yards. That production bested the production of the All-American line from 2008 which yielded 2585 yards on 568 carries.

Both teams ended the regular season undefeated.

The 2009 offensive line assisted all running backs in averaging 5.27 yards per carry, regardless of who was carrying the ball. The offensive line production paved the way for the eventual Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram.

In the SEC championship game, against The Florida Gators, the offense netted 490 yards, 6.9 yards per play, 251 yards rushing, and 239 yards passing. Time of possession for the Crimson Tide was a whopping 39:37 minutes against 20:23 minutes for the Gators.

And when all honor and glory was on the line against the Texas Longhorns, the offensive line led the way with 205 yards rushing of a total net 263 yards. Rushing accounted for 78 percent of the offensive production.

Once again, time of possession was a key factor in favor of the Crimson Tide. Alabama controlled the ball 33:39 minutes while the Longhorns managed to control the ball only 26:21 minutes of the game.

Vlachos will once again lead the offensive line in 2010. There is depth at the center position with seniors David Ross (6'3", 305 lb) and Brian Motley (6'3", 289 lb); both men are 3V lettermen.

The left tackle position will be held by veteran JUCO transfer James Carpenter (6'5", 300 lb, 1V). Carpenter stepped in for All-American, All-World Andre Smith and it was as if Smith never left. Carpenter protected the blind side of McElroy as well as any other left tackle in the league.

His mobility allowed him to peel away from the line on the receiver screen to Julio Jones in the LSU game, providing the lead block that broke Jones wide open for the 73-yard score.

He is backed up by Tyler Love (6'6", 304 lb) and Taylor Pharr (6'6", 285 lb). Love, another Mountain Brook graduate, was Parade All-American, ESPN top 150, No. 5 top player in the state, and ranked the No. 30 overall top player in the country by Sports Illustrated. Pharr, a Shades Valley graduate, ranked as the No. 2 lineman in Alabama and 11th nationally during his senior campaign.

At left guard, sophomore Chance Warmack (6'3", 300 lb) will likely get the nod. During his senior year at Westlake High School in Atlanta, Warmack averaged seven pancake blocks per game, was the No. 16 offensive lineman in the country rated by Scout.com, rated as Atlanta Journal-Constitution top 150, and listed as All-American in Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report.

Warmack competes with Anthony Steen (6'3", 292 lb) and Allen Skelton (6'1", 270) for the left guard position. Steen played on offense and defense in high school, and was rated as No. 26 at guard by Rivals and No. 39 at defensive tackle by ESPNU. The versatile freshman will likely platoon the position with Warmack in 2010.

At right tackle, Alabama fans will get the chance to chant for phenom D.J. Fluker. At 6'6" and 340 lb, this manchild will be a sight to behold on the college gridiron. There are some who say he is probably the most athletic of all the lineman for the Crimson Tide. His arrival to the Alabama campus was highly anticipated in 2008.

Because of the great play by the line in 2009, Fluker was able to don a redshirt and will be playing as a freshman in 2010. He is backed by junior Alfred McCullough (6'2", 309, 1V) and Austin Sheppard (6'5", 307 lb, Fr).

And at right guard sophomore Barrett Jones and junior John Michael Boswell are battling for the starting position. Boswell (6'5", 291) has two varsity letters. Playing as a freshman at right tackle he logged time in eight games, one of only 16 true freshmen getting playing time during the undefeated regular season.

Barrett Jones (6'4", 301) took a redshirt in 2008 due to a season ending shoulder injury. He participated in three games prior to the injury. In 2009, He logged extensive playing time at guard and tackle, as did Boswell. They are both seasoned veterans.

They are joined by RS freshman Kellen Williams (6'3", 307), adding size, depth, and talent to the guard position. As a senior out of Brookwood High in Lawrenceville, Ga, Williams was ranked the No. 35 player in the state of Georgia and the No. 28 offensive tackle prospect in the country.

These players are ready to set their own goals. They have a high bar before them set by men who have paved the way for their success. The 2010 Alabama Crimson Tide offensive line will be fun to watch.

Be sure to take note of their success and acknowledge their contribution when their picture is flashed on the monitors as the players are announced during the pregame festivities. They are truly the unsung heroes of the gridiron.