Learning Process
July 17, 2006 07:01 PM | General
July 17, 2006
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| Mike Dent |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Miami once made a living off of recruiting tight ends and converting them into offensive tackles and taking high school fullbacks and making them offensive guards. West Virginia is taking a similar approach with guys like Mike Dent, a one-time tight end who is now cutting his teeth at center as Dan Mozes’ backup.
In Dent, West Virginia coaches believe they have a guy athletic enough to play a position that requires a lot of athletic ability.
“Coach (Rick) Trickett saw something in me and that’s why he wanted to move me over,” said Dent. “Just playing basketball and being a tight end helps you out more than if you are just a big guy with strength.”
Years ago, it was easy spotting West Virginia’s offensive linemen walking down the street. Longtime coach Don Nehlen preferred them big and beefy. Today, in order to play in Rich Rodriguez’s no-huddle, spread offense, linemen have to be athletic, aggressive, fast, and intelligent. All four are equal parts.
“There is a lot more (to playing offensive line) than being strong and fast,” Dent admitted. “You’ve got to know football and it’s a lot more than just playing the game.
“The way Coach Trickett teaches us we’ve got to be able to snap and move and you’ve got to take a pretty big step to get there,” Dent said. “You’ve got to be able to move, chase linebackers, scoop, and stuff like that.”
Dent came to West Virginia as multi-purpose athlete who starred at Jeannette High School in both football and basketball. It was on the basketball court that Rodriguez determined Dent had the necessary athletic ability to play for the Mountaineers.
After that, it was just a matter of finding the right place for him to play. The coaching staff first tried him at defensive line before a logjam at that position freed him up to move to offensive line.
“Coming from Jeannette playing tight end and defensive end to now being on the offensive line -- there is a lot of learning,” Dent said.
Dent, now a sophomore, has the luxury of interning this year behind West Virginia’s next All-America candidate in Mozes, whom Dent says he learns something from every day.
“I’m picking up things he’s done and watching him on film has helped me make my game better,” Dent said.
Dent got experience this spring playing center, as well as working some at guard and tackle. Trickett often likes to rotate players at different positions so they get a complete understanding of how the entire offensive line works.
“You’ve got to know what everyone else is doing on the line and know your position also,” Dent said. “Knowing where the linebackers are and putting the guard on the right call … you’ve got to know what you’re doing out there.”
Dent admits it wasn’t easy making shotgun snaps and it has taken him a great deal of work to become consistent with them.
“I’m getting used to it,” Dent said. “At first I had a lot of trouble snapping and once I got that down I love playing center.”
Dent is also getting used to playing for a demanding coach like Rick Trickett.
“He demands a lot more from you like 6 am meetings,” Dent said. “He makes sure we always get what we need done. We’re basically the first guys on the field and the last guys off it.”
Dent says it has been a learning process.
“It’s different playing at a small place like Jeannette to playing here for a guy that is so well known and knows what he’s talking about,” Dent said. “You’ve just got to listen to him and try and take in everything that he tells you.”
Dent, at about 280 pounds, looks like any normal student walking around the WVU campus. Some students have even thought he played linebacker or fullback.
“We don’t all weigh 320 or 330 (pounds),” Dent said. “We’re 280 and 290 and some of us aren’t even that. Our advantage is our speed and our athletic ability.”
Dent explains.
“If you’ve got someone across you who is heavy then you’ve got to use your speed, quickness and athletic ability to make the block,” he said.
It also helps having runners like Pat White, Steve Slaton and Owen Schmitt to block for as well.
“You know you can just get on the block two or three seconds and then they’re by you,” Dent said. “All you’ve got to do is tie them up and they will take care of the rest.”
Presently, Dent is working hard this summer in order to be prepared in case something happens to Mozes.
“I’ve got to get stronger and I’ve got to keep watching film and preparing myself so that when I get out onto the field I’m ready to play and not worry about making mistakes,” he said.
In the meantime, Dent can sit back and learn from one of college football’s top offensive linemen.
“Knowing that we have a guy like that who you can learn so much from … he’s out there taking control of everything and he’s a great player to be around,” Dent said.
