Taking Charge
July 17, 2009 10:17 AM | General
July 17, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – It is a well known fact that playing offensive line is one of the most physically demanding jobs in sports. For redshirt junior center Eric Jobe, the task of playing on the 2009 West Virginia front line will also carry a tremendous mental burden as he handles several roles and responsibilities.
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| Center Eric Jobe is expected to be one of the leaders of the offensive line this year.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo |
Buoyed by his impressive stint as a starter in 2008, Jobe is a veteran among a relatively youthful unit of trench players. He looks at himself as the group’s primary facilitator during games, making critical calls to combat the blitz, while helping to engineer a cohesive and tight-knit bond between veteran and freshman offensive linemen.
“They’re looking up to me, Selvish (Capers), Matt Timmerman and Jon Walko because we’re really the older guys,” Jobe said of guiding the young linemen. “We have a really young offensive line so they’re looking at us and learning and they’re a good group of guys.”
Jobe’s role has expanded exponentially from one season ago, when he filled in admirably for the injured Mike Dent and helped the Mountaineers average nearly 180 yards rushing in their final five games. Having made his first career start against Cincinnati, Jobe joined a seasoned offensive line that produced the nation’s 15th-best rushing offense.
When WVU hosts Liberty in its season opener, Jobe admits that the starting five will have plenty of pressure to get the job done. But the La Plata, Md., native will also do his best to better prepare the second and third team linemen when their time arrives.
“I really don’t know who the backups are right now. No one after me has really played,” Jobe admitted. “We had Gino (Gradkowski) here for two years and he never got on the field and decided to leave, but we got two strong guys behind me in Joey Madsen and Jordan Weingart. They’re working hard this summer. They can both shotgun snap, but it’ll be interesting to see when they get in there for the first time.”
Jobe says he is prepared to play nearly the whole game if needed, but has the goal of getting around 50 snaps a game to give the other backups some field time. It wasn’t too long ago when he was sitting in their shoes, not knowing when he would get his chance to compete against athletes that dwarfed the size of his high school competition.
Now that he has stepped in and played for a prolonged period of time, Jobe believes that he is even more prepared for this season as the team’s starting center.
“I think it was imperative because I’m coming into this season with that experience,” Jobe said of earning significant playing time in 2008. “I got those first game jitters out so now I’m coming into the season knowing what to expect and knowing how to prepare.”
A major aspect of Jobe’s job is being the eyes and ears of the offensive line. He makes several blocking calls based on the defensive schemes he sees in front of him, and most importantly, he is charged with the ever-important task of reading blitzes to protect both Jarrett Brown and the WVU backfield.
However, Jobe must work hand in hand with his fifth-year quarterback and the rest of the offensive linemen. His head can only be up for so long before snapping the ball, and he relies on his teammates to yell out several reads in what is an extremely complicated process.
“My legs are between my legs half the time so usually it starts with the tackles. They’ll see the safeties rolling and blitzers coming up at the line of scrimmage, and then they’ll relay it to me,” Jobe explained. “It’s kind of my job to get it to the other side of the line because if Selvish makes the call on the right side of the line I have to get it over to Josh and Barclay so we’re all on the same page.
“Jarrett has the last say in things. If he makes a call we have to go with it. But sometimes we make a call and he has to trust us in picking up the blitz or to pick up his blindside.”
Jobe is confident in the chemistry he and Brown have built over the last three seasons. Both players were routinely placed on the second team for their respective positions, running with the same offense in practices. In terms of picking up blitzes and other stunts that defenses throw at him, Jobe has developed tremendously. During the spring season, he made a diligent effort to relay any knowledge to those who are less experienced on the squad.
“I think it’s more that people know what to do but they just don’t know when to do it,” Jobe said of solving defensive schemes. “Seeing it on film is one of the keys. Film is part of our weekly schedule, we’re here every day lifting, running, getting skill development and watching film.”
The upcoming season will put more pressure on Jobe and the rest of the unit to harness its pass-blocking skills. While run blocking requires more muscle and mite, defending the pass rush also relies on brute strength – but places a greater premium on speed and agility.
Jobe has proven that he possesses both elements, and is eager to showcase his improving skills when WVU kicks off its season on Sept. 5. After getting a taste of fast-paced college football last season, one of WVU’s top bench-pressers has been training nonstop for his breakthrough year.
“The summer is going great. We’ve been working on strength, speed and getting to know the other line guys,” Jobe said. “It’s been going well during the spring and we’re working a lot of Tuesdays and Thursdays with position drills. This is my first season working with Josh (Jenkins) and Jeff (Braun) so it’s a good learning experience for all of us.”
With several preseason publications placing WVU’s offensive line as its biggest question mark, Jobe and company are out to prove the naysayers wrong. Carrying the right approach and the right attitude heading into fall camp, Jobe is ready to help carry a tradition of successful O-lines that have elevated WVU’s offensive performance in recent seasons.
