Aug 15, 2013
Thursday, Aug. 15 Camp Ruidoso Photo Gallery
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Training Camp Central
RUIDOSO, N.M. – At this point last season the University of New Mexico football team’s offensive line was a question mark. There was little depth and the talent level was an unknown.
“When we got here last year they were kind of deemed the weak point on the team,” admitted Jason Lenzmeier, the coach of the offensive line.
And now? Just ask the big man himself, head coach Bob Davie.
“On a day-to-day basis, as a group, that unit has probably been our most consistent here at camp,” he said.
Not only are they the most consistent, but they are also the most vocal and some of the most energetic.
“It’s kind of what we do,” senior center and team co-captain Dillon Farrell said. “We’re the most fun group. We have the most characters and the most personality. We have fun. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We go out there and play ball and try to bring as much energy to the team as we can.”
It begins during stretching, lasts throughout practice, and it doesn’t end when the guys walk off the field either. Following their last afternoon practice at training camp Thursday afternoon, seniors Darryl Johnson and Calvin McDowney were dancing to the “Cha Cha Slide” on their way back up to the hotel.
“They have fun,” Lenzmeier said. “It’s fun to coach them everyday. They come out and work hard and they’re vocal, but they back it up too. This game has to be fun, and they go out on the field and have fun.”
Farrell said his coach is always finding new ways to get them to enjoy the game.
“If anyone ever sat in on our meetings they would probably see where we get our energy and personality from because he’s hilarious and quick-witted,” he said. “He’s not afraid to make fun of anyone in the room. We always try to fire back at him and play back and forth with him and make fun of each other a little bit.
So how did the line go so quickly from being considered a weakness to now being one of the team’s biggest strengths? Depth played a big role.
“We’ve got more guys and that’s obviously going to add to the competitive nature of the O-line,” Farrell said. “I think (in the spring of 2012) we had only seven or eight guys, and LaMar Bratton and I got every rep. It was tough but it made us tougher for the season. Now we have 17 or 18 guys and you have to watch your back or some guy will take your spot.”
Perhaps the biggest addition, though, was the re-addition of Lenzmeier as coach. One of the famed Lobo “Hitmen” linemen from the early 2000’s, he remains to this day the only offensive lineman in the conference to be named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week. Following his playing career he was a graduate assistant for one season before coaching the Lobo line for two years. He then left, though, to coach the offensive line at Rio Grande Rival New Mexico St. After three years in Las Cruces, Davie called and Lenzmeier returned to his alma mater.
“It’s a special deal when you get the opportunity to coach where you played, and this situation is awesome,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity. I’m happy Coach Davie gave it to me and just happy to be here to get these guys working hard.”
On the field Lenzmeier is about as intense as they come, and Farrell and his teammates appreciate his passion and how much he truly cares about them.
“It’s tough at times, to be honest,” he said. “It’s one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my life, playing to the expectations he has as an alum. I appreciate that more than anything because now I’m a UNM grad and I want to be proud of my university. It’s tough, like I said, but I understand where he’s coming from because I know where I want (this program) to be. It’s all in good nature, though. It’s all about building you up as a football player and building you into a better man.”
The line returns four starters from a unit that helped the Lobos rank fifth in the country in rushing yards per game at 301.5 yards per game.
Farrell is the leader of the group at center and has started 34 of his 39 career games. LaMarr Bratton, a junior guard, has started all 25 games of his career. Johnson is slated to start at left tackle and also has 25 career starts. McDowney started four games last season and can play either guard position. The tallest of the bunch, right tackle Jamal Price, stands 6’6 and had a game to remember against Wyoming in 2012 as he registered 22 knockdown blocks.
“We have guys who have a lot of playing experience,” Lenzmeier said. “And they’ve been working hard so they deserve the notoriety they’ve been getting. Hopefully we can live up to it.”