2017 BC Football Camp Insider: Offensive Line

As Boston College head coach, Steve Addazio can easily illustrate an offensive line's importance to the entire offense. A mature line built on the backs of big, strong, intelligent bodies is a game breaker, while an undersized, inexperienced line can wipe away the rest of the unit's athleticism. All he has to do is point to his first three seasons in Chestnut Hill.

"When I got here, through some fifth-year transfers adding in and Andre (Williams), we put together an elite running game," he said. "When (Tyler Murphy) came in here, we changed our style a little bit. We had some more spread principles and with (Jon Hilliman) healthy as a true freshman, (we) really had an elite running game. Then we lost our offensive line, which has been well-chronicled, and there was a void in there because there was no middle class."

It's a chronicle feeding 2017's hopeful return of Boston College's "O-Line U" reputation. Once a proud statement of the Eagles' dominance in the trenches, it's something for the newest group of players to take back. Hardly a new development for the players in uniform, the road began in the weight room in 2015.

"The guys in my class have really gotten bigger," Chris Lindstrom said. "We've trimmed fat. We've seen ourselves grow, and it's really cool now that we're playing together. The chemistry that we have and the size difference is really amazing, just seeing where we're at."

In 2015, Lindstrom started at right guard despite weighing only 260 pounds. His classmate Aaron Monteiro started five games as a 336-pound left tackle. Both are now transformed as Lindstrom bulked up to 305 pounds of muscle while Monteiro trimmed down to 315.

"I love to say this because I've been coaching the offensive line in my career so this amazes me," Addazio said. "I say it for my own amusement. (Lindstrom) was playing at 265 pounds as a true freshman against Florida State. He's now 310 pounds and he's a really good player."

They're part of a stable of players who sit right around the right kind of 300 pounder. Elijah Johnson is at 300 pounds, as is Sam Schmal. John Phillips, who at 6'6" weighed 295 pounds during his freshman season, is now 310. They all saw action in over 10 games last year, with Johnson starting next to Monteiro on the left side of the line.

"It's funny, when you watched the crossover film, you would see this 255 or 245-pound guy that's trotting out there that should be redshirted," Loeffler said of Chris Lindstrom. "You saw that he was athletic, but he was one of those guys that unfortunately had to play way too early. Now he's 300-pounds plus. He's athletic. He can move. He's smart. He's tough. You'd have loved the ability to redshirt him, but that experience he had being at 260 pounds and undersized, he realized he had to get a heck of a lot stronger and bigger. He's embraced that first year and worked his tail off to do a great job."

Their big physicality flank the line, where the center is anchored by a particular interior veteran presence. After three starts at left guard in 2015, Jon Baker moved to center, a place he's called home ever since. Entering his senior season with 22 consecutive starts as the BC snapper, he's the archetypical lineman who punches his time card and puts on the hard hat for his job on the field.

"It all starts with Jon Baker," Lindstrom said. "Jon says the point, and we base everything off of it. He runs the show, but we're all accountable for where we're going off of what he says. He's unbelievable in recognizing anything, and he recognize if we need to flip a protection or something. When you master the offense and start to study defenses, being able to do all of those things becomes really important."

"Jon is a great role model," Addazio said. "He has a fantastic work ethic, and he's really just a great human being. He's a very bright guy and carries himself the way you should. He's been a good role model for everybody but certainly in the offensive line meeting room."

"He's got experience and size," offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler echoed. "He's a super-smart kid. He's going to be able to help with protections by making sure that our quarterback is ID'ing it correctly. He's a veteran, and he's a guy that's shown tremendous leadership so far on our offensive unit."

Mastery of the Eagles offense is more than just a helmet hit to the defensive line. There's run blocking versus pass blocking, man-to-man blocking versus zone reads. Each play calls for a different scheme, with every assignment designed to open holes, protecting passes while keeping defenses off guard.

BC utilizes different schemes. A counter or power run, for example, requires a gap block built on horsepower exploding ahead. A zone block, meanwhile, analyzes space for a tight or wide play. In every game plan, specific play calls are based on the unit's expectations and performance against an opponent. A game plan dictates, with adjustments coming from the Eagles' execution.

Offensive line performance opens opportunities for skill position athletes. There's athleticism, but springing a back for a deep run downfield is the line's execution, a byproduct from the opportunity to shine. With the Eagles in particular, there's an emphasis on versatility. Baker started as guard and moved to center. Lindstrom can play guard or tackle. Others have the ability to block in the interior or switch to the outer tackle positions.

"The offensive line that we have is very, very good," running back AJ Dillon said. "They've been opening up a lot of holes for me, and the same goes for them. I know they're only going to get better, which I'm really excited to see because they're already great."

At BC, the offensive line is a display of intelligence and physicality. But it always comes back to good old fashioned power. A team can have the smartest guys in football, but the offense won't execute without an offensive line big enough to compete. It's not lost on the Eagle players or their coaches.

"The guys that we play against are so talented," Lindstrom said. "It's not like in high school. You know the guys that you're playing against are at such an elite level. When you get an opportunity, it's so satisfying."

2017 BC Football Camp Insider: Offensive Line

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Players Mentioned

Jon Baker

AJ Dillon

Jon Hilliman

Elijah Johnson

Chris Lindstrom

Aaron Monteiro

John Phillips

Sam Schmal

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