Despite losses, A&M's offensive line is thriving
The phone calls have come on a regular basis. So have the pats on the back.
Chris Franklin has called. So has Jeffery Johnson. Kristian Smith has also checked in.
"We've even seen them after the game, too" Alabama A&M center Xavier Manuel said. "It's been fun."
Franklin, Johnson and Smith - three fifth-year seniors - anchored the Bulldogs' offensive line last season and played key roles in helping A&M win the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship. Franklin was a four-year starter, while Smith and Johnson were first-team All-SWAC selections a year ago.
While there were a number of question marks surrounding A&M's offense when the Bulldogs opened preseason practice two months ago, none seemed bigger than the offensive line.
Tackles James Sanders and Darius Turner returned along with sophomore Charles Meade, who played a lot last year as a true freshman, but two first-time starters would have to emerge.
Offensive line coach Cedric Pearl plugged Manuel, a redshirt sophomore, in at center and redshirt freshman Russell Jackson won the starting job at left guard and A&M hasn't missed a beat.
"We could see in practice they were going to be good players, but it's surprising to see them playing this well," Pearl confessed. "You expect young players to make mistakes, but I've been really pleased."
What offensive line coach wouldn't be?With a revamped unit, A&M is enjoying the type of success on offense it hasn't seen in a number of years.
"I'm actually not surprised because we had a good group of guys that taught us a lot and helped prepare us for what we're going through now," said Manuel, who had never played in a game before this season. "I didn't know we'd get off to this kind of start, but I knew we would eventually get there and knew we could play well."
The Bulldogs haven't just played well. They've been terrific.
Aside from the 31-6 loss at Grambling, A&M has topped the 40-point mark in four of their five games. The Bulldogs are averaging 37.8 points and 443.6 yards per game.
And, while quarterback Kelcy Luke has played well along with A&M's running backs and receivers, this wouldn't be possible without the work of the Bulldogs' offensive line.
"It's a nice surprise, but it's kind of what we do," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "Every year, we groom some more kids into our system. It's not like those kids just showed up. They've been on our campus ... learning and waiting for an opportunity.
"Meade played some last year. Xavier and Russell watched and learned last year and we spent a lot of time with them in the spring making them understand they were going to have to step up in the fall. They bought into it and Sanders and Turner are taking care of them and they're fitting in and growing each game."
That growth will be tested Saturday when A&M visits Southern in an important conference game.
Kickoff is 5:30.
Sanders and Turner were both preseason All-SWAC selections. Meade is also an All-SWAC caliber player. However, little was known about Manuel and Jackson.
Manuel was stuck behind Franklin and as a result didn't get a chance to play. Russell, one of the better athletes along the offensive line at 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds, was learning the offense this time last year.
Despite their lack of experience, they have helped solidify A&M's unit.
"The coaches know what they're doing," Sanders said. "If somebody is out there on the field, they're the best person for the job and those guys have proven they can play winning football."
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