Mike Detillier: The center of attention (1 Viewer)

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By Mike Detillier Sports Correspondent | Houma Courier

I hope we will get to see college and pro football in the fall.

One major area to watch this season with both LSU and the New Orleans Saints will be starting with the critical center position.

Other than quarterback, the center spot is the hardest for any player to excel at in both college and pro football.

At center, you are the quarterback of the offensive line. You make the alignment calls and you have to pick up the delayed inside blitzes you see so much today in the game.

With a new quarterback, you sometimes have to calm him down.

And you have to make sure you get the ball back in the exchange either under center or in the shot-gun/pistol formation back to the quarterback as close to 100 percent of the time as you can get it.

I spoke to former New Orleans Saints center Steve Korte, who never played center until he was selected by the Saints, about the responsibilities of playing center and the mental part of the game.

“When I was in high school in Colorado I played some offensive line and defensive tackle,” Korte said. “So I sign on with Arkansas and I’m a back-up defensive tackle to Dan Hampton. He’s a Hall of Fame defensive tackle, so my future is at guard. I got to be pretty good at it and I was a consensus All-American offensive guard in 1982. The Saints pick me in Round 2 in 1983 and after a couple of days of practice they decided to move me to the center position. I had practiced a little the center spot at one of these Regional Combines, but never in a game. It was quite an adjustment for me.”

Full Story - houmatoday.com
 
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