Sophs carrying weight on offensive line
By Danny Gillham
Sports Editor

In the 2001-02 season, the only returning starter on the offensive line was senior Victor Payne. The coaching staff was forced to mix and match throughout the season, looking to find a successful combination.

The end result was a season-long struggle to find consistency, games with a stagnant rushing attack and Frog quarterbacks constantly hurried in the pocket.

In that mix were then-redshirt freshmen Anthony Alabi and Chase Johnson. Now, after a year of maturity, both are key members of a Frog offensive line that is partly responsible for the Frogs gaining 183.9 yards a game rushing.

Alabi starts at left tackle while Johnson handles the duties at center.

The two lineman’s paths to TCU were very different. While Alabi came to the Frogs as a defensive tackle after spending six months in the U.S. Naval Academy, Johnson arrived in Fort Worth as a highly recruited offensive lineman out of Shawnee, Kan.

The 6-foot-6, 325 pound Alabi, who owns the team weight room records in the squat (805 pounds) and power clean (460 pounds), said he welcomed the transition to the offensive side of the ball.

“It was kind of tough when I first got here,” Alabi said. “I didn’t play at all on the (defensive) line. Moving to offensive line, it was a great opportunity for me.”

Johnson carries what looks to be a calm and relaxed demeanor on the field, although Alabi said he is quick to get in the faces of the other lineman if needed.

Johnson’s calm in the chaos of the line of scrimmage came handy in his first career game. An illness to Jamal Powell forced him to man the center position in the 2001 season opener in front of nearly 80,000 Nebraska fans, and take on the vaunted “blackshirt” defense of the Cornhuskers.

He was clearly not in Kansas anymore.

However, despite the sea of red, Johnson said it wasn’t that nerve-racking.

“I was pretty nervous going into Nebraska, but after a few plays I was just playing football, and it wasn’t that big of a deal,” he said.

Offensive line coach Eddie Williamson said the two sophomores give the team something to build on for the future and have been blessed with natural ability that has them ahead of schedule.

“Both of them are good football players, and I think have real good futures ahead of them,” Williamson said. “They’ve not tapped their potentials by any means, so we’re going to expect even more out of them next year and the following year.

“If a lineman’s playing by his redshirt junior year, he is on schedule. Anything before that in most cases, you’re ahead of schedule. That either comes by exceptional physical ability, or just a good understanding of the game and the techniques necessary when you come in.”

The offensive line also consists of five seniors who have contributed to the success of the Frogs.

While Alabi said their leadership helped build confidence, they aren’t always the designated leaders of the front five.

“The way we’ve done it on the offensive line is we don’t really go by class,” Alabi said. “I think that everyone’s a leader on the offensive line. Just depending on what day it is and who feels it that day, they’re going to step up and lead.”

The team is relying on the two sophomores to continue its advanced leadership and play on the field, as the Frogs make the push for a conference championship.

Danny Gillham