Branding offensive linemen the Iowa way

IOWA CITY - In a typical preseason question-and-answer session, Iowa offensive line coach Brian Ferentz was uncharacteristically blunt in his assessment of sophomore left tackle Boone Myers.

Ferentz touted Myers' work ethic and his commitment in the weight room. But when asked why he's confident enough in Myers to list him as a first-teamer, Ferentz replied, 'Nothing.”

'If you're asking what he's done to demonstrate that he can handle it, nothing,” Ferentz said. 'But I would tell you he's done nothing to demonstrate that he can't.”

Therein lies the challenge for Iowa's offense this season, relying on an unproven former walk-on to replace college football's best offensive linemen in Brandon Scherff. But Myers already has shown his commitment to the program, which began with paying his own way for a year.

Myers grew up a Hawkeye fan in Webster City. He dreamed of running out of the tunnel with 'Back in Black” blaring. As a red-shirt, Myers earned the offense's Team Leader Award and parlayed it into a scholarship. Last year he played in four games as a backup. This year, he presides over the showcase position in Iowa's offensive industrial plant.

However unfair, comparisons between Myers and Scherff won't fade. Scherff was the first offensive lineman chosen in April's NFL draft. He earned the Outland Trophy and was a consensus All-American. Myers has yet to make a start. But Scherff sees ability in Myers, something Scherff noted one day before he was drafted No. 5 overall by the Washington Redskins.

'He's a little farther along than I was,” Scherff said. 'He has to gain the weight, I had to lose it back when I was his age. He's a hard-working football player.”

But when the comparison was broached to Brian Ferentz, he immediately scoffed.

'I remember when I first got here and somebody asked the question, they wanted me to compare C.J. Fiedorowicz to Rob Gronkowski at that time,” said Brian Ferentz, who coached Gronkowski in New England. 'And the answer was simple: Rob Gronkowski was an All-Pro tight end that had started in the Super Bowl, and C.J. Fiedorowicz at the time had 11 career catches. I'd say the same thing about Boone.”

At 6-foot-5, 300 pounds, Myers has the necessary frame for the position. That wasn't the case two seasons ago when he weighed 250 pounds entering the team's Outback Bowl appearance. He's grown in every way possible, and he understands the challenges facing him.

'There's always a little bit of pressure, but you've got to brush that off,” Myers said. 'That's why we're here at fall camp, trying to get better and be the best player I can be and help the team out. That's all I can really do now.”

Myers and fellow new right tackle, sophomore Ike Boettger, fit the mold for what Iowa seeks in their offensive linemen. They were multisport athletes who played tight end in high school and boast a frame that can carry more weight. They're also smart. Myers is an environmental science major, while Boettger works in pre-business. Boettger played quarterback early in his high school career before becoming an all-state tight end as a senior. He shifted to offensive line midway through his red-shirt season.

But the intangible trait Brian Ferentz identifies - which he credits to defensive coordinator Phil Parker - is competitiveness. Both players hate to lose, and their ascension from projects to products depends upon their feisty disposition. Boettger's move forced him to accept the toughness it takes to play the position. Now, he embraces it.

'Just the physicality of it,” he said. 'I've tried to adopt that and become more of a finisher. I really enjoy that part of the game now.”

Myers faces all-Big Ten-caliber defensive end Drew Ott every day in practice. Like those before him - Scherff vs. Adrian Clayborn - Myers loses many of the battles. But he's fighting on every play, and even the losses help him improve.

'It's really good to go up against him because he is the best,” Myers said. 'I'm not winning all the reps against him, and he is really good and he's one of the best in the Big Ten. But when I do win those reps - and I'm starting to win more - that's good because I know he's one of the best and if I can beat him, I'm starting to improve and beat him more. That means I'm getting there.

'If you look back, Scherff went up against good defensive linemen and others like Reiff and Bulaga (did). Just another step in the ladder.”

While size and agility are God-given and toughness and selflessness are instilled, Iowa offensive linemen are branded through coaching. But can the Hawkeyes do that with Myers and Boettger? That's the biggest question facing the offensive line - and possibly the team - this season.

'We're excited about the guys we have working there, but I'd tell you they've got a long way to go,” Brian Ferentz said. 'And I think they'd tell you that, too if you ask them.”

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com