Bulaga, the Iowa years

I do not have an extensive Bryan Bulaga library. I have a few stories, but not nearly enough, in my opinion.

He played as a true freshman, and you know, of course, they're off limits. He was pretty good as a sophomore in 2008, but that was the Shonn Greene express. The 2009 season started with the thyroid attack and that kind of threw everything off, including his play, which, he admitted, didn't hit stride until Michigan State (which worked out pretty well as it turns out).

Anyway, I've got a few stories from the archive, for those basking in the glow of the Packers' Super Bowl victory.

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This was from his sophomore year, 2008.

IOWA CITY -- Good days are hard to come by for football players during the long winter months of lifting and conditioning.

A tap on the shoulder from the head coach helped Bryan Bulaga's winter kick into lightspeed.

That's when Bulaga, a 6-foot-6, 301-pound sophomore, found out Coach Kirk Ferentz wanted him to give left offensive tackle a try. When you get to the major-college level, left offensive tackle is a big deal. It's a big-money position in the NFL, with a left tackle's ability to protect a right-handed quarterback's blindside drawing millions in contracts. The big names make in the range of $20 million a season.

So, yeah, you're lifting and sweating and then your coach, who's a renowned offensive line coach in NFL circles, asks if you want to play left tackle.

"I was definitely up for it," Bulaga said.

Last year during his freshman season, Bulaga played in the Hawkeyes' opener against Northern Illinois. During the game, he suffered a shoulder injury that limited him for seven weeks. In week eight, he broke into the starting lineup at left guard. A big deal for a true freshman.

"When I was recruited, I just wanted to go where I could help out," said Bulaga, a Parade Magazine All-American as a senior at Marian (Ill.) Central Catholic.

But ...

"Of course in the back of my mind, that's where I wanted to play," he said. "Now I'm getting the opportunity and I'm very grateful for that. I'm going to make the most of it. But when I was getting recruited, anywhere would've been fine with me."

The biggest difference at left tackle is pass protection. Guards usually have help on the inside. Left tackles are pretty much one-on-one with the other team's best pass rusher.

"Getting used to it again in camp has been a bit of a challenge, but I feel I'm doing it well," Bulaga said.

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Remember when Greene was knocked out during the 2008 Northwestern game? I wrote a story in the wake of that about "defenseless" football players.

I asked Bulaga about it:

If you watch a game closely enough, you wonder how helmet-to-helmet isn't called every down. Linemen begin every play in a three-point stance.

By nature, the head is front and center while firing out. The head is a point of emphasis.

Iowa offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga signed up for this. He knows the helmet-to-helmet is a tough call. He thinks officials want to keep players safe and keep the game clean.

But he's out there playing the game.

His head and the helmet that protects it are tools of this game.

"You've got a helmet on, you use it," he said.

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In 2007, Indiana racked up nine sacks on the Hawkeyes in a victory at Kinnick in 2007.

Basically, the same two groups faced off the next season. IU had one sack. Iowa had a runaway victory.

The offensive linemen heard that nine-sack stat a few times last week. O-line coach Reese Morgan mentioned it, they said. Head coach Kirk Ferentz said he brought it up only once. The nine sacks were something the five offensive linemen used to pump themselves up.

Indiana had one sack Saturday.

“That was emphasized all week. It had to be,” sophomore tackle Bryan Bulaga said. “That can kill a team. Nine sacks a game? C'mon.”

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Here is Bulaga on the 2009 O-line's prospects:

Junior Bryan Bulaga, Iowa's left OT, has 18 career starts, second only to senior Kyle Calloway's 25 along Iowa's offensive line. (Gazette/Brian Ray)

Somewhere along the line, Bryan Bulaga became grizzled veteran.

He started at guard as a true freshman. Last season, he locked down left tackle for 13 games. Going into 2009, he's put himself in position for all-Big Ten and beyond.

But will Iowa's O-line be go along for the ride?

Senior Kyle Calloway, a second-team all-Big Ten pick by league media last season, has right tackle locked down, giving coach Kirk Ferentz a pair of bookends.

The inside trio is far from established. With Rob Bruggeman and Seth Olsen graduated and headed toward the NFL, question marks abound. Junior Julian Vandervelde and his 15 career starts will be in there, but where is still a question.

Bulaga, the vet, offered these thoughts.

“I think we've got about eight or nine guys who could potentially push for a starting spot,” said the 6-6, 312-pounder. “We've got a lot of experienced guys who've played so far. We've got a lot of guys rotating in and out of the starting five. I think there's a good mix. There's good competition, too.”

Center is wide-open. Fifth-year senior Rafael Eubanks (6-3, 280) has the inside shot. He has 21 career starts. Junior walk-on Josh Koeppel (6-2, 267) is definitely in it. At Saturday's scrimmage, Vandervelde was tried there. Ferentz said after practice that Vandervelde at center is more than a passing thought.

“Koep and Raf are fighting it out for that position,” Bulaga said. ‘That's the biggest battle I think on our offensive line right now, those two guys. They're both good players. They're both experienced. Obviously, Josh hasn't had the game experience, but he's a good learner from Bruggy, from last year. He knows what he's doing out there. Raf has a lot of playing experience. He knows what it's like to play out there. It's good competition.”

A center will emerge from Eubanks, Koeppel and Vandervelde. At guard, Vandervelde is the only returnee with significant playing time. Make that significant and recent playing time.

Fifth-year senior Dan Doering 6-6, 300) is near the top of the list. After making strides and seeing rotation time in 2007, he suffered a broken wrist in fall camp and saw little playing time in ‘08. Fifth-year senior Andy Kuempel (6-7, 300) jumped in when Olsen suffered a sprained ankle last fall and played well until he injured his should at Illinois. The injury kept him out of bowl practices and he remained out this spring. Ferentz expects him to return.

Sophomore Adam Gettis (6-4, 280) has been noticeable in a good way this spring, Ferentz said.

“Andy and Julian and Raf can play guard, too,” Bulaga said. “Doering and Dace, there are a lot of guys. Adam Gettis, he's emerged a lot this spring. There are a lot of guys who can fill in at those inside guard spots.

“I think who we're going to respond in general is the big question mark. We had a lot of success with Shonn and our line last year. I think it's more of can we do the same this year with different guys.”

And there's senior Dace Richardson (6-6, 305), who's trying to make it back from knee realignment surgery. He played eight of 13 games in 2006, played just one game in ‘07 and sat out the 2008 season. He rehabbed all last year and go the greenlight for this spring.

He's a longshot, but by the end of the spring, he was running with the No. 1s.

“I've never had the opportunity to play with Dace, so it's a little bit different with him next to me,” Bulaga said. “I'm happy for him. I'm proud of what he's done so far, getting back ,working back. I'm looking forward to us moving on and jelling a little bit better when the summer comes around.

“All the odds were against him, he's come back and has done a good job. I'm happy for him.”

After spending a month and 15 practices with Iowa's new D-line - minus King and Kroul - Bulaga had this to say:

“They're all good players. Our defense is always going to be strong,” he said. “Adrian and Christian are experienced guys on the end. Broderick Binns has gotten better everyday in practice. Karl and Mike, they're working to get better everyday, too. They learned a lot from Mitch and Matt.”

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Remember when former WR Trey Stross apologized to fans on his Facebook after Ohio State last season?

The topic didn't sit well with Coach Kirk Ferentz and Stross' teammates during Tuesday's news conference.

"I was asked if he should feel the need to apologize to fans," offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga said. "Not at all. He shouldn't have to do that. The fans don't deserve an apology from him.

"He's been here for five years, and he's worked hard and played in a lot of big games and big plays. He doesn't need to apologize to anybody."

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This was from after the Orange Bowl 2010. You could tell all that week he was going. He stayed in the moment. His play didn't reflect the heavy weight of keeping things quiet and keeping from being a distraction, which is clearly Ferentz's philosophy with these things, though he was a little bit more open about it in Arizona this year.

MIAMI - You wondered how Bryan Bulaga would play. Everytime he showed up for interviews this week, you could tell it was eating at him.

His decision to jump to the NFL was either on the tip of his tongue and stayed there only because he decided not to be a distraction, or it was still something he was giving serious and deep thought.

It was probably a little of both. Either way, it ended Wednesday with Bulaga, a 6-6, 312-pound offensive tackle, announcing that he will enter April's NFL draft.

“After much deliberation and careful consideration, I have decided to forego my fourth year of college eligibility and enter the upcoming NFL draft, ” Bulaga said in a release. “This was not an easy decision since my Iowa experience has been very positive and rewarding.”

It was a past-tense week for Bulaga and his family.

After the Hawkeyes' 24-14 victory over Georgia Tech in Tuesday night's Orange Bowl, Bulaga talked about chasing a dream in the next level.

“The thing is it's not all about the money,” Bulaga said. “I don't think a lot of people realize that. It's about the love of the game. Every guy in here dreams about the next level and going to the NFL. When an opportunity knocks on the door, some guys are ready to take it and some want to stay an extra year.

“That's where I'm at right now. It's more than just the money. It's your career, it's your dreams, it's everything. There's a lot more that goes into it than just making some money. There's more to it than just that.”

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And the Big Ten chimes in:

THIRTEEN FORMER BIG TEN PLAYERS AND COACHES

EARN SUPER BOWL WIN WITH GREEN BAY

Big Ten was only conference to feature at least one player from every institution in Super Bowl XLV

Park Ridge, Ill. – Thirteen former Big Ten players and coaches helped the Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl XLV on Sunday, Feb. 6. The Big Ten was well-represented in the Super Bowl with 18 former student-athletes and nine coaches with previous conference connections on the rosters of the Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Big Ten was the only conference to feature at least one former player from every institution in the Super Bowl. The Big Ten and the SEC (20 players) were the only conferences with 18 or more players on the two Super Bowl squads, followed by the ACC (14), Big 12 (13), MAC (13) and Pac-10 (10).

The eight former Big Ten players to earn Super Bowl rings with the Packers included six on the active roster - Hawkeye offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga, Wolverine cornerback Charles Woodson, Buckeye linebackers A.J. Hawk and Matt Wilhelm and defensive lineman Ryan Pickett and Nittany Lion tight end Andrew Quarless. Hawk racked up five tackles and a pass defense while Woodson collected three defensive stops before missing the second half due to injury. On offense, Quarless hauled in a five-yard pass. Purdue defensive end Mike Neal and Wisconsin offensive tackle Mark Tauscher were on the team's injured reserve list.

Ten former Big Ten student-athletes appeared on the Steelers' roster - Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall, Indiana wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, Michigan linebackers Larry Foote and LaMarr Woodley and free safety Ryan Mundy, Michigan State offensive tackle Flozell Adams, Minnesota tight end Matt Spaeth, Northwestern offensive guard Trai Essex, Ohio State safety Will Allen and Penn State punter Jeremy Kapinos. Mendenhall posted 63 rushing yards and an eight-yard third-quarter touchdown to pull the Steelers within 21-17. Randle El caught two passes for 50 yards and also ran for a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 28-25. Woodley posted three tackles, two quarterback hits and a sack, while Kapinos averaged 51.0 yards on three punts, including a long of 56 yards.

All 11 Big Ten schools were represented on the field, while seven were represented by an assistant coach. Ohio State and Michigan tied for the lead among all schools with four active players, followed by Penn State with two. The remaining eight schools laid claim to one former player apiece. Three assistant coaches had ties to the Wolverines, giving them the most of any conference squad, followed by the Buckeyes with two assistant coaches. Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Penn State and Purdue were also linked to a member of the Packers' or Steelers' coaching staff.

Nine assistant coaches with Big Ten ties took part in Super Bowl XLV, including five members of Green Bay's staff and four members of Pittsburgh's staff. The Packers' offensive and defensive coordinators are both linked to Big Ten schools, as offensive coordinator Joe Philbin was an assistant coach at Iowa from 1999-2002 and defensive coordinator Dom Capers was an assistant at Ohio State from 1982-83. Other Green Bay coaches with a connection to the Big Ten included tight ends coach Ben McAdoo (assistant at Michigan State), safeties coach Darren Perry (played at Penn State) and defensive line coach Mike Trgovac (played and served as an assistant at Michigan). Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau played at Ohio State from 1956-58. Other members of the Steelers' coaching staff who represented the conference are quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner (assistant at Purdue and Michigan), offensive assistant Harold Goodwin (played and served as an assistant at Michigan) and wide receivers coach Kirby Wilson (played at Illinois).